Data segmentation within a renegotiated bit-rate service transmission system

Claim 2

A data transmission system comprising: a first site, including a first memory storing a series of data segments, and a second memory storing a previously compiled record of instantaneous transmission rates, each of said stored rates being associated with one or more of said stored data segments; a second site; a variable bit-rate network providing a connection between said first and said second sites; a network controller adapted to negotiate a connection between said first site and said second site having a particular bandwidth in response to the contents of said second memory; a data buffer, interposed between said first site and said variable bit-rate network, and adapted to store a finite amount of data segments; and a data pre-processor adapted to optimally segment incoming data so as to minimize the cost of negotiating and effecting the transmission of said segmented data from said first site to said second site via said data buffer and said variable bit-rate network, store said optimally segmented data in said first memory, and store a record indicative of the instantaneous transmission rate associated with each of said stored segments in said second memory.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1, wherein said cost of negotiating and effecting the transmission of data segments from said first site to said second site via said data buffer and said variable bit-rate network is determined within said data pre-processor on the basis of the cost of modifying the state of said variable bit-rate network, where a given state is defined by bandwidth allocation (k) within said variable bit-rate network during arbitrary interval i, data buffer occupancy (b) during arbitrary interval i, and the partial cost of obtaining the path (w) to the desired variable bit-rate network state.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1, wherein said cost of negotiating and effecting the transmission of data segments from said first site to said second site via said data buffer and said variable bit-rate network is determined within said data pre-processor on the basis of the cost of modifying the state of said variable bit-rate network, where a given state is defined by bandwidth allocation (k) within said variable bit-rate network during arbitrary interval i, data buffer occupancy (b) during arbitrary interval i, and the costs incurred during interval i obtaining a portion of the most cost effective path (w) to the final desired variable bit-rate network state.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 7, wherein said cost of negotiating and transmitting data segments from said first site to said second site via said data buffer and said variable bit-rate network is assessed as a function of the state of said variable bit-rate network; wherein said state is defined by data comprising information representing an arbitrary interval duration (i), bandwidth allocation (k) within said variable bit-rate network, data buffer occupancy (b), and the partial cost of obtaining the most cost effective path (w) to the next desired variable bit-rate network state.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 9 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 9, wherein said assessment of said cost of negotiating and transmitting data segments from said first site to said second site via said data buffer and said variable bit-rate network, further comprises the following steps: a) creating an initial set of nodes, each representing a particular state of said variable bit-rate network for an initial interval i=0, and comprising a data set having the form (k0,b0=0,w0=0), where k assumes values from 0 to the maximum bandwidth available within said variable bit-rate network; b) calculating and creating a record of all possible path portions between the initial node i and i+1 node; c) calculating the cost of each path portion according to the previously discussed network renegotiation/transmission cost for N-1 intervals as: ##EQU5## where φ is the cost of performing a network bandwidth renegotiation within said variable bit-rate network, γ is the cost of utilizing a given amount of bandwidth within said variable bit-rate network for a unit time, r i is the amount of data processed during an arbitrary interval i, s i is the service rate required within said variable bit-rate network to effectively transmit data r i , and ##EQU6## d) pruning all non-optimal path portions, wherein a non-optimal path portion is defined as any path portion X going through a particular node x for a particular interval, where there exists a path portion Y through node y during said particular interval, such that e) repeating steps c and d until a path to the next desired variable bit-rate network state is completed.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 11 wherein said data segments represent a video signal.