TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN DISTRIBUTED WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20120224481A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3Inova Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 3Inova Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Babiarz, Jozef, Krym, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Wireless networks and devices are ubiquitous today. For service providers to offer customers QoS and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) means in part providing resilient connectivity of wireless devices with good signal strength, good Signal to Noise and Interference Ratio (SNIR), and adequate useable bandwidth. Doing so requires that devices transmitting and receiving packets use over-the-air bandwidth efficiently and manage over-the-air congestion. According to embodiments of the invention QoS measurements and controls are incorporated only in the network (i.e. APs or controllers) and therefore QoS and SLAs can be achieved with all deployed client stations versus standards based approaches that require additional capabilities in network nodes, client stations and in most cases modifications to the applications. SLAs can be provided exploiting embodiments of the invention for traffic prioritization, capacity improvements through load distribution, and adjacent channel interference mitigation discretely or in combination with standards based mechanisms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) providing an access point supporting at least a communication session of a plurality of communication sessions, each communication session associated with a client station of a plurality of client stations operating according to a first predetermined standard and comprising a plurality of frames, the access point comprising an over-the-air measurement block, a load distribution control block, and a processor;

(b) determining with the over-the-air measurement block for each communication session of the communication sessions at least one load utilization of a plurality of load utilizations, each load utilization associated with at least a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes;

(c) determining for each traffic class with the over-the-air measurement block an accumulated load utilization in dependence upon at least the plurality of load utilizations relating to the plurality of communication sessions associated with that traffic class;

(d) determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action of a plurality of enforcement actions with the load distribution control block in dependence upon the plurality of load utilizations and a plurality of thresholds, each threshold relating to a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action comprises determining for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes whether an enforcement action should be established.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

establishing the enforcement action comprises at least one of dropping predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds, subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control, and performing an action with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein,

at least one of when the enforcement action involves data transfer rate control it is achieved through the use of a traffic shaper and a frame dropper associated with the access point and the enforcement action is performed upon a predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes determined in step (d).

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

establishing the enforcement action is at least one of dropping predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds, subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control, transmitting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes after predetermined frames for the first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes are transmitted, performing with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point, and queuing predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes in one or more queues.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein,

at least one of when the enforcement action involves data transfer rate control it is achieved through the use of a traffic shaper and a frame dropper associated with the access point, when the enforcement action involves queuing predetermined frames into queues these queues support priorities associated with a second predetermined standard, and the enforcement action is performed upon a predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes determined in step (d).

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

the plurality of client stations form a basic service set (BSS) with the access point or the plurality of client stations form a BSS with the access point and are one BSS of a plurality of BSSs supported by the access point.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein,

when the BSS forms one of the plurality of BSSs the total available bandwidth of the access point is partitioned and allocated to the plurality of BSSs according to a predetermined allocation model that defines allocations for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes for each BSS of the plurality of BSSs.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein,

the first predetermined standard is selected from the group comprising IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, UMTS, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GPRS, ITU-R 5.138, ITU-R 5.150, ITU-R 5.280, and IMT-2000.

10. A device comprising:

a communications interface supporting at least a communication session of a plurality of communication sessions, each communication session associated with a client station of a plurality of client stations operating according to a first predetermined standard and comprising a plurality of frames

an over-the-air measurement block;

a load distribution control block;

a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium encoding a computer program, and

a processor for executing the computer process, the computer process comprising;

(i) determining with the over-the-air measurement block for each communication session of the communication sessions at least one load utilization of a plurality of load utilizations, each load utilization associated with at least a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes;

(ii) determining for each traffic class with the over-the-air measurement block an accumulated load utilization in dependence upon at least the plurality of load utilizations relating to the plurality of communication sessions associated with that traffic class;

(iii) determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action of a plurality of enforcement actions with the load distribution control block in dependence upon the plurality of load utilizations and a plurality of thresholds, each threshold relating to a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein,

determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action comprises determining for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes whether an enforcement action should be established.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein,

establishing an enforcement action comprises at least one of dropping predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds, subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control, and performing an action with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein,

at least one of when the enforcement action involves data transfer rate control it is achieved through the use of a traffic shaper and a frame dropper associated with the access point and the enforcement action is performed upon a predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes determined in step (iii).

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein,

establishing the enforcement action is at least one of dropping predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds, subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control, transmitting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes after predetermined frames for the first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes are transmitted, performing an with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point, and queuing predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes in one or more queues.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein,

at least one of when the enforcement action involves data transfer rate control it is achieved through the use of a traffic shaper and a frame dropper associated with the access point, when the enforcement action involves queuing predetermined frames into queues these queues support priorities associated with a second predetermined standard, and the enforcement action is performed upon a predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes determined in step (iii).

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein,

the plurality of client stations form a basic service set (BSS) with the access point or the plurality of client stations form a BSS with the access point and are one BSS of a plurality of BSSs supported by the access point.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein,

when the BSS forms one of the plurality of BSSs the total available bandwidth of the access point is partitioned and allocated to the plurality of BSSs according to a predetermined allocation model that defines allocations for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes for each BSS of the plurality of BSSs.

18. The method according to claim 10 wherein,

the first predetermined standard is selected from the group comprising IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, UMTS, GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GPRS, ITU-R 5.138, ITU-R 5.150, ITU-R 5.280, and IMT-2000.

19. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium encoding a computer program for execution by a processor, the computer program for executing a computer process comprising:

(i) determining with the over-the-air measurement block for each communication session of the communication sessions at least one load utilization of a plurality of load utilizations, each load utilization associated with at least a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes;

(ii) determining for each traffic class with the over-the-air measurement block an accumulated load utilization in dependence upon at least the plurality of load utilizations relating to the plurality of communication sessions associated with that traffic class;

(iii) determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action of a plurality of enforcement actions with the load distribution control block in dependence upon the plurality of load utilizations and a plurality of thresholds, each threshold relating to a predetermined traffic class of a plurality of traffic classes.

20. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium encoding the computer program for execution by a processor according to claim 19, the computer program for executing the computer process wherein at least one of

determining with the processor whether to establish an enforcement action comprises at least one of;

determining for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes whether an enforcement action should be established;

determining whether an action should be established based upon the plurality of client stations forming a BSS that is one of plurality of BSSs supported by an access point wherein the total available bandwidth of the access point is partitioned and allocated to the plurality of BSSs according to a predetermined allocation model that defines allocations for each traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes for each BSS of the plurality of BSSs; and

determining to establish an enforcement action comprises at least one of;

dropping predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds;

subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications from the plurality of client stations to the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control;

performing an action with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point;

dropping predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes that exceed their respective predetermined thresholds;

subjecting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for a second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes to data transfer rate control;

transmitting predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes after predetermined frames for the first predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes are transmitted;

performing an action with a predetermined subset of the client stations with the intention of distributing traffic load to another access point; and

queuing predetermined frames relating to communications to the plurality of client stations from the access point for the second predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes in one or more queues;

achieving data transfer rate control through the use of a traffic shaper and frame dropper;

performing the enforcing;

performing the enforcement action upon a predetermined subset of the plurality of traffic classes determined in step (iii); and

queuing predetermined frames into queues comprises employing queues supporting priorities associated with a second predetermined standard.