Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - centric "Quality of Service(QoS)" aware Media Access Control (MAC) Layer in a wireless Point to Multi-Point (PtMP) transmission system

• US 20070038753A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Van Drebbel Mariner LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Van Drebbel Mariner LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jorgensen, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/502,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0414 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 : Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 : Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 : Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 : Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 : Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 : using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 : Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 : Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A packet centric wireless point-to-multipoint (PtMP) telecommunications system is provided. The telecommunications system includes a wireless network that provides for true QoS. A media access control (MAC) layer is used in a packet-centric wireless point to multi-point (PtMP) telecommunications system, the telecommunications system includes a wireless base station coupled to a first data network, one or more host workstations coupled to the first data network, one or more subscriber customer premise equipment (CPE) stations in wireless communication with the wireless base station over a shared bandwidth using a packet-centric protocol, and one or more subscriber workstations coupled to each of the subscriber CPE stations over a second network. The MAC layer includes a resource allocation means that allocates shared bandwidth among the subscriber CPE stations to optimize end-user quality of service (QoS).

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A media access control (MAC) layer for use in a packet-centric wireless point to multi-point (PtMP) telecommunications system, said telecommunication system comprising:

a wireless base station coupled to a first data network;

one or more host workstations coupled to said first data network;

one or more subscriber customer premise equipment (CPE) stations in wireless communication with said wireless base station over a shared wireless bandwidth using a packet-centric protocol, which is not circuit-centric; and

one or more subscriber workstations coupled to each of said subscriber CPE stations over a second network, said MAC layer comprising;

a resource allocation device that allocates said shared wireless bandwidth among said subscriber CPE stations to optimize end-user application quality of service (QoS), not asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) QoS, wherein said resource allocation device comprises;

an analyzing and scheduling device that analyzes and schedules IP flows over said shared wireless bandwidth.

14. The MAC layer of claim 13, wherein said IP flows include at least one of:

a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) flow, and

a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP) flow.

15. The MAC layer according to claim 14, wherein said analyzing and scheduling device comprises:

identifier that identifies said IP flows,

characterizer that characterizes said IP flows, and

classifier that classifies said IP flows,

wherein said analyzing and scheduling device comprises prioritizing device that prioritizes said IP flows.

16. The MAC layer of claim 15, wherein said identifier comprises:

analyzer device that analyzes packet header fields; and

identifier device that identifies a new and an existing IP flow.

17. The MAC layer of claim 16, wherein said analyzer device comprises:

buffering device that buffers packets of said IP flows;

data extracting device that extracts data from packet header fields of each of said packets; and

packet header field analyzer device that analyzes said packet header fields.

18. The MAC layer of claim 17, wherein said data extracting device comprises:

means for determining whether a packet of an IP flow is packet version IPv.4 or IPv.6; and

means for parsing said packets of said IP flows.

19. The MAC layer of claim 17, wherein said packet header field analyzer comprises:

means for determining source application type.

20. The MAC layer of claim 19, wherein said means for determining source application type comprises at least one of:

means for storing and retrieving a source application for a source address from a source application packet header table;

means for determining a source application from a type of service (TOS) packet header field; and

means for determining a source application from a differentiated services (DiffServ) packet header field.

21. The MAC layer of claim 16, wherein said identifier device comprises:

means for storing and retrieving an existing IP flow to and from an IP flow identification data table.

22. The MAC layer of claim 15, wherein said characterizer comprises:

means for determining whether an age of a packet of a new IP flow is older than a threshold age;

means for anticipating client application IP flow discards based on said age of said packet;

means for determining a QoS requirement for said new DP flow; and

means for determining a subscriber identification for one of said subscriber CPE stations associated with said new IP flow.

23. The MAC layer of claim 22, wherein said means for determining whether an age of a packet is older than a threshold age comprises:

means for analyzing a time to live (TTL) packet header field for determining said age of said packet.

24. The MAC layer of claim 22, wherein said means for determining a QoS requirement for said new IP flow determines said QoS requirement based on at least one of:

a source address,

a destination address, and

a UDP port number; and

wherein said means for determining a QoS requirement for said new IP flow comprises;

means for storing and retrieving a QoS requirement for an IP flow from an IP flow QoS requirement table.

25. The MAC layer of claim 22, wherein said classifier comprises:

means for associating at least a portion of an existing IP flow with a previously classified other portion of said existing IP flow.

26. The MAC layer of claim 22, wherein said classifier comprises:

means for classifying said packet of said new IP flow into a QoS class grouping.

27. The MAC layer of claim 26, wherein said means for classifying said packet of said new IP flow into a QoS class grouping comprises:

means for determining and taking into account QoS class groupings for said new IP flow.

28. The MAC layer of claim 27, wherein said means for classifying said packet of said new IP flow into a QoS class grouping comprises:

means for taking into account any optional differentiated services (Diff Serv) field priority marking for said new IP flow.

29. The MAC layer of claim 27, wherein said means for classifying said packet of said new IP flow into a QoS class grouping comprises:

means for taking into account any optional type of service (TOS) field priority marking for said new IP flow.

30. The MAC layer of claim 15, wherein said prioritizing device comprises:

means for taking into account hierarchical class based priorities (HCBPs) for one of said IP flows.

31. The MAC layer of claim 15, wherein said prioritizing device comprises:

means for taking into account virtual private network (VPN) priorities for one of said IP flows.

32. The MAC layer of claim 15, wherein said prioritizing device comprises:

means for taking into account service level agreement (SLA) based priorities for one of said IP flows.

33. The MAC layer of claim 13, wherein said resource allocation device allocates said shared wireless bandwidth in a downstream direction from said wireless base station to said one or more subscriber CPE stations and allocates said shared wireless bandwidth in an upstream direction from said one or more subscriber CPE stations to said wireless base station.

34. The MAC layer of claim 13, wherein said resource allocation device is data application aware.

35. The MAC layer of claim 34, wherein said resource allocation device is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) data application aware.

36. The MAC layer of claim 34, wherein said resource allocation device is digital video data application aware.

37. The MAC layer of claim 13, wherein said wireless base station comprises a wireless access point (AP).

38. The MAC layer of claim 13, wherein said one or more subscriber CPE stations comprise at least one of a wireless local area network (LAN) station and a wide area network (WAN) station.

39. The MAC layer of claim 22, wherein said resource allocation device is a packet scheduler executing on at least one of said wireless base station and said one or more subscriber CPE stations.

40. A media access control (MAC) layer for use in a packet-centric wireless point to multi-point (PtMP) communications system, wherein said communications system comprises a wireless access point base station coupled to a first data network and one or more wireless network stations in wireless communication with said wireless access point base station over a shared wireless bandwidth using a packet-centric protocol, which is not circuit-centric, said MAC layer comprising:

a resource allocation device operative to at least allocate said shared wireless bandwidth in a downstream direction from said wireless access point base station to said one or more wireless network stations or allocate said shared wireless bandwidth in an upstream direction from said one or more wireless network stations to said wireless access point base station; and

an analyzing and scheduling device that analyzes and schedules DP flows over said shared wireless bandwidth, comprising;

means for determining whether an age of a packet of a new IP flow to be communicated over said shared wireless bandwidth is older than a threshold age;

means for anticipating client application D? flow discards based on said age of said packet;

means for determining a QoS requirement for said new IP flow; and

means for determining a subscriber identification for one of said one or more wireless network stations associated with said new IP flow.

41. The MAC layer of claim 40, wherein said one or more wireless network stations comprise at least one of a wireless local area network (LAN) station and a wireless wide area network (WAN) station.