Pricing mechanism for resource control in a communications network

• US 6,728,266 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Midwinter, John E, Sabry, Martin, Kirkby, Paul A
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US09/471,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 709/104, 709/219, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 379/153, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.07, 379/114.08, 379/133, 379/130, 370/468, 370/400, 370/395.21, 370/395.2, 370/395.41, 370/401, 370/238
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

In order to provide price information to customers quickly a fast reflector switch is used. This helps to ensure that price information provided to customers is as up-to-date as possible. To determine a price for use of a particular route in a communications network, the available resources at each node in that route are assessed. The most congested node in that route is selected and a price determined on the basis of the available capacity at that node. This price is then delivered to the customer via the fast reflector switch. In another example, the average amount of available resources at each node in the route is determined over a specified time period. The standard deviation of the resource level values at each node over the specified time period is also determined. A price is then set on the basis of the sum of the average amounts and the sum of the standard deviations. In this way a price which takes into account recent variation in traffic levels as well as average traffic levels is provided.

Claims

1. A method of determining a threshold value for gaining access to a communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of resources, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) for each of a plurality of the resources determining a first value on the basis of the amount of resources available at that resource; and

(ii) for each of sad resources, determining a second value related to th variation in the amount of resources available at that resource over a specified time period,

(iii) determining said threshold value on the basis of one or more of said first values and an integer multiple of the sum of said second values.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resources comprise nodes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resources comprise links.

4. A method as ciaimed in claim 1 wherein said method is for gaining access to a route in the communications network, said route comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by links.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said threshold value is a price.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of determining said threshold value comprises determining the maximum of said first values.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first values is determined on the basis of an average of the amount of recourses available at the resource over a specified time period.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second values are measures of standard deviation.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises providing said threshold value to a customer terminal via a fast reflector switch.

10. A method as calmed in claim 9 which further comprises assessing an amount of available capacity on a link between said fast reflector switch and said customer terminal and wherein said threshold value is only provided to the customer if said amount of available capacity is greater than a pre-specified amount.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said threshold value is also determined on the basis of target quality of service levels.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said threshold value is also determined on the basis of predicted traffic levels.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said threshold value is also determined on the basis of information about advance resource reservations.

14. A method of controlling access to a communications network said communications network comprising a plurality of resources, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving an access request from a user, said access request containing a first value;

(ii) for each of a plurality of said resources, determining a second value on the basis of the amount of resources available at that resource;

(iii) for each of said resources, determining a third value related to the variation in the amount of resources available at that resource over a specified time period,

(iv) determining a threshold value on the basis of one or more of said second values and an integer multiple of the sum of the third values; and

(v) comparing said first value and said threshold value and allowing access to said communications network on the basis of said comparison.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein a fixed price is associated with said access request.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 which further comprises, for each of said plurality of resources, decrementing said first value by an amount related to the difference between said first value and that resource'"'"'s second value.

17. An apparatus for determining a threshold value for gaining access to a communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of resources, said apparatus comprising:

(i) an input arranged to access a first value related to the amount of resources available at that resource, for each of a plurality of said resources;

(ii) an input arranged to access a second value related to the variation in the amount of resources available at that resource over a specified time period,

(iii) a processor arranged to determine said threshold value on the basis of one or more of said first values and an integer multiple of said second value.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said processor is arranged to determine said threshold value on the basis of the maximum first value.

19. A communications network comprising a plurality of resources and a processor arranged to access a plurality of first values, each related to the amount of resources available at a resource, and a plurality of second values each related to the variation in the amount of resources available at a resource over a specified time period and wherein said processor is arranged to determine a threshold value on the basis of one or more of said first values and an integer multiple of the second values.

20. A communications network as claimed in claim 19 which further comprises a fast reflector switch associated with an access point in said communications network and arranged to forward said threshold value to customer terminals connected to that access point.

21. Communications network as claimed in claim 19 wherein each resource is arranged to determine be first value associated with that resource on the basis of an average of the amount of resources available at that resource over a specified time period.

22. A communications network as claimed in claim 19 wherein each resource is arranged to determine a second value related to the variation in the amount of resources available at that resource over a specified time period.

23. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, said computer program being arranged to control an apparatus for determining a threshold value for gaining access to a communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of resources, said computer program being arranged to control said apparatus such that:

(i) a plurality of first values are accessed, each relating to the amount of resources available at a respective resource; and

(ii) a plurality of second values are accessed each relating to the variation in the amount of resources available at a respective resource; and

(iii) a threshold value is determined on the basis of one or more of said first values and an integer multiple of the sum of said second values.

24. A computer program as claimed in claim 23 which is arranged to control said apparatus such that said threshold value is determined on the basis of the maximum first value.