Ransmission Capacity Allocation Method, Communications Network, and Network Resource Management Device
First Claim
1. A transmission capacity allocation method for configuring a path with guaranteed transmission capacity between a call request terminal and a call requested terminal via one or more switching hubs learning respective MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of terminals in communication with each other and configuring a single path between learned terminals, wherein:
- network resource management means managing connections between the terminals and the switching hubs, as well as between the switching hubs, and transmission capacity of transmission links associated with the connections, is provided on a network;
the call request terminal transmits a call request containing information on the transmission capacity whose allocation is requested in order to perform communication, along with its own terminal address and the address of the call requested terminal;
the network resource management means, in response to the call request from the call request terminal, makes an assessment as to whether transmission capacity to be used can be assured along the path traversing switching hubs between the call request terminal and the call requested terminal and transmits the call request to the call requested terminal if it can be assured, or transmits an incoming call rejection to the call request terminal if it cannot be assured;
the call requested terminal transmits a receive acknowledgement to the call request terminal through the network resource management means if it is itself communication-enabled, and transmits a call rejection if it is itself communication-disabled;
the network resource management means, along with forwarding a receive acknowledgement or a call rejection from the call requested terminal to the corresponding call request terminal, releases transmission capacity assured for the call request associated with the call rejection when the call rejection is received from the call requested terminal;
the call request terminal, upon receipt of the receive acknowledgement from the call requested terminal, recognizes that communication with guaranteed transmission capacity has been established and initiates transmission of data frames to the call requested terminal;
the call request terminal or the call requested terminal, upon completion of communication, transmits a clear request to a peer terminal via the network resource management means; and
,upon receipt of the clear request, the network resource management means releases transmission capacity in case transmission capacity corresponding to the clear request has been assured.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention implements inter-terminal transmission with guaranteed capacity based on the single-path configuration function of networks composed of switching hubs with an MAC address learning function and centralized management of transmission capacity, without control over hubs. The capacity to be used by transmission links on a network is stored in advance and transmission capacity along the path to be used is allocated based on requests from terminals, with the allocation removed using a Terminate Request. At such time, by using transmission links and switching hubs with an MAC address learning function, transmission is limited to single-path transmission.
150 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A transmission capacity allocation method for configuring a path with guaranteed transmission capacity between a call request terminal and a call requested terminal via one or more switching hubs learning respective MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of terminals in communication with each other and configuring a single path between learned terminals, wherein:
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network resource management means managing connections between the terminals and the switching hubs, as well as between the switching hubs, and transmission capacity of transmission links associated with the connections, is provided on a network; the call request terminal transmits a call request containing information on the transmission capacity whose allocation is requested in order to perform communication, along with its own terminal address and the address of the call requested terminal; the network resource management means, in response to the call request from the call request terminal, makes an assessment as to whether transmission capacity to be used can be assured along the path traversing switching hubs between the call request terminal and the call requested terminal and transmits the call request to the call requested terminal if it can be assured, or transmits an incoming call rejection to the call request terminal if it cannot be assured; the call requested terminal transmits a receive acknowledgement to the call request terminal through the network resource management means if it is itself communication-enabled, and transmits a call rejection if it is itself communication-disabled; the network resource management means, along with forwarding a receive acknowledgement or a call rejection from the call requested terminal to the corresponding call request terminal, releases transmission capacity assured for the call request associated with the call rejection when the call rejection is received from the call requested terminal; the call request terminal, upon receipt of the receive acknowledgement from the call requested terminal, recognizes that communication with guaranteed transmission capacity has been established and initiates transmission of data frames to the call requested terminal; the call request terminal or the call requested terminal, upon completion of communication, transmits a clear request to a peer terminal via the network resource management means; and
,upon receipt of the clear request, the network resource management means releases transmission capacity in case transmission capacity corresponding to the clear request has been assured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communications network comprising a plurality of terminals, one or more switching hubs that learn respective MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of the terminals in communication with each other and configure a single path between learned terminals, and network resource management means configuring a path traversing any one or more of the one or more switching hubs between the call request terminal and the call requested terminal amongst the plurality of terminals, wherein:
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each one of the plurality of terminals comprises;
means for transmitting a call request containing information on the transmission capacity whose allocation is requested in order to perform communication, along with its own terminal address and the address of the call requested terminal, when the terminal itself operates as a call request terminal;
means for transmitting a receive acknowledgement when it is itself communication-enabled, and a call rejection when it is itself communication-disabled, to the call request terminal associated with a call request via the network resource management means when a call request is received and the terminal itself operates as a call requested terminal;
means for recognizing that communication with guaranteed transmission capacity has been established and initiating transmission of data frames to the call requested terminal upon receipt of a receive acknowledgement from the call requested terminal when operating as a call request terminal; and
means for transmitting a clear request to a peer terminal via the network resource management means upon completion of communication; andthe network resource management means comprises;
means for storing the connection between the terminals and the switching hubs, as well as between the switching hubs, and the transmission capacity of the transmission links associated with this connection;
means for consulting the storage means in response to a call request from a call request terminal and making an assessment as to whether the transmission capacity to be used can be assured along a path traversing switching hubs between a call request terminal and a call requested terminal;
means for increasing the transmission capacity to be used in the storage means by an amount corresponding to said assurance and transmitting a call request from said call request terminal to said call requested terminal if, in accordance with the assessment results of the assessment means, it can be assured, or transmitting an incoming call rejection to said call request terminal if it cannot be assured;
means for forwarding a receive acknowledgement or a call rejection from the call requested terminal to the corresponding call request terminal;
means for releasing transmission capacity assured for the call request associated with the call rejection and withdrawing it from the storage means when a call rejection is received from the call requested terminal; and
means for releasing transmission capacity and withdrawing it from the storage means when a clear request is received from the other terminal participating in communication in case transmission capacity corresponding to the clear request has been assured. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A network resource management device for configuring a path traversing one or more transmission links and one or more switching hubs between terminals on a network,
wherein the terminals are terminals comprising means for reserving transmission capacity to be used upon a call request, the switching hubs are switching hubs with an MAC address learning function that learn the respective MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of terminals in communication with each other and configure a single path between the learned terminals, with the network resource management device comprising: -
means for storing connections between the terminals and the switching hubs, as well as between the switching hubs, and the transmission capacity of the transmission links associated with the connections; means for consulting the storage means in response to the call request from the call request terminal and making an assessment as to whether the transmission capacity to be used can be assured along the path traversing switching hubs between the call request terminal and the call requested terminal; means for increasing the transmission capacity to be used in the storage means by an amount corresponding to said assurance and transmitting a call request from said call request terminal to said call requested terminal if, in accordance with the assessment results of the assessment means, it can be assured, or transmitting an incoming call rejection to said call request terminal if it cannot be assured; means for forwarding a receive acknowledgement or a call rejection from the call requested terminal to the corresponding call request terminal and means for releasing transmission capacity assured for the call request associated with the call rejection and withdrawing it from the storage means when a call rejection is received from the call requested terminal; and means for releasing transmission capacity and withdrawing it from the storage means when a clear request is received from the other terminal participating in communication in case transmission capacity corresponding to the clear request has been assured. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification