Bandwidth renegotiation for VBR video over ATM networks

A scheme for delivery or variable bit-rate (VBR) video over asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks where bandwidth can be renegotiated during the duration of a call between the video source and the network is considered. Renegotiation can be initiated by either the video source or the network. The video bandwidth requirement is characterized by a usage parameter control (UPC) consisting, in general, of peak rate, burst length, and sustained rate. A baseline design is outlined where rate-control adjusts the source's rate while a new UPC is requested from the network. When granted, the new UPC allows the source to maintain its target quantization and delay requirements. Rate control epochs may be extended when the network blocks UPC requests or sets a lower UPC value to temporally deal with congestion. Simulation results are presented for VBR MPEG video. The results show that with a moderate renegotiation rate the scheme tracks the bandwidth requirements of the source. As a result, the video quality and bandwidth efficiency can be maintained