Operation of a scheduler of an access point of a radio access network (ran) for scheduling bursts of data packets transmitted by a real-time application

An access point of a radio access network (RAN), comprising:

• a wireless interface configured to forward data packets transmitted by a real-time application via a wireless connection provided by the access point;
• and
• a processor configured to execute a scheduler, wherein the scheduler is configured to:
• continuously determine, in a normal mode of the scheduler, a current best effort bitrate for the wireless connection and a target bitrate for the distributed real-time application dependent on the best effort bitrate, wherein the best effort bitrate is based on a fair allocation of spectral resources of the access point and on radio conditions of the wireless connection;
• signal the determined target bitrate to the distributed real-time application to facilitate dynamic adjustment of a data rate of the transmitted data packets dependent on the signaled target bitrate by the distributed real-time application;
• continuously measure a current data rate of the transmitted data packets;
• determine a current change rate of the measured current data rate;
• switch from the normal mode to a burst mode of the scheduler based on the scheduler, in the normal mode, deriving a start of a data burst of the transmitted data packets from the determined current change rate;
• and
• determine, in the burst mode, the target bitrate ignoring the best effort bitrate.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for operating a scheduler of an access point of a radio access network (RAN), wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitate performance of the following:

• forwarding, by the access point of the RAN, data packets transmitted by a real-time application via a wireless connection provided by the access point;
• continuously determining, by the scheduler of the access point, in a normal mode of the scheduler, a current best effort bitrate for the wireless connection and a target bitrate for the distributed real-time application dependent on the best effort bitrate, wherein the best effort bitrate is based on a fair allocation of spectral resources of the access point and on radio conditions of the wireless connection;
• signaling, by the scheduler, the determined target bitrate to the distributed real-time application;
• dynamically adjusting, by the distributed real-time application, a data rate of the transmitted data packets dependent on the signaled target bitrate;
• continuously measuring, by the scheduler, a current data rate of the transmitted data packets;
• determining, by the scheduler, a current change rate of the measured current data rate;
• switching, by the scheduler, from the normal mode to a burst mode of the scheduler based on the scheduler, in the normal mode, deriving a start of a data burst of the transmitted data packets from the determined current change rate;
• and
• determining, by the scheduler, in the burst mode, the target bitrate ignoring the best effort bitrate.