System and method for distributed cross-leyer congestion control for real-time video over wireless lan

A method for controlling congestion for real-time video transmission in a wireless network connecting a plurality of video cameras to a central server, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a frame error rate of a video camera in a wireless network from a media access control layer of a network communication protocol for said wireless network;
• receiving a bit transmission rate from said media access control layer;
• receiving a number of cameras in said network;
• calculating an estimated maximum throughput of said video camera from said frame error rate, said bit transmission rate, and said number of cameras;
• sending said estimated maximum throughput to a source rate adaptation module for adjusting said bit transmission rate;
• calculating a contention window size from said bit transmission rate;
• and
• sending said contention window size to said media access control layer, wherein said contention window size maintains network airtime fairness.

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps for controlling congestion for real-time video transmission in a wireless network connecting a plurality of video cameras to a central server, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a packet loss rate of a video camera in a wireless network;
• receiving an estimated maximum throughput of said video camera from said camera to a server;
• decrementing a bit transmission rate when said packet loss rate is greater than a first predetermined threshold;
• incrementing said bit transmission rate when said packet loss rate is less than a second predetermined threshold for a predetermined time period;
• and
• transmitting said bit transmission rate to a video encoder that is part of an application layer of a network communication protocol for said wireless network.