Patent ID: 7684331

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for scheduling packet transmission, said method comprising: receiving a plurality of data packets at a computer, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of data packets is associated with a media unit and comprises different quality information, said different quality information comprising a tile, a resolution level, a color component, a precinct and a quality level; determining by said computer profit-to-size ratios or distortion-to-size ratios for said plurality of data packets based on said different quality information, wherein said profit-to size ratios and said distortion-to-size ratios represent a value of said plurality of data packets; discarding one or more data packets of said plurality of data packets to reduce a data transmission rate of said plurality of data transmission packets that remain non-discarded; and determining by said computer a plurality of schedules of said plurality of data packets for a plurality of data transmission rates based at least in part on said profit-to-size ratios or distortion-to-size ratios, and wherein a schedule of said plurality of schedules is an order of data packets to be transmitted.