AUTOMATIC QUALITY OF SERVICE BASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION

• US 20090219880A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for providing quality-of-service based network resource allocation and utilization in a dynamic network environment. For example, a wireless communication network may comprise a first system and a second system. The first system may provide a current service to a user at a current quality level. The first system and second system may establish a wireless communication link. At least one of the first and second systems may determine whether utilizing one or more resources of the second system will provide the current service to the user at a higher level of quality than the current quality level. One or more resources of the second system may be allocated for providing the current service to a user at a higher quality level. The allocated resources may be utilized to provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. In a first portable system, a method for providing a service to a user, the method comprising:

independently, without utilizing system resources external to the first portable system, providing a current service to a user at a current quality level;

establishing a wireless communication link with a second system external to the first portable system;

determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level; and

if it is determined that utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level, then utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide the current service to the user.

39. The method of claim 38, where the current service is a video media output service.

40. The method of claim 38, where the current service is a data processing service.

41. The method of claim 38, where the current service is a text processing service.

42. The method of claim 38, where the current service is a numerical processing service.

43. The method of claim 38, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on information identifying software resources to which the second system has access.

44. The method of claim 38, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on information identifying data processing resources to which the second system has access.

45. The method of claim 38, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on information identifying communication capabilities of the second system.

46. The method of claim 38, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on information identifying sources of information to which the second system has access.

47. The method of claim 38, where utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide the current service to the user comprises utilizing the resource of the second system to communicate with a third system through a computer network to which the second system and third system are communicatively coupled.

48. The method of claim 38, where the first portable system performs the establishing, determining and utilizing automatically, without user interaction.

49. In a first portable system, a method for providing video media to a user, the method comprising:

providing video media to a user at a current quality level;

establishing a wireless communication link with a second system external to the first portable system;

determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level; and

if it is determined that utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level, then utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide video media to the user.

50. The method of claim 49, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on quality of video media information to which the second system has access.

51. The method of claim 49, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on type of encoding utilized to encode video media information to which the second system has access.

52. The method of claim 49, where determining whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level comprises making such determination based, at least in part, on variety of video media information to which the second system has access.

53. The method of claim 49, where utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide video media to the user comprises utilizing the resource of the second system to obtain video media information through a computer network and communicate the obtained video media information to the first portable system for presentation to the user.

54. The method of claim 49, where the first portable system performs the establishing, determining and utilizing automatically, without user interaction.

55. A first portable system operable for providing a service to a user, the first portable system comprising:

at least one component operable to, at least;

independently, without utilizing system resources external to the first portable system, provide a current service to a user at a current quality level;

establish a wireless communication link with a second system external to the first portable system;

determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level; and

if it is determined that utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level, then utilize the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide the current service to the user.

56. The first portable system of claim 55, where the current service is a video media output service.

57. The first portable system of claim 55, where the current service is a data processing service.

58. The first portable system of claim 55, where the current service is a text processing service.

59. The first portable system of claim 55, where the current service is a numerical processing service.

60. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on information identifying software resources to which the second system has access.

61. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on information identifying data processing resources to which the second system has access.

62. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on information identifying communication capabilities of the second system.

63. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide the current service to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on information identifying sources of information to which the second system has access.

64. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to utilize the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide the current service to the user by, at least in part, operating to utilize the resource of the second system to communicate with a third system through a computer network to which the second system and third system are communicatively coupled.

65. The first portable system of claim 55, where the at least one component is operable to perform the establishing, determining and utilizing automatically, without user interaction.

66. A first portable system for providing video media to a user, the first portable system comprising:

at least one component operable to, at least;

provide video media to a user at a current quality level;

establish a wireless communication link with a second system external to the first portable system;

determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level; and

if it is determined that utilizing the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level, then utilize the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide video media to the user.

67. The first portable system of claim 66, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on quality of video media information to which the second system has access.

68. The first portable system of claim 66, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on type of encoding utilized to encode video media information to which the second system has access.

69. The first portable system of claim 66, where the at least one component is operable to determine whether utilizing a resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system will provide video media to the user at a higher quality level than the current quality level based, at least in part, on variety of video media information to which the second system has access.

70. The first portable system of claim 66, where the at least one component is operable to utilize the resource of the second system in conjunction with the first portable system to provide video media to the user by, at least in part, operating to utilize the resource of the second system to obtain video media information through a computer network and communicate the obtained video media information to the first portable system for presentation to the user.

71. The first portable system of claim 66, where the first portable system is operable to perform the establishing, determining and utilizing automatically, without user interaction.

72. In a portable system, a method for providing a digital media service to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a digital media service over a first network connection, the first network connection characterized by a first communication bandwidth;

providing the digital media service received over the first network connection to a user at a current quality level;

determining that access to a second network connection is available, the second network connection characterized by a second communication bandwidth greater than the first communication bandwidth;

receiving the digital media service over the second network connection; and

providing the digital media service received over the second network connection to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

73. The method of claim 72, where the digital media service is a video media service.

74. The method of claim 72, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

75. The method of claim 72, where the portable system automatically performs, without user interaction, said determining, said receiving the digital media service over the second network connection, and said providing the digital media service received over the second network connection.

76. A portable system for providing a digital media service to a user, the portable system comprising:

at least one component operable to, at least;

receive a digital media service over a first network connection, the first network connection characterized by a first communication bandwidth;

provide the digital media service received over the first network connection to a user at a current quality level;

determine that access to a second network connection is available, the second network connection characterized by a second communication bandwidth greater than the first communication bandwidth;

receive the digital media service over the second network connection; and

provide the digital media service received over the second network connection to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

77. The portable system of claim 76, where the digital media service is a video media service.

78. The portable system of claim 76, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

79. The portable system of claim 76, where the at least one component is operable to automatically perform, without user interaction, said determining, said receiving the digital media service over the second network connection, and said providing the digital media service received over the second network connection.

80. In a portable system, a method for providing a digital media service to a user, the method comprising:

utilizing a first network connection to provide a digital media service to a user at a current quality level, the first network connection provided by a first system and characterized by a first communication bandwidth;

determining that access to a second network connection is available, the second network connection provided by a second system and characterized by a second communication bandwidth greater than the first communication bandwidth; and

utilizing the second network connection to provide the digital media service to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

81. The method of claim 80, where the digital media service is a video media service.

82. The method of claim 80, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

83. The method of claim 80, where the portable system automatically performs, without user interaction, said determining and said utilizing the second network connection.

84. A portable system for providing a digital media service to a user, the portable system comprising:

at least one component operable to, at least;

utilize a first network connection to provide a digital media service to a user at a current quality level, the first network connection provided by a first system and characterized by a first communication bandwidth;

determine that access to a second network connection is available, the second network connection provided by a second system and characterized by a second communication bandwidth greater than the first communication bandwidth; and

utilize the second network connection to provide the digital media service to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

85. The portable system of claim 84, where the digital media service is a video media service.

86. The portable system of claim 84, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

87. The portable system of claim 84, where the at least one component is operable to automatically perform, without user interaction, said determining and said utilizing the second network connection.

88. In a portable system, a method for providing a digital media service to a user, the method comprising:

utilizing a first system in conjunction with the portable system to provide a digital media service to a user at a current quality level;

determining that a second system is available, the second system providing a higher bandwidth network connection than the first system; and

utilizing the second system in conjunction with the portable system to provide the digital media service to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

89. The method of claim 88, where the digital media service is a video media service.

90. The method of claim 88, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

91. The method of claim 88, where the portable system automatically performs, without user interaction, said determining and said utilizing the second system.

92. A portable system for providing a digital media service to a user, the portable system comprising:

at least one component operable to, at least;

utilize a first system in conjunction with the portable system to provide a digital media service to a user at a current quality level;

determine that a second system is available, the second system providing a higher bandwidth network connection than the first system; and

utilize the second system in conjunction with the portable system to provide the digital media service to the user at a quality level higher than the current quality level.

93. The portable system of claim 92, where the digital media service is a video media service.

94. The portable system of claim 92, where the digital media service is an audio media service.

95. The portable system of claim 92, where the at least one component is operable to automatically perform, without user interaction, said determining and said utilizing the second system.