Adaptive streaming of high-quality video over wireless LANs

We address the problem of robust streaming of high-quality video over wireless local area networks in a home environment. By robust streaming, we mean maintaining the highest possible video quality and preventing interruptions to the video under varying bandwidth conditions, which may be due to distance, interference, obstructions, and existence of multiple streams. We propose an application-layer approach where we provide algorithms for dynamic online network bandwidth estimation and dynamic on-line adaptation of video rate according to the available network bandwidth. The proposed system employs a packet scheduler, and a video rate control and adaptation mechanism at the sender, and bandwidth measurement and feedback mechanisms at the receiver. Our bandwidth estimation approach uses the actual video data in real time by transmitting it in packet bursts; hence, separate test traffic is not required. Since the proposed method operates at the application layer, it is flexible and applicable to different local area network types and implementations. We propose an extension to multiple streams by providing an algorithm for joint rate allocation to multiple video streams over a network enabling network-adaptive simultaneous streaming of high-quality video.