Method and system for packet discard precedence for video transport

1. A method for indicating a priority of a packet comprising:

receiving a stream of encoded video information;

segmenting the stream into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is associated with a priority indicator which is included in the encoded video information;

encapsulating a first group of segments of the plurality of segments in a payload of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet, the first group of segments comprising a plurality of segments;

providing priority information based on the priority indicator of each of the first group of segments in a header of the IP packet, wherein providing the priority information based on the priority indicator of each of the first group of segments in the header of the IP packet comprises:

determining a number of segments of the group of segments having a priority indicator indicating a high priority of the respective segment, and

setting the priority information to a value based on one of a plurality of number ranges to which the number corresponds; and

effecting delivery of the IP packet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein encapsulating the first group of segments in the IP packet comprises:

encapsulating the first group segments in a payload of a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) packet;

encapsulating the RTP packet in a payload of a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet; and

encapsulating the UDP packet in the payload of the IP packet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority indicator comprises a picture type.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein providing the priority information based on the priority indicator in the header of the IP packet comprises setting a Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) field of the header of the IP packet based on the picture type.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the each of the first group of segments comprises a Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) unit and the priority indicator comprises a nal_ref_idc (NRI) value of the NAL unit.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein providing the priority information based on the priority indicator in the header of the IP packet comprises setting a Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) field of the header of the IP packet based on the NRI value.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

encapsulating a second group of segments of the plurality of segments in a second IP packet, the second group of segments comprising a plurality of segments, wherein the second group of segments is provided in a payload of the second IP packet; and

providing second priority information based on a priority indicator of each of the second group of segments in a header of the second IP packet wherein the second priority information is different from the priority information based on the priority indicator of the first group of segments.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority information is based on a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) priority indicator from an RTP header of an RIP packet carrying the first group of segments, wherein the RTP priority indicator is based on the priority indicator associated with the first group of segments.

9. A method for indicating a priority of a packet comprising:

receiving a stream of encoded video information;

segmenting the stream into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is associated with a priority indicator which is included in the encoded video information;

encapsulating a first group of segments of the plurality of segments in a payload of an Ethernet frame, the first group of segments comprising a plurality of segments;

providing priority information based on the priority indicator of each of the first group of segments in a header of the Ethernet frame, wherein providing the priority information based on the priority indicator of each of the first group of segments in the header of the Ethernet frame comprises:

determining a number of segments of the first group of segments having a priority indicator indicating a high priority of the respective segment, and

setting the priority information to a value based on one of a plurality of number ranges to which the number corresponds; and

effecting delivery of the Ethernet frame.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein encapsulating the first group of segments in the Ethernet frame further comprises:

encapsulating the at least one segment in a payload of a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) packet;

encapsulating the RTP packet in a payload of a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet; and

encapsulating the UDP packet in a payload of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

encapsulating a second group of segments of the plurality of segments in a second Ethernet frame, the second group of segments comprising a plurality of segments, wherein the second group of segments is provided in a payload of the second Ethernet frame; and

providing second priority information based on a priority indicator of each of the second group of segments in a header of the second Ethernet frame, wherein the second priority information is different from the priority information based on the priority indicator of the first group of segments.

12. A method for delivering a packet comprising:

receiving, via a network, an Internet Protocol (IP) packet comprising:

an IP packet payload comprising a first plurality of video segments from a stream of encoded information, each of the first plurality of video segments having an associated priority indicator which was included in the stream of encoded information; and

an IP packet header comprising priority information based on one of a plurality of number ranges to which a number of segments of the first plurality of video segments having a high priority of the respective segment corresponds;

determining a congestion level associated with the network; and

if the priority information meets a predetermined priority threshold, communicating the IP packet over the network, and if the priority information does not meet the predetermined priority threshold, discarding the IP packet.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the priority information meets the predetermined priority threshold, further comprising receiving, via the network, a second IP packet comprising:

a second IP packet payload comprising a second plurality of video segments, each of the second plurality of video segments having an associated second priority indicator;

a second IP packet header comprising second priority information based on one of a plurality of number ranges to which a number of segments of the second plurality of video segments having a high priority of the respective segment corresponds;

determining the congestion level associated with the network;

determining that the second priority information does not meet the predetermined priority threshold; and

discarding the second IP packet.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the priority information is maintained in an assured forwarding field of a differentiated services code point field of the IP packet.

15. A method for delivering a packet comprising:

receiving, via a network, an Ethernet frame comprising:

an Ethernet frame payload comprising a plurality of video segments from a stream of encoded information, each of the plurality of video segments having an associated priority indicator that was included in the stream of encoded information; and

an Ethernet frame header comprising priority information based on one of a plurality of number ranges to which a number of segments of the plurality of video segments having a high priority of the respective segment corresponds;

determining a congestion level associated with the network; and

if the priority information meets a predetermined priority threshold, communicating the Ethernet frame over the network, and if the priority information does not meet the predetermined priority threshold, discarding the Ethernet frame.