End-to-end quality of service guarantee in a wireless environment

• US 6,708,034 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Bharatia, Jayshree, Sen, Sanjoy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US09/661,112
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/445, 455/466, 455/412, 455/446, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/3.01, 455/3.05, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/554.2, 455/554.1, 370/328, 370/341, 370/401, 370/392, 709/923, 709/238, 709/245, 709/202
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A mobile station communicates with an RSVP-aware network over an air interface standard that has a wireless quality of service standard. The mobile station transmits an RSVP message to an end terminal through the network'"'"'s RSVP-enabled routers. The end terminal transmits an RESV response message back to the mobile station. A base station controller intercepts this message and sets up the wireless resources if possible.

Claims

1. A method for generating end-to-end quality of service in a wireless network comprising a plurality of RSVP-enabled routers coupled to at least one base station controller that communicates traffic with a mobile station over a wireless link, the mobile station communicating to an end terminal through the network, the method comprising the steps of:

the mobile station transmitting traffic characteristics message to the plurality of routers through the wireless link using a wireless quality of service standard;

the end terminal receiving the traffic characteristics message;

the end terminal transmitting an RESV response message through the network to the mobile station;

a first base station controller of the at least one base station controllers intercepting the RESV response message;

the first base station controller checking wireless resources for capability to handle a call;

if the wireless resources cannot handle the call, the first base station controller dropping the RESV response message;

if the wireless resources can handle the call, the first base station controller setting up the wireless resources to handle the call; and

if the wireless resources can handle the call, the first base station controller forwarding the RESV response message to the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 and further including the steps of:

coupling the end terminal to the network through a second base station controller of the at least one base station controller and a wireless link;

the second base station controller intercepting the traffic characteristics message before reaching the end terminal;

the second base station controller attempting to set up wireless link resources for transmitting the traffic characteristics message to the end terminal;

if the second base station controller cannot set up the wireless link resources, the second base station controller dropping the traffic characteristics message; and

if the second base station controller can set up the wireless link resources, the second base station controller forwarding the traffic characteristics message to the end terminal through the wireless link.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the traffic characteristics message is a PATH message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is comprised of an RSVP-aware Serving GPRS Support Node coupled to the first base station controller and a Gateway GPRS Support Node coupled between the Serving GPRS Support Node and the end terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 and further including the steps of:

the Serving GPRS Support Node intercepting the traffic characteristics message and the RESV response message;

the Serving GPRS Support Node modifying the traffic characteristics message and the RESV response message to reflect constraints of the wireless link; and

the Serving GPRS Support Node forwarding the modified traffic message and the modified RESV response message.

6. A method for coupling a mobile station over an air interface, having a wireless quality of service standard, to an RSVP-aware network, the network being coupled to an end terminal, the mobile station having an application that is wireless quality of service standard compliant, the network comprising an RSVP agent and a plurality of routers that are RSVP-aware, the plurality of routers including a Serving GPRS Support Node, the method comprising the steps of:

the application providing an RSVP agent with the traffic characteristics that are used to generate an RSVP PATH message;

sending the PATH message towards the end terminal;

the plurality of routers intercepting the PATH message and installing a PATH state from the PATH message before forwarding the PATH message to the end terminal, the PATH state installed in the Serving GPRS Support Node including the mobile terminal'"'"'s IP address and RSVP session information;

the RSVP agent intercepting the PATH message and generating an RESV message containing Flow_Spec information;

each router intercepting the RESV message and making a call admission decision based on the Flow_Spec information in the RESV message;

if data flow is admitted through a particular router, reserving the sources in that particular router for the data flow;

if data flow is admitted through the particular router, transmitting the RESV message to a next downstream node;

if the data flow is not admitted, generating an error message;

the RSVP agent in the Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node receiving the RESV message;

if the RESV message matches the installed PATH state, making a call admission decision based on router resources available;

a translator function mapping the Flow_Spec information to an Internet Protocol bearer attribute;

the translator function forwarding the mapped Flow_Spec information to a call admission controller;

the call admission controller identifying the mobile station using the IP address;

the call admission controller retrieving subscription information regarding the mobile station from the Serving GPRS Support Node; and

making a policy-based call admission decision based on the subscription information and requested quality of service.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the air interface is a general packet radio service standard.

8. The method of claim 6 and further including the steps of:

if a new radio assignment bearer is required, the Serving GPRS Support Node sending a radio access bearer assignment message to an E-RAN resource manager;

the E-RAN resource manager triggering the RAB assignment;

if the RAB assignment is successful, the Serving GPRS Support Node sending a modified packet data protocol sub-context activation comprising the steps of;

the Serving GPRS Support Node sending a modified packet data protocol context message to the mobile station;

the Serving GPRS Support Node receiving the modified packet data protocol context response message from the mobile station;

the Serving GPRS Support Node sending an updated packet data protocol context request message to a Gateway GPRS Support Node; and

the Serving GPRS Support Node receiving the updated packet data protocol context response message from the Gateway GPRS Support Node; and

if the modified packet data protocol sub-context activation is successful, the RSVP agent forwarding the RESV message to the next node in the path.

9. The method of claim 8 and further including the steps of:

if the next node in the path is the mobile station, the mobile station sending data; and

if the next node in the path is not the mobile station, generating an error message.