Cross-network quality-of-service verification

• US 7,817,615 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Breau, Jeremy R., Rieschick, Gary Joel, Rogers, Frederick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Steven H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skripnikov; Alex
• Application Number:
  US12/167,389
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

What is disclosed is a system and method wherein a wireless access system configured to receive a data packet with a first quality-of-service indicator value from a wireless device over a wireless link, provide a first level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the first quality-of-service indicator, and transfer the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator. The communication system includes a core packet network configured to receive the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator and determine if the first quality-of-service indicator is consistent with a quality-of-service policy for the wireless device. The core packet network is configured, if the first quality-of-service indicator is not consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, to determine a second quality-of-service indicator consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, and transfer the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator. The wireless access system is configured to receive the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator, and provide a second level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the second quality-of-service indicator.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless access system configured to receive a data packet with a first quality-of-service indicator value from a wireless device over a wireless link, provide a first level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the first quality-of-service indicator, and transfer the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator for delivery to a core packet network;

the core packet network configured to receive the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator and determine if the first quality-of-service indicator is consistent with a quality-of-service policy for the wireless device;

the core packet network configured, if the first quality-of-service indicator is not consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, to determine a second quality-of-service indicator consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, and transfer the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator to the wireless access system for redelivery;

the wireless access system configured to receive the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator, provide a second level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the second quality-of-service indicator, and transfer the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator for delivery to the core packet network.

2. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the core packet network is further configured to identify the wireless device and retrieve a quality-of-service policy for the wireless device.

3. The communication network of claim 2, wherein the first quality-of-service indicator comprises a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) field of a header of the IP packet.

4. The communication network of claim 2, wherein the first quality-of-service indicator is contained within a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) prefix.

5. The communication network of claim 1, wherein if the first quality-of-service indicator is consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, the core packet network further configured to apply a third level of service to the data packet consistent with the first quality-of-service indicator and transfer the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator.

6. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the data packet comprises an IP packet.

7. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the wireless access system comprises a radio node controller.

8. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device is contained within a user service profile directory.

9. The communication network of claim 1, wherein the core packet network comprises an IP network.

10. The communication network of claim 1,

wherein if the first quality-of-service indicator is not consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, the core packet network further configured to encapsulate the data packet and the second quality-of-service indicator in a communication packet and transfer the communication packet containing the data packet and the second quality-of-service indicator to the wireless access system for redelivery.

11. A method of operating a communication system, comprising:

in a wireless device, transferring a data packet with a first quality-of-service indicator over a wireless link;

in a wireless access system, receiving the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator, applying a first level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the first quality-of-service indicator, and transferring the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator for delivery to a core packet network;

in the core packet network, receiving the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator and determining if the first quality-of-service indicator is consistent with a quality-of-service policy for the wireless device;

wherein if the first quality-of-service indicator is not consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, determining a second quality-of-service indicator consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, and transferring the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator to the wireless access system for redelivery;

in the wireless access system, receiving the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator, providing a second level of service to the wireless device over the wireless link based on the second quality-of-service indicator, and transferring the data packet with the second quality-of-service indicator for delivery to the core packet network.

12. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, further comprising:

in the wireless access system, identifying the wireless device and retrieving a quality-of-service policy for the wireless device.

13. The method of operating the communication system of claim 12, wherein the first quality-of-service indicator comprises a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) field of a header of the IP packet.

14. The method of operating the communication system of claim 12, wherein the first quality-of-service indicator is contained within a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) prefix.

15. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, wherein if the first quality-of-service indicator is consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, applying a third level of service to the data packet consistent with the first quality-of-service indicator, and transferring the data packet with the first quality-of-service indicator.

16. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, wherein the data packet comprises an IP packet.

17. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, wherein the wireless access system comprises a radio node controller.

18. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, wherein the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device is contained within a user service profile directory.

19. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11, wherein the core packet network comprises an IP network.

20. The method of operating the communication system of claim 11,

wherein if the first quality-of-service indicator is not consistent with the quality-of-service policy for the wireless device, encapsulating the data packet and the second quality-of-service indicator in a communication packet and transferring the communication packet containing the data packet and the second quality-of-service indicator to the wireless access system for redelivery.