Handling Network Traffic Via a Fixed Access

• US 20130136091A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ludwig, Reiner, Ekstrm, Hannes
• Granted Patent: US 10,492,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

For efficiently handling network traffic via a fixed access, classification of UL data traffic in a communication device (100) may be accomplished in a reflective mode by detecting identifiers of outgoing uplink data packets which are complementary to identifiers of incoming downlink data packets. The downlink data packets are already assigned to the traffic classes (50). The outgoing uplink data packets carrying the complementary identifier are assigned to the same traffic class (50) as the incoming downlink data packets. For this purpose, the communication device (100) is provided with a traffic classificator (110). In the reflective mode, the traffic classificator (110) locally generates uplink packet classification rules (115) by monitoring received downlink data packets.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method of handling network traffic in a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving incoming downlink data packets, sent via a fixed access, in the communication device, the downlink data packets including a first identifier and assigned to a traffic class;

detecting outgoing uplink data packets to be transmitted from the communication device via the fixed access, the outgoing uplink data packets including a second identifier which is complementary with respect to the first identifier, wherein the first identifier includes a source address and the second identifier includes a destination address which is the same as the source address;

assigning the detected outgoing uplink data packets having the second identifier to the same traffic class as the incoming downlink data packets having the first identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring the received incoming downlink data packets; and

generating a packet classification rule for assigning the outgoing uplink data packets to the same traffic class on the basis of the monitored incoming downlink data packets.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the assigning of the outgoing uplink data packets to the same traffic class is activated on the basis of a control signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the assigning of the outgoing uplink data packets is selectively activated for a subgroup of multiple traffic classes.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising marking the outgoing uplink data packets, the marking indicating the traffic class the outgoing uplink data packets are assigned to.

20. The method of claim 19:

wherein the incoming downlink data packets are provided with a marking indicating the traffic class the incoming downlink data packets are assigned to; and

wherein the outgoing uplink data packets are marked with the same marking as the incoming downlink data packets.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the marking of the outgoing uplink data packets comprises at least one of:

setting a Differentiated Services Code Point field of the data packets;

setting priority bits of the data packets;

providing the data packets with a virtual local area network tag;

providing the data packets with a tunnel identifier.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising indicating, to a network component, that the communication device is capable of the assigning the outgoing uplink data packets to the same traffic class.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is a residential gateway.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is a mobile terminal coupled to a residential gateway.

25. A communication device, comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive incoming downlink data packets from a network via a fixed access;

send outgoing uplink data packets to the network via the fixed access;

a processing circuit configured to;

detect incoming downlink data packets including a first identifier and outgoing uplink data packets including a second identifier which is complementary to the first identifier, wherein the first identifier includes a source address and the second identifier including a destination address which is the same as the source address of the first identifier;

assign the outgoing uplink data packets having the second identifier to the same traffic class as the incoming downlink data packets having the first identifier.

26. The communication device of claim 25, wherein the communication device is a residential gateway.

27. The communication device of claim 25, wherein the communication device is a mobile terminal configured to be coupled to a residential gateway.