Method and system for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between different classes of service in a wireless network

• US 6,973,315 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miernik, Jerzy, Choksi, Ojas T., Patel, Pulin R., Patel, Achal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/898,558
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/455, 455/464, 370231-235, 370/237, 370/329, 370/330, 370/345, 370355-356, 370/395.21, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/395.43
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

A method and system for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between different classes of service in a wireless network. Traffic is transmitted for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a second class. After transmitting traffic for the first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a second class, traffic for a third service class is transmitted in unused bandwidth remaining in the second service class.

Claims

1. A method for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between service classes in a wireless network comprising:

transmitting traffic for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a third service class; and

transmitting the traffic for the first service class in unused bandwidth remaining in a second service class in cases where a bandwidth requirement for the traffic is not met by using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service class, wherein the second class comprises non-bursty traffic flows, and wherein the non-bursty traffic flows comprises voice traffic, wherein the third service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class and the second service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class, and wherein unused voice bandwidth is used to accommodate the bandwidth requirement before using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third service class comprises a best effort (BE) class of service, the second service class comprises an assured forwarding (AF) class of service, and the first service class comprises an expedited forwarding (EF) class of service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coordinating bandwidth for each of the service classes such that the traffic is transmitted according to rules associated with the priorities of each of the service classes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service class comprises video traffic.

5. A system for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between service classes in a wireless network comprising:

means for transmitting traffic for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a third service class; and

means for transmitting the traffic for the first service class in unused bandwidth remaining in a second service class in cases where a bandwidth requirement for the traffic is not met by using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service class, wherein the second class comprises non-bursty class of service (CoS), and wherein the non-bursty CoS comprises voice traffic, wherein the third service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class and the second service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class, and wherein unused voice bandwidth is used to accommodate the bandwidth requirement before using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the third service class comprises a best effort (BE) class of service, the second service class comprises an assured forwarding (AF) class of service, and the first service class comprises an expedited forwarding (EF) class of service.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

means for coordinating bandwidth for each of the service classes such that the traffic is transmitted according to rules associated with the priorities of each of the service classes.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the first service class comprises video traffic.

9. A system for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between service classes in a wireless network comprising logic encoded in media, the logic operable to:

transmit traffic for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a third service class; and

transmit the traffic for the first service class in unused bandwidth remaining in a second service class in cases where a bandwidth requirement for the traffic is not met by using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service class, wherein the second class comprises non-bursty class of service (CoS), and wherein the non-bursty CoS comprises voice traffic, wherein the third service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class and the second service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class, and wherein unused voice bandwidth is used to accommodate the bandwidth requirement before using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the third service class comprises a best effort (BE) class of service, the second service class comprises an assured forwarding (AF) class of service, and the first service class comprises an expedited forwarding (EF) class of service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic is further operable to:

coordinate bandwidth for each of the service classes such that the traffic is transmitted according to rules associated with the priorities of each of the service classes.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first service class comprises video traffic.

13. A method for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between service classes in a wireless network comprising:

transmitting traffic for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a second class; and

after transmitting traffic for a first service class in excess of bandwidth allocated to the first service class using unused bandwidth allocated to a second class, transmitting traffic for the first service class in unused bandwidth remaining in a third service class, wherein the second class comprises non-bursty traffic flows, and wherein the non-bursty traffic flows comprises voice traffic, wherein the third service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class and the second service class comprises a lower priority than the first service class, and wherein unused voice bandwidth is used to accommodate the bandwidth requirement before using the unused bandwidth allocated to the third service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third service class comprises a best effort (BE) class of service, the second service class comprises an assured forwarding (AF) class of service, and the first service class comprises an expedited forwarding (EF) class of service.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

coordinating bandwidth for each of the service classes such that the traffic is transmitted according to rules associated with the priorities of each of the service classes.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first service class comprises video traffic.

17. A method for sharing over-allocated bandwidth between service classes in a wireless network comprising:

transmitting expedited assured forwarding (AF) traffic in bandwidth allocated to AF traffic;

transmitting best effort (BE) traffic in bandwidth allocated to BE traffic;

transmitting voice traffic in bandwidth allocated to voice traffic;

transmitting AF traffic in excess of bandwidth allocated to AF traffic using unused bandwidth allocated to voice traffic if, after transmitting voice traffic in bandwidth allocated to voice traffic, bandwidth allocated to voice traffic is available;

transmitting AF traffic in excess bandwidth allocated to BE traffic if, after transmitting BE traffic in bandwidth allocated to BE traffic, bandwidth allocated to BE traffic is available and bandwidth allocated to voice traffic is unavailable; and

transmitting BE traffic in excess of bandwidth allocated to BE traffic using unused bandwidth allocated to voice traffic if, after transmitting voice traffic in bandwidth allocated to voice traffic and after transmitting AF traffic in excess of bandwidth allocated to AF traffic in bandwidth allocated to voice traffic, bandwidth allocated to voice traffic is available, wherein the BE traffic comprises non-bursty traffic flows, and wherein the non-bursty traffic flows comprises voice traffic.