Maintaining continuity in media streaming

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a computerized device, comprising:

determining a maximal frame size, maximal frame size violation threshold larger than the maximal frame size, maximal bitrate and maximal transmission time;

receiving an encoded frame to be transmitted, the encoded frame having a size;

responsive to the size not exceeding the maximal frame size:

transmitting the encoded frame over a communication channel during a time period not exceeding the maximal transmission time;

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size but not exceeding the maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame at a bitrate substantially equal to the maximal bitrate over the communication channel; and

transmitting at least one subsequent encoded frame over the communication channel during a time period shorter than the maximal transmission time; and

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame over the communication channel; and

skipping at least one subsequent frame.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the encoded frame is of a format selected from the group consisting of: an MPEG-encoded frame, ITU-T H264 recommendation frame, and a Joint Video Team of ISO/IEC MPEG and ITU-T VCEG frame.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the maximal frame size violation threshold is determined so as to provide for transmission while avoiding skipping frames, creating delay between a transmitting end and a receiving end, and reducing frame quality.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the frame size violation threshold is set to about twice the maximal frame size.

5. A computer-implemented method performed by a computerized device, comprising:

receiving an encoded frame to be transmitted, the encoded frame having a size;

determining whether the size exceeds a maximal frame size which may be streamed in a maximal image transmission time;

responsive to the size being below the maximal frame size:

transmitting the encoded frame over a communication channel in bitrate corresponding to an accumulated delay; and

reducing the accumulated delay if required; and

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size:

determining whether the size exceeds a frame size violation threshold;

responsive to the size not exceeding the frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame in maximal bitrate over the communication channel;

increasing the accumulated delay by a difference between an image transmission time and the maximal image transmission time; and

responsive to the size exceeding the frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame over the communication channel; and

skipping at least one subsequent frame.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein a number of the at least one subsequent frames is determined as a highest integer lower than the size divided by the maximal frame size, minus one.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the encoded frame is of a format selected from the group consisting of: an MPEG-encoded frame, ITU-T H264 recommendation frame, and a Joint Video Team of ISO/IEC MPEG and ITU-T VCEG frame.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising determining the frame size violation threshold so as to provide for transmission while avoiding skipping frames, creating delay between a transmitting end and a receiving end, and reducing frame quality.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the frame size violation threshold is set to about twice the maximal frame size.

10. An apparatus having a processing unit and a storage device, the apparatus comprising:

an encoder for generating at least one frame to be transmitted;

a frame receiving component for receiving an at least one encoded frame from the encoder;

a frame transmitting component for transmitting the at least one encoded frame; and

a frame transmit time and frame skipping determination component configured to:

responsive to a size of the at least one encoded frame not exceeding a maximal frame size:

transmitting the at least one encoded frame during a time period not longer than a maximal transmission time;

responsive to the size of the at least one encoded frame exceeding the maximal frame size but not exceeding a maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the at least one encoded frame at a bitrate substantially equal to a maximal bitrate; and

transmitting at least one subsequent encoded frame during a time period shorter than the maximal transmission time; and

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame; and

skipping at least one subsequent frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one encoded frame is of a format selected from the group consisting of: an MPEG-encoded frame, ITU-T H264 recommendation frame, and a Joint Video Team of ISO/IEC MPEG and ITU-T VCEG frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a framesize violation threshold determining component for determining the maximal frame size violation threshold so as to provide for transmission while avoiding skipping frames, creating delay between a transmitting end and a receiving end, and reducing frame quality.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a first program instruction for determining a maximal frame size, maximal frame size violation threshold larger than the maximal frame size, maximal bitrate and maximal transmission time;

a second program instruction for receiving an encoded frame to be transmitted, the encoded frame having a size; and

a third program instruction for:

responsive to the size not exceeding the maximal frame size:

transmitting the encoded frame during a time period not exceeding the maximal transmission time;

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size but not exceeding the maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame at a bitrate substantially equal to the maximal bitrate; and

transmitting at least one subsequent encoded frame during a time period shorter than the maximal transmission time; and

responsive to the size exceeding the maximal frame size violation threshold:

transmitting the encoded frame; and

skipping at least one subsequent frame,

wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said non-transitory computer readable medium.