Method of scheduling transmission in a communication network, corresponding communication node and computer program product

摘要

Data streams are transmitted from a node towards a receiver in a communication network in the form of data packets for playout via a reproduction buffer at the receiver. The data packets are arranged in a scheduling queue and dropped from the scheduling queue if their sojourn time in the queue exceeds a given drop deadline. The reproduction buffer is emulated at the node in order to determine respective playout values for the data packets which are indicative of expected playout instants for the data packets by the reproduction buffer at the receiver. The drop deadlines are assigned to the data packets as a function of the respective playout values determined via the reproduction buffer as emulated at the node.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
arranging a plurality of data packets in a scheduling queue at a node in a communication network; emulating, at the node, a playout buffer of a receiver in the communication network with an emulated reproduction buffer, wherein emulating the playout buffer comprises:
determining an optimal playout delay of a previous data packet played out by the receiver; anddetermining a playout value for a first data packet of the plurality of data packets based on the optimal playout delay, wherein the playout value indicates an expected playout time for the first data packet from the playout buffer of the receiver, and wherein the playout value is determined based on a time the first data packet is generated at a sender in the communication network, a time that the first data packet is received at the node, a time that the first data packet is expected to be transmitted from the node to the receiver, and an estimated delay time for transmitting the first data packet from the node to the receiver; assigning a drop deadline to the first data packet based on the playout value; and dropping the first data packet from the scheduling queue if an amount of time spent by the first data packet in the scheduling queue exceeds the drop deadline.