Patent ID: 7760801

Claim:
An automated machine implemented method of transmitting over a communications network a digital data sequence of video signals which have been encoded using a compression algorithm such that the number of coded bits per frame is not constant, comprising using a programmed processor to: (a) partition the data sequence into segments; (b) determine a transmission bit rate for each segment over said communication network; and (c) transmit the sequence of video signals at a plurality of the determined transmission bit rates, wherein the sequence is partitioned into segments such that the first segment is that portion at the beginning of the sequence which has an average number of coded bits per frame which is greater than or equal to the average number of coded bits per frame of any possible shorter portion starting at the beginning of the sequence, and wherein each succeeding segment is a portion immediately following the preceding segment which has an average number of coded bits per frame which is greater than or equal to the average number of coded bits per frame of any possible shorter portion immediately following the preceding segment.