Method for connection acceptance and rapid determination of optimal multi-media content delivery over network

A system for allocating bandwidth between a server device and at least one client device, the system comprising:

• a call acceptance module operative to receive an incoming request for service;
• a flow regulator configured to deliver content at a modulated target flow rate, the content being delivered between the server device and a respective client device when a call is accepted by the call acceptance module;
• and
• a flow optimizer configured to modulate the target flow rate of the flow regulator in order to optimize an aggregate flow of content by performing the following procedure:
• a) prescribing a control variable which represents a target flow rate of content from the server device to each client device by
• i) forming a hyperplane of control variables that aggregate to a maximum allowed aggregate flow rate;
• ii) computing a first vector of minimum allowed client flow rates;
• iii) computing a second vector of maximum allowed client flow rates;
• iv) determining a multi-dimensional shape of which an interior diagonal spans the first and second vectors;
• and
• v) finding a solution of control variables at a point of intersection between the diagonal and the hyperplane;
• b) determining time-varying constraints on the target flow rate of the content;
• c) determining a cost function of the control variables for all clients wherein the cost function represents an aggregate flow rate and is a sum of all flow rates for all clients;
• and
• d) prescribing bandwidth to all clients based upon a value of the control variables that maximize the cost function.

A method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of stored digital content from at least one server device to at least one client device by way of a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) prescribing a control variable which represents a target flow rate from the server to each client device based upon the amount of buffer of the client by:
• i) forming a hyperplane of control variables that aggregate to a maximum allowed aggregate flow rate;
• ii) computing a first vector of minimum allowed client flow rates;
• iii) computing a second vector of maximum allowed client flow rates;
• iv) determining a multi-dimensional shape of which an interior diagonal spans the first and second vectors;
• and
• v) finding a solution of control variables at a point of intersection between the diagonal and the hyperplane;
• b) determining time-varying constraints on the flow rate of the content;
• c) determining a cost function of the control variables for all clients in response to a size of the client's buffer wherein the cost function represents an aggregate flow rate and is a sum of all flow rates for all clients;
• and
• d) prescribing bandwidth to all clients based upon a value of the control variables that maximize the cost function.