Method and apparatus for reserving and releasing bandwidth for a packet-switched telephony connection established over an HFC cable network

• US 20030154488A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stein, Robert C., Strater, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/95
• 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 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

A method is provided for allocating bandwidth over a cable network to establish a packet-switched telephony connection between two endpoints. The method begins by authorizing and reserving an allocation of bandwidth at the time of a call origination sufficient to establish a voice-band data connection between the endpoints. Next, only a portion of the allocation of bandwidth is committed. This committed portion, which is sufficient to establish a compressed voice traffic connection between the endpoints, is a subset of the reserved allocation of bandwidth. The reserved but uncommitted portion of the allocation of bandwidth is released so that it is available for another connection if at least one of the endpoints determines that the connection is to support voice traffic and not voice-band data. This bandwidth portion may be released after a prescribed period of time has elapsed since the establishment of a full send/receive connection without the detection of voice-band data.

Claims

1. A method of allocating bandwidth over a cable network for a packet-switched telephony connection between two endpoints, said method comprising the steps of:

authorizing and reserving an allocation of bandwidth at the time of a call origination sufficient to establish a voice-band data connection between the endpoints; and

committing only a portion of the allocation of bandwidth sufficient to establish a compressed voice traffic connection between the endpoints, wherein the committed portion of the allocation is a subset of the reserved allocation of bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of releasing the reserved but uncommitted portion of the allocation of bandwidth so that it is available for another connection if at least one of the endpoints determines that the connection is to support voice traffic and not voice-band data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the releasing step is performed after a prescribed period of time has elapsed since establishment of a full send/receive connection without detection of voice-band data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said prescribed period of time is sufficient to detect voice-band data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of committing the reserved but uncommitted bandwidth without any further authorization if at least one of the endpoints determines that the connection is to support voice-band data.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

negotiating between the endpoints support for a high-rate codec and a low-rate codec; and

, initially employing the low-rate codec for the compressed voice traffic connection.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

negotiating between the endpoints support for a high-rate codec and a low-rate codec; and

, initially employing the low-rate codec for the compressed voice traffic connection.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of employing the high-rate codec for the voice-band data.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of committing the reserved but uncommitted bandwidth by notifying a Call Agent associated with the cable network if voice-band data is detected after performing the step of releasing the additional bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of stipulating to the endpoints a particular high-rate codec for the voice-band data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the authorizing step is performed by a Call Agent associated with the cable network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the endpoints is an MTA.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the cable network is an HFC cable network.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the reserved but uncommitted portion of the bandwidth can be used for traffic assigned best-effort prioritization.

15. The method of claim 5 wherein a determination that the connection is to support voice-band data is made by detecting a tone from a voice-band data device.