Adaptive buffer power save mechanism for mobile multimedia streaming

With the proliferation of wireless networks, the use of mobile devices to stream multimedia is growing in popularity. Although the devices are improving in that they are becoming smaller, more complex and capable of running more applications than ever before, there is one aspect of them that is lagging behind. Batteries have seen little development, even though they are one of the most important parts of the devices. Multimedia streaming puts extra pressure on batteries, causing them to discharge faster. This often means that streaming tasks can not be completed, resulting in significant user dissatisfaction. Consequently, effort is required to devise mechanisms to enable and increase in battery life while streaming multimedia. In this context, this thesis presents a novel algorithm to save power in mobile devices during the streaming of multimedia content. The proposed Adaptive-Buffer Power Save Mechanism (AB-PSM) controls how the data is sent over wireless networks, achieving significant power savings. There is little or no effect on the user and the algorithm is very simple to implement. The thesis describes tests which show the effectiveness of AB-PSM in comparison with the legacy power save mechanism present in IEEE 802.11. The thesis also presents a detailed overview of the IEEE 802.11 protocols and an in-depth literature review in the area of power saving during multimedia streaming. A novel analysis of how the battery of a mobile device is affected by multimedia streaming in its different stages is given. A total-power-save algorithm is then described as a possible extension to the Adaptive-Buffer Power Save Mechanism

Greediness control algorithm for multimedia streaming in wireless local area networks

This work investigates the interaction between the application and transport layers while streaming multimedia in a residential Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Inconsistencies have been identified that can have a severe impact on the Quality of Experience (QoE) experienced by end users. This problem arises as a result of the streaming processes reliance on rate adaptation engines based on congestion avoidance mechanisms, that try to obtain as much bandwidth as possible from the limited network resources. These upper transport layer mechanisms have no knowledge of the media which they are carrying and as a result treat all traffic equally. This lack of knowledge of the media carried and the characteristics of the target devices results in fair bandwidth distribution at the transport layer but creates unfairness at the application layer. This unfairness mostly affects user perceived quality when streaming high quality multimedia. Essentially, bandwidth that is distributed fairly between competing video streams at the transport layer results in unfair application layer video quality distribution. Therefore, there is a need to allow application layer streaming solutions, tune the aggressiveness of transport layer congestion control mechanisms, in order to create application layer QoE fairness between competing media streams, by taking their device characteristics into account. This thesis proposes the Greediness Control Algorithm (GCA), an upper transport layer mechanism that eliminates quality inconsistencies caused by rate / congestion control mechanisms while streaming multimedia in wireless networks. GCA extends an existing solution (i.e. TCP Friendly Rate Control (TFRC)) by introducing two parameters that allow the streaming application to tune the aggressiveness of the rate estimation and as a result, introduce fair distribution of quality at the application layer. The thesis shows that this rate adaptation technique, combined with a scalable video format allows increased overall system QoE. Extensive simulation analysis demonstrate that this form of rate adaptation increases the overall user QoE achieved via a number of devices operating within the same home WLAN

Quality of service differentiation for multimedia delivery in wireless LANs

Delivering multimedia content to heterogeneous devices over a variable networking environment while maintaining high quality levels involves many technical challenges. The research reported in this thesis presents a solution for Quality of Service (QoS)-based service differentiation when delivering multimedia content over the wireless LANs. This thesis has three major contributions outlined below: 1. A Model-based Bandwidth Estimation algorithm (MBE), which estimates the available bandwidth based on novel TCP and UDP throughput models over IEEE 802.11 WLANs. MBE has been modelled, implemented, and tested through simulations and real life testing. In comparison with other bandwidth estimation techniques, MBE shows better performance in terms of error rate, overhead, and loss. 2. An intelligent Prioritized Adaptive Scheme (iPAS), which provides QoS service differentiation for multimedia delivery in wireless networks. iPAS assigns dynamic priorities to various streams and determines their bandwidth share by employing a probabilistic approach-which makes use of stereotypes. The total bandwidth to be allocated is estimated using MBE. The priority level of individual stream is variable and dependent on stream-related characteristics and delivery QoS parameters. iPAS can be deployed seamlessly over the original IEEE 802.11 protocols and can be included in the IEEE 802.21 framework in order to optimize the control signal communication. iPAS has been modelled, implemented, and evaluated via simulations. The results demonstrate that iPAS achieves better performance than the equal channel access mechanism over IEEE 802.11 DCF and a service differentiation scheme on top of IEEE 802.11e EDCA, in terms of fairness, throughput, delay, loss, and estimated PSNR. Additionally, both objective and subjective video quality assessment have been performed using a prototype system. 3. A QoS-based Downlink/Uplink Fairness Scheme, which uses the stereotypes-based structure to balance the QoS parameters (i.e. throughput, delay, and loss) between downlink and uplink VoIP traffic. The proposed scheme has been modelled and tested through simulations. The results show that, in comparison with other downlink/uplink fairness-oriented solutions, the proposed scheme performs better in terms of VoIP capacity and fairness level between downlink and uplink traffic

Quality of service provision in mobile multimedia - a survey

The prevalence of multimedia applications has drastically increased the amount of multimedia data. With the drop of the hardware cost, more and more mobile devices with higher capacities are now used. The widely deployed wireless LAN and broadband wireless networks provide the ubiquitous network access for multimedia applications. Provision of Quality of Service (QoS) is challenging in mobile ad hoc networks because of the dynamic characteristics of mobile networks and the limited resources of the mobile devices. The wireless network is not reliable due to node mobility, multi-access channel and multi-hop communication. In this paper, we provide a survey of QoS provision in mobile multimedia, addressing the technologies at different network layers and cross-layer design. This paper focuses on the QoS techniques over IEEE 802.11e networks. We also provide some thoughts about the challenges and directions for future research

Experimental assessment of the effects of cross-traffic on Wi-Fi video streaming

Wi-Fi networks are the first and sometimes only choice for the video streaming in homes, airports, malls, public areas and museums. However, Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to interference, noise and have bandwidth limitations. Due to the intrinsic vulnerability of the communication channel, and the large number of variables involved, simulation alone is not enough in the evaluation of the performance of wireless networks. Actually, there is a tendency to give experimental tests a central role in the assessment of Wi-Fi networks performance. The paper presents an experimental analysis of the effects of cross traffic on the performance of video streaming over Wi-Fi, based on cross-layer measurements. Experiments are carried out in a semi-anechoic chamber, to prevent the results from being influenced by external factors. The experimental results permit to analyze the influence of cross traffic characteristics on cross layer measures and objective video quality metrics evaluated through a standardized approach

Final report on the evaluation of RRM/CRRM algorithms

Deliverable public del projecte EVERESTThis deliverable provides a definition and a complete evaluation of the RRM/CRRM algorithms selected in D11 and D15, and evolved and refined on an iterative process. The evaluation will be carried out by means of simulations using the simulators provided at D07, and D14.Preprin