A resource allocation framework for adaptive video streaming over LTE

Abstract The ever-increasing demand for multimedia applications on mobile devices is set to pose considerable challenges on the bandwidth allocation mechanisms in LTE and future networks. In this work, we present “Adaptive Video Streaming Architecture”, an efficient resource allocation framework that attempts to maximize Quality of Experience (QoE) for a set of users by simultaneously balancing three important QoE verticals: (i) providing stutter-free viewing experience by dynamically throttling video streaming data-rates; (ii) minimizing flickers in video outputs by controlling and stabilizing the rates of encoding quality switches over time; (iii) maximizing aggregate video quality over all users. We have posed the resource allocation problem through an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation and showed that solution strategies such as conventional dynamic programming (DP) impose substantial overheads. Next, we have proposed the Streamlined DP-based Quality-level Allocator (SDQA) which utilizes the discrete nature in the data-rate scalability of video flows to retain a far lower number of non-dominating partial DP-solutions and thereby generates far quicker solutions. Further, SDQA has been extended to provide a tunable approximation scheme called SDQA-AA that can accelerate the speed of generating solutions at multiple scales with distinct bounds on solution quality. Analytical and simulation based experimental results are promising.

[1]  Ahmad Khonsari,et al.  Content-aware rate allocation for efficient video streaming via dynamic network utility maximization , 2012, J. Netw. Comput. Appl..

[2]  Dirk Staehle,et al.  QoE-Based Traffic and Resource Management for Adaptive HTTP Video Delivery in LTE , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology.

[3]  Christian Bettstetter,et al.  Mobility modeling in wireless networks: categorization, smooth movement, and border effects , 2001, MOCO.

[4]  Jian Yang,et al.  Online Source Rate Control for Adaptive Video Streaming Over HSPA and LTE-Style Variable Bit Rate Downlink Channels , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology.

[5]  Giuseppe Piro,et al.  Simulating LTE Cellular Systems: An Open-Source Framework , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology.

[6]  Filip De Turck,et al.  QoE-Driven Rate Adaptation Heuristic for Fair Adaptive Video Streaming , 2016, ACM Trans. Multim. Comput. Commun. Appl..

[7]  Lea Skorin-Kapov,et al.  Cross-layer QoE-driven admission control and resource allocation for adaptive multimedia services in LTE , 2014, J. Netw. Comput. Appl..

[8]  Amiya Nayak,et al.  Cross Layer Design for Efficient Video Streaming over LTE Using Scalable Video Coding , 2012, Netw. Protoc. Algorithms.

[9]  Giuseppe Caire,et al.  A Control-Theoretic Approach to Adaptive Video Streaming in Dense Wireless Networks , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia.

[10]  Christian Timmerer,et al.  An evaluation of dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP in vehicular environments , 2012, MoVid '12.

[11]  Mung Chiang,et al.  A scheduling framework for adaptive video delivery over cellular networks , 2013, MobiCom.

[12]  Filip De Turck,et al.  In-Network Quality Optimization for Adaptive Video Streaming Services , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia.

[13]  Martin Reisslein,et al.  Traffic and Quality Characterization of Single-Layer Video Streams Encoded with the H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Standard and Scalable Video Coding Extension , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting.

[14]  Dipak Ghosal,et al.  Content and buffer aware scheduling for video delivery over LTE , 2013, CoNEXT Student Workhop '13.

[15]  Giuseppe Piro,et al.  Downlink Packet Scheduling in LTE Cellular Networks: Key Design Issues and a Survey , 2013, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[16]  Ozgur Oyman,et al.  Video-QoE aware radio resource allocation for HTTP adaptive streaming , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC).

[17]  Amiya Nayak,et al.  Cross layer design for efficient video streaming over LTE using scalable video coding , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC).

[18]  Carsten Griwodz,et al.  A comparison of quality scheduling in commercial adaptive HTTP streaming solutions on a 3G network , 2012, MoVid '12.

[19]  Velio Tralli,et al.  Quality-fair HTTP adaptive streaming over LTE network , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP).