Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing different quality of service/bandwidth allocation to different susbscribers for interactive gaming

• US 7,430,187 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Steven Allan, Holt, Scott Crandall
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/740,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/329, 370/486, 370/316, 709/202, 709/230, 709/229, 345/619, 379/88.18, 705/1
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA

Abstract

Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN). The RAN can provide end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG). Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided by determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants. Different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations can be provided to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers.

Claims

1. A method of providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), the method comprising:

determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants, wherein the interactive game supports a number of participants in a range between about 10 and about 1000 participants; and

providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations comprises;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for the QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the subscriber; and

providing a profile, for the GASP, including an allocated Qos and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing the profile comprises providing a first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

providing a second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a second type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

changing the allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber responsive to a change in the level of subscription service of the subscriber.

5. A method according claim 1 wherein providing a profile including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry comprises allocating at least one assured forwarding queue to the subscriber to the interactive game.

6. A method according claim 1 wherein providing a profile including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry comprises allocating at least one assured forwarding queue to the subscriber to the interactive game for processing of interactive game play information and allocating at least one best effort queue to the subscriber for processing of auxiliary information.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing the profile to a routing gateway associated with subscriber.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing game play information to/from the GASP limited by the allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a port through which the interactive game communicates with the subscriber, wherein the port is associated with the subscriber profile.

10. A method of providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), the method comprising:

determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants; and

providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations comprises;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for the QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the subscriber; and

providing a profile, for the GASP, including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry;

wherein providing the profile comprises providing a first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game; and

wherein the first type of information comprises interactive game play information and wherein the second type of information comprises auxillary type information selected from the list consisting of registration information, e-mail information, chat information, and browsing information.

11. A method of providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), the method comprising:

determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants; and

providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaining traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein providing different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations comprises;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for the QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the subscriber; and

providing a profile, for the GASP, including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry;

wherein receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation comprises receiving a first inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a first subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a first level of subscription service by the first subscriber and wherein the allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation comprises a first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation, the method further comprising;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, a second inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a second subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a second level of subscription service by the second subscriber; and

providing a second profile, from the RAN to the GASP, including a second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the second subscriber based on the received second inquiry.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation is greater than the second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation.

13. A method of providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), the method comprising:

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, a session request to establish a session to which a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation is made to a subscriber to a multiplayer interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing, from the RAN to the GASP, a session response responsive to the session request authorizing the GASP to allocate RAN resources to the subscriber if the GASP is authorized to allocate RAN resources;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, a gaming flow query as to which resources are available to the GASP for allocation to the subscriber for the multiplayer interactive game;

providing, from the RAN to the GASP, a gaming foxy response responsive to the gaming flow query indicating the resources that are available to the GASP for allocation to the subscriber for the multiplayer interactive game;

receiving, at the RAN from the GASP, a gaming flow allocation request that indicates resources that the RAN is to allocate to the subscriber for the multiplayer interactive game; and

providing, from the RAN to the GASP, a gaming flow allocation response responsive to the gaming flow allocation request indicating resources allocated to the subscriber for the multiplayer interactive game, the method further comprising;

providing, from the RAN to the RG, a gaming flow allocation notice that indicates that resources have been allocated to the subscriber for the multiplayer interactive game; and

receiving, from the RG at the RAN, a gaming flow resource allocation responsive to the gaming flow allocation notice indicating the resources that have been allocated.

14. A computer program product for providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants; and

computer readable program code configured to provide different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein the interactive game supports a number of participants in a range between about 10 and about 1000 participants.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein the computer readable program code configured to provide different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations comprises:

computer readable program code configured to receive, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for the QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the subscriber; and

computer readable program code configured to provide a profile, for the GASP, including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry.

16. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein the computer readable program code configured to provide the profile comprises computer readable program code configured to provide a first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to provide a second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a second type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

18. A computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to change the allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber responsive to a change in the level of subscription service of the subscriber.

19. A computer program product according claim 14 wherein the computer readable program code configured to provide a profile including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry comprises computer readable program code configured to allocate at least one assured forwarding queue to the subscriber to the interactive game.

20. A computer program product according claim 14 wherein the computer readable program code configured to provide a profile including an allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on the received inquiry comprises computer readable program code configured to allocate at least one assured forwarding queue to the subscriber to the interactive game for processing of interactive game play information and allocating at least one best effort queue to the subscriber for processing of auxiliary information.

21. A computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to provide the profile to a routing gateway associated with subscriber.

22. A computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to provide game play information to/from the GASP limited by the allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation.

23. A computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to establish a port through which the interactive game communicates with the subscriber, wherein the port is associated with the subscriber profile.

24. A computer program product for providing Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG), comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants; and

computer readable program code configured to provide different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers;

wherein the computer readable program code configured to provide the profile comprises computer readable program code configured to provide a first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game;

computer readable program code configured to provide a second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the subscriber based on a second type of information transmitted during the interactive game; and

wherein the first type of information comprises interactive game play information and wherein the second type of information comprises auxillary type information selected from the list consisting of registration information, e-mail information, chat information, and browsing information.

25. A computer program product for providing quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that provides end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RO), comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants; and

computer readable program code configured to provide different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers;

wherein the computer readable program code configured to receive, at the RAN from the GASP, an inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation comprises computer readable program code configured to receive a first inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a first subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a first level of subscription service by the first subscriber and wherein the computer readable program code configured to allocate QoS and/or bandwidth allocation comprises a first computer readable program code configured to allocate QoS and/or bandwidth allocation, the computer program product further comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive, at the RAN from the GASP, a second inquiry for a QoS and/or bandwidth allocation available to a second subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a second level of subscription service by the second subscriber; and

computer readable program code configured to provide a second profile, from the RAN to the GASP, including a second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation for the second subscriber based on the received second inquiry.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the first allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation is greater than the second allocated QoS and/or bandwidth allocation.