Bandwidth management in wireless networks

• US 20050047343A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharony, Jacob, Sen, Moushumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for bandwidth management. The method includes receiving a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device; storing a data packet in a data queue; associating a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time; and transmitting the data packet based on at least the quantum associated with the data queue. A method and apparatus for network congestion control are also provided.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device;

storing a data packet in a data queue;

associating a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time; and

transmitting the data packet based on at least the quantum of bandwidth associated with the data queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data queue is associated with a priority level, and wherein the priority level is determined at least as a function of data type, and wherein the act of transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting the data packet based on the priority level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the value comprises receiving the value from an access point, and wherein transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting the data packet to the access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the value comprises receiving the value representative of a target bandwidth for a data type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time comprises the time between at least two successive transmissions of the data packets from the data queue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue, and wherein transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting the data packet in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises transmitting from a mobile unit, the method further comprising:

determining that the mobile unit is experiencing transmission-related errors;

adjusting the value representative of the target bandwidth based on a level of transmission-related errors experienced by the mobile unit.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a control unit communicatively coupled to the interface, the control unit adapted to;

receive, over the interface, a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device;

store a data packet in a data queue;

associate a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time; and

transmit the data packet based on at least the quantum associated with the data queue.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data queue is associated with a priority level that is a function of data type, wherein the control unit is adapted to transmit the data packet based on the priority level.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive the value from an access point and to transmit the data packet to the access point.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the time comprises the time between two successive transmissions of the data packets from the data queue.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit is further adapted to determine a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue and adapted to transmit the data packet in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.

13. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

receive a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device;

store a data packet in a data queue;

associate a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time; and

transmit the data packet based on at least the quantum of bandwidth associated with the data queue.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the data queue is associated with a priority level that is a function of data type, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to transmit the data packet based on the priority level.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to receive the value from an access point and to transmit the data packet to the access point.

16. The article of claim 13, wherein the time comprises the time between two successive transmissions of the data packets from the data queue, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue and adapted to transmit the data packets in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device;

storing a data packet in a data queue, the data queue having a priority level;

associating a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue; and

transmitting the data packet based on at least the priority level and the quantum of the bandwidth.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time, and wherein receiving the value comprises receiving the value from an access point and wherein transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting the data packet to the access point.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the value comprises receiving the value representative of a target bandwidth for a data type.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue, and wherein transmitting the data packet comprises transmitting the data packet in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

a control unit adapted to;

receive, over the interface, a value representative of a target bandwidth from a remote device;

store a data packet in a data queue, the queue having a priority level;

associate a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue; and

transmit the data packet based on at least the priority level and the quantum of the bandwidth.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time, and wherein the control unit is adapted to receive the value from an access point and to transmit the data packet to the access point.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive the value representative of a target bandwidth for a data type.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control unit is further adapted to determine a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue, and wherein the control unit is adapted to transmit the data packet in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.

25. A method for network congestion control, comprising:

identifying a user experiencing transmission errors over a wireless medium;

determining a target bandwidth allocated for the identified user; and

adjusting the target bandwidth allocated for the identified user based on a level of transmission errors experienced by the identified user.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein identifying the user comprises determining, over a select time period, a percentage of at least one of an amount of data packets lost and an amount of data packets retransmitted.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising determining a penalty factor based at least on one of the amount of the data packets lost and the amount of data packets retransmitted.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein adjusting the target bandwidth comprises dividing the target bandwidth by the penalty factor.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising allocating the adjusted bandwidth and allowing communication based on the allocated bandwidth.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the target bandwidth comprises receiving a value representative of the target bandwidth from an access point over a wireless medium.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

control unit communicatively coupled to the interface, the control unit adapted to;

identify a user experiencing transmission errors over a wireless medium;

determine a target bandwidth allocated for the identified user; and

adjust the target bandwidth allocated for the identified user based on a level of transmission errors experienced by the identified user.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine, over a select time period, a percentage of at least one of an amount of data packets lost and an amount of data packets retransmitted.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine a penalty factor based at least on one of the amount of the data packets lost and the amount of data packets retransmitted.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the control unit is adapted to allocate the adjusted bandwidth and allow communication based on the allocated bandwidth.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive a value representative of the target bandwidth from an access point over a wireless medium.

36. A system, comprising:

an access point adapted to transmit a value representative of a target bandwidth;

a mobile unit adapted to;

receive the value representative of the target bandwidth;

store a data packet in a data queue;

associate a quantum of bandwidth to the data queue, wherein the quantum of the bandwidth is a function of at least the target bandwidth and time; and

transmit the data packet to the access point based on at least the quantum associated with the data queue.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the mobile unit is further adapted to determine a bandwidth deficit associated with the data queue and adapted to transmit the data packet in response to determining that a size of the data packet is less than the total of the bandwidth deficit and the quantum of bandwidth.