Digital Twin-Driven Network Architecture for Video Streaming

Digital twin (DT) is revolutionizing the emerging video streaming services through tailored network management. By integrating diverse advanced communication technologies, DTs are promised to construct a holistic virtualized network for better network management performance. To this end, we develop a DT-driven network architecture for video streaming (DTN4VS) to enable network virtualization and tailored network management. With the architecture, various types of DTs can characterize physical entities' status, separate the network management functions from the network controller, and empower the functions with emulated data and tailored strategies. To further enhance network management performance, three potential approaches are proposed, i.e., domain data exploitation, performance evaluation, and adaptive DT model update. We present a case study pertaining to DT-assisted network slicing for short video streaming, followed by some open research issues for DTN4VS.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to IEEE Network Magazin

QoE on media deliveriy in 5G environments

231 p.5G expandirá las redes móviles con un mayor ancho de banda, menor latencia y la capacidad de proveer conectividad de forma masiva y sin fallos. Los usuarios de servicios multimedia esperan una experiencia de reproducción multimedia fluida que se adapte de forma dinámica a los intereses del usuario y a su contexto de movilidad. Sin embargo, la red, adoptando una posición neutral, no ayuda a fortalecer los parámetros que inciden en la calidad de experiencia. En consecuencia, las soluciones diseñadas para realizar un envío de tráfico multimedia de forma dinámica y eficiente cobran un especial interés. Para mejorar la calidad de la experiencia de servicios multimedia en entornos 5G la investigación llevada a cabo en esta tesis ha diseñado un sistema múltiple, basado en cuatro contribuciones.El primer mecanismo, SaW, crea una granja elástica de recursos de computación que ejecutan tareas de análisis multimedia. Los resultados confirman la competitividad de este enfoque respecto a granjas de servidores. El segundo mecanismo, LAMB-DASH, elige la calidad en el reproductor multimedia con un diseño que requiere una baja complejidad de procesamiento. Las pruebas concluyen su habilidad para mejorar la estabilidad, consistencia y uniformidad de la calidad de experiencia entre los clientes que comparten una celda de red. El tercer mecanismo, MEC4FAIR, explota las capacidades 5G de analizar métricas del envío de los diferentes flujos. Los resultados muestran cómo habilita al servicio a coordinar a los diferentes clientes en la celda para mejorar la calidad del servicio. El cuarto mecanismo, CogNet, sirve para provisionar recursos de red y configurar una topología capaz de conmutar una demanda estimada y garantizar unas cotas de calidad del servicio. En este caso, los resultados arrojan una mayor precisión cuando la demanda de un servicio es mayor

Network streaming and compression for mixed reality tele-immersion

Bulterman, D.C.A. [Promotor]Cesar, P.S. [Copromotor

Immersive interconnected virtual and augmented reality : a 5G and IoT perspective

Despite remarkable advances, current augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications are a largely individual and local experience. Interconnected AR/VR, where participants can virtually interact across vast distances, remains a distant dream. The great barrier that stands between current technology and such applications is the stringent end-to-end latency requirement, which should not exceed 20 ms in order to avoid motion sickness and other discomforts. Bringing AR/VR to the next level to enable immersive interconnected AR/VR will require significant advances towards 5G ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) and a Tactile Internet of Things (IoT). In this article, we articulate the technical challenges to enable a future AR/VR end-to-end architecture, that combines 5G URLLC and Tactile IoT technology to support this next generation of interconnected AR/VR applications. Through the use of IoT sensors and actuators, AR/VR applications will be aware of the environmental and user context, supporting human-centric adaptations of the application logic, and lifelike interactions with the virtual environment. We present potential use cases and the required technological building blocks. For each of them, we delve into the current state of the art and challenges that need to be addressed before the dream of remote AR/VR interaction can become reality

Towards QoE-Driven Optimization of Multi-Dimensional Content Streaming

Whereas adaptive video streaming for 2D video is well established and frequently used in streaming services, adaptation for emerging higher-dimensional content, such as point clouds, is still a research issue. Moreover, how to optimize resource usage in streaming services that support multiple content types of different dimensions and levels of interactivity has so far not been sufficiently studied. Learning-based approaches aim to optimize the streaming experience according to user needs. They predict quality metrics and try to find system parameters maximizing them given the current network conditions. With this paper, we show how to approach content and network adaption driven by Quality of Experience (QoE) for multi-dimensional content. We describe components required to create a system adapting multiple streams of different content types simultaneously, identify research gaps and propose potential next steps

A System Architecture for Live Immersive 3D-Media Transcoding over 5G Networks

The upcoming 5G networks, among other technological advances, bring Network Function Virtualization (NFV) capabilities enabling deployment of application service intelligence on their Next Generation Core (NGC). Application specific logic is packaged into Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) so that their instantiation and deployment can be done at any node of the NGC, with their management and orchestration being maintained by the 5G infrastructure. While the number of instances of each VNF and their placement inside the NGC network are managed by the 5G infrastructure, such management cannot be optimal without application context. In this paper, we propose a 5G oriented system architecture for a next generation augmented virtuality tele-immersive two-player video game application. In the presented video game, the players compete in a capture the flag race in an innovative game movement control setting which uses motion capture technology to allow the players to interact with the game via their body posture and hand gestures. On the top of this, real-time 3D-Reconstruction technology is utilized to create 3D avatars of the players and embed them inside the game environment. Apart from the players, the application also supports real-time spectating of the game action by a considerable amount of spectators that join the live game via client software designed for desktop PCs, smartphones and tablets, connected through mobile or fixed access networks. To distribute the 3D traffic to such a number of consumers that have different device capabilities and are located at varying geographical locations while offering the highest possible Quality of Experience (QoE), is a challenging task. One of the contemporary ways to address this problem is via adaptive streaming. To realize this concept, realtime 3D-Media Transcoders need to be employed. The proposed system architecture considers packaging the aforementioned 3D-Media Transcoders as VNFs that can be deployed on 5G infrastructure. In the paper, it is shown that such an architecture can decrease costs for a given level of offered QoE, with evident benefits for the game service's shareholders. While the application type presented in this paper is fixed, the proposed system architecture can be adopted by other applications of similar context with similar benefits gained from the flexible deployment of virtualised applications in 5G networks

QoE on media deliveriy in 5G environments

231 p.5G expandirá las redes móviles con un mayor ancho de banda, menor latencia y la capacidad de proveer conectividad de forma masiva y sin fallos. Los usuarios de servicios multimedia esperan una experiencia de reproducción multimedia fluida que se adapte de forma dinámica a los intereses del usuario y a su contexto de movilidad. Sin embargo, la red, adoptando una posición neutral, no ayuda a fortalecer los parámetros que inciden en la calidad de experiencia. En consecuencia, las soluciones diseñadas para realizar un envío de tráfico multimedia de forma dinámica y eficiente cobran un especial interés. Para mejorar la calidad de la experiencia de servicios multimedia en entornos 5G la investigación llevada a cabo en esta tesis ha diseñado un sistema múltiple, basado en cuatro contribuciones.El primer mecanismo, SaW, crea una granja elástica de recursos de computación que ejecutan tareas de análisis multimedia. Los resultados confirman la competitividad de este enfoque respecto a granjas de servidores. El segundo mecanismo, LAMB-DASH, elige la calidad en el reproductor multimedia con un diseño que requiere una baja complejidad de procesamiento. Las pruebas concluyen su habilidad para mejorar la estabilidad, consistencia y uniformidad de la calidad de experiencia entre los clientes que comparten una celda de red. El tercer mecanismo, MEC4FAIR, explota las capacidades 5G de analizar métricas del envío de los diferentes flujos. Los resultados muestran cómo habilita al servicio a coordinar a los diferentes clientes en la celda para mejorar la calidad del servicio. El cuarto mecanismo, CogNet, sirve para provisionar recursos de red y configurar una topología capaz de conmutar una demanda estimada y garantizar unas cotas de calidad del servicio. En este caso, los resultados arrojan una mayor precisión cuando la demanda de un servicio es mayor