Bandwidth control in a packet-based data system

• US 6,195,565 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Warmink, Stuart, Lee, Kyoo J., Dempsey, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/033,985
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/454, 455/177.1, 455/266, 455/5.1, 455/132-134, 455/6.3, 455/38.1, 455/561, 370/414, 370/468, 370/342, 370/441, 370/442, 370/320, 370/335, 370/310, 370/389
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users

Abstract

A data system, such as a computer network or a telecommunications system, has a base station and a number of nodes called network interface units (NIUs). Each NIU is assigned to one of a number of groups of NIUs. The base station transmits special data to the NIUs indicating which groups of NIUs are currently authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station, where only the authorized NIUs are allowed to transmit upstream messages. When message collisions in the upstream direction becomes a problem, the base station can reduce the number of NIU groups that are authorized at any given time to transmit upstream messages, in order to attempt to reduce the rate of message collisions. In one possible embodiment, each NIU is assigned horizontal and vertical group words that identify to which group it is assigned. The special data contain additional horizontal and vertical code words that are monitored by the NIUs. If the bits in the downstream code words appropriately match the corresponding bits in the NIU'"'"'s assigned group words, then the NIU recognizes that it is authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station. Otherwise, it is not. The horizontal and vertical code words correspond to two-dimensional patterns that indicate which subset of NIU groups are authorized at any given time. By cycling through a series of 2D patterns, the base station ensures that each NIU is authorized at least some of the time. Depending on the number of bits in the code words, a back-off scheme can be designed with different back-off levels, each of which authorizes a different number of groups to transmit. The base station can progressively decrease the rate of upstream transmission by selecting back-off levels with fewer and fewer NIU groups authorized to transmit.

Claims

1. A method of controlling bandwidth in a packet-based data system comprising a base station and a plurality of network interface units (NIUs), comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting special data from the base station to the NIUs, wherein the NIUs are organized into two or more groups and the special data identify which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station; and

(b) transmitting upstream messages to the base station from only authorized NIUs, wherein;

each NIU is assigned two or more group words identifying its group;

the special data contain authorization information identifying which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

the authorization information is contained in two or more code words corresponding to a multi-dimensional pattern, where each code word corresponds to a different dimension of the multi-dimensional pattern; and

each set of group words assigned to an NIU corresponds to a single location in the multi-dimensional pattern such that if the location in the multi-dimensional pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the special data authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages at different times.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the special data cyclically authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the authorization information is contained in a horizontal code word and a vertical code word corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) pattern;

each set of one or more group words assigned to an NIU comprises a horizontal group word and a vertical group word; and

each pair of horizontal and vertical group words corresponds to a single location in the 2D pattern such that, if the location in the 2D pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the special data contain different horizontal and vertical code words to define different 2D patterns at different times.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein the special data cyclically repeat a series of different 2D patterns.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein the data system is a telecommunications system and each upstream message is a request from an NIU for bandwidth to set up a phone call.

8. A base station for a packet-based data system further comprising a plurality of network interface units (NIUs), wherein:

the base station is configured to transmit special data to the NIUs, wherein the NIUs are organized into two or more groups and the special data identify which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

only authorized NIUs are configured to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

each NIU is assigned two or more group words identifying its group;

the special data contain authorization information identifying which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

the authorization information is contained in two or more code words corresponding to a multi-dimensional pattern, where each code word corresponds to a different dimension of the multi-dimensional pattern; and

each set of group words assigned to an NIU corresponds to a single location in the multi-dimensional pattern such that, if the location in the multi-dimensional pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein the special data authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages at different times.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the special data cyclically authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages.

11. The invention of claim 8, wherein:

the authorization information is contained in a horizontal code word and a vertical code word corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) pattern;

each set of one or more group words assigned to an NIU comprises a horizontal group word and a vertical group word; and

each pair of horizontal and vertical group words corresponds to a single location in the 2D pattern such that, if the location in the 2D pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein the special data contain different horizontal and vertical code words to define different 2D patterns at different times.

13. The invention of claim 12, wherein the special data cyclically repeat a series of different 2D patterns.

14. The invention of claim 8, wherein the data system is a telecommunications system and each upstream message is a request from an NIU for bandwidth to set up a phone call.

15. A network interface unit (NIU) for a packet-based data system, the packet-based data system further comprising a base station and one or more additional NIUs, wherein:

the base station is configured to transmit special data to the NIUs, wherein the NIUs are organized into two or more groups and the special data identify which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

only authorized NIUs are configured to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

each NIU is assigned two or more group words identifying its group;

the special data contain authorization information identifying which groups of NIUs are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station;

the authorization information is contained in two or more code words corresponding to a multi-dimensional pattern, where each code word corresponds to a different dimension of the multi-dimensional pattern; and

each set of group words assigned to an NIU corresponds to a single location in the multi-dimensional pattern such that, if the location in the multi-dimensional pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

16. The invention of claim 15, wherein the special data authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages at different times.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein the special data cyclically authorize different groups of NIUs to transmit upstream messages.

18. The invention of claim 15, wherein:

the authorization information is contained in a horizontal code word and a vertical code word corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) pattern;

each set of one or more group words assigned to an NIU comprises a horizontal group word and a vertical group word; and

each pair of horizontal and vertical group words corresponds to a single location in the 2D pattern such that, if the location in the 2D pattern corresponding to a particular group is set, then NIUs assigned to the particular group are authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station.

19. The invention of claim 18, wherein the special data contain different horizontal and vertical code words to define different 2D patterns at different times.

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein the special data cyclically repeat a series of different 2D patterns.

21. The invention of claim 15, wherein the data system is a telecommunications system and each upstream message is a request from an NIU for bandwidth to set up a phone call.