Playout based delay scheduler

A method of operating a node of a communications network, the method comprising:

• receiving, over a transmission chain subject to packet jitter, packets of a connection involving a client device;
• storing the packets received over the transmission chain in a packet buffer;
• scheduling transmission of the packets from the packet buffer over a channel to the client device in accordance with a timing consideration of the client device, the timing consideration of the client device being avoidance of drain of a playout buffer of the client device;
• maintaining a transmission deadline variable indicative of a time at which transmission of a packet(s) should occur from the scheduling buffer to prevent the playout buffer of client device from draining;
• for each transmission time interval (TTI) of the connection, decreasing the transmission deadline variable by an amount comparable to the transmission time interval (TTI);
• for each transmission of a frame(s), increasing the transmission deadline variable by an amount comparable to a product of a number of frame(s) transmitted and a frame inter-arrival time.

A method of operating a node of a communications network, the method comprising:

• receiving, over a transmission chain subject to packet jitter, packets of a connection involving a client device;
• storing the packets received over the transmission chain in a packet buffer;
• scheduling transmission of the packets from the packet buffer over a channel to the client device in accordance with a transmission deadline;
• maintaining the transmission deadline as an indication of a time at which transmission of a packet(s) should occur from the scheduling buffer to prevent the playout buffer of client device from draining, thereby adjust the transmission deadline in accordance with transmission of frames and expirations of transmission time intervals.