Method for controlling a quality of service in a mobile communications system

• US 6,728,208 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Puuskari, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US09/646,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.21, 370/395.4, 370/395.42, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/352, 370/349, 370/469, 370/338, 370/401, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In a mobile communications system (BSS, SGSN, GGSN) having a packet data transmission capability, a dynamic packet-based quality of service (QoS) mechanism is provided within a “transmission tunnel” defined by a more static packet data protocol context (PDP context). More particularly, each data packet is arranged to carry at least one QoS parameter, and the scheduling and the policing of the transmission of the data packets is made in packet by packet basis according to this QoS information in the packets, while, however, within the limits set by the PDP context. This concept enables to have any number of QoS profiles in use simultaneously, e.g. a dedicated QoS profile for each of several Internet user applications run in the mobile station (MS) for a IP address. Therefore, the present invention provides support for various Internet applications and their QoS requirements. Moreover, the QoS can be changed at any time after activation of the PDP context, since only the QoS information in the relevant data packets has to be changed.

Claims

1. A data transmission method for a mobile communications system having a packet data transmission capability, comprising:

providing in the mobile communications network at least one connection leg with at least two paths having different reliabilities, said at least two paths including a User Datagram Protocol path with a lower reliability and a Transmission Control Protocol path with a higher reliability;

setting up a single packet data protocol context for a mobile packet data terminal for routing data packets through the mobile communications system between said mobile packet data terminal and an external communication system;

transmitting, within said single packet data protocol context, data packets of at least two user applications run in said mobile packet data terminal;

providing each individual data packet with priority information and traffic type information as quality of service parameters, the priority information indicating one of at least two priority levels and the traffic type information indicating one of at least two traffic types;

scheduling and policing the transmission of each respective data packet according to said at least one quality of service parameter carried in said respective data packet, within the limits set by said packet data protocol context;

providing each individual data packet with reliability information as a further quality of service parameter, said reliability information defining one of at least two reliability classes; and

multiplexing the data packets to said at least two paths according to said reliability information carried in said data packets.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing in the mobile communications network at least one connection leg with a connectionless path and a connection-oriented path having different reliabilities;

sending a data packet in which the reliability information indicates that a reliable transmission is needed, over said connection-oriented path; and

sending a data packet in which the reliability information indicates that a less reliable transmission is needed, over said connectionless path.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mobile communications system is a packet radio network comprising serving nodes, gateway nodes and a data network interconnecting said serving nodes and gateway nodes.

4. A data transmission method for a mobile communications system including packet radio serving nodes, packet radio gateway nodes and an IP data network interconnecting said packet radio serving nodes and packet radio gateway nodes, having a packet data transmission capability, said method comprising:

setting up a single packet data protocol context in one of the packet radio gateway nodes for a mobile packet data terminal for routing data packets through the mobile communications system between said mobile packet data terminal and an external communication system;

transmitting, within said single packet data protocol context, data packets of at least two user applications run in said mobile packet data terminal;

providing each individual data packet with priority information and traffic type information as quality of service parameters, the priority information indicating one of at least two priority levels and the traffic type information indicating one of at least two traffic types, said at least two traffic types including a real-time traffic and a non-real-time traffic;

defining at least one further quality of service parameter in said packet data protocol context said one packet radio gateway node;

scheduling and policing the transmission of each respective data packet in said mobile communication system according to said at least one quality of service parameter carried in said respective data packet, within the limits set by said at least one further quality of service parameter in said packet data protocol context; and

mapping of quality of service parameters used in the mobile-communication system to those used in a user application in said mobile packet data terminal or those used in said external communication system, and vice versa.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein

data packets associated with two or more packet data protocol contexts are multiplexed to said connectionless and connection-oriented paths in said at least one connection leg.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one further quality of service parameter includes one or more of the following:

mean bit rate, peak bit rate, service precedence, delay class and reliability.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

providing in the mobile communications network at least one connection leg with a connectionless path and a connection-oriented path having different reliabilities;

sending a data packet over said connection-oriented path when the reliability information in said packet data protocol context indicates that a reliable transmission is needed; and

sending a data packet over said connectionless path when the reliability information in said packet data protocol context indicates that a less reliable transmission is needed.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring the actual mean bit rate used by the mobile packet data terminal; and

lowering the priority of the data packets of the mobile packet data terminal, if said actual mean bit rate exceeds a mean bit rate defined in said packet data protocol context.

9. A mobile communications system, comprising:

mobile packet data terminals;

a mobile communications network comprising packet radio serving nodes, packet radio gateway nodes providing an access to an external system, and an Internet Protocol data network interconnecting said packet radio serving nodes and packet radio gateway nodes;

at least one connection leg with at least two paths having different reliabilities in the mobile communications network;

means for setting up a packet data protocol context in one of said packet radio gateway nodes for a mobile packet data terminal for transmitting data packets through the mobile communications network between said mobile packet data terminal and an external communication system;

at least two user applications run in said mobile packet data terminal and transmitting data packets within a single packet data protocol context;

each individual data packet of each of said user applications carrying at least one quality of service parameter indicating the quality of service required by the respective user application;

each individual data packet carrying priority information and traffic type information as quality of service parameters, the priority information indicating one of at least two priority levels and the traffic type information indicating one of at least two traffic types;

each individual data packet carrying reliability information as a further quality of service parameter, said reliability information defining one of at least two reliability classes;

means for scheduling and policing responsive to said at least one quality of service parameter carried in each respective data packet for scheduling and policing the transmission of said respective data packet within the limits set by said packet data protocol context; and

means for multiplexing the data packets to said at least two paths according to said reliability information carried in said data packets.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said at least one further quality of service parameter includes one or more of the following:

mean bit rate, peak bit rate, service precedence, delay class and reliability.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

at least one connection leg with a connectionless path and a connection-oriented path having different reliabilities in the mobile communications network;

means for sending a data packet over said connection-oriented path when the reliability information in said packet data protocol context indicates that a reliable transmission is needed; and

means for sending a data packet over said connectionless path when the reliability information in said packet data protocol context indicates that a less reliable transmission is needed.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

means for monitoring the actual mean bit rate used by the mobile packet data terminal; and

means for lowering the priority of the data packets of the mobile packet data terminal, if said actual mean bit rate exceeds a mean bit rate defined in said packet data protocol context.

13. A system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for mapping of quality of service parameters used in the mobile-communication network to those used in a user application in said mobile packet data terminal or those used in said external communication system, and vice versa.

14. A network element as claimed in claim 9, wherein said mobile communications comprises serving network elements and gateway network elements providing access points to external systems.

15. A mobile communications system, comprising:

mobile packet data terminals;

a mobile communications network comprising packet radio serving nodes, packet radio gateway nodes providing an access to an external system and an Internet Protocol data network interconnecting said packet radio serving nodes and packet radio gateway nodes;

means for setting up a packet data protocol context for a mobile packet data terminal for transmitting data packets through the mobile communications network between said mobile packet data terminal and an external communication system;

at least two user applications run in said mobile packet data terminal and transmitting data packets within a single packet data protocol context;

each individual data packet of each of said user applications carrying at least one quality of service parameter indicating the quality of service required by the respective user application;

each individual data packet carrying priority information and traffic type information as quality of service parameters, the priority information indicating one of at least two priority levels and the traffic type information indicating one of at least two traffic types, said at least two traffic types including a real-time traffic and a non-real-time traffic;

at least one further quality of service parameter defined in said packet data protocol context; and

means for scheduling and policing responsive to said at least one quality of service parameter carried in each respective data packet for scheduling and policing the transmission of said respective data packet within the limits set by said at least one further quality of service parameter in said packet data protocol context; and

means for mapping of quality of service parameters used in the mobile-communication network to those used in a user application in said mobile packet data terminal or those used in said external communication system, and vice versa.

16. A mobile station for a mobile communications system having a packet data transmission capability, including scheduling and policing means for scheduling and policing a transmission of Internet Protocol data packets over an air-interface within limits set by a packet data protocol context defined for said mobile station, the mobile station being configured to provide each individual IP data packet transmitted over the air-interface with at least one quality of service parameter, and that said means for scheduling and policing are responsive to said at least one quality of service parameter carried in each respective IP data packet for scheduling and policing the transmission of said respective IP data packet within the limits set by said packet data protocol context, and wherein the mobile station is arranged to convert quality of service parameters used by an application run in the mobile station into service parameters used in the mobile-communication system, and vice versa.