Load regulation

• US 20010040872A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Haglund, Anders Bertil
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 Congestion or overload control

Abstract

The present invention discloses a process unit (10) comprising a real data generator (12), a buffer (14) buffering the data and a queue length monitor (16), which regulates the data generator (12) depending on the queue length. The system is characterized by a dummy load generator (18), storing dummy data in the same buffer (14) at a dummy data rate. The queue length monitor (16) regulates this dummy data rate. The process unit (10) may also be used in a system (1), further comprising a transmitter (20), a link (22) and a receiver (24) and possibly also other process units. The advantages with the present invention is that a faster regulation can be achieved, also for slowly reacting process units, which counteract overflow in the buffers (14). Furthermore, the queue lengths are possible to reduce and the delays of data are reduced.

Claims

1. A process unit, comprising:

a real data generator;

a buffer, arranged to store real data generated by said real data generator;

a connection for transmitting data from said buffer;

a queue length monitor, monitoring the queue length in said buffer; and

a dummy load generator, arranged to store dummy data in said buffer at a dummy data rate being regulated based on said monitored queue length;

whereby said real data generator is regulated based on said monitored queue length;

2. The process unit according to

claim 1

, wherein a maximum value of said dummy data rate is determined based on at least one of:

the regulation response time of said real data generator, and

the generation rate of said real data.

18. Use of a process unit according to

claim 1

in a datacommunication or telecommunication system.

3. A process system, comprising:

at least one process unit having a real data generator, a first buffer arranged to store real data generated by said real data generator, a queue length monitor monitoring the queue length in said first buffer, and a dummy load generator arranged to store dummy data in said first buffer at a dummy data rate being regulated based on said monitored queue length, whereby said real data generator is regulated based on said monitored queue length;

a transmitter connected to said first buffer;

a link over which data from said first buffer is transmitted by said transmitter; and

a receiver receiving said data from said transmitter, said receiver being arranged to discard received dummy data.

4. The process system according to

claim 3

, wherein a maximum value of said dummy data rate is determined based on at least one of:

the regulation response time of said real data generator, and

the generation rate of said real data.

5. The process system according to

claim 4

, further comprising a second buffer arranged between said real data generator and said first buffer to store only real data, for detection of said generation rate of said real data.

6. The process system according to

claim 3

, having at least a first and a second process unit, wherein said transmitter is connected to said first buffer of both said first and said second process unit, whereby said link transmits data from both of said process units.

7. The process system according to

claim 6

, wherein the dummy data rate of said first process unit is different from the dummy data rate of said second process unit.

8. The process system according to

claim 6

, further comprising communication means between said first process unit and said second process unit for exchange of regulation information, of which at least a part being selected from the list of:

information about dummy data rates,

information about generation rates of real data

information about any degree of regulation of the real data generation,

information about queue lengths, and

information about queue length growth rates.

9. The process system according to

claim 8

, wherein at least one of the dummy load generators comprises means for regulating the maximum value of said dummy data rate based on said regulation information.

19. Use of a process system according to

claim 3

in a datacommunication or telecommunication system.

10. A method of transmission, comprising the steps of:

generating real data,

storing said real data in a first buffer,

generating dummy data,

storing said dummy data in said first buffer at a dummy data rate,

transmitting data from said first buffer,

monitoring the queue length in said first buffer,

regulating the speed of the real data generation based on said monitored queue length, and

regulating said dummy data rate based on said monitored queue length.

11. The method of transmission according to

claim 10

, further comprising the step of determining a maximum value of said dummy data rate based on at least one of:

the regulation response time of said real data, and

the generation rate of said real data.

12. The method of transmission according to

claim 10

, wherein said step of regulating of said dummy data rate in turn comprises the step of reducing the dummy data rate.

13. The method of transmission according to

claim 12

, wherein said step of regulating of said dummy data rate comprises the step of stopping said dummy data storing.

14. The method of transmission according to

claim 10

, in a system of at least two process units sharing a common link, further comprising the step of communicating regulation information between dummy load generators, whereby at least a part of said regulation information being selected from the list of:

information about dummy data rates,

information about generation rates of real data

information about any degree of regulation of the real data generation,

information about queue lengths, and

information about queue length growth rates.

15. The method of transmission according to

claim 14

, further comprising the step of regulating said maximum dummy data rate of at least one of said dummy load generators based on said regulation information.

16. The method of transmission according to

claim 15

, wherein said step of regulating said maximum dummy data rate is performed if uneven restrictions of the current dummy data rates are detected.

17. The method of transmission according to

claim 10

, further comprising the step of measuring the generation rate of real data by storing said real data in a second buffer, prior to the storage in said first buffer.

20. Use of a method according to

claim 10

in a datacommunication or telecommunication system.