Method and apparatus for system resource management in a communications system

• US 20030189951A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LGS Innovations LLC (CACI International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bi, Qi, Yang, Yang, Vitebsky, Stanley, Zhu, Lily, Li, Patrick, Picot, Carol
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

The method and apparatus adaptively adjust a timer based at least on the frequency of transmitted/received packets and the traffic arrival pattern in a data session in the communication system. The expiration of the timer indicates to suspend the data session in the communication system.

Claims

1. A method for management of resources in a communication system, comprising:

adaptively adjusting a timer based at least on a frequency of received/transmitted packets in a data session in the communication system, expiration of the timer indicating to suspend the data session in the communication system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current value of the timer before adaptively adjusting the timer; and

initiating adaptively adjusting the timer only if the timer has not expired.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current value of the timer, wherein the current value of the timer at least partially affects the adjustment of the timer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein adaptively adjusting the timer further includes adjusting the timer using at least one tunable value.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one tunable value is a value determined based on a target average packet arrival time.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein adaptively adjusting the timer further includes adjusting the timer based on at least a current value of the timer before the timer elapses.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one tunable value is an upper limit value for the timer.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one tunable value limits the timer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein adaptively adjusting the timer includes choosing one of two values to modify the timer, each of the two values being calculated at least in part based on a current value of the timer before the timer elapses.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein one of the two values increments the timer and the other of the two values decrements the timer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the incrementing value is chosen to modify the timer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the incrementing value is calculated further based on a cost factor determined based on costs associated with a suspension or reactivation of a data session.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the decrementing value is chosen to modify the timer.

14. An apparatus for management of resources in a communication system, comprising:

a timer device having a timer value for determining when to suspend a data session in the communication system; and

a timer adjustment device for adjusting the timer value based on at least a frequency of transmitted/received packets in the data session in the communication system.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the timer adjustment device adjusts the timer value based further on a cost factor value determined based on costs associated with suspension or reactivation of a data session.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an estimator device for determining a trough-put timer value, the through-put timer value being determined based on at least a current value of the timer before the timer elapses, and the through-put timer value being provided to the timer adjustment device for use in adjusting the timer.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an estimator device for determining a packet-driven timer value, the packet-driven timer value being determined based at least on the current value of the timer before the timer elapses, and the packet-driven timer value being provided to the timer adjustment device for use in adjusting the timer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an estimator device for determining a packet-driven timer value, the packet-driven timer value being determined based at least on a cost factor value determined based on costs associated with suspension or reactivation of a data session and a current value of the timer, and the packet-driven timer value being provided to the timer adjustment device for use in adjusting the timer.

19. A method of resource management in a data transmission system, comprising:

initializing a timer in accordance with a first variable and a second variable;

receiving a data packet;

determining a current timer value of the timer upon receiving the data packet;

determining a through-put timer value based on at least the first variable, a target average packet inter-arrival time, and the current timer value;

calculating a comparison value based on at least the timer, the locality margin timer value, and the current timer value; and

choosing a packet-driven timer value in accordance with the comparison value; and

updating the timer using the smaller value of the through-put timer value and the packet-driven timer value.