Method and apparatus for efficient use of communication resources in a data communication system under overload conditions

• US 7,058,031 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bender, Paul E., Mohanty, Bibhu, Pankaj, Rajesh K., Tsybakov, Boris S., Canoy, Michael-David Nakayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US09/773,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/232, 370/233, 370/235, 370/276, 370/280, 370/282, 370/294, 370/310, 370/313, 370/328, 370/329, 370/342, 370/412, 370/441, 370/447, 370/461, 370/462, 370/433, 370/435, 370/437, 370/450, 370/449, 370/454, 370/345
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a communication system (1400) for communication of data, a method and apparatus provide for detecting a request for opening a connection for a user (1407) for communication of data, selecting an open connection, releasing the selected open connection, and allocating, to the user (1407), communication resources corresponding to resources released based on releasing the selected open connection. In accordance with an embodiment, the selected open connection is in an idle open state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a request for opening a new connection between an access terminal and a data network for communication of data;

in response to the detected request, determining whether an access network between the access terminal and the data network has an overload condition;

if the access network has the overload condition, determining whether there are any pre-existing idle open connections in the access network, each idle open connecting having assigned communication resources;

selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections based on at least (a) open connection times and (b) previous data traffic activity of the pre-existing idle open connections;

releasing said selected pre-existing idle open connection; and

allocating, to said new connection, communication resources corresponding to said released, selected pre-existing idle open connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the overload condition comprises at least one of (a) determining whether communication resources in the access network are limited, (b) determining whether a pre-configured number of maximum connections per channel has been reached, and (c) determining whether a reverse link loading threshold has been exceeded.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections comprises:

comparing idle open connection times of two or more idle open connections; and

selecting an idle open connection, from said two or more idle open connections, with a longest idle open state connection time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections comprises:

comparing amounts of data previously transferred by the idle open connections when the idle open connections were in busy open states; and

determining which idle open connection previously transferred a predetermined amount of data in a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said predetermined amount of data is a largest amount of data transferred.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections comprises:

comparing data transfer rates of the idle open connections when the idle open connections were in busy open states; and

determining which idle open connection transferred data at a predetermined data rate in a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said predetermined data rate is a highest data rate.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said predetermined period is a period when the idle open connections were in busy open states.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections is further based on a random selection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the pre-existing idle open connections comprises:

comparing total idle open and busy open connection times of two or more idle open connections; and

determining which idle open connection has a longest combined idle open state connection time and busy open state connection time.

11. The method of claim 1, if there are no idle open connections, further comprising:

determining whether an open connection is in a busy open state; and

releasing the busy open connection.

12. The method of claim 1, if there are no idle open connections, further comprising:

determining whether two or more open connections are in a busy open state;

determining which busy open connection has a longest busy open state connection time; and

releasing the busy open connection with said longest busy open state connection time.

13. The method of claim 1, if there are no idle open connections, further comprising:

determining whether two or more open connections are in a busy open state;

determining which busy open connection transferred a predetermined amount of data in a predetermined period of time; and

releasing the busy open connection used to transfer said predetermined amount of data in said predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said predetermined amount of data is a largest amount of data transferred.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said predetermined period is a period when the open connections are in said busy open state.

16. The method of claim 1, if there are no idle open connections, further comprising:

determining whether two or more open connections are in a busy open state;

determining which busy open connection transferred data at a predetermined data rate in a predetermined period of time; and

releasing the busy open connection used to transfer data at said predetermined data rate in said predetermined period of time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said predetermined data rate is a highest data rate.

18. The method of claim 1, if there are no idle open connections, further comprising:

determining whether two or more open connections are in a busy open state;

determining which busy open connection has a longest combined idle open state connection time and busy open state connection time.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining at least an open connection in a busy open state and at least an open connection in an idle open state; and

selecting one of the open connections to release.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said open connections include two or more open connections in said busy open state and two or more open connections in said idle open state, further comprising:

determining which open connection has a longest idle open state connection time; and

releasing the open connection with said longest idle open state connection time.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said open connections include two or more open connections in said busy open state and two or more open connections in said idle open state, further comprising:

determining which open connection has a longest busy open state connection time; and

releasing the open connection with said longest busy open state connection time.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said open connections include two or more open connections in said busy open state and two or more open connections in said idle open state, further comprising:

determining which open connection transferred a predetermined amount of data in a predetermined period of time; and

releasing said determined open connection used to transfer said predetermined amount of data in said predetermined period of time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said predetermined amount of data is a largest amount of data transferred.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said open connections include two or more open connections in said busy open state and two or more open connections in said idle open state, further comprising:

determining which open connection transferred data at a predetermined data rate in a predetermined period of time; and

releasing said determined open connection used to transfer data at said predetermined data rate in said predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said predetermined data rate is a highest data rate.

26. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said open connections include two or more open connections in said busy open state and two or more open connections in said idle open state, further comprising:

determining which open connection has a longest combined idle open state connection time and busy open state connection time; and

releasing the determined connection with said longest combined idle open state connection time and busy open state connection time.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining whether the access network has an overload condition includes:

detecting a predetermined number of existing connections;

wherein said overload condition is based on said number of existing connections.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring utilization and activity of a reverse link;

wherein said overload condition is based on a level of said utilization and activity.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network is a code division multiple access (CDMA) network configured to communicate wirelessly with the access terminal.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a resource manager for managing a plurality of communication resources in an access network between an access terminal and a data network; and

a plurality of connection controllers in communication with said resource manager for making requests for allocating communication resources to a new connection;

wherein said resource manager is configured to detect a request for opening a new connection for communication of data between the access terminal and the data network, to determine whether the access network has an overload condition, to determine whether there are any pre-existing open connections in the access network, each idle open connection having assigned communication resources, to select one of the pre-existing idle open connections based on at least (a) open connection times and (b) previous data traffic activity of the idle open connections, and to release said selected open connection for allocating, to said new connection, communication resources corresponding to said released, selected open connection.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein to determine the overload condition comprises at least one of (a) to determine whether communication resources in the access network are limited, (b) to determine whether a pre-configured number of maximum connections per channel has been reached, and (c) to determine whether a reverse link loading threshold has been exceeded.

31. A method comprising:

detecting a request for opening a new connection between an access terminal and a data network for communication of data;

selecting a pre-existing idle open connection in an access network between the access terminal and the data network based on a grade of service assigned to said pre-existing open connection and data traffic activity of the pre-existing open connection;

releasing said selected open connection; and

allocating, to said new connection, communication resources corresponding to said released, selected open connection.

32. In a communication system for communication of data, a method comprising:

detecting a request for opening a connection for a user for communication of data;

selecting two or more open connections based on a grade of service assigned to said open connections;

determining whether two or more of the selected open connections are in an idle open state;

selecting an idle open connection, from said two or more selected open connections in said idle open state, with a longest idle open state connection time;

releasing said selected idle open connection; and

allocating, to said user, communication resources corresponding to resources released based on said releasing said selected idle open connection.

33. In a communication system for communication of data, a method comprising:

detecting a request for opening a connection for a user for communication of data;

selecting two or more open connection based on a grade of service assigned to said open connections;

determining whether two or more of the selected open connections are in an idle open state;

selecting an idle open connection, from said two or more selected open connections in said idle open state, used to transfer a predetermined amount of data in a predetermined period of time;

releasing said selected idle open connection; and

allocating, to said user, communication resources corresponding to resources released based on said releasing said selected idle open connection.