Managed quality of service for users and applications over shared networks
First Claim
1. A method for use by a content server in establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between a software application running on a subscriber computer and a network service provider, the method comprising:
- receiving a request from the software application on the subscriber computer;
responding to the request with a network call from an application server running on the content server, the application server associated with software applications of the type running on the subscriber computer;
capturing the network call with a quality proxy agent running on the content server;
obtaining a network quality profile corresponding to the software application;
identifying, by the quality proxy agent, the subscriber associated with making the request;
verifying that the subscriber is authorized to request a high-quality network connection for the software application;
causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request for a high-quality network connection communications session on behalf of the software application running on the subscriber computing device, according to the quality profile;
whereby, after the network service provider has processed the request, communications between the software application and the network service provider are of a quality satisfying the requirements of the quality profile; and
the method further comprising;
in response to a terminating event, causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request to terminate the high-quality network connection communications session.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for effectively managing the quality of service provided to subscribers in a shared network on a per-application, per-user basis. A system QoS proxy, sitting on a subscriber'"'"'s computing device or on a web content server, captures network calls made by an application for a subscriber and uses locally stored quality profiles to determine if a request for high-quality communications should be made. If so, the QoS proxy requests QoS from a central application manager, which dedicates a high-quality communications session to the subscriber'"'"'s application, and causes the subscriber to be billed appropriately.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for use by a content server in establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between a software application running on a subscriber computer and a network service provider, the method comprising:
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receiving a request from the software application on the subscriber computer;
responding to the request with a network call from an application server running on the content server, the application server associated with software applications of the type running on the subscriber computer;
capturing the network call with a quality proxy agent running on the content server;
obtaining a network quality profile corresponding to the software application;
identifying, by the quality proxy agent, the subscriber associated with making the request;
verifying that the subscriber is authorized to request a high-quality network connection for the software application;
causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request for a high-quality network connection communications session on behalf of the software application running on the subscriber computing device, according to the quality profile;
whereby, after the network service provider has processed the request, communications between the software application and the network service provider are of a quality satisfying the requirements of the quality profile; and
the method further comprising;
in response to a terminating event, causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request to terminate the high-quality network connection communications session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for use by a system quality proxy agent running on a subscriber computer for establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between an object associated with the subscriber computer and a network service provider, the method comprising:
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capturing a network call from the object;
identifying the object associated with making the network call;
obtaining a network quality profile corresponding to the object;
verifying that the object is authorized to request a high-quality network connection; and
causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request for a high-quality network connection communications session according to the quality profile;
whereby, after the network service provider has processed the request, communications between the object and the network service provider are of a quality satisfying the requirements of the quality profile. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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7. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions facilitating establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between a software application running on a subscriber computer and a network service provider, the computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:
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capturing a network call from the software application running on the subscriber computer;
identifying the software application associated with making the network call;
obtaining a network quality profile corresponding to the software application;
verifying that the software application is authorized to request a high-quality network connection; and
causing to be transmitted to the network service provider a request for a high-quality network connection communications session according to the quality profile;
whereby, after the network service provider has processed the request, communications between the software application and the network service provider are of a quality satisfying the requirements of the quality profile. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between a software application running on a subscriber computer and a network service provider, the method comprising:
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receiving a request for a high-quality network connection on behalf of the subscriber computer, the request caused by a system quality proxy agent residing on either the subscriber computer or a content server contacted by the subscriber computer, the proxy agent having obtained a quality profile for the software application, and the request comprising information about the software application according to the quality profile;
authenticating the request;
obtaining policy information corresponding to the request; and
granting a high-quality network connection communications session to the subscriber computer for communications with the application according to the policy information. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 31)
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17. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions facilitating establishing a high-quality network connection communications session between a software application running on a subscriber computer and a network service provider, the computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:
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receiving a request for a high-quality network connection on behalf of the subscriber computer, the request caused by a system quality proxy agent residing on either the subscriber computer or a content server contacted by the subscriber computer, the proxy agent having obtained a quality profile for the software application, and the request comprising information about the software application;
authenticating the request;
obtaining policy information corresponding to the request; and
granting a high-quality network connection communications session to the subscriber computer for communications with the application according to the policy information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for managing the quality of a network connection communications session provided to an application running on the computer of a subscriber of a network service provider, the system comprising:
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a database containing information about the subscriber of the network service provider;
a policy server storing network quality configuration settings for a variety of conditions; and
an application manager, in response to a request from a quality proxy agent running on the subscriber'"'"'s computer, reading from the database and instructing the policy server to establish a network connection communications session with the application running on the subscriber computer at a quality according to an appropriate configuration setting;
wherein the request from the quality proxy agent is made according to a quality profile for the application, the profile obtained by the quality proxy agent for the application. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 32, 33)
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24. A method for increasing the revenue of a network service provider, the network service provider providing network service to a plurality of customers, the method comprising:
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receiving from a requesting entity, on behalf of a computing device associated with a customer in the plurality of customers, a request for a high-quality network connection communications session for an application running on the computing device, wherein the request is in accordance with a quality profile for the application, the profile obtained by the requesting entity;
causing network communications for the application to be of a higher quality than ordinary network communications; and
billing the customer a fee for services including high-quality network connection communications sessions. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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34. A data structure for use in a session initiation protocol and session description protocol for managing the quality of a network connection communications session provided to an application running on the computer of a subscriber of a network service provider, the data structure comprising:
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fields for describing characteristics of the communications session; and
an application field for describing the application running on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification