Method and system for managing bandwidth in communication networks

• US 20060251234A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooke, Jawhny
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus and machine-readable medium for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS) are provided. The communication network includes a Regional/Access Network (RAN). The bandwidth management includes varying the bandwidth according to the usage requirement. The method comprises invoking a request for the TBS. The invocation of the request results in a change in a default bandwidth associated with a user'"'"'s access connection.

Claims

1. A method for managing bandwidth in a communication network, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session for a user;

using a Regional/Access Network (RAN) in the communication;

accepting a signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed;

querying the RAN for one or more options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

selecting one of the options;

requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option; and

pushing a new policy to a Residential Gateway (RG) by the RAN to support a faster communication speed for the new policy based on the selected option.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the option is made by at least one of a group comprising the user and the RG.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS;

querying the RAN for one or more options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

selecting one of the options;

requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth to a default bandwidth; and

returning the bandwidth to the default bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated by at least one of a group comprising the user and the RG.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated automatically after a pre-determined fixed time is over.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein the request for the TBS is made by at least one of a group comprising a user and the RG.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user makes the request for the TBS within a current Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) session, wherein the request is made by clicking on an advertisement and wherein the advertisement takes the user to a subscription page for the TBS supported by the service provider.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the user makes the request for the TBS from outside the current DSL session.

11. A system for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS), wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the system comprising means for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

means for invoking a request for the TBS;

means for querying the RAN for options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

means for selecting one of the options;

means for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option; and

means for pushing a new policy to a Residential Gateway (RG) by the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected option.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises, mean for initiating a cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS;

and

means for returning the bandwidth to a default bandwidth.

13. A system for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS), wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the system comprising an establishing module for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

a first requesting module for invoking a request for the TBS;

a querying module for querying the RAN for one or more options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

a selecting module for selecting one of the options;

a second requesting module for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option; and

an updating module pushing a new policy to a Residential Gateway (RG) by the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected option.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the request for the TBS is made by at least one of a group comprising a user and the RG.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user makes the request for the TBS within a current Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) session, wherein the request is made by clicking on an advertisement and wherein the advertisement takes the user to a subscription page for the TBS supported by the service provider.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the user makes the request for the TBS from outside the current DSL session.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the selection of the option is made by at least one of a group comprising the user and the RG.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising a cancellation module initiating a cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS;

and

a returning module for returning the bandwidth to default bandwidth.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated by at least one of a group comprising the user and the RG.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated automatically after a pre-determined fixed time.

21. A machine-readable medium including instructions for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS), wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the medium comprising one or more instructions for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

one or more instructions for invoking a request for the TBS;

one or more instructions for querying the RAN one or more options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

one or more instructions for selecting one of the options;

one or more instructions for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option; and

one or more instructions pushing a new policy to a Residential Gateway (RG) by the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected option.

22. An apparatus for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS), wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the apparatus comprising

a processing system including a processor coupled to a display and user input device;

and

a machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor comprising one or more instructions for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

one or more instructions for invoking a request for the TBS;

one or more instructions for querying the RAN one or more options available for the user'"'"'s access session connection;

one or more instructions for selecting one of the options;

one or more instructions for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session; and

one or more instructions pushing a new policy to a Residential Gateway (RG) by the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected option.