Quality of service update procedure

• US 20070036078A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chowdhury, Kuntal, Senthilnathan, Janakiraman
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• 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 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/41 by acting on aggregated flows or links
• 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 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0252 per individual bearer or channel dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for updating the quality of service (QoS) of an IP flow in a wireless communications system. More particularly, the methods and systems provide the ability to update a QoS grant from any level of QoS to any other level of QoS, from no QoS to some level of QoS, and from some level of QoS to no level of QoS. The update of QoS can be based, at least in part, on a request being made for an updated QoS. A decision is made whether or not to update the QoS; and depending on the decision, the QoS can be updated.

Claims

1. A method for updating the quality of service of an IP flow between a first access terminal and a second access terminal, through a network coupled to a packet-processing node, comprising:

receiving an indication from the network that the quality of service has been granted;

deciding whether to update the quality of service for the IP flow;

if a decision is made to update the quality of service of the IP flow, sending an update message from the packet-processing node to the access network;

updating the quality of service for the IP flow; and

sending a registration request message from the network to the packet-processing node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising basing the update decision at least in part on network policy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from at least one of the first access terminal and the second access terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from the packet-processing node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from a remote device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the update is a change from any level of quality of service to any other level of quality of service, including no quality of service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP flow is a group of IP flows.

8. A method for updating the quality of service of an IP flow between a first access terminal and a second access terminal, through an access network coupled to a packet-processing node, comprising:

receiving an indication from the access network that the quality of service has been granted;

deciding whether to update the quality of service for the IP flow;

if a decision is made to update the quality of service of the IP flow, sending an update message from the packet-processing node to the access network;

sending an acknowledgment of the update message, from the access network to the packet-processing node;

updating the quality of service for the IP flow;

sending a registration request message from the access network to the packet-processing node; and

sending a reply, to the registration request message, from the packet-processing node to the access network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising basing the update decision at least in part on network policy.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from at least one of the first access terminal and the second access terminal.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from the packet-processing node.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from a remote device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the update is a change from any level of quality of service to any other level of quality of service, including no quality of service.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the IP flow is a group of IP flows.

15. A wireless communication system comprising:

an access network in communication with a first access terminal and a second access terminal;

a packet-processing node coupled to the access network for performing packet processing and redirection; and

an IP flow between the first access terminal and the second access terminal, through the access network, wherein the IP flow has a quality of service associated with it, and wherein the wireless communication system makes a decision whether to update the quality of service of the IP flow in response to receiving a request for an update of quality of service.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 15, wherein the update is a change from any level of quality of service to any other level of quality of service, including no quality of service level.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication system is part of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 15, further comprising an external device for deciding to update the quality of service.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 15, wherein the IP flow is a group of IP flows.

20. A method for updating the quality of service of an IP flow on a CDMA network, wherein the IP flow is between a first access terminal and a second access terminal, through an access network coupled to a packet data serving node, comprising:

receiving an indication from the access network that the quality of service has been granted to the IP flow, wherein the IP flow is mapped to an Al 0 connection;

deciding whether to update the quality of service for the IP flow;

if a decision is made to update the quality of service of the IP flow, sending an A11-session update message from the packet data serving node to the access network;

sending an A11-session update acknowledge message of the update message, from the access network to the packet data serving node;

updating the quality of service for the IP flow;

sending a A11-registration request from the access network to the packet data serving node; and

sending a A11-registration reply, to the registration request message, from the packet data serving node to the access network.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising basing the update decision at least in part on network policy.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from at least one of the first access terminal and second access terminal.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from the packet data serving node.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending a request to update the quality of service from a remote device.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the update is a change from any level of quality of service to any other level of quality of service, including no quality of service level.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the IP flow is a group of IP flows.

27. A wireless communication system comprising:

means for receiving an indication from that a quality of service has been granted to the IP flow;

means for deciding whether to update the quality of service;

means for sending an update message from a packet-processing node to an access network;

means for sending an acknowledgment of the update message, from the access network to the packet-processing node;

means for updating the quality of service for the IP flow;

means for sending a registration request message from the access network to the packet-processing node; and

means for sending a reply, to the registration request message, from the packet-processing node to the access network.

28. The wireless communication system of claim 27, wherein the request to update is a request for a change from any level of quality of service to any other level of quality of service, including no quality of service level.