System and method for providing requested quality of service in a hybrid network

• US 7,869,425 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Tim E., Elliott, Isaac K., Krishnaswamy, Sridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US11/928,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-354, 370356-401, 379 88- 93, 709223-241
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1492 negotiation of tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6456 Channel and bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 : wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 : Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 : relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 : Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 : using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 : at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 : Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 : User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 : Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 : Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 : Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 : Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 : Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 : Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 : for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 : based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 : Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 : QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 : via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 : where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1275 : Methods and means to improve the telephone service quality, e.g. reservation, prioritisation or admission control

Abstract

Telephone calls, data and other multimedia information is routed through a hybrid network which includes transfer of information across the internet. A media order entry captures complete user profile information for a user. This profile information is utilized by the system throughout the media experience for routing, billing, monitoring, reporting and other media control functions. Users can manage more aspects of a network than previously possible, and control network activities from a central site. The hybrid network also contains logic for responding to requests for quality of service and reserving the resources to provide the requested services.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a classifier of the device, a table of flow specifications;

receiving, by the classifier, a packet;

determining, by the classifier, a priority for the packet based on information in the packet and the table of flow specifications;

selectively associating, by the classifier, the packet with a tag that reflects the determined priority; and

scheduling, by a scheduler of the device, transmission of the packet in a first way when the packet is associated with the tag and a second, different way when the packet is not associated with the tag,

where the table of flow specifications defines flows based on;

a destination Internet Protocol address,

a source Internet Protocol address,

the source Internet Protocol address and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination User Datagram Protocol port,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source User Datagram Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address, one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port, and the source Internet Protocol address, or

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, the destination Internet Protocol address, and one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port.

2. The method of claim 1, where the packet is an Internet Protocol packet, and

where the method further comprises:

receiving, by the device, a first packet,

converting the received first packet into the Internet Protocol packet, and

transferring the Internet Protocol packet to the classifier.

3. The method of claim 1, where the selectively associating includes:

associating the packet with the tag when the packet is determined to be associated with a priority flow.

4. The method of claim 1, where the scheduling includes:

using a priority queuing technique when the packet is associated with the tag to ensure that the packet is transmitted from the device before another packet that includes best-effort traffic is transmitted from the device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reservation for a flow,

validating the reservation, and

entering specifications for the flow into the flow specifications table when the reservation is validated.

6. A device comprising:

a memory to store a table of flow specifications that identify traffic flows associated with the device;

a classifier to;

receive a packet, determine whether the packet is a high priority packet based on information in the packet and the table of flow specifications,

associate a tag with the packet when the packet is determined to be a high priority packet, and

transfer one of the packet together with the associated tag when the packet is determined to be a high priority packet or the packet when the packet is determined not to be a high priority packet; and

a scheduler to;

receive the transferred packet and the associated tag from the classifier when the packet is determined to be a high priority packet or the packet when the packet is determined not to be a high priority packet, and

schedule transmission of the packet in a first manner when the transferred packet is associated with the tag and in a second manner when the transferred packet is not associated with the tag,

where the table of flow specifications defines flows based on;

a destination Internet Protocol address,

a source Internet Protocol address,

the source Internet Protocol address and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination User Datagram Protocol port,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source User Datagram Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address, one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port, and the source Internet Protocol address, or

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, the destination Internet Protocol address, and one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port.

7. The device of claim 6, where the packet is an Internet Protocol packet, and

where the device further comprises:

a converter to;

convert a received packet into the Internet Protocol packet, and

transfer the Internet Protocol packet to the classifier.

8. The device of claim 6, where, when scheduling transmission of the packet, the scheduler is further to:

use a priority queuing technique when the packet is associated with a tag to ensure that the packet is transmitted from the device before another packet that is not associated with a tag.

9. The device of claim 8, where the priority queuing technique includes a weighted fair queuing technique.

10. The device of claim 6, further comprising at least one of:

an Ethernet interface,

a fast Ethernet interface,

a fiber distributed data interface,

an asynchronous transfer mode interface, or

a frame relay interface.

11. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a controller to;

receive a reservation for a flow,

validate the reservation, and

enter specifications for the flow into the flow specifications table when the reservation is validated.

12. The device of claim 6, where, when determining whether the packet is a high priority packet based on information in the packet and the table of flow specifications, the classifier is to:

match information from the packet to information stored in the table of flow specifications, and

determine that the packet is a high priority packet when the information from the packet matches information stored in the table of flow specifications.

13. The device of claim 12, where the information from the packet includes:

Internet Protocol addresses and information identifying one of a User Datagram Protocol port or a Transmission Control Protocol port.

14. A device comprising:

a memory to store a table of flow specifications that identify traffic flows associated with the device, where the table of flow specifications defines flows based on;

a destination Internet Protocol address,

a source Internet Protocol address,

the source Internet Protocol address and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination User Datagram Protocol port,

the destination Internet Protocol address and a destination Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source User Datagram Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address and a source Transmission Control Protocol port,

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, and the destination Internet Protocol address,

the destination Internet Protocol address, one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port, and the source Internet Protocol address, or

the source Internet Protocol address, one of the source User Datagram Protocol port or the source Transmission Control Protocol port, the destination Internet Protocol address, and one of the destination User Datagram Protocol port or the destination Transmission Control Protocol port;

a classifier to;

receive a packet,

classify the packet as high priority or low priority based on information in the packet and the table of flow specifications,

associate a tag with the packet when the packet is determined to be high priority, and

transfer one of the packet and the associated tag when the packet is determined to be high priority or the packet when the packet is determined to be low priority; and

a scheduler to;

receive the transferred packet and the associated tag from the classifier when the packet is determined to be high priority or the packet when the packet is determined to be low priority, and

schedule transmission of the packet in a first manner when the transferred packet is associated with the tag and in a second manner when the transferred packet is not associated with the tag.

15. The device of claim 14, where, when scheduling transmission of the packet, the scheduler is further to:

use a priority queuing technique when the packet is associated with a tag to ensure that the packet is transmitted from the device before another packet that is not associated with a tag.

16. The device of claim 15, where the priority queuing technique includes a weighted fair queuing technique.

17. The device of claim 14, where, when classifying the packet as high priority or low priority, the classifier is to:

match information from the packet to information stored in the table of flow specifications, and

determine that the packet is a high priority packet when the information from the packet matches information stored in the table of flow specifications.

18. The device of claim 17, where the information from the packet includes:

Internet Protocol addresses and information identifying one of a User Datagram Protocol port or a Transmission Control Protocol port.