Method and arrangement for flow control
First Claim
1. A method for controlling individual data flows comprising data packets to a terminal in a communications system, said data flows being carried over at least one communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth and with use of at least one protocol which has parameters, said method including the steps of:
- providing a memory in the terminal;
a user entering information into the terminal, regarding the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one or more of the individual data flows to different applications on the terminal;
storing information about the user'"'"'s preferences, based on said information entered by the user, in the memory of the terminal; and
controlling, through manipulation of at least one protocol parameter, a bandwidth proportion of an available bandwidth used by the individual data flows based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an arrangement in a communications system handling data packets provides a user of the terminal a possibility to control the available bandwidth of application data flows in and out of the terminal in accordance with the user'"'"'s preferences. The invention provides the user with a possibility to speed up applications that he finds are relatively more important, by restricting application flows to applications that he finds less important. Incoming application data flows are controlled by manipulating window sizes that are reported to the respective senders of the incoming data on the respective incoming application flows. Outgoing data flows are controlled by supervising the sending times of data packets on the different outgoing application flows. Control decisions are based on information about the user'"'"'s preferences, which information is stored in a memory in the terminal.
54 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for controlling individual data flows comprising data packets to a terminal in a communications system, said data flows being carried over at least one communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth and with use of at least one protocol which has parameters, said method including the steps of:
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providing a memory in the terminal;
a user entering information into the terminal, regarding the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one or more of the individual data flows to different applications on the terminal;
storing information about the user'"'"'s preferences, based on said information entered by the user, in the memory of the terminal; and
controlling, through manipulation of at least one protocol parameter, a bandwidth proportion of an available bandwidth used by the individual data flows based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 31)
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8. A method for controlling individual data flows comprising data packets having associated sending times from a terminal to a receiver in a communications system, which data flows are carried over at least one communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth, said method including the steps of:
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a user providing a memory in the terminal;
entering information into the terminal regarding user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of one or more of the individual data flows from different applications on the terminal;
storing information about user'"'"'s preferences based on said information entered by the user, in the memory in the terminal; and
controlling, through manipulation of sending times of data packets, a proportion of the available bandwidth used by the individual data flows from the applications on the terminal based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A communications terminal, for connection to a communications system by means of a communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth for carrying individual data flows, which terminal comprises at least one memory, at least one input device through which a user can enter information into the terminal, the communications terminal comprising:
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a memory for storing information about a user'"'"'s preferences, based on information entered by the user in the at least one input device, regarding the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one of the individual data flows to different applications on the terminal; and
a controller for controlling, through manipulation of at least one protocol parameter, a proportion of the available bandwidth used by the individual data flows to the applications on the terminal based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A communications terminal, for connection to a communications system by means of a communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth for carrying individual data flows, the terminal comprising:
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at least one input device through which a user can enter information into the terminal;
a memory for storing information about a user'"'"'s preferences, based on information entered by the user into the at least one input device, regarding the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one of the individual data flows from different applications on the terminal; and
acontroller for controlling, through manipulation of sending times of data packets, a proportion of the available bandwidth used by the individual data flows from the applications on the terminal based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A software program arranged to run on a communications terminal in a communications system, which terminal communicates by means of individual data flows carried over at least one communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth, said software program including:
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code for storing, in a memory in the terminal, information about a user'"'"'s preferences, based on information entered into the terminal by a user, about the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one of the individual data flows to different applications on the terminal; and
code for controlling, through manipulation of at least one protocol parameter, a bandwidth proportion of an available bandwidth used by the individual data flows to the applications on the terminal based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A software program arranged to run on a communications terminal in a communications system, which terminal communicates by means of individual data flows carried over at least one communications connection with a predetermined bandwidth, said software program including:
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code for storing, in a memory in the terminal, information about a user'"'"'s preferences, based on information entered into the terminal by a user, about the user'"'"'s estimation of a degree of importance of at least one of the individual data flows from different applications on the terminal; and
code for controlling, through manipulation of sending times of data packets, a bandwidth proportion of the available bandwidth used by the individual data flows from the applications on the terminal based on said stored information about the user'"'"'s preferences. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification