Method and apparatus for providing end-to-end quality of service (QoS)

• US 20050169171A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cheng, Mark W., Hsu, Liangchi
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/18 End to end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

An approach is provided for supporting end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) control. A QoS profile identifier is generated that maps to a QoS parameter. The identifier is transmitted over the radio communication system to an end station, wherein the end station determines the QoS parameter based on the received identifier. The approach also provides an alert mechanism in which the end station transmits an alert message upon detecting a deviation from the QoS parameter.

Claims

1. A method for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first end station, a QoS profile identifier corresponding to a QoS parameter over the radio communication system; and

determining the QoS parameter based on the received identifier,

wherein the QoS parameter specifies a characteristic of a communication session established over the radio communication system between the first end station and a second end station.

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

detecting a deviation from the QoS parameter; and

transmitting an alert message to notify a base station within the radio communication system of the deviation.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the base station determines, in response to the alert message, whether the deviation can be addressed internally within the radio communication system, and if the deviation cannot be corrected internally, the alert message is forwarded to a core network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is an index to a table storing a plurality of QoS profiles specifying a plurality of QoS parameters including the QoS parameter, and the QoS parameters are air interface parameters that include data rate, priority, delay, delay variation, jitter, or error rate.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

during establishment of the communication session, receiving the table at the first end station; and

retrieving the QoS parameter from the table using the index.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is received over a radio link of the radio communication system according to a signaling protocol that includes one of Layer 3 Signaling or a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication system is a cellular system.

8. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, said instructions, being arranged, upon execution, to cause one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

9. An apparatus for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a QoS profile identifier corresponding to a QoS parameter over the radio communication system; and

a processor configured to determine the QoS parameter based on the received identifier,

wherein the QoS parameter specifies a characteristic of a communication session established over the radio communication system between the first end station and a second end station.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to detect a deviation from the QoS parameter, and to transmit an alert message to notify a base station within the radio communication system of the deviation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the base station determines, in response to the alert message, whether the deviation can be addressed internally within the radio communication system, and if the deviation cannot be corrected internally, the alert message is forwarded to a core network.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the identifier is an index to a table storing a plurality of QoS profiles specifying a plurality of QoS parameters including the QoS parameter, and the QoS parameters are air interface parameters that include data rate, priority, delay, delay variation, jitter, or error rate.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the table, the table being downloaded during establishment of the communication session,

wherein the QoS parameter is retrieved from the table using the index.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the identifier is received over a radio link of the radio communication system according to a signaling protocol that includes one of Layer 3 Signaling or a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the radio communication system is a cellular system.

16. A method for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, the method comprising:

generating a QoS profile identifier that maps to a QoS parameter; and

transmitting the identifier over the radio communication system to an end station, wherein the end station determines the QoS parameter based on the received identifier.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the end station detects a deviation from the QoS parameter, the method further comprising:

receiving an alert message providing notification of the deviation.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the alert message, determining whether the deviation can be addressed internally within the radio communication system; and

if the deviation cannot be corrected internally, forwarding the alert message to a core network for further action.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the identifier is an index to a table storing a plurality of QoS profiles specifying a plurality of QoS parameters including the QoS parameter, and the QoS parameters are air interface parameters that include data rate, priority, delay, delay variation, jitter, or error rate.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

during establishment of the communication session, transmitting the table to the end station.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the identifier is transmitted over a radio link of the radio communication system according to a signaling protocol that includes one of Layer 3 Signaling or a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the radio communication system is a cellular system.

23. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, said instructions, being arranged, upon execution, to cause one or more processors to perform the method of claim 16.

24. An apparatus for supporting quality of service (QoS) in a radio communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a first end station, a QoS profile identifier corresponding to a QoS parameter over the radio communication system; and

means for determining the QoS parameter based on the received identifier,

wherein the QoS parameter specifies a characteristic of a communication session established over the radio communication system between the first end station and a second end station.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

means for detecting a deviation from the QoS parameter; and

means for transmitting an alert message to notify a base station within the radio communication system of the deviation.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the base station determines, in response to the alert message, whether the deviation can be addressed internally within the radio communication system, and if the deviation cannot be corrected internally, the alert message is forwarded to a core network.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the identifier is an index to a table storing a plurality of QoS profiles specifying a plurality of QoS parameters including the QoS parameter, and the QoS parameters are air interface parameters that include data rate, priority, delay, delay variation, jitter, or error rate.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

means for, during establishment of the communication session, receiving the table at the first end station; and

means for retrieving the QoS parameter from the table using the index.

29. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the identifier is received over a radio link of the radio communication system according to a signaling protocol that includes one of Layer 3 Signaling or a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.

30. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the radio communication system is a cellular system.