Optimization of subnetwork bandwidth based on desired subscription rates

• US 20050201282A1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Eastham, Bryant, Harper, William R. Jr., Howard, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• 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 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/782 Hierarchical allocation of resources, e.g. involving a hierarchy of local and centralised entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for optimizing network bandwidth based on subscription rates from a plurality of requestors is disclosed as including a provider that provides provider data. The system also includes a first requestor that has requested the provider data at a first subscription rate and a second requestor that has requested the provider data at a second subscription rate. The second subscription rate is higher than the first subscription rate. The system further includes a plurality of intervening access nodes. Each intervening access node includes request information specifying any provider data being sent through the intervening access node and a corresponding subscription rate. The plurality of intervening access nodes are configured to decrease the rate to an adjacent node when a requestor decreases a requestor subscription rate such that all the rates along a common transmit path from the provider to an end requestor are optimized to maximize available bandwidth.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing network bandwidth based on subscription rates from a plurality of requesters, the system comprising:

a provider that provides provider data;

a first requestor that has requested the provider data at a first subscription rate;

a second requestor that has requested the provider data at a second subscription rate, wherein the second subscription rate is higher than the first subscription rate; and

a plurality of intervening access nodes, wherein each intervening access node includes request information specifying any provider data being sent through the intervening access node and a corresponding subscription rate, and wherein the plurality of intervening access nodes are configured to decrease the rate to an adjacent node when a requestor decreases a requestor subscription rate such that all the rates along a common transmit path from the provider are optimized to maximize available bandwidth, and wherein the common transmit path ends at a first intervening access node and two different transmit paths communicate the provider data to the first requestor and the second requestor from the first intervening access node, such that the provider data is communicated from the provider, through the common transmit path to the first intervening access node at the second subscription rate, and from the first intervening access node to the first requestor at the first subscription rate, and from the first intervening access node to the second requester at the second subscription rate.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the provider is an embedded device.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one requestor is an embedded device.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intervening access nodes is an embedded device.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of intervening access nodes comprise an intervening access node network.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the provider is providing one or more web services and wherein the provider data relates to the one or more web services.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the request information comprises a data ID identifying data being received, a next node describing where the data being received is to be sent and a subscription rate of the data being received.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the request information comprises an I/O channel identifying a channel, a node describing where the data being received is to be sent and requests identifying any requests for the data being received from an I/O channel and corresponding subscription rates.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the intervening access nodes are further configured such that when the second requestor reduces the second subscription rate to a new rate at or lower than the first subscription rate, the intervening access nodes along the common transmit path from the provider to the first requestor and the second requestor decrease the rate to the first subscription rate thereby optimizing available bandwidth.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the intervening access nodes are further configured such that when the first requestor reduces the first subscription rate, the intervening access nodes along the common transmit path from the provider to the first requestor and the second requester keep the same rate.

11-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An embedded intervening access node comprising:

a processor;

a network interface in electronic communication with the processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor for storing request information specifying any provider data being sent through the intervening access node and a corresponding subscription rate; and

program instructions stored in the memory and implementing a method to decrease a rate to an adjacent node when a requestor decreases a requestor subscription rate such that all the rates along a common transmit path from a provider are optimized to maximize available bandwidth, and wherein the common transmit path ends at a first intervening access node and two different transmit paths, a first transmit path and a second transmit path, communicate the provider data from the first intervening access node, such that the provider data is communicated from the provider, through the common transmit path to the first intervening access node at the second subscription rate, and from the first intervening access node through the first transmit path at the first subscription rate, and from the first intervening access node through the second transmit path at the second subscription rate.

26. The embedded intervening access node as defined in claim 25, wherein the provider is providing one or more web services and wherein provider data from the provider relates to the one or more web services.

27. The embedded intervening access node as defined in claim 25, wherein the request information comprises a data ID identifying data being received, a next node describing where the data being received is to be sent and a subscription rate of the data being received.

28. The embedded intervening access node as defined in claim 25, wherein the embedded intervening access node is further programmed to operate as a protocol converter.