Method for providing dynamic bandwidth allocation based on IP-flow characteristics in a wireless point to multi-point (PtMP) transmission system

• US 20070073805A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Van Drebbel Mariner LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jorgensen, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 method for allocating a shared wireless bandwidth in a packet-centric wireless point to multi-point telecommunications system. The method includes allocating the shared bandwidth between a wireless base station and one or more subscriber customer premises equipment (CPE) stations. The method can include dynamically allocating the shared bandwidth. The method can include allocating the shared bandwidth on a frame basis, such as (1) allocating the frame of the shared bandwidth in an uplink direction from a subscriber CPE station to the wireless base station; or (2) allocating the frame of the shared bandwidth in a downlink direction from the wireless base station to a subscriber CPE station. The method can also include: allocating the shared bandwidth on a subframe within a frame basis; allocating the subframe of the shared bandwidth in an uplink direction from a subscriber CPE station to the wireless base station; allocating the subframe of the shared bandwidth in a downlink direction from the wireless base station a subscriber CPE station.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for allocating a shared wireless bandwidth in a packet-centric wireless point to multi-point telecommunications system, said method comprising:

analyzing contents of packets to be communicated over a shared wireless bandwidth via a packet-centric protocol, wherein said packet-centric protocol is not circuit-centric and is not asynchronous transfer mode (ATM); and

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth between a wireless base station and at least one subscriber customer premises equipment (CPE) station based on said analyze contents.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

dynamically allocating said shared wireless bandwidth.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth on a frame basis.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising:

allocating said frame to said shared wireless bandwidth in an uplink direction from said at least one subscriber CPE station to said wireless base station.

17. The method according to claim 15, comprising:

allocating said frame of said shared wireless bandwidth in a downlink direction from said wireless base station to said at least one subscriber CPE station.

18. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth on a subframe within a frame basis.

19. The method according to claim 18, comprising:

allocating said subframe of said shared wireless bandwidth in an uplink direction from said at least one subscriber CPE station to said wireless base station.

20. The method according to claim 18, comprising:

allocating said subframe of said shared wireless bandwidth in a downlink direction from said wireless base station to said at least one subscriber CPE station.

21. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth on a slot within a frame basis.

22. The method according to claim 21, comprising:

allocating said slot of said shared wireless bandwidth in an uplink direction from said at least one subscriber CPE station to said wireless base station.

23. The method according to claim 21, comprising:

allocating said slot of said shared wireless bandwidth in a downlink direction from said wireless base station to said at least one subscriber CPE station.

24. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth on a subslot within a frame basis.

25. The method according to claim 24, comprising:

allocating said subslot of said shared wireless bandwidth in an uplink direction from said at least one subscriber CPE station to said wireless base station.

26. The method according to claim 24, comprising:

allocating said subslot of said shared wireless bandwidth in a downlink direction from said wireless base station to said at least one subscriber CPE station.

27. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth to one or more control packets.

28. The method according to claim 27, comprising at least one of:

allocating a downstream acknowledgment slot;

allocating a reservation request slot;

allocating an operations data slot;

allocating an upstream acknowledgment slot;

allocating an acknowledgment request slot;

allocating a frame descriptor slot; and

allocating a command and control slot.

29. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth to one or more data packets.

30. The method according to claim 29, comprising at least one of:

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth in an uplink direction; and

allocating said shared wireless bandwidth in a downlink direction.

31. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of determining an optimal end-user quality-of-service (QoS) based on said analyzing step.

32. The method of claim 13, wherein said contents of said packets comprises a header and a payload.

33. The method of claim 32, where said analyzing step comprises analyzing at least one of said header and said payload of said contents of said packets.

34. The method of claim 13, wherein said allocating step comprises:

dividing a transmission frame into a plurality of slots;

designating at least one of said plurality of slots as at least one dynamically allocatable control slot; and

designating at least one of said plurality of slots as at least one dynamically allocatable data slot for communicating a first IP flow comprising one or more packets over said shared wireless bandwidth;

wherein said at least one dynamically alloctable control slot comprises information about a number of packets in a second IP flow.

35. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating over said shared wireless bandwidth in at least one control slot of a first transmission frame a number of packets in an IP flow to be communicated in at least one data slot of a later transmission frame.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising communicating data from another IP flow in at least one data slot of said first transmission frame.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said at least one control slot comprises a reservation request slot including information about data payload contents.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein said first transmission frame comprises at least one of:

at least one downlink subframe for communication from said wireless base station to said at least one subscriber customer promises equipment (CPE) station over said shared wireless bandwidth; and

at least one uplink subframe for communication from said at least one subscriber CPE station to said wireless base station over said shared wireless bandwidth.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein said first transmission frame comprises at least one of:

at least one downlink subframe for communication from a wireless access point to at least one station over said shared wireless bandwidth; and

at least one uplink subframe for communication from said at least one station to said wireless access point over said shared wireless bandwidth.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

communicating in said at least on control slot of said first transmission frame at least one quality of service (QoS) requirement of said IP flow.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said at least one quality of service (QoS) requirement of said IP flow corresponds to a class of said IP flow.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising a step of classifying said IP flow into one of a plurality of classes according to said class of said IP flow.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein said first transmission frame comprises a dynamically allocatable number of reservation request contention slots for communicating reservation requests for available slots of said at least one data slot of said later transmission frame.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said dynamically allocatable number of reservation request contention slots is dynamically allocated according to a frequency of detected collisions between said reservation requests.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein said communicating step includes at least one of:

communicating over a radio frequency local area network;

communicating over a radio frequency wide are network;

communicating over a line-of-sight wireless communications network;

communicating over an infrared wireless communications network;

communicating over a communications network including a laser; and

communicating over a point-to-point wireless communications network.

46. The method of claim 35, wherein said communicating step comprises communicating over a coaxial cable wireless communication medium.

47. The method of claim 13, wherein said wireless base station comprises an access point.

48. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one subscriber CPE station comprises at least one of a local area network (LAN) station and a wide area network (WAN) station.

49. The method of claim 13, wherein said allocating step is performed by a packet scheduler and said packet scheduler is executed on said wireless base station.

50. The method of claim 13, wherein said analyzing step is performed at at least one of said wireless base station and said at least one subscriber CPE station.