Dynamic network rate control
Systems, devices, and techniques for providing content via a bandwidth-conserved connection to a client device is described herein. Content can be encoded at reduced rate in response to being presented with a bandwidth-conserved connection. When the encoded content is received at a network provider, the network provider can determine a transmission pattern to transmit the encoded content to the client device. The transmission pattern can include transmission periods where the encoded content is transmitted at a maximum transmission rate, followed by periods where no encoded content is transmitted. Thus, although an instantaneous transmission rate approaches a maximum transmission rate of a network, the average transmission bandwidth provided to the client device can be limited, thereby reducing congestion in the network. Further, a radio element of the client device can enter a low power state when no encoded content is to be transmitted, thereby reducing power consumption at the client device.
1. A system, comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory; and
one or more modules stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at a network provider, a request to transmit a content to the client device including a bandwidth conservation indication from a client device, the bandwidth conservation indication indicating a client-device-specified preference for a bandwidth for transmitting content from the network provider to the client device that is less than an available bandwidth to the client device, the client-device-specified preference being based on a client-device-specified resolution of content to be received by the client device from the network provider, the client-device-specified resolution of content being less than a maximum resolution of content available to the client device;
initiating, at the network provider, a bandwidth-conserved connection between a content provider and the network provider, the bandwidth-conserved connection indicative of the client-device-specified resolution of content;
receiving, at the network provider, the content as encoded content via the bandwidth-conserved connection from the content provider;
determining, at the network provider, at least one of an encoding type or a file type of the encoded content by inspecting a header of the encoded content,
a transmission pattern for transmitting the encoded content from the network provider to the client device based on the encoding type matching the available bandwidth, and a transmission duty cycle associated with the transmission pattern, wherein an average transmission bandwidth associated with the transmission pattern is less than the available bandwidth; and
transmitting, from the network provider to the client device, the encoded content in accordance with the transmission pattern.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission pattern reduces a power consumption level at the client device during the transmitting, from the network provider to the client device, the encoded content in accordance with the transmission pattern.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiving, at the network provider, the content as the encoded content via the bandwidth-conserved connection includes receiving the encoded content as a continuous content stream.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded content is associated with an encoding rate, and wherein the encoding rate is based at least in part on the bandwidth-conserved connection between the content provider and the network provider.
5. A system, comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory; and
one or more modules stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to transmit a content to a client device including a bandwidth conservation indication indicating a client-device-specified preference for a bandwidth for transmitting content from a network provider to the client device that is less than an available bandwidth to the client device, the client-device-specified preference being based on a client-device-specified resolution of content to be received by the client device from the network provider, the client-device-specified resolution of content being less than a maximum resolution of content available to the client device;
initiating a bandwidth-conserved connection between a content provider and the network provider, the bandwidth-conserved connection indicative of the client-device-specified resolution of content;
receiving, at the network provider, encoded content via the bandwidth-conserved connection from the content provider;
determining, at the network provider:
at least one of an encoding type or a file type of the encoded content by inspecting a header of the encoded content,
a transmission pattern for transmitting the encoded content from the network provider to the client device based on the encoding type matching the available bandwidth,
a transmission duty cycle associated with the transmission pattern, and
an average transmission bandwidth associated with the transmission pattern and that the average transmission bandwidth associated with the transmission pattern is less than or equal to an available bandwidth; and
transmitting, from the network provider to the client device, the encoded content in accordance with the transmission pattern.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a maximum transmission rate associated with the transmission pattern; and
determining a transmission period associated with the transmission pattern.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the transmission pattern includes a transmission period for transmitting at least a portion of the encoded content at a first transmission rate and a non-transmission period where none of the encoded content is transmitted.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise controlling a power to a transceiver of the client device in accordance with the transmission pattern.
9. The system of claim 5 , wherein receiving the encoded content at the client device in accordance with the transmission pattern reduces a power consumption at the client device.
10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a fidelity priority indication indicating a preference for a highest-resolution encoding rate provided by the content provider;
initiating a fidelity priority connection between the content provider and the network provider;
receiving, at the network provider, other encoded content via the fidelity priority connection, the other encoded content encoded at the highest-resolution encoding rate provided by the content provider;
determining another transmission pattern for transmitting the other encoded content from the network provider to the client device; and
transmitting, from the network provider to the client device, the other encoded content in accordance with the another transmission pattern.
11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request for streaming video content, wherein the encoded content is provided based at least in part on the request for streaming video content.
12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the bandwidth conservation indication is set in a user interface at the client device.
13. A client device, comprising:
a transceiver;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing one or more modules, the one or more modules executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving a selection of a resolution of content that is less than a maximum resolution available to the client device;
based on the selection, specifying a preference for a bandwidth for transmitting content from a network provider to the client device that is less than an available bandwidth to the client device, the preference indicating a resolution of content or bit rate of content to be received by the client device;
transmitting a bandwidth conservation indication to the network provider, the bandwidth conservation indication indicating the preference;
transmitting a request for a content to a content provider;
receiving encoded content from the network provider in accordance with a transmission pattern, the transmission pattern based on an encoding type of the encoded content determined by inspecting a header of the encoded content, the encoding type matching the available bandwidth, the available bandwidth determined based on a transmission duty cycle associated with the transmission pattern; and
controlling a power to the transceiver in accordance with the transmission pattern.
14. The client device of claim 13 , further comprising a display, wherein the bandwidth conservation indication is set in a user interface presented on the display of the client device.
15. The client device of claim 13 , wherein the transmission pattern includes a transmission period for receiving at least a portion of the encoded content at a first transmission rate and a non-receiving period where none of the encoded content is received.
16. The client device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting a fidelity priority indication indicating a preference for a highest-resolution encoding rate provided by the content provider;
transmitting a request for other content to the content provider;
receiving other encoded content from the network provider via another transmission pattern, the other encoded content including the other content encoded at the highest-resolution encoding rate, and the another transmission pattern based at least in part on the fidelity priority indication; and
controlling the power to the transceiver in accordance with the another transmission pattern.
17. The client device of claim 13 , wherein the encoded content is received via a wireless connection between the network provider and the client device.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client-device-specified preference is indicative of an absolute bandwidth amount, a relative bandwidth amount, a period of time, or a connection.
19. The client device of claim 13 , wherein the bandwidth conservation indication applies to a network address or a network domain.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bandwidth conservation indication is based at least in part on setting in a user interface at the client device.