Method and apparatus for adaptive prioritization of multiple information types in highly congested communication devices

• US 6,535,486 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuster, Guido, Naudus, Stanley T., Szczepucha, Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US09/611,763
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229-232, 370/235, 370/400, 370/412, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/468, 370/477, 370/418, 370/449, 370/455, 370/467, 370/469, 370/464, 340/815.4, 340/815.45
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus are used in a gateway to discard selected frames received with a selected encoded-information-type from a communication link with a larger bandwidth to avoid overflowing an internal delay variance removing queue used for protocol translation to a communication link with a smaller bandwidth. The discarded frames do not decrease the quality of translated information. A visual delay variance removing queue congestion indicator is included to indicate three levels of congestion in the delay variance removing queue for received frames. The method and apparatus are used in a multimedia gateway which is translating audio/video conferencing protocols (e.g., H.320, H.323/LAN H.323/PPP and H.324) received from a communication link with a large bandwidth and sent to a communication link with a smaller bandwidth.

Claims

1. In an internetworking device having a display device, a method of visually displaying a congestion level in a delay variance removing queue in the internetworking device used to store received frames, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a plurality of frames on a first communication link, the plurality of frames having one of plurality of encoded-information-types;

determining whether a first level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received, and if so,

displaying a first visual indicator on the display device;

selecting frames including a first encoded-information-type encoded in the selected frames to store in the delay variance removing queue; and

discarding frames in the delay variance removing queue that do not have the selected first encoded-information-type;

determining whether a second level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received, and if so,

displaying a second visual indicator on the display device;

selecting frames including a second encoded-information-type encoded in the selected frames to store in the delay variance removing queue;

discarding additional frames received that do not have the second selected encoded-information-type; and

determining whether a third level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received, and if so,

displaying a third visual indicator on the display device,

discarding frames in the delay variance removing queue that do not include a third encoded information type, and

discarding additional frames received until a frame is received with the third encoded-information-type.

2. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a first, second or third level of congestion exists based on the number of frames received, and if not,

displaying no visual indicators on the display device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third visual indicators are green, yellow and red visual indicators.

5. In an internetworking device having a display device, a method of visually displaying a congestion level in a delay variance removing queue in the internetworking device used to store received frames, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a plurality of frames a first communication link, the plurality of frames having one of plurality of encoded-information-types;

determining whether a first level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received in the delay variance removing queue including a first encoded-information-type, and if so,

displaying a first visual indicator on the display device;

determining whether a second level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received in the delay variance removing queue including a second encoded-information-type, and if so,

displaying a second visual indicator on the display device;

determining whether a third level of congestion is occurring using the number of frames received in the delay variance removing queue including a third encoded-information-type, and if so,

displaying a third visual indicator on the display device; and

if not,

displaying no visual indicators on the display device.

6. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 5.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first, second and third visual indicators are green, yellow and red visual indicators.

8. A internetworking apparatus with a delay variance removing queue for storing received frames, the apparatus comprising:

a display for displaying a first visual indicator that is indicative of a first level of congestion when the first level of congestion is occurring;

and for displaying a second visual indicator that is indicative of a second level of congestion when the second level of congestion is occurring;

and for displaying a third visual indicator indicative of a third level of congestion when the third level of congestion is occurring; and

a processing system for performing at least one operation to;

store received frames having a first encoded-information-type in the delay variance removing queue when the first level of congestion is occurring,

discard received frames that do not have the selected first encoded-information-type from the delay variance removing queue when the first level of congestion is occurring,

store received frames having a second encoded-information-type in the delay variance removing queue when the second level of congestion is occurring,

discard received frames that do not have the selected second encoded-information-type from the delay variance removing queue when the second level of congestion is occurring,

store received frames having a third encoded-information-type in the delay variance removing queue when the third level of congestion is occurring, and

discard received frames that do not have the selected third encoded-information-type from the delay variance removing queue when the third level of congestion is occurring.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first, second and third visual indicators are green, yellow and red visual indicators.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the delay variance removing queue is a buffer that is used to translate network protocols that do not require timing synchronization with the delay variance removing queue.