Method and system of integrated rate control for a traffic flow across wireline and wireless networks

• US 6,904,286 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dantu, Ramanamurthy
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/422.1, 455/446, 455/445, 455/452.2, 455/450, 455/453, 455/456.3, 455/517, 455/522, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/115.1, 455/115.3, 370/356, 370/394
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• 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 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/323 Discarding or blocking control packets, e.g. ACK packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/40 using split connections
• 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 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• 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 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and system of integrated rate control for a traffic flow extending across wireline and wireless networks includes determining a power indicator for a wireless link of a traffic flow between a source and a mobile device. Delivery of a feedback message generated by the mobile device is shaped based on the power indicator for the wireless link to control the source transmit rate of the traffic flow.

Claims

1. A method of integrated rate control for a traffic flow, comprising:

determining a power indicator for a wireless link of a traffic flow between a source and a mobile device; and

shaping based on the power indicator delivery of a feedback message generated by the mobile device to control the source transmit rate of the traffic flow, wherein the power indicator includes an inner power control indicator and an outer power control indicator, the inner power control indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device, and the outer power control indicator comprising a bit error rate to signal interference ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adapting a transmission rate of the traffic flow at the source based on delivery of the feedback message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback message comprises a transport control protocol (TCP) control message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the TCP control message comprises a packet delivery acknowledgment message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping delivery of the feedback message comprises temporarily holding the feedback message from transmission to the source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing the feedback message at an air gateway; and

transmitting the feedback message to the source at a rate based on the power indicator for the wireless link.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a sector of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and an interference of the mobile device with other mobile devices.

10. A system of integrated rate control for a traffic flow, comprising:

means for determining a power indicator for a wireless link of a traffic flow between a source and a mobile device; and

means for shaping based on the power indicator delivery of a feedback message generated by the mobile device to control the source transmit rate of the traffic flow, wherein the power indicator includes an inner power control indicator and an outer power control indicator, the inner power control indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device, and the outer power control indicator comprising a bit error rate to signal interference ratio.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for adapting a transmission rate of the traffic flow at the source based on delivery of the feedback message.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback message comprises a transport control protocol (TCP) control message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the TCP control message comprises a packet delivery acknowledgment message.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein means for shaping delivery of the feedback message comprises means for temporarily holding the feedback message from transmission to the source.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for queuing the feedback message at an air gateway; and

means for transmitting the feedback message to the source at a rate based on the power indicator for the wireless link.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a location of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a sector of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for shaping delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and an interference of the mobile device with other mobile devices.

19. A system of integrated rate control for a traffic flow, comprising:

logic encoded in media; and

the logic operable to determine a power indicator for a wireless link of a traffic flow between a source and a mobile device and to shape based on the power indicator delivery of a feedback message generated by the mobile device to control the source transmit rate of the traffic flow, wherein the power indicator includes an inner power control indicator and an outer power control indicator, the inner power control indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device, and the outer power control indicator comprising a bit error rate to signal interference ratio.

20. The system of claim 19, the logic further operable to adapt a transmission rate of the traffic flow at the source based on delivery of the feedback message.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback message comprises a transport control protocol (TCP) control message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the TCP control message comprises a packet delivery acknowledgment message.

23. The system of claim 19, the logic operable to shape delivery of the feedback message by temporarily holding the feedback message from transmission to the source.

24. The system of claim 19, the logic further operable to queue the feedback message at an air gateway and to transmit the feedback message to the source at a rate based on the power indicator for the wireless link.

25. The system of claim 19, the logic further operable to shape delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a location of the mobile device.

26. The system of claim 19, the logic further operable to shape delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and a sector of the mobile device.

27. The system of claim 19, the logic further operable to shape delivery of the feedback message to the source based on the power indicator and an interference of the mobile device with other mobile devices.

28. A method of integrated traffic management for a traffic flow extending across a wireline link in a wireless link, comprising:

receiving packets at a mobile device from a traffic flow extending across a wireline link and a wireless link;

generating at the mobile an acknowledgment message for each packet in response to at least successful receipt of the packet;

at least periodically determining a current power indicator for the wireless link, the power indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device and an error rate to interference ratio;

controlling a transmission rate of the acknowledgment messages back to a source of the traffic flow based on the current power indicator; and

controlling a transmission rate of traffic from the source for the traffic flow based on the transmission rate of the acknowledgment messages, wherein the power indicator includes an inner power control indicator and an outer power control indicator, the inner power control indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device, and the outer power control indicator comprising a bit error rate to signal interference ratio.

29. A method of integrated rate control for a traffic flow, comprising:

determining a power indicator for a wireless link of a traffic flow between a source and a mobile device; and

receiving a feedback message generated by the mobile device for control of the source transmit rate of the traffic flow; and

altering a window size in the feedback message based on the power indicator to control the source transmit rate of the traffic flow based on conditions of the wireless link, wherein the power indicator includes an inner power control indicator and an outer power control indicator, the inner power control indicator comprising a signal power of the mobile device, and the outer power control indicator comprising a bit error rate to signal interference ratio.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising shaping delivery of the feedback message based on the power indicator.