Entity based quality of service response for packet service sessions

• US 7,911,964 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wells, Anthony C., Ahmad, Imtiaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chery; Dady
• Application Number:
  US11/265,480
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/241.1, 370242-253, 370229-2361, 370/395.21, 370/396, 379/1.03, 379/29.01
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A quality management system comprising an interface configured to receive quality information for a session having traffic transported by a communication network between a first end system and a second end system, and transmit a feedback message, and a processing system configured to process the quality information to determine an entity associated with the session, a required service level for the entity, and a delivered service level for the session, process the delivered service level with the required service level to determine a response for the session, and generate the feedback message indicating the response.

Claims

1. A communication network for establishing a session between a first end user device and a second end user device, the communication network comprising:

a service provider, wherein the first and second end user devices establish the session through the service provider; and

a quality management system, wherein the quality management system is a part of the service provider and wherein the quality management system receives quality information for the session having traffic transported by the communication network between the first end user and the second end user, processes the quality information to determine the first end user associated with the session, a required service level for the first end user, and a delivered service level for the session, processes the delivered service level with the required service level to determine a response to be taken by the service provider for the session, wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a higher quality than the required service level and an upgrade offer, generates a feedback message indicating the response to be taken by the service provider, and transmits the feedback message to the first end user.

2. The quality management system of claim 1 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from the first end user.

3. The quality management system of claim 1 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from an intermediate system in the communication network.

4. The quality management system of claim 1 wherein the quality management system receives a real time control protocol (RTCP) message indicating the quality information.

5. The quality management system of claim 1 wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a lower quality than the required service level and service credits.

6. A method of operating a communication network for establishing a session through a service provider between a first end user device and a second end user device, the method comprising:

in a quality management system, wherein the quality management system is a part of the service provider, receiving quality information for the session having traffic transported by the communication network between the first end user and the second end user;

processing the quality information to determine the first end user associated with the session, a required service level for the first end user, and a delivered service level for the session;

processing the delivered service level with the required service level to determine a response to be taken by the service provider for the session, wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a higher quality than the required service level and an upgrade offer;

generating a feedback message indicating the response to be taken by the service provider; and

transmitting the feedback message to the first end user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from the first end user.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from an intermediate system in the communication network.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the quality management system receives a real time control protocol (RTCP) message indicating the quality information.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a lower quality than the required service level and service credits.

11. A communication network for establishing a session having traffic transported by the communication network between a first end user and a second end user, the communication network comprising:

a service provider, wherein the first and second end user devices establish the session through the service provider;

a quality management system, wherein the quality management system is a part of the service provider and wherein the quality management system is configured to receive quality information for the session, process the quality information to determine the first end user and the second end user associated with the session, determine a required service level for the first end user and the second end user and determine a delivered service level for the session, process the delivered service level with the required service level to determine a response to be taken by the service provider for the session, wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a higher quality than the required service level and an upgrade offer, generate a feedback message indicating the response to be taken by the service provider, and transmit the feedback message to the first end user and the second end user.

12. The quality management network of claim 11 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from the first end user and the second end user.

13. The quality management network of claim 11 wherein the quality management system receives the quality information from an intermediate system in the communication network.

14. The quality management network of claim 11 wherein the quality management system receives a real time control protocol (RTCP) message indicating the quality information.

15. The quality management network of claim 11 wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a lower quality than the required service level and service credits.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored thereon for operating a communication network for establishing a session between a first end user device and a second end user device, wherein execution of the instructions by a computer system, direct the computer system to:

receive quality information for the session having traffic transported by the communication network between the first end user and the second end user, process the quality information to determine the first end user associated with the session, a required service level for the first end user, and a delivered service level for the session, process the delivered service level with the required service level to determine a response to be taken by the service provider for the session, wherein the response to be taken by the service provider comprises a notification that the delivered service level was of a higher quality than the required service level and an upgrade offer, generate a feedback message indicating the response to be taken by the service provider, and transmit the feedback message to the first end user.