Forward error correction and retransmissions for media service optimization over a wireless communication network

1. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving flow identifications (IDs) for media flows that traverse the wireless communication system and that use forward error correction (FEC) packets and a number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID, in a first processor embedded with software instructions comprising a HARQ transmission system;

receiving the flow IDs, configuration data for the flow IDs, and communication status data for the wireless communication system, in a second processor embedded with software instructions comprising a HARQ control system;

determining if the communication status data exceeds a system status threshold, in the HARQ control system;

if the communication status data does not exceed the system status threshold, then maintaining the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID; and

if the communication status data exceeds the system status threshold, then adjusting the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID; and

in the HARQ transmission system using the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the FEC packets comprise repair packets.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the FEC packets comprise Raptor-Encoder packets.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID is initially set to a maximum number of allowed retransmissions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID comprises increasing the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication status data comprises a number of users served by a wireless access node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication status data comprises an amount of RF noise.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data comprises quality of service values and wherein determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID comprises determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the quality of service values.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data comprises media coding types and wherein determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID comprises determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the media coding types.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data comprises repair packet-to-source packet ratios and wherein determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID comprises determining whether to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the repair packet-to-source packet ratios.

11. A wireless communication system to optimize media services over a wireless network comprising:

a first processor embedded with software instructions comprising a HARQ transmission system configured to receive flow identifications (IDs) for media flows that traverse the wireless communication system and that use forward error correction (FEC) packets and a number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID;

a second processor embedded with software instructions comprising a HARQ control system configured to receive the flow IDs, configuration data for the flow IDs, and communication status data for the wireless communication system and to determine if the communication status data exceeds a system status threshold;

if the communication status data does not exceed the system status threshold then the second processor comprising the HARQ control system is configured to maintain the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID and the first processor comprising the HARQ transmission system configured to use the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID; and

if the communication status data exceeds the system status threshold then the second processor comprising the HARQ control system configured to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID and the first processor comprising the HARQ transmission system configured to use the adjusted number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the designated FEC packets comprise repair packets.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the FEC packets comprise Raptor-Encoder packets.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID is initially set to a maximum number of allowed retransmissions.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the HARQ control system is configured to increase the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the communication status data comprises a number of users served by a wireless access node.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the communication status data comprises an amount of RF noise.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the HARQ control system is configured to receive quality of service values for the media flows, and to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the quality of service values.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the HARQ control system is configured to receive media coding types for the media flows, and to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the media coding types.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the HARQ control system is configured to receive repair packet-to-source packet ratios for the media flows, and to adjust the number of HARQ retransmissions per flow ID based on the repair packet-to-source packet ratios.