Packet flow control in a wireless communications network based on an indication contained in a packet

• US 20040052212A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Baillargeon, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/266 Stopping or restarting the source, e.g. X-on or X-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A wireless communications network comprises a wireless network controller coupled to a packet gateway. An indication of congestion of network resources is communicated between the wireless network controller and the packet gateway. In response to the indication of congestion of network resources, one of the wireless network controller and packet gateways adjusts packet data flow between the wireless network controller and the packet gateway.

Claims

1. A method of managing wireless communications, comprising:

establishing a communication session;

communicating, between a wireless network controller and a packet gateway, an indication of congestion of network resources in a packet communicated as part of the communications session; and

adjusting the communication of data between the wireless network controller and the packet gateway based on the communicated indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the indication in the packet comprises communicating the indication in a packet containing one of bearer data and control information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the indication in the packet comprises communicating the indication in a header of the packet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless network controller monitoring a load condition of a wireless network, wherein communicating the indication comprises the wireless network controller sending the indication to the packet gateway in response to the wireless network controller detecting that the load condition in the wireless network exceeds a predetermined level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the indication comprises sending an explicit congestion notification in one or more packets.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the explicit congestion notification in the one or more packets comprises sending the explicit congestion notification in one or more Internet Protocol (IP) packets.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the communication of data comprises the packet gateway changing a scheduling rate of data to be communicated from the packet gateway to the wireless network controller in response to the indication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein changing the scheduling rate comprises changing a rate at which a scheduler in the packet gateway schedules data in one or more queues.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a first indication, the method further comprising:

communicating a second indication that no or light congestion of network resources is present; and

in response to the second indication, the packet gateway communicating a start request to a server to send data from the server to a mobile station in the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to the first indication, the packet gateway communicating a stop request to the server to stop sending data from the server to the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the packet gateway communicating push content from the server to the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the indication comprises the packet gateway sending the indication to the wireless network controller to indicate congestion of network resources of the packet gateway.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the indication comprises receiving the indication at the wireless network controller to indicate congestion of network resources of the packet gateway.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the wireless network controller selecting another packet gateway for establishment of communications sessions.

15. An article comprising at least one storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a first system to:

communicate packets associated with packet-switched communications between the first system and a second system in a wireless communications network;

receive an indication contained in at least one of the packets of congestion of network resources from the second system; and

in response to receiving the indication of congestion, adjusting communication of data from the first system to the second system.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the indication is contained in a header of the at least one of the packets.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to adjust communication of data by changing a scheduling rate of data communicated to the second system.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to change the scheduling rate of data by changing a rate at which data in one or more queues is processed by a scheduler.

19. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to adjust communication of data by sending a notification to a server to stop transmitting certain content to a mobile station in the wireless communications system.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to further:

receive a second indication that the network resources are no longer congested; and

in response to the second indication, sending another notification to the server to start transmitting the certain content to the mobile station.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the certain content comprises push content.

22. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to adjust the communication of data by selecting a secondary packet gateway different from a primary packet gateway for establishing communications sessions with a packet-switched network.

23. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed cause the first system to adjust the communication of data by reducing an effective call setup rate.

24. An apparatus capable of communications over a wireless communications network, comprising:

an interface to a core network in the wireless communications network; and

a controller adapted to;

communicate packets associated with packet-switched communications to an entity coupled to the core network;

receive an indication contained in at least one of the packets of congestion of network resources; and

adjust packet data flow with the entity in response to the indication.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising one of a code-division multiple access (CDMA) packet data serving node (PDSN) and a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System gateway General Packet Radio Service serving node (GGSN).

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a wireless network controller.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wireless network controller comprises one of a base station controller (BSC) and a radio network controller (RNC).

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the packet data flow by changing a scheduling rate of a scheduler.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the packet data flow by selecting a secondary packet gateway different from a primary packet gateway.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the packet data flow by sending a notification to a push content server to stop transmitting certain data.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the packet data flow by reducing an effective call setup rate.