Continuous one-way available bandwidth change detection in high definition video conferencing

In order to deal, as fast as possible, with available bandwidth variations in High Definition Video Conferencing over best-effort networks, we propose a Bayesian instantaneous end-to-end bandwidth change discovery mechanism. Most other congestion detection mechanisms use network parameters such as packet loss probability, round trip time or jitter. On the other hand, our approach uses weighted inter-arrival time of video packets at the receiver in order to detect bandwidth variations more accurately and more quickly. Our approach is continuous, since it monitors available bandwidth with each incoming video packet, and therefore detects congestion occurrence in less than 200 ms, on average, which is significantly faster than existing RTCP-based approaches. It is also one-way, because it only takes into account the characteristics of the incoming path and not the outgoing path, as opposed to other approaches which use round trip time.