Adaptive wireless channel allocation for media distribution in a multi-user environment
View Patent ↗Adaptive wireless channel allocation in a multi-user environment based on quality of received video streams. During the transmission of encoded media streams from a wireless access device to at least first and second video devices over a wireless channel, transmission windows are allocated in shared transmission frame intervals for transmission of media packets to the first and second video devices, respectively. Relative priorities are set/adjusted for the video devices based, at least in part, on one or more of the following: channel estimation information, reception characteristics, transmission acknowledgment information, video device characteristics and/or user feedback. The relative priorities are utilized to adaptively (re)allocate at least one portion of the transmission frame intervals. In addition to channel reallocation, the prioritization of devices may be utilized to adaptively alter the encoding bit rate of one or more media streams.
1. A method for transmitting media streams from a media server to a first client device and a second client device over a wireless channel during respective allocated portions of shared transmission frame intervals, comprising:
transmitting media packets to the first client device during a first allocated portion of a first transmission frame interval(s);
transmitting media packets to the second client device during a second allocated portion of the first transmission frame interval(s);
establishing relative priorities for the first and second client devices based on at least one of associated wireless channel estimation information, reception characteristics, transmission acknowledgment information, client device characteristics or user feedback; and
reallocating, based on relative priorities, at least one portion of the first or second allocated portions of the transmission frame interval(s) to the other of the first or second allocated portions for further transmission of media packets by the media server during a subsequent transmission frame interval.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adaptively adjusting the relative priorities of the first and second client devices in response to a variation(s) in at least one of the associated wireless channel estimation information, reception characteristics, transmission acknowledgment information, client device characteristics or user feedback.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein reallocating at least one portion of the first or second allocated portions of the transmission frame interval(s) results in reduced perceptual quality of media packets as displayed by the first or second client device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing a reserved portion of the shared transmission frame intervals; and
allocating the reserved portion for transmission of media packets to the first or second client device based on the relative priorities of the first and second client devices.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
decreasing the encoding bit rate of media packets transmitted during the portion of the transmission frame interval(s) receiving a reduced allocation as a result of the step of reallocating.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second encoded media packets represent video data having a constant or near constant encoding bit rate.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client devices comprise remote gaming interfaces.
8. An apparatus, comprising:
a transceiver operable to support wireless media packet transmissions to at least a first client device and a second client device during a succession of transmission frame intervals, the transmission frame intervals comprising first and second portions allocated between the first and second client devices;
an encoder(s) operable to encode media packets for transmission by the transceiver to the first and second client devices; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor operable to adaptively allocate the first and second portions of the transmission frame intervals, the adaptive allocation comprising:
establishing relative priorities for the first and second client devices based on at least one of associated wireless channel estimation information, reception characteristics, transmission acknowledgment information, client device characteristics or user feedback; and
reallocating, based on the relative priorities, at least one portion of the transmission frame interval(s) to the first or second allocated portions for further transmission of media packets.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein reallocating at least one portion of the transmission frame interval(s) results in reduced perceptual quality of media packets as displayed by the first or second client device.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , the adaptive allocation further comprising:
adaptively adjusting the relative priorities of the first and second client devices in response to a variation(s) in at least one of the associated wireless channel estimation information, reception characteristics, transmission acknowledgment information, client device characteristics or user feedback.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , the adaptive allocation further comprising:
establishing a reserved portion of the transmission frame intervals; and
allocating the reserved portion for transmission of media packets to the first or second client device based on the relative priorities of the first and second client devices.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , the processor further causing the encoder to adaptively alter the encoding bit rate of a portion of the media packets based, at least in part, on relative priorities for the first and second client devices.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , the apparatus comprising a gaming console.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the client devices comprise remote gaming interfaces.
15. An apparatus, comprising:
a transceiver operable to support wireless video transmissions to a plurality of devices during respective portions of transmission frame intervals allocated to individual ones of the plurality of devices; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor operable to adaptively allocate available portions of the transmission frame intervals among the plurality of devices in accordance with prioritization of the plurality of devices, the prioritization of the plurality of devices based on at least one of a plurality of metrics associated with communications between the apparatus and the plurality of devices.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , the plurality of metrics comprising wireless channel estimation information, reception characteristics, client device characteristics or user feedback.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , the apparatus comprising a gaming console.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , the plurality of devices comprising remote gaming interface devices, wherein:
each of the plurality of remote gaming interface devices having a common default priority; and
the processor initially allocating the available portions of the transmission frame intervals equally among the plurality of remote gaming interface devices.
19. The apparatus of claim 15 , the plurality of devices comprising a first remote gaming interface device(s) having a first priority and a second remote gaming interface device(s) having a second priority being relatively lower than the first priority; and
the processor allocating all of the available portions of the transmission frame intervals to the first remote gaming interfaces device(s).