System and method for adjusting transmission data rates to a device in a communication network
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorsTom Nagy, David Mak-Fan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a system and method for adjusting a characteristic of a data transmission in order to maintain a rate of transmission. For the method, it comprises: monitoring for initiation of the data transmission to the device; identifying characteristics of the device relating to the data transmission that affect the ability of the device to process the transmission; automatically adjusting the transmission rate according to a preset transmission rate progression established for the communication network; and adjusting characteristics of the data transmission to allow the characteristics of data transmission to conform to the characteristics of the device while maintaining the transmission rate for the device.
Claims20
A method for transmitting a video stream destined for a display of a remote device through a communication network, comprising at a server in the network:
- monitoring for initiation of transmission of the video stream to the remote device;
- at the server accessing parameters for resolution and depth characteristics of the display and video processing software provided on the remote device for processing the video stream on the display of the remote device;
- for the remote device, identifying a transmission rate progression established for the communication network for the remote device based on an analysis of the resolution and depth characteristics and an installed version of the video processing software, the progression including parameters relating to a transmission rate, a resolution and a color depth for the transmission at first and second transmission times in the progression, the parameters including:
- for an initial transmission time, an initial transmission rate, an initial resolution and an initial color depth;
- for the first transmission time following the initial transmission time, a first transmission rate, a first resolution and a first color depth for the transmission, the first transmission rate being faster than the initial transmission rate;
- and
- for the second transmission time following the first transmission time, a second transmission rate, a second resolution and a second color depth for the transmission, the second transmission rate being faster than the first transmission rate and the second color depth being deeper than the first color depth;
- using parameters of the transmission rate progression to govern transmission parameters of the video stream to the remote device;
- initiating the transmission at the initial transmission rate at the initial resolution and the initial color depth set by the transmission rate progression;
- at the first transmission time, automatically increasing the transmission rate to the first transmission rate and increasing at least the initial color depth to the first color depth set by the transmission rate progression;
- and
- at the second transmission time, automatically increasing the transmission rate to the second transmission rate and setting the color depth to the second color depth set by the transmission rate progression,
- wherein
- the data transmission is configured to avoid dropping frames from the video stream.
A module for transmitting a video stream for a portable device through a communication network, comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- a monitoring process providing instructions to the microprocessor to monitor for initiation of transmission of the video stream to the portable device;
- device data related to resolution and depth characteristics of a display of the device and a version of video processing software provided on the device;
- transmission parameter data identifying a transmission rate progression having parameters relating to a transmission rate, a resolution and a color depth for the transmission of a display on the device based on the device data, the transmission rate progression including:
- for an initial transmission time, an initial transmission rate, an initial resolution and an initial color depth;
- for a first transmission time following the initial transmission time, a first transmission rate, a first resolution and a first color depth for the transmission, the first transmission rate being faster than the initial transmission rate;
- and
- for a second transmission time following the first transmission time, a second transmission rate, a second resolution and a second color depth for the transmission, the second transmission rate being faster than the first transmission rate;
- and
- a transmission adjustment process providing instructions to the microprocessor
- to initiate the transmission at the initial transmission rate at the initial resolution and the initial color depth based on the transmission rate progression;
- to increase the transmission following a transmission rate progression established for the communication network based on the transmission rate progression;
- and
- to increase the color depth of the video stream for the device when the transmission is increased based on the transmission rate progression,
- wherein
- the module does not monitor for an acknowledgement signal from the device during transmission of the video stream between the first and the second transmission time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.