Method and apparatus for the control of multimedia services in networks

• US 20030142625A1
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Weston-Dawkes, Jonathan, Wan, Guang
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Monitor for the Control of Multimedia Services in Networks A method and system for reducing congestion of real time data traffic on a multimedia communications network having a traffic control mechanism. The method comprises of first extracting from data traffic in the multimedia communications network information regarding congestion of the multimedia communications network. This extraction is performed by a network of monitors. Secondly, congestion is regulated by a central server which receives network information from the monitors and utilizes the network information to analyze congestion status and communicate instructions to the multimedia communications network to reduce congestion.

Claims

1. A method of reducing congestion of real time data traffic on a multimedia communications network having a traffic control mechanism, said method comprising the steps of:

extracting from data traffic in said multimedia communications network information regarding congestion of said multimedia communications network; and

regulating congestion on said multimedia communications network utilizing said network information extracted from multimedia communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said extracting step is completed by a plurality of monitors coupled to said multimedia communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said regulating step is completed by a central server coupled to said plurality of monitors which receives said information from said plurality of monitors.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising further of the steps of regulating said congestion on said multimedia communications network by transmitting a message to said traffic control mechanism and whereby said traffic control mechanism responds to said message by rerouting and throttling back the flow of data traffic to reduce congestion of said multimedia communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said extracting step further comprise the steps of:

retrieving a subset of selected data packets from data traffic, whereby said data packets retrieved are members of a specified transmission protocol;

summarizing performance information extracted from said data packets; and

forwarding said summarized performance information to a central point for analysis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said data packets retrieved from data traffic are members of a scalable protocol that provides sufficient network delay, packet loss and throughput information and further dynamically keeps track of the number of participants in a session, provides feedback on quality of data distribution, carries a persistent transport level identifier and controls the real time packet rate to scale up to a large number of participants.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby said communications network is created utilizing the H.323 standard.

8. A system for reducing congestion of real time data traffic on a multimedia communications network having a traffic control mechanism, said system comprising:

means for extracting from data traffic in said multimedia communications network information regarding congestion of said multimedia communications network; and

means for regulating congestion on said multimedia communications network utilizing said network information extracted from multimedia communications network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said extracting means includes a plurality of monitors coupled to said multimedia communications network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said regulating means includes a central server coupled to said plurality of monitors which receives said information from said plurality of monitors.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said regulating means further comprises means for transmitting a message to said traffic control mechanism and whereby said traffic control mechanism responds to said message by rerouting and throttling back the flow of data traffic to reduce congestion of said multimedia communications network.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said extracting means further comprise means for:

retrieving a subset of selected data packets from data traffic, whereby said data packets retrieved are members of a specified transmission protocol;

summarizing performance information extracted from said data packets; and

forwarding said summarized performance information to a central point for analysis.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said data packets retrieved from data traffic are members of a scalable protocol that provides sufficient network delay, packet loss and throughput information and further provides means to dynamically keep track of the number of participants in a session, provide feedback on quality of data distribution, carry a persistent transport level identifier and control the real time packet rate to scale up to a large number of participants.

14. The system of claim 8, whereby said communications network is created utilizing the H.323 standard.

15. A computer program product for reducing congestion of real time data traffic on a multimedia communications network having a traffic control mechanism comprising program instructions in a computer usable medium for:

extracting from data traffic in said multimedia communications network information regarding congestion of said multimedia communications network; and

regulating congestion on said multimedia communications network utilizing said network information extracted from multimedia communications network.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions further couple a plurality of monitors to said multimedia communications network.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said program instructions further couple a central server to said plurality of monitors such that said central server receives said information from said plurality of monitors.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions regulates said congestion by transmitting a message to said traffic control mechanism and whereby said traffic control mechanism responds to said message by rerouting and throttling back the flow of data traffic to reduce congestion of said multimedia communications network.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions further:

retrieve a subset of selected data packets from data traffic, whereby said data packets retrieved are specified transmission protocol;

summarize performance information extracted from said data packets; and

forward said summarized performance information to a central point for analysis.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said data packets retrieved from data traffic are members of a scalable protocol that provides sufficient network delay, packet loss and throughput information and further provides means to dynamically keep track of the number of participants in a session, provide feedback on quality of data distribution, carry a persistent transport level identifier and control the real time packet rate to scale up to a large number of participants.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions are H.323 standard compliant.