Patent ID: 7885189

Claim:
A method for rate estimation and rate control in a video distribution system, comprising: receiving packets of multiple video streams at corresponding input buffers; determining a transmission deadline for said packets; determining fullness levels of said input buffers; determining a program clock reference (PCR) value for at least one of said multiple video streams; determining a corresponding decode time stamp (DTSi) for a current frame of each of said multiple video streams; normalizing said decode time stamps (DTSis) and said program clock reference (PCR) value to a common time base to obtain normalized DTSis and a normalized PCR, the normalized PCR for at least one of said multiple video streams providing a current time; determining a representative DTS for said multiple video streams based on said normalized DTSis; estimating a future time at which said packets can be transmitted, the estimated future time being provided by a predicted program clock reference (PPCR) derived from said current time and buffer fullness levels; determining a time difference by subtracting said PPCR from said representative DTS, said time difference comprising a proximity factor (PF); converting said PF into a global quality level Q and accounting for system latency during said conversion by determining a latency factor (LF) for said system latency; said global quality level Q being calculated using the formula Q=((LF−PF)*/LF, where N is an arbitrary range bound and Q has an inverse relationship with video quality; and adjusting a bit rate of at least one of said video streams in inverse proportion to Q based on at least one of said estimated future time, said time difference and said transmission deadline.