Transmission control method, network element, base station and radio network controller

• US 20050276267A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Metsala, Esa, Major, Tamas
• Application Number:
  US10/914,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20050276267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5653 using the ATM adaptation layer [AAL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A network element of a communication system comprises, for instance, means (316, 410) for reserving, for connections carrying information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than the estimated peak rate; means (316, 410) for assorting the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, means (316, 410) for removing information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

Claims

1. A transmission control method in a communication system, the method comprising:

estimating a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserving, for connections carrying said information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assorting the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling; and

removing the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue if the non real-time traffic queue has reached the maximum limit for the degree of filling.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emptying the non real-time traffic queue when the information packets with non real-time traffic are removed from the non real-time traffic queue.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using asynchronous transmission mode (ATM) in the communication system and, wherein the method is applied on AAL2, which comprises an ATM adaptation layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reserving step comprises taking at least one of the following parameters into account:

current or expected load of the system and importance of the traffic transported in the connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing step is based on at least one of a set of principles including:

packets from less important connections are removed first, particular packets are removed until congestion is over, a predetermined number of packets of the queue is removed, and packets of a connection which caused the congestion are removed.

6. A network element, comprising:

estimating means for estimating a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

first reserving means for reserving, for connections carrying the information packets with the non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assorting means for assorting the information packets with the non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examining means for examining whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached the maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

first removing means for removing information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

7. The network element of claim 6, further comprising:

emptying means for emptying the non real-time traffic queue.

8. The network element of claim 6, the network element being a part of a communication system which uses asynchronous transmission mode (ATM).

9. The network element of claim 6, further comprising:

second reserving means for reserving capacity for the connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, taking into account at least one of a set of parameters including;

current or expected load of a system and importance of traffic transported in the connection.

10. The network element of claim 6, further comprising:

second removing means for removing the information packets based on at least one of a set of principles including;

packets from less important connections are removed first, particular packets are removed until congestion is over, a predetermined number of packets of the queue are removed, and packets of a connection which caused the congestion are removed.

11. A base station, comprising:

estimating means for estimating a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserving means for reserving, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assorting means for assorting the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examining means for examining whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

removing means for removing the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

12. A radio network controller, comprising:

estimating means for estimating a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserving means for reserving, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assorting means for assorting the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examining means for examining whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

removing means for removing the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

13. A base station, being configured to:

estimate a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserve, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

traffic a predetermined amount less than an estimated peak rate;

assort the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examine whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

remove the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

14. A radio network controller, being configured to:

estimate a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserve, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assort the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examine whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

remove the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

15. A network element, being configured to:

estimate a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

reserve, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

assort the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

examine if the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

remove the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

16. A network element, comprising:

first processor configured to estimate a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

a second processor configured to reserve, for connections carrying the information packets with the non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

a third processor configured to assort the information packets with the non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

a fourth processor configured to examine whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached the maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

a fifth processor configured to remove information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.

17. A base station, comprising:

a first processor configured to estimate a peak rate of at least one connection carrying information packets with non real-time traffic;

a second processor configured to reserve, for connections carrying the information packets with non real-time traffic, a predetermined amount less of capacity than an estimated peak rate;

a third processor configured to assort the information packets with non real-time traffic and information packets with real-time traffic to separate queues, a non real-time traffic queue having a maximum limit for a degree of filling;

a fourth processor configured to examine whether the non real-time traffic queue has reached a maximum limit of the degree of filling; and

a fifth processor configured to remove the information packets with non real-time traffic from said non real-time traffic queue.