Using uplink buffer status to improve video stream adaptation control

1. A method for sending video over a wireless link comprising:

transmitting video data by a wireless modem of a wireless video device via the wireless link, the wireless video device comprising a modem layer to control the wireless modem of the wireless video device;

obtaining, from the modem layer of the wireless video device, an uplink buffer status metric associated with the wireless link;

transmitting an indication directly from the modem layer of the wireless video device to a video source application of the wireless video device, wherein the indication is based on the uplink buffer status metric; and

the video source application using the indication transmitted from the modem layer to adjust a video bitrate or frame size.

2. The method of claim 1 including determining the uplink buffer status and uplink radio bitrate in the modem layer.

3. The method of claim 2 including iteratively adjusting the video bitrate in the video source application to the uplink radio bitrate.

4. The method of claim 2 including iteratively adjusting the video bitrate until an amount of unsent video data from a previous frame is zero.

5. The method of claim 4 including adjusting a bitrate reduction step size based on the amount of unsent video data from the previous frame and the uplink radio bitrate.

6. The method of claim 1 including transmitting the indication indicating an amount of unsent video data from a previous frame from the modem layer to the video source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication is the uplink buffer status metric.

8. The method of claim 1 where the uplink buffer status metric is used to determine an uplink video bitrate in the modem layer.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions to perform a sequence comprising:

transmitting video data by a wireless modem of a wireless video device via a wireless link, the wireless video device comprising a modem layer to control the wireless modem of the wireless video device;

obtaining, from the modem layer of the wireless video device, an uplink buffer status metric associated with the wireless link;

transmitting an indication directly from the modem layer of the wireless video device to a video source application of the wireless video device, wherein the indication is based on the uplink buffer status metric; and

the video source application using the indication transmitted from the modem layer to adjust a video bitrate or frame size.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence including determining the uplink buffer status and uplink radio bitrate in the modem layer.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence including iteratively adjusting the video bitrate in the video source application to the uplink radio bitrate.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence including iteratively adjusting the video bitrate until an amount of unsent video from a previous frame is zero.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence including adjusting a bitrate reduction step size based on the amount of unsent video data from the previous frame and the uplink radio bitrate.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence including transmitting the indication indicating an amount of unsent video from a previous frame from the modem layer to the video source.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence wherein the indication is the uplink buffer status metric.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , further storing instructions to perform a sequence where the uplink buffer status metric is used to determine an uplink video bitrate in the modem layer.

17. A wireless video apparatus comprising:

a wireless modem to transmit video data via a wireless link;

a modem layer to:

control the wireless modem,

obtain an uplink buffer status metric associated with the wireless link,

transmit an indication directly from the modem layer to a video source application of the wireless video apparatus,

the video source application to use the indication to adjust a video bitrate or frame size; and

an antenna coupled to said transmitter.

18. The wireless video apparatus of claim 17 , said modem layer to determine the uplink buffer status and uplink radio bitrate.

19. The wireless video apparatus of claim 18 , said video source application to iteratively adjust the video bitrate to the uplink radio bitrate.

20. The wireless video apparatus of claim 18 , said video source application to iteratively adjust the video bitrate until an amount of unsent video from a previous frame is zero.

21. The wireless video apparatus of claim 20 , said video source application to adjust a bitrate reduction step size based on the amount of unsent video data from the previous frame and the uplink radio bitrate.

22. The wireless video apparatus of claim 17 , said modem layer to transmit the indication indicating an amount of unsent video from a previous frame to the video source application.

23. The wireless video apparatus of claim 22 , said video source application to determine the indication.

24. The wireless video apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the indication is the uplink buffer status metric.

25. The wireless video apparatus of claim 17 , where the uplink buffer status metric is used to determine an uplink video bitrate in the modem layer.

26. The wireless video apparatus of claim 17 including a battery.