Local provisioning of bandwidth and other network resources

• US 7,778,234 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bajamundi, Rommel Rey, Haddad, Najeeb, Kulas, Charles J., Cooke, Jawhny
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG HOANG JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/094,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 709312-318, 709/245, 370/401, 370/466, 370/352, 370/353, 370/468, 370/474, 700/90
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction

Abstract

A system for local allocation or provisioning of resources in a network. Allocation rules are defined based on one or more factors of user identity, device identity and device location. A communication is given a priority level based on the rules. A device in the network performs local provisioning according to the rule definitions. Rule definitions can be set or changed via a user interface. Automated ways to obtain factor values can be used such as automatic identification of users, devices, and location. Other possible factors to use to determine resource allocation can be time of day, date, identity of an originating or target device, identity of a caller or callee, etc. Resources that can be allocated include bandwidth, processing cycles, network storage and power.

Claims

1. A method for allocating a network resource in a home network, the method comprising:

a processor, in a customer premises equipment device of the home network, using a display to present a plurality of provisioning options to a user;

the processor accepting a signal from a user input device to select one of the plurality of provisioning options, wherein the signal defines a provisioning rule for a particular device coupled to the home network;

using the processor to track data transferred with the particular device, wherein the processor is coupled to the home network, wherein the processor is resident within a home in which the home network is also resident;

the processor determining that the particular device'"'"'s data transfers do not conform to the provisioning rule; and

the processor causing the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to conform with the provisioning rule;

wherein the provisioning rule includes a user identification;

wherein the provisioning rule allows any of;

providing constant bandwidth to the particular device during an entire duration of the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to the particular device, assigning a particular input device to the particular device, or assigning a storage space to the particular device for storing data transferred to the particular device during the particular device'"'"'s data transfers;

wherein the provisioning rule is place dependent, device dependent or user dependent.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a Boolean expression to determine the provisioning rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes a shared storage limitation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes processing cycles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes power consumption.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes a present limitation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes a prospective limitation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes a location identification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning rule includes a device identification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is included within a router.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is included within a switch.

12. An apparatus for allocating a network resource in a home network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor in a customer premises equipment device coupled to the home network;

a user input device for defining an allocation rule;

a non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform;

using a display to present a plurality of provisioning options to a user;

accepting a signal from a user input device to select one of the plurality of provisioning options, wherein the signal defines a provisioning rule for a particular device coupled to the home network;

using the processor to track data transferred with the particular device;

determining that the particular device'"'"'s data transfers do not conform to the provisioning rule; and

causing the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to conform with the provisioning rule;

wherein the provisioning rule includes a user identification;

wherein the provisioning rule allows any of;

providing constant bandwidth to the particular device during an entire duration of the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to the particular device, assigning a particular input device to the particular device, or assigning a storage space to the particular device for storing data transferred to the particular device during the particular device'"'"'s data transfers;

wherein the provisioning rule is place dependent, device dependent or user dependent.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the processors, cause the processor to perform:

using a Boolean expression to determine the provisioning rule.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the provisioning rule includes processing cycles.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the provisioning rule includes power consumption.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the provisioning rule includes a location identification.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the provisioning rule includes a device identification.

18. An apparatus for allocating a network resource in a home network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor in a customer premises equipment device of the home network;

processing means coupled to the home network;

user input means for defining an allocation rule;

means for using a display to present a plurality of provisioning options to a user;

means for accepting a signal from the user input device to select one of the plurality of provisioning options, wherein the signal defines a provisioning rule for a particular device coupled to the home network;

wherein the provisioning rule includes a user identification;

means for using the processor to track data transferred with the particular device;

means for determining, using the processor, that the particular device'"'"'s data transfers do not conform to the provisioning rule; and

means for causing, using the processor, the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to conform with the provisioning rule;

wherein the provisioning rule allows any of;

providing constant bandwidth to the particular device during an entire duration of the particular device'"'"'s data transfers to the particular device, assigning a particular input device to the particular device, or assigning a storage space to the particular device for storing data transferred to the particular device during the particular device'"'"'s data transfers;

wherein the provisioning rule is place dependent, device dependent or user dependent.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for using a Boolean expression to determine the provisioning rule.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the provisioning rule includes one or more of the following:

a shared storage limitation, a processing cycle limitation and a power consumption limitation.