Witholding transmission of a streaming video frame to avoid exceeding maximum communication data rate

摘要

585905 Disclosed is a computer-implemented method for hosting online video games or applications, performing video compression and streaming video. The method includes receiving user input related to an online video game or application transmitted from a client (415) operated by a user over the Internet (410). The method also includes, in response, executing program code of the video game or application to render a plurality of video frames resulting from execution of the video game or application. The plurality of video frames is then compressed using low latency compression (404) to generate a set of low latency compressed video frames. A video stream comprising a series of the low latency compressed video frames is then transmitted from a server (402) running the game or application to the client (415). The client (415) receives the low latency compressed video frames and decompresses the low latency compressed video frames to render video images of the executed online video game or application. The video frames are encoded and transmitted in response to the user input with a latency such that the user has the perception that the video game or application is responding instantly to the user input. The frames are encoded using tiles and each frame includes an I tile and a plurality of P tiles. A maximum data rate of a communication channel between the server (402) and the client (415) is also detected and based on this, a determination is made of whether the maximum data rate will be exceeded if a particular frame of the sequence of frames is transmitted from the server (402) to the client (415) over the communication channel. In lieu of transmitting the frame which could cause the maximum data rate to be exceeded, the client (415) is caused to re-render the previous frame of the sequence of frames, thereby effectively reducing the frame rate of the video stream rendered on the client (415) and maintaining the latency such that the user has the perception that the video game or application is responding instantly to the user input.