Combining narrowband applications with broadband transport

• US 20030053463A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vikberg, Jari Tapio, Nylander, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,744,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/10 Routing in connection-oriented networks, e.g. X.25 or ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 : triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/782 : Hierarchical allocation of resources, e.g. involving a hierarchy of local and centralised entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 : Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 : Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 : Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 : Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 : Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 : Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 : Details of core network interconnection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 : where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The combination of narrowband applications with broadband transport may be enabled with a communications architecture, in which one or more Media Gateways (MGs) that include broadband switching fabric are controlled by a Media Gateway Controller (MGC) that includes switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric. A new data structure is provided in the MGC to identify bandwidth allocation on all traffic trunks interconnecting MGs controlled by the MGC. The new data structure can further maintain quality data representing the quality of packet transmissions in the broadband network data. The new data structure enables the MGC to monitor congestion in the broadband network and to allocate bandwidth more efficiently.

Claims

1. In a system having a plurality of nodes including a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and at least one call control node having switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, said plurality of connection control nodes being controlled by said at least one call control node, a select one of said nodes comprising:

a data structure containing bandwidth data identifying an amount of available bandwidth on at least one of a plurality of paths, each of said plurality of paths being between two of said plurality of connection control nodes; and

means for selecting at least one of said paths for switching an incoming call through a broadband network interconnecting said plurality of connection control nodes using said bandwidth data.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein said at least one call control node is a Media Gateway Controller and said plurality of connection control nodes are Media Gateways.

3. The node of claim 2, wherein said select node is said Media Gateway Controller.

4. The node of claim 2, wherein said select node is a select one of said Media Gateways.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of records, each of said paths being associated with a respective one of said plurality of records.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein said data structure further comprises statistical information related to said bandwidth data on each of said paths.

7. The node of claim 1, further comprising:

means for performing a calculation of said statistical information related to said bandwidth data on each of said paths, said calculation being performed continuously or periodically; and

means for storing said statistical information in said data structure.

8. The node of claim 7, further comprising:

means for generating a report identifying congestion conditions in said broadband network using at least one of said bandwidth data and said statistical information.

9. The node of claim 1, further comprising:

means for allocating bandwidth on said at least one selected path for said incoming call; and

means for updating said bandwidth data within said data structure for said at least one selected path based on said bandwidth allocated for said incoming call.

10. The node of claim 1, wherein said means for selecting further comprises:

means for receiving a maximum bandwidth amount for said incoming call;

means for determining a list of routes from said plurality of paths for said incoming call, each of said routes including at least one of said paths; and

means for selecting an optimum route from said list of routes based on said maximum bandwidth amount and said bandwidth data for each of said paths associated with each of said routes on said list of routes, said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said optimum route being greater than said maximum bandwidth amount for said call.

11. The node of claim 10, wherein said list of routes includes a primary route and a secondary route, and wherein said means for selecting further comprises:

means for selecting said primary route when said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said primary route is greater than said maximum bandwidth amount; and

means for selecting said secondary route when said amount of available bandwidth on any of said paths associated with said primary route is less than said maximum bandwidth amount and said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said secondary route is greater than said maximum bandwidth amount.

12. The node of claim 10, wherein said amount of available bandwidth on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route is greater than said amount of available bandwidth on any of said paths associated with other ones of said routes in said list of routes.

13. The node of claim 1, wherein said data structure further includes quality data related to the quality of packet transmissions on at least one of said plurality of paths within said broadband network.

14. The node of claim 13, wherein each of said connection control nodes has a jitter buffer therein for buffering packets received through said broadband network, said quality data being based on measurements related to said jitter buffer.

15. The node of claim 14, wherein said measurements include at least one of a jitter buffer underflow measurement and a jitter buffer overflow measurement.

16. The node of claim 14, wherein said quality data includes an indication of the number of bad quality calls along each of said plurality of paths, said measurements being used to determine whether a particular call is a bad quality call.

17. The node of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting further comprises:

means for determining a list of routes from said plurality of paths for said incoming call, each of said routes including at least one of said paths; and

means for selecting an optimum route from said list of routes based on said quality data and said bandwidth data for each of said paths associated with each of said routes on said list of routes.

18. The node of claim 17, wherein said quality data on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route indicates that the quality of packet transmissions on said optimum route is greater than the quality of packet transmissions on any other ones of said routes in said list of routes.

19. The node of claim 17, wherein said quality data on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route indicates that the quality of packet transmissions on said optimum route meets a minimum quality standard.

20. The node of claim 13, further comprising:

means for updating said quality data for each of said plurality of paths during said incoming call; and

means for selecting at least one alternative path for said incoming call based on said updated quality data and said bandwidth data.

21. The node of claim 20, wherein said means for selecting said at least one alternative path further comprises:

means for selecting said at least one alternative path for said incoming call when said updated quality data for said at least one selected path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path does not meet minimum quality standards and said updated quality data for said at least one alternative path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path does meet minimum quality standards; and

means for terminating said incoming call when said updated quality data for said at least one selected path and said at least one alternative path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path and said at least one alternative path does not meet minimum quality standards.

22. The node of claim 13, wherein said data structure further comprises statistical information related to said quality data for each of said paths.

23. The node of claim 22, further comprising.

means for performing a calculation of said statistical information related to said quality data for each of said paths, said calculation being performed continuously or periodically;

and

means for storing said statistical information in said data structure.

24. The node of claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating a report identifying congestion conditions in said broadband network using at least one of said quality data and said statistical information.

25. A server for monitoring bandwidth allocation in a broadband network having a plurality of nodes including a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and at least one call control node having switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, said plurality of connection control nodes being controlled by said at least one call control node, said plurality of connection control nodes being interconnected by a plurality of paths, said server comprising.

means for receiving quality data related to the quality of packet transmissions on at least one of said plurality of paths within said broadband network;

means for performing a calculation of statistical information related to said quality data for each of said paths, said calculation being performed continuously or periodically; and

means for storing said statistical information in a database therein.

26. The server of claim 25, further comprising:

means for generating a report identifying congestion conditions in said broadband network using at least one of said quality data and said statistical information.

27. The server of claim 25, wherein each of said connection control nodes has a jitter buffer therein for buffering packets received through said broadband network, said quality data being based on measurements relate to said jitter buffer.

28. The server of claim 27, wherein said measurements include at least one of a jitter buffer underflow measurement and a jitter buffer overflow measurement.

29. A method for allocating bandwidth in a broadband network having a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and at least one call control node having switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, said plurality of connection control nodes being controlled by said at least one call control node, said plurality of connection control nodes being interconnected by a plurality of paths, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining bandwidth data identifying an amount of available bandwidth on at least one of a plurality of paths; and

selecting at least one of said paths for switching an incoming call through said broadband network using said bandwidth data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of maintaining further comprises the step of:

maintaining a data structure comprising a plurality of records, each of said paths being associated with a respective one of said plurality of records; and

storing said bandwidth data for each of said plurality of paths in a respective one of said plurality of records within said data structure.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

performing a calculation of statistical information related to said bandwidth data on each of said paths, said calculation being performed continuously or periodically; and

storing said statistical information in said data structure.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

generating a report identifying congestion conditions in said broadband network using at least one of said bandwidth data and said statistical information.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

allocating bandwidth on said at least one selected path for said incoming call; and

updating said bandwidth data for said at least one selected path based on said bandwidth allocated for said incoming call.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of selecting further comprises the steps of:

receiving a maximum bandwidth amount for said incoming call;

determining a list of routes from said plurality of paths for said incoming call, each of said routes including at least one of said paths; and

selecting an optimum route from said list of routes based on said maximum bandwidth amount and said bandwidth data for each of said paths associated with each of said routes on said list of routes, said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said optimum route being greater than said maximum bandwidth amount for said call.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said list of routes includes a primary route and a secondary route, and wherein said step of selecting further comprises the steps of:

selecting said primary route when said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said primary route is greater than said maximum bandwidth amount; and

selecting said secondary route when said amount of available bandwidth on any of said paths associated with said primary route is less than said maximum bandwidth amount and said amount of available bandwidth on each of said paths associated with said secondary route is greater than said maximum bandwidth amount.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said step of selecting said optimum route further comprises the step of:

determining said amount of available bandwidth on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route is greater than said amount of available bandwidth on any of said paths associated with other ones of said routes in said list of routes.

37. A method for allocating bandwidth in a broadband network having a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and at least one call control node having switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, said plurality of connection control nodes being controlled by said at least one call control node, said plurality of connection control nodes being interconnected by a plurality of paths, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining bandwidth data identifying an amount of available bandwidth on at least one of a plurality of paths;

maintaining quality data related to the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one path; and

selecting at least one of said paths for switching an incoming call through said broadband network using said bandwidth data and said quality data.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein each of said connection control nodes has a jitter buffer therein for buffering packets received through said broadband network, and wherein said step of maintaining further comprises the step of:

collecting said quality data based on measurements related to said jitter buffer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of collecting further comprises the steps of:

determining whether a particular one of a plurality of calls is a bad quality call using said measurements;

aggregating said measurements for said plurality of calls; and

providing said quality data including an indication of the number of bad quality calls along each of said plurality of paths.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of selecting further comprises the steps of:

determining a list of routes from said plurality of paths for said incoming call, each of said routes including at least one of said paths; and

selecting an optimum route from said list of routes based on said quality data and said bandwidth data for each of said paths associated with each of said routes on said list of routes.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of selecting said optimum route further comprises the step of:

determining said quality data on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route indicates that the quality of packet transmissions on said optimum route is greater than the quality of packet transmissions on any other ones of said routes in said list of routes.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of selecting said optimum route further comprises the step of:

determining said quality data on at least one of said paths associated with said optimum route indicates that the quality of packet transmissions on said optimum route meets a minimum quality standard.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of:

performing a calculation of statistical information related to at least said quality data for each of said paths, said calculation being performed continuously or periodically; and

maintaining said statistical information.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

generating a report identifying congestion conditions in said broadband network using at least one of said quality data and said statistical information.

45. A method for allocating bandwidth in a broadband network having a plurality of connection control nodes having broadband switching fabric and at least one call control node having switching intelligence and narrowband switching fabric, said plurality of connection control nodes being controlled by said at least one call control node, said plurality of connection control nodes being interconnected by a plurality of paths, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining bandwidth data identifying an amount of available bandwidth on at least one of a plurality of paths;

maintaining quality data related to the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one path;

selecting at least one of said paths for switching an incoming call through said broadband network using said bandwidth data and said quality data;

updating said quality data for each of said plurality of paths during said incoming call; and

selecting at least one alternative path for said incoming call based on said updated quality data and said bandwidth data.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said step of selecting said at least one alternative path further comprises the steps of:

selecting said at least one alternative path for said incoming call when said updated quality data for said at least one selected path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path does not meet minimum quality standards and said updated quality data for said at least one alternative path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path does meet minimum quality standards; and

terminating said incoming call when said updated quality data for said at least one selected path and said at least one alternative path indicates the quality of packet transmissions on said at least one selected path and said at least one alternative path does not meet minimum quality standards.