SCHEDULING VIRTUAL BANDWIDTH REQUESTS

• US 20100074275A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Sahai, Aakash
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/782 Hierarchical allocation of resources, e.g. involving a hierarchy of local and centralised entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/827 Aggregation of resource allocation or reservation requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of scheduling bandwidth, comprising, receiving a first bandwidth request associated with the first communication device. Receiving, from a policy agent, a second bandwidth request associated with a second communication device. The second bandwidth request does not originate from the second communication device. Bandwidth is granted to the first communication device based on the first bandwidth request. Bandwidth is granted to the second communication device based on the second bandwidth request.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling bandwidth, comprising:

receiving a first bandwidth request associated with a first communication device;

receiving, from a policy agent, a second bandwidth request associated with a second communication device, said second bandwidth request not originating from said second communication device;

granting bandwidth to said first communication device based on said first bandwidth request; and

,

granting bandwidth to said second communication device based on said second bandwidth request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said granting bandwidth to said first communication device is further based on said second bandwidth request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said granting bandwidth to said second communication device is further based on said first bandwidth request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an association between said second communication device and a channel identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first association between said second communication device and a service identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a second association between said service identifier and a quality of service classification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an indicator of said first bandwidth request is placed in a first scheduling queue and an indicator of said second bandwidth request is placed in a second scheduling queue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an indicator of said first bandwidth request and an indicator of said second bandwidth request are placed in a scheduling queue.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a first indicator associated with said first communication device with a second indicator associated with said second communication device.

10. A system for granting bandwidth requests to a shared medium, comprising:

a first request processor that receives indicators of bandwidth requests from a plurality of communication devices communicating via said shared medium;

a second request processor that receives indicators of virtual bandwidth requests from a policy agent; and

,

a scheduler that allocates a communication resource on said shared medium based on said indicators of bandwidth requests and said indicators of virtual bandwidth requests.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a first indicator of a bandwidth request from a device is compared with a second indicator of a virtual bandwidth request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, based on a result of said comparison and a time to live, said virtual bandwidth request is cancelled.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein, based on a result of said comparison and a time to live, said virtual bandwidth request is partially granted.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a one of said indicators of bandwidth requests is placed in a first queue and a one of said indicators of virtual bandwidth requests is placed in a second queue;

and,

said scheduler allocates said communication resource by selecting said first queue to supply a first indicator and by selecting said second queue to supply a second indicator.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein a one of said indicators of bandwidth requests is placed in a queue and a one of said indicators of virtual bandwidth requests is placed in said queue;

and,

said scheduler allocates said communication resource by selecting said queue to supply said one of said indicators of bandwidth requests and said one of said indicators of virtual bandwidth requests in an order corresponding to a length of time said one of said indicators of bandwidth requests and said one of said indicators of virtual bandwidth requests have spent in said queue.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said virtual bandwidth requests are based on information from a network protocol layer that is higher than a medium access control layer.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said second request processor determines an association between a first one of said plurality of communication devices and a first one of said virtual bandwidth requests.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said association is based on a device identifier.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein said second request processor determines an association between a first one of said indicators of bandwidth requests and a first one of said virtual bandwidth requests.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said determination is based on a service identification associated with a first one of said plurality of communication devices.