Apparatus and method for network resource preservation

• US 6,236,642 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1997
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies S.a.r.l. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Beyda, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US08/897,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/254, 370/255, 370/238, 370/351, 370/394, 370/237, 370/468, 370/410, 370/252, 340/827
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13352 Self-routing networks, real-time routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A data routing system for dynamically optimizing bandwidth which includes a network control unit, a route comparator, a reroute control unit and a packet reordering unit. The network control unit reserves the initial route from the source node to the end node. The route comparator determines whether an alternate route is more optimal than the initial route and the reroute control unit establishes the alternate route and reroutes the data over the alternate route. The packet reordering unit maintains the sequence of the data packets on the alternate route.

Claims

1. A network resource reservation system for dynamically rerouting data packets to optimize bandwidth in a communications network during call set-up time and during the duration of a call, comprising:

a network control unit for establishing an initial communications route between a source node and an end node for carrying the data;

a reroute control unit for establishing an alternate communications route when said alternate communications route is determined to be more optimal than said initial communications route, said determination being made periodically while a communication along said initial communications route is ongoing, wherein said determination may be made more than once during said communication, wherein more than one alternate route may be established during said communication, responsive to said determining; and

a packet reordering unit for enabling the real-time data packets to travel to said end node in the proper sequence after said reroute control unit establishes said alternate communications route.

2. The network resource reservation system of claim 1 wherein the data is real-time data.

3. The network resource reservation system of claim 1 wherein said reroute control unit establishes said alternate predetermined communications route at any time during the call.

5. The network resource reservation system of claim 2 wherein said real-time data is voice data.

6. The network resource reservation system of claim 2 wherein said real-time data is video data.

4. A network resource reservation system for dynamically rerouting data packets to optimize bandwidth in a communications network during call set-up time and during the duration of a call, comprising:

a network control unit for establishing an initial communications route between a source node and an end node for carrying the data;

a reroute control unit for establishing an alternate communications route when said alternate communications route is more optimal than said initial communications route; and

a packet reordering unit for enabling the real-time data packets to travel to said end node in the proper sequence after said reroute control unit establishes said alternate communications route;

wherein said reroute control unit may interrupt said existing alternate predetermined communications route and establish a subsequent alternate predetermined communications route multiple times during the connection when said reroute control unit determines that said subsequent alternate predetermined communications route is optimal over said existing alternate predetermined communications route.

13. A system according to claim 4, said packet reordering unit adapted to determine whether said data is voice data or video data.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said packet reordering unit is adapted to remove gaps in voice signals.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said packet reordering unit is adapted to remove video frames having small changes from said data.

7. A network resource reservation system for dynamically optimizing bandwidth in a communications network for enabling data to travel from a first point to a second point, comprising:

a network control unit for establishing an initial predetermined communications route between the first point and the second point for carrying the data;

a route comparator for periodically determining whether said initial predetermined communications route is optimal during a communication along said initial predetermined communications route, wherein said determining may occur more than once during said communication; and

a reroute control unit for interrupting said initial predetermined communications route and establishing an alternate predetermined communications route when said route comparator determines that said alternate predetermined communications route is more optimal relative to said initial predetermined communications route, wherein more than one alternate route may be established during said communication responsive to said determining.

8. The network resource reservation system of claim 7 further including a packet reordering unit for maintaining sequence of the data packets when said alternate predetermined communications route is enabled.

9. The network resource reservation system of claim 8, wherein said packet reordering unit inserts delays between the data packets to maintain sequence of the data packets when said alternate predetermined communications route is enabled, said packet reordering unit for further removing said inserted delays subsequent to said packet sequence being maintained on said alternate predetermined communications route.

10. A network resource reservation method for dynamically rerouting real-time data packets to optimize bandwidth in a communications network, comprising:

establishing an initial communications route between a source node and an end node for carrying the real-time data packets;

determining, while a communication on said initial predetermined communications route is ongoing, whether said initial predetermined communications route is optimal, wherein said determining may occur periodically more than once during said communication;

establishing an alternate communications route when said alternate communications route is more optimal than said initial communications route, wherein more than one alternate route may be established during said communication responsive to said determining; and

enabling the real-time data packets to travel to said end node in the proper sequence after said reroute control unit establishes said alternate communications route.

11. A network resource reservation system for dynamically optimizing bandwidth in a communications network for enabling data to travel from a first point to a second point, comprising:

means for establishing an initial predetermined communications route between the first point and the second point for carrying the data;

means for determining whether said initial predetermined communications route is optimal while a communication along said initial predetermined communications route is ongoing, wherein said determining may periodically occur more than once during said communication; and

means for establishing an alternate predetermined communications route to carry the data when said route comparator determines that said alternate predetermined communications route is optimal over said initial predetermined communications route, wherein more than one alternate route may be established during said communication responsive to said determining.

12. The network resource reservation system of claim 11 further including means for maintaining sequence of the data packets when said alternate predetermined communications route is enabled.

16. A network resource reservation system for dynamically rerouting data packets to optimize bandwidth in a communications network during call set-up time and during the duration of a call, comprising:

a network control unit for establishing an initial communications route between a source node and an end node for carrying the data;

a reroute control unit for establishing one or more alternate communications routes when said one or more alternate communications routes are determined to be more optimal than previously established ones of said initial communications route or one or more alternate communications routes; and

a packet reordering unit for enabling the real-time data packets to travel to said end node in the proper sequence after said reroute control unit establishes said one or more alternate communications routes.

17. A system according to claim 16, said packet reordering unit adapted to determine whether said data is voice data or video data.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said packet reordering unit is adapted to remove gaps in voice signals.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said packet reordering unit is adapted to remove video frames having small changes from said data.