US 2019/0058901 A1 · SIGNALING SCHEME FOR IMPROVED VIDEO STREAMING

Abstract

In one embodiment, a mobile communications system has a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes communicating wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices, a video server transmitting one or more packetized video streams to one or more of the wireless user devices, and a packet core routing packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes. For each packetized video stream, the video server transmits in-band information related to the packetized video stream, such as relative screen size, relative video activity level, and minimum and maximum video quality levels, and each RAN node extracts and uses the in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to its one or more corresponding wireless user devices. The system can provide higher-quality video experience without wasting bandwidth on user devices that don't require much communication resources.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A mobile communications system (e.g., 100) comprising:

a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes (e.g., 130), each RAN node configured to communicate wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices (e.g., 140);
a video server (e.g., 110) configured to transmit one or more packetized video streams to one or more of the wireless user devices;
and
a packet core (e.g., 120) configured to route packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes, wherein:
the video server is configured to transmit, in each packetized video stream, in-band information related to the packetized video stream;
and
each RAN node is configured to use the in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to the one or more wireless user devices.

4 more elements

A method for a video server (e.g., 110) that transmits one or more packetized video streams to one or more wireless user devices in a mobile communications system (e.g., 100) further comprising (i) a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes (e.g., 130), each RAN node configured to communicate wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices (e.g., 140) and (ii) a packet core (e.g., 120) configured to route packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes, the method comprising:

(a) the video server determining information related to each packetized video stream, wherein each packetized video stream is transmitted by the video server to a wireless user device via the packet core and a corresponding RAN node;
and
(b) the video server transmitting the information as in-band information in the packetized video stream, wherein the corresponding RAN node uses the in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to the wireless user device.

A method for a RAN node (e.g., 130) that communicates wirelessly with a plurality of wireless user devices (e.g., 140) in a mobile communications system (e.g., 100) further comprising (i) one or more other RAN nodes, (ii) a video server (e.g., 110) configured to transmit one or more packetized video streams to one or more of the wireless user devices and (iii) a packet core (e.g., 120) configured to route packets of video data from the video server to the one or more wireless user devices via the RAN nodes, the method comprising:

(a) the RAN node receiving packets of video data for each packetized video stream being transmitted by the video server to a wireless user device via the packet core and the RAN node, wherein each packetized video stream includes in-band information related to the packetized video stream;
(b) the RAN node extracting the in-band information;
(c) the RAN node using the extracted in-band information to schedule transmission of the packets of video data to the one or more corresponding wireless user devices;
and
(d) the RAN node transmitting the packets of video data to the one or more corresponding wireless user devices.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Signaling scheme for improved video streaming

Life of this patent

Signaling scheme for improved video streaming

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20