Application-aware, quality of service (QoS) sensitive, media access control (MAC) layer

• US 6,640,248 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Malibu Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Jorgensen, Jacob W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/349,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/223-225, 709/229, 709/230, 709/235, 709/238, 709/249, 709/206, 709/203, 709/105, 709/245, 709/220, 370/459, 370/256, 370/389, 370/355, 370/392, 370/395.52, 370/401, 370/429, 370/443, 370/461, 370/468, 370/474, 370/310.2
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0414 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 : Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 : Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 : Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0273 : adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 : Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 : Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 : of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 : Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

An application aware, quality of service (QoS) sensitive, media access control (MAC) layer includes an application-aware resource allocator, where the resource allocator allocates bandwidth resource to an application based on an application type. The application type can be based on input from at least one of: a packet header; and an application communication to the MAC layer. The application communication includes: a communication between the application, running on at least one of a subscriber workstation and a host workstation, and the MAC layer, running on at least one of a subscriber CPE station and a wireless base station. The bandwidth resource is wireless bandwidth. The resource allocator schedules bandwidth resource to an IP flow. The IP flow includes at least one of: a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) IP flow; and a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP) IP flow. The resource allocator in scheduling takes into account resource requirements of at least one of a source application and a destination application of an IP flow. The resource allocator takes into account IP flow identification information extracted from at least one packet header field. The bandwidth resource is wireless bandwidth. The resource allocator allocates switching resource to an application based on an application type. The application type is based on input from at least one of: packet header; and an application communication to the MAC layer. The application communication includes a communication between an application, running on at least one of a subscriber workstation and a host workstation, and the MAC layer, running on at least one of a subscriber CPE station and a wireless base station. The application communication includes a priority class of the IP flow.

Claims

1. An application aware, quality of service (QoS) sensitive, media access control (MAC) layer comprising:

an application-aware resource allocator at the MAC layer, wherein said resource allocator allocates bandwidth resource to an internet protocol (IP) flow associated with a software application of a user based on IP QoS requirements of said software application, wherein said resource allocator allocates said bandwidth resource in a packet centric manner that is not circuit-centric and does not use asynchronous transfer mode (ATM).

2. The MAC layer according to claim 1, wherein said resource allocation is based on input from at least one of:

a packet header; and

a software application communication to said MAC layer.

3. The MAC layer according to claim 2, wherein said software application communication comprises:

a communication between said software application, running on at least one of a subscriber workstation and a host workstation, and the MAC layer, running on at least one of a subscriber CPE station and a wireless base station.

4. The MAC layer according to claim 2, wherein said bandwidth resource comprises at least one of wide area network (WAN) wireless bandwidth and local area network (LAN) wireless bandwidth.

5. The MAC layer according to claim 1, wherein said resource allocator schedules said bandwidth resource to allow transmission of one or more packets of said IP flow.

6. The MAC layer according to claim 5, wherein said IP flow comprises at least one of:

a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) IP flow; and

a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP) IP flow.

7. The MAC layer according to claim 5, wherein said resource allocator in said resource allocation takes into account resource requirements of at least one of a source application and a destination application of said IP flow.

8. The MAC layer according to claim 5, wherein said resource allocator takes into account IP flow identification information extracted from at least one packet header field.

9. The MAC layer according to claim 5, wherein said bandwidth resource is wireless bandwidth.

10. The MAC layer according to claim 1, wherein said resource allocator allocates switching resource to said software application based on an application type.

11. The MAC layer according to claim 10, wherein said application type is identified based on input from at least one of:

packet header; and

a software application communication to said MAC layer.

12. The MAC layer according to claim 11, wherein said software application communication comprises:

a communication between said software application, running on at least one of a subscriber workstation and a host workstation, and said MAC layer, running on at least one of a subscriber CPE station and a wireless base station.

13. The MAC layer according to claim 11, wherein said software application communication comprises:

a priority class of said IP flow.

14. The MAC layer according to claim 1, further comprising:

an application identifier that identifies an application type of said software application to said resource allocator.

15. The MAC layer according to claim 14, wherein said application identifier uses contents of a packet header to identify a source application of said IP flow.

16. The MAC layer according to claim 14, wherein said application identifier uses a direct conduit of an application layer from a source application to identify said source application of said IP flow.

17. The MAC layer according to claim 1, wherein said application-aware resource allocator comprises a module operative to recognize an application type of said software application associated with said IP flow.

18. The MAC layer according to claim 17, wherein said module is operative to recognize said application type by analysis of applications above layer 4 of the OSI model.

19. The MAC layer according to claim 18, wherein said module is operative to recognize said application type by further analysis comprising analysis of at least one of:

packet contents, packet header contents, packet payload contents, port numbers, information operated on at layer 3 of the OSI model, information operated on at layer 4 of the OSI model, information operated on at layer 5 of the OSI model, information operated on at layer 6 of the OSI model, and information operated on at layer 7 of the OSI model.

20. An application-aware media access control (MAC) layer for optimizing end user application internet protocol (IP) quality of service (QoS) to IP flows comprising:

identifying means for identifying an application type of a software application associated with an IP flow; and

allocating means for allocating resources to said IP flow, responsive to said identifying means, so as to optimize end user application IP QoS requirements of said software application, wherein said resource allocating means allocates resources in a packet-centric manner that is not circuit-centric and does not use asynchronous transfer mode (ATM).