Capacity allocation system using semi-autonomous network elements to implement and control a transmission schedule
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a network of communication devices, each device communicating in the network according to a transmission plan specified by a management component of the system, the system comprising:
- a management component that controls the transmission plan for all communications devices in the network; and
one or more implementation component that control one or more communication devices in the network according to instructions from the management component, each implementation component comprising;
receiving means for receiving at least one transmission plan from the management component, said transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time for modifying the transmission plan for one or more devices in the network;
decoding means for decoding an implementation time for said transmission plan; and
output means for outputting a command to a communication device controlled by the implementation component to implement said transmission plan at the implementation time specified instead of the transmission plan currently being utilized by that communication device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling a network of communication terminals with a management component and an implementation component, the implementation component in communication with the management component to receive at least one transmission plan, the transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time, the implementation component receiving the transmission plan, decoding an implementation time for the transmission plan and outputting command to network component at the implementation time to implement the transmission plan.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A system for controlling a network of communication devices, each device communicating in the network according to a transmission plan specified by a management component of the system, the system comprising:
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a management component that controls the transmission plan for all communications devices in the network; and
one or more implementation component that control one or more communication devices in the network according to instructions from the management component, each implementation component comprising;
receiving means for receiving at least one transmission plan from the management component, said transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time for modifying the transmission plan for one or more devices in the network;
decoding means for decoding an implementation time for said transmission plan; and
output means for outputting a command to a communication device controlled by the implementation component to implement said transmission plan at the implementation time specified instead of the transmission plan currently being utilized by that communication device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
determination means for determining the communication devices in the network affected by a transmission plan to be implement; and
transmission plan message creation means creating a message containing a transmission plan to be sent to the communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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16. The system of claim 15 wherein the management component further comprises:
plan transmission means for transmitting the transmission plan to all communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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17. The system of claim 16 wherein the management component further comprises acknowledgement deadline monitoring means for establishing an acknowledgement deadline by which all communications devices affected by the transmission plan are to send an acknowledgement and monitoring for acknowledgements from all of those communications devices.
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18. The system of claim 17 wherein the management component further comprises abort message means for sending an abort message to all communication devices affected by a transmission plan if an acknowledgement is not received from all communication devices affected by a transmission plan prior to the acknowledgement deadline.
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19. The system of claim 18 wherein the transmission plan message comprises a sequence number for a specific communication device and wherein the sequence number is used to determine if an acknowledgement is received from all communication devices to which the transmission plan was sent.
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20. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a discrete bandwidth allocation network managed by an external system.
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21. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises semi-programmable medium network wherein a varying amount of bandwidth may be allocated from an externally managed resource.
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22. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a fully-programmable network where the resources are managed by a network management component.
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23. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a combination of one or more of the following:
- a discrete bandwidth allocation network managed by an external system, a semi-programmable medium network wherein a varying amount of bandwidth may be allocated from an externally managed resource, and a fully-programmable network where the resources are managed by a network management component.
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2. A method for managing a communication network with an adaptive transmission plan, the communication network comprising a management component that controls the transmission plan for all communication devices in the network and one or more implementation components that control one or more communication devices in the network according to instructions from the management component, comprising:
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at the management component, analyzing network bandwidth allocation within the communication network over a predetermined period of time;
at a management component, determining a transmission plan to accommodate, at least in part, the results of said analysis of said network bandwidth allocation;
deploying said transmission plan from the management component to a plurality of implementation components to implement said transmission plan;
said implementation component receiving the transmission plan from the management component, the transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time from modifying the transmission plan for one or more devices in the network, decoding an implementation time for the transmission plan, and outputting a command to a communication device controlled by that implementation component to implement the transmission plan at the implementation time specified instead of the transmission plan currently being utilized by that communication device; and
at the management component, analyzing network bandwidth allocation short falls over a predetermined period of time to identify a transmission plan that accommodates bandwidth demands. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
determining the communication devices in the network affected by a transmission plan to be implemented; and
creating a message containing a transmission plan to be sent to the communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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55. The method of claim 54 further comprising the step of:
transmitting the transmission plan to all communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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56. The method of claim 55 further comprising the steps of:
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establishing an acknowledgement deadline by which all communications devices affected by the transmission plan are to send an acknowledgement; and
monitoring for acknowledgements from all of those communications devices.
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57. The method of claim 56 further comprising the step of sending an abort message to all communication devices affected by a transmission plan if an acknowledgement is not received from all communication devices affected by a transmission plan prior to the acknowledgement deadline.
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58. The method of claim 57 wherein the transmission plan message comprises a sequence number for a specific communication device and wherein the sequence number is used to determine if an acknowledgement is received from all communication devices to which the transmission plan was sent.
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24. A system for controlling a network of communication devices, each device communicating in the network according to a transmission plan specified by a management component of the system, the system comprising:
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one or more implementation components that control one or more communication devices in the network according to instructions from the management component, each implementation component comprising;
receiving means for receiving at least one transmission plan from the management component, said transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time for modifying the transmission plan for one or more devices in the network;
decoding means for decoding an implementation time for said transmission plan; and
output means for outputting a command to a communication device controlled by the implementation component to implement said transmission plan at the implementation time specified instead of the transmission plan currently being utilized by that communication device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for controlling a network of communication devices, each device communicating in the network according to a transmission plan specified by a management component of the system, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at least one transmission plan from the management component that is determined based on performance evaluation of an existing transmission plan, said transmission plan containing a scheduled implementation time for modifying the transmission plan for one or more devices in the network;
decoding an implementation time for said transmission plan; and
outputting a command to a communication device controlled by the implementation component to implement said transmission plan at the implementation time specified instead of the transmission plan currently being utilized by that communication device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
determining the communication devices in the network affected by a transmission plan to be implemented; and
creating a message containing a transmission plan to be sent to the communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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38. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of:
transmitting the transmission plan to all communication devices affected by the transmission plan.
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39. The method of claim 38 further comprising the steps of:
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establishing an acknowledgement deadline by which all communications devices affected by the transmission plan are to send an acknowledgement; and
monitoring for acknowledgements from all of those communications devices.
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40. The method of claim 39 further comprising the step of sending an abort message to all communication devices affected by a transmission plan if an acknowledgement is not received from all communication devices affected by a transmission plan prior to the acknowledgement deadline.
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41. The method of claim 40 wherein the transmission plan message comprises a sequence number for a specific communication device and wherein the sequence number is used to determine if an acknowledgement is received from all communication devices to which the transmission plan was sent.
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42. The method of claim 28 wherein the network comprises a discrete bandwidth allocation network managed by an external system.
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43. The method of claim 28 wherein the network comprises a semi-programmable medium network wherein a varying amount of bandwidth may be allocated from an externally managed resource.
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44. The method of claim 28 wherein the network comprises a fully-programmable network where the resources are managed by a network management component.
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45. The method of claim 28 wherein the network comprises a combination of one or more of the following:
- a discrete bandwidth allocation network managed by an external system, a semi-programmable medium network wherein a varying amount of bandwidth may be allocated from an externally managed resource, and a fully-programmable network where the resources are managed by a network management component.
Specification