Defragmentation of communication channel allocations

• US 20060239272A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Communication Technology of America, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Heidari-Bateni, Ghobad, Czaja, Stanislaw
• Application Number:
  US11/388,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.210
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

Approaches scheduling and allocation of communication bandwidth across a communication channel provide the opportunity for improved network utilization. According to one embodiment, a method of allocating communication bandwidth among a plurality of network devices scheduling and conducting communication activities within the communication network in a communication network is provided. The method comprises the steps of: a first network device determining allocations of other network devices operating in the communication network; the first network device preempting a scheduled allocation of a second network device; and the first network device scheduling its communication activities on the communication network. Additionally, the first network device can also determine whether a conflict exists between its desired or required allocation and an allocation of the second network device.

Claims

1. A method of allocating communication bandwidth among a plurality of network devices scheduling and conducting communication activities within the communication network in a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

a first network device determining allocations of other network devices operating in the communication network;

the first network device preempting a scheduled allocation of a second network device; and

the first network device scheduling its communication activities on the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the first network device determining whether a conflict exists between its desired or required allocation and an allocation of the second network device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled allocation of the second network device that is preempted by the first network device comprises one or more network time or channel slots.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preempting comprises the step of adjusting a threshold to provide increased bandwidth availability to the first network device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preempting comprises the steps of:

the first network device informing the second network device of the preemption and of its scheduling requirement; and

the second network device reallocating its bandwidth in a manner that does not conflict with the first network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preempting comprises the steps of:

the first network device informing the second network device of its scheduling requirement; and

the second network device determining whether its own scheduling requirement is in conflict with the first network device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of the second network device reallocating its bandwidth in a manner that does not conflict with the first network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preempting comprises the step of causing the second network device to reallocate some or all of its scheduled bandwidth to a different communication window or channel.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining a relative priority of the network devices and further determining whether a given network device can preempt another network device based on the relative priority.

10. A network device configured to operate within a communication network, the network device comprising:

a housing;

at least one of a transmitter and receiver in the housing; and

control logic within the housing and configured to schedule communication activities across the communication network, determine allocations of other network devices operating in the communication network, and preempt a scheduled allocation of a second network device that is in conflict with the allocation of the network device.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to determine whether a conflict exists between its desired or required allocation and an allocation of the second network device.

12. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic comprises at least one of hardware, software and firmware.

13. The network device of claim 10, wherein the allocation of the second network device that is preempted by the first network device comprises one or more network time or channel slots.

14. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to adjust a threshold to provide increased bandwidth availability to the first network device.

15. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to communicate the network device'"'"'s scheduling requirement to other network devices, and to reallocate the network device'"'"'s allocation in response to a request for preemption from another network device.

16. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to communicate the network device'"'"'s scheduling requirement to another network device, and wherein the other network device is configured to determine whether its own scheduling requirement is in conflict with the first network device.

17. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to reallocate some or all of the network device'"'"'s scheduled bandwidth to a different communication window or channel.

18. The network device of claim 10, wherein the control logic is further configured to determine a relative priority of the network device with respect to other network devices and to determine whether the network device can preempt another network device based on the relative priority.

19. An executable program product including a body of program code executable by a processor for dynamically allocating the bandwidth utilization of a first network device, the executable program product comprising:

program code for determining allocations of other network devices operating in the communication network;

program code for preempting a scheduled allocation of a second network device that is in conflict with the allocation of the first network device; and

program code for scheduling communication activities of the first network device on the communication network.

20. The program product of claim 19, further comprising the step of the first network device determining whether a conflict exists between its desired or required allocation and an allocation of the second network device.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the scheduled allocation of the second network device that is preempted by the first network device comprises one or more network time or channel slots.

22. The program product of claim 19, wherein the program code for preempting comprises program code for adjusting a threshold to provide increased bandwidth availability to the first network device.

23. The program product of claim 19, wherein the program code for preempting comprises program code for informing the second network device of the preemption and of its scheduling requirement;

whereby the second network device reallocates its bandwidth in a manner that does not conflict with the first network device.

24. The program product of claim 19, wherein the program code for preempting comprises program code for informing the second network device of its scheduling requirement;

whereby the second network device reallocates its bandwidth in a manner that does not conflict with the first network device.

25. The program product of claim 19, wherein the program code for preempting comprises program code for causing the second network device to reallocate some or all of its scheduled bandwidth to a different communication window or channel.

26. The program product of claim 19, further comprising program code for determining a relative priority of the network devices and further determining whether a given network device can preempt another network device based on the relative priority.