System and Method for Quality of Service Control

• US 20130182592A1
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Calcev, George, Chen, Bin, Cai, Lin, Krzymien, Lukasz
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

A method for measuring delay in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network includes measuring a delay associated with transmission of a packet through the WiFi network in response to a measurement request from a requesting device, and contending for access to a communications channel of the WiFi network after measurement of the delay. The method also includes transmitting the delay as measured to the access point using the communications channel after a successful contention.

Claims

1. A method for measuring delay in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, the method comprising:

measuring, by a measuring station, a delay associated with transmission of a packet through the WiFi network in response to a measurement request from a requesting device;

contending, by the measuring station, for access to a communications channel of the WiFi network after measurement of the delay; and

transmitting, by the measuring station, the delay as measured to the requesting device using the communications channel after a successful contention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting device comprises an access point of the WiFi network serving the measuring station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting device and measuring station are served by an access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delay comprises an amount of time elapsing between a first time when the packet is ready for transmission and a second time when the packet is injected onto the communications channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delay comprises an amount of time elapsing between a third time when the packet is ready for transmission and a fourth time when an acknowledgement associated with the packet is received by the measuring station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the delay is transmitted to a recipient, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting the delay to the recipient in accordance to a transmission criterion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the measurement request includes the transmission criterion.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmission criterion comprises at least one of a reporting frequency, a reporting time, a reporting threshold, a type of traffic, a minimum number of packets measured, and a change threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting device comprises a peer station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a measurement request element.

11. A method for requesting a delay measurement in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a requesting device, a request to a measuring station, the request for a measurement of a delay associated with a transmission of a packet by the measuring station;

receiving, by the requesting device, a measured delay from the measuring station; and

operating, by the requesting device, responsive to the measured delay.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein operating responsive to the measured delay comprises at least one of adjusting admission control for a new station in accordance to the measured delay, balancing a load at a station in accordance to the measured delay, and adjusting a data rate for an existing station in accordance to the measured delay.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted to a plurality of stations including the measuring station.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted to a plurality of stations of a single type including the measuring station.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted in a management request frame.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is a measurement request element.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted in a beacon.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted on a communications channel, and wherein the method further comprises contending for access to the communications channel.

19. A measuring station comprising:

a processor configured to measure a delay associated with transmission of a packet through a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network in response to a measurement request from a requesting device, and to contend for access to a communications channel of the WiFi network after measurement of the delay; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the delay as measured to the requesting device using the communications channel after a successful contention.

20. The measuring station of claim 19, further comprising a receiver operatively coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive the measurement request from an access point serving the measuring station.

21. The measuring station of claim 19, further comprising a receiver operatively coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive the measurement request from a requesting station, wherein the requesting station and measuring station are served by an access point.

22. The measuring station of claim 19, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the delay to a recipient in accordance to a measurement criterion.

23. The measuring station of claim 19, wherein the measuring station comprises one of a station and an access point.

24. A requesting device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a request to a measuring station, the request for a measurement of a delay associated with a transmission of a packet by the measuring station;

a receiver configured to receive a measured delay from the measuring station; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, the processor configured to operate responsive to the measured delay.

25. The requesting device of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to contend for access to a communications channel used to transmit the request.

26. The requesting device of claim 24, wherein the request is transmitted in a management request frame.

27. The requesting device of claim 24, wherein the request is a measurement request element.

28. The requesting device of claim 24, wherein the request is transmitted in a beacon.

29. The requesting device of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to adjust admission control for a new station in accordance to the measured delay, to balance a load at a station in accordance to the measured delay, and to adjust a data rate for an existing station in accordance to the measured delay.