DYNAMIC DSL LINE BANDWIDTH MANAGEMENT WITH THE SUBSCRIBER'S CONSENT

• US 20090201946A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruhl, Timothy, Killick, Raynald
• Granted Patent: US 8,484,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network

Abstract

A system and method for allocating bandwidth to a plurality of subscriber devices operably connected to a DSL subscription network is described. An embodiment according to the invention comprises a bandwidth management system that operably connects a service network to a plurality of subscriber devices attached to a LAN. After allocating bandwidth to the plurality of subscriber services based on requirements determined from information provided by the service provider and the plurality of subscriber devices, the bandwidth management system can borrow bandwidth from non-critical subscriber services to meet the increased bandwidth requirement of other subscriber services in accordance to the subscriber'"'"'s instructions. On completion of the subscriber services requiring the increased bandwidth, the bandwidth management system can reallocate bandwidth in accordance with the requirements determined from information provided by the service provider and the plurality of subscriber devices.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically managing subscriber bandwidth over a DSL network with a subscriber'"'"'s consent comprising:

determining bandwidth provided to the subscriber from a service provider;

determining bandwidth requirement default rules for a plurality of subscriber devices;

receiving subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber; and

allocating the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules and the bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices comprises determining the bandwidth requirement of a plurality of devices including set-top boxes, modems, personal computers, and IP communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber comprises:

requesting by the subscriber a list of non-critical active services with their current bandwidth utilization and availability for preemption;

selecting by the subscriber the services with bandwidth to be preempted and a service for allocating the preempted bandwidth; and

rejecting the subscriber bandwidth management rules if selected preempt services do not meet guidelines of parental rules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules comprises:

preempting a portion of the bandwidth requirement default rules not part of a critical service; and

prohibiting the preemption of bandwidth utilized by critical services.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the critical service includes emergency alert systems, 911 services and communication necessary to maintain the integrity of the DSL network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein preempting the portion of the bandwidth requirement default rules not part of critical services comprises:

shutting down preempted services and freeing up the associated bandwidth for use by other services;

monitoring traffic usage to ensure that newly freed bandwidth is being used in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules;

reallocating bandwidth in accordance with the bandwidth requirement default rules if the newly freed bandwidth is not used after a timeout period; and

reallocating bandwidth according to the bandwidth requirement default rules when the subscriber service using bandwidth in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules has completed the service requiring the preempted bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the parental rules are limitations on subscriber services that may be preempted.

8. A system for allocating bandwidth in a DSL network, comprising:

a bandwidth management device comprising a user interface, wherein the bandwidth management device is operably connected with a network; and

a plurality of subscriber devices operably connected with the bandwidth management device,

wherein the bandwidth management device;

determines bandwidth provided to a subscriber from a service provider through the network;

determines bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices;

receives subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber through the user interface; and

allocates the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with subscriber bandwidth management rules and the bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices.

9. The system claim of 8, wherein the user interface is accessible from the bandwidth management device and from the plurality of subscriber devices.

10. The system claim of 8, wherein the bandwidth management device determining bandwidth provided to the subscriber from the service provider through the network comprises the bandwidth management device receiving bandwidth information from the service provider.

11. The system claim of 8, wherein the bandwidth management device determining bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices comprises the bandwidth management device allocating bandwidth to the subscriber device based on bandwidth requirements which include rules defining critical services with a guaranteed minimum bandwidth.

12. The system claim of 11, wherein critical services include emergency services and communication necessary to maintain operability for the DSL network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the bandwidth management device receiving the subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber through the user interface comprises:

sending from the bandwidth management device to the user interface, information concerning the bandwidth available for reallocation;

receiving from the user interface, a list of subscriber services with bandwidth to be preempted and a subscriber service to be allocated the preempted bandwidth; and

ignoring the subscriber bandwidth management rules if they violate rules limiting the allocation of bandwidth or guaranteed minimum requirements of critical services.

14. The system claim of 13, wherein rules limiting the allocation of bandwidth further comprises rules based on subscriber determined factors.

15. The system claim of 8, wherein the bandwidth management device allocates the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules and the bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber devices comprises:

allocating bandwidth from the list of subscriber services with bandwidth to be preempted to the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted bandwidth;

allocating bandwidth to the subscriber devices based on default rules and guaranteed minimum bandwidth rules for critical services if the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted service does not use the preempted bandwidth within a timeout period; and

allocating bandwidth to the subscriber devices according to bandwidth management default rules and guaranteed minimum bandwidth rules for critical services when the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted bandwidth has completed the service requiring the preempted bandwidth.

16. A device for allocating bandwidth in a DSL network, comprising:

a user interface;

a DSL connection;

wherein the device operably connects to a DSL network;

a plurality of subscriber device connections, wherein the device operably connects with the plurality of subscriber devices; and

a processor operably connected with the user interface, the DSL connection and the plurality of subscriber device connections, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine bandwidth provided to a subscriber from a service provider through the DSL network;

determine bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber device connections;

receive subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber through the user interface; and

allocate the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules and the bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber device connections.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine bandwidth provided to the subscriber from the service provider through the DSL network comprises the processor being further configured to receive form the service provider bandwidth information in accordance to a subscriber'"'"'s DSL subscription.

18. The device claim of 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine bandwidth requirement default rules for the plurality of subscriber device connections comprises the processor being further configured to include bandwidth requirements for critical services with guaranteed minimum bandwidth.

19. The device claim of 18, wherein critical services comprises emergency services and communication necessary to maintain operability of the DSL network.

20. The device claim of 16, wherein the processor is configured to receive subscriber bandwidth management rules from the subscriber through the user interface comprises the processor being further configured to:

send to the user interface information concerning the bandwidth available for reallocation;

receive from the user interface, a list of subscriber services with bandwidth to be preempted and the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted bandwidth; and

ignore the subscriber bandwidth management rules if they violate rules limiting the allocation of bandwidth or guaranteed minimum bandwidth requirements for critical services.

21. The device claim of 20, wherein the rules limiting the allocation of bandwidth are subscriber defined.

22. The device claim of 16, wherein the processor is configured to allocate the provided bandwidth to each of the plurality of subscriber devices in accordance with the subscriber bandwidth management rules and the bandwidth requirement default rules comprises the processor being further configured to:

allocate bandwidth, from the list of subscriber services with bandwidth to be preempted, to the service the subscriber has designated to receive the preempted bandwidth;

allocate bandwidth to the plurality of subscriber devices based on bandwidth requirement default rules if the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted service does not use the preempted bandwidth within a timeout period; and

allocating bandwidth to the plurality of subscriber devices based on bandwidth requirement default rules when the subscriber service to be allocated the preempted bandwidth has completed the service requiring the preempted bandwidth.

23. The device claim of 16, wherein the user interface is accessible from the bandwidth management device and from the plurality of subscriber devices.