Adaptive partitioning of traffic without additional probe traffic

• US 7,953,023 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Meloche, Jean, Krishnan, Parameshwaran, Karol, Mark John, Karacali-Akyamac, Bengi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamara, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/271,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 370/238, 370/252, 370/344, 370/336, 455/452.2, 455/512
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/02 by diversity reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector

Abstract

A method is disclosed for adaptively and intelligently partitioning traffic among a plurality of communications channels, without injecting probe traffic into any of the channels. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a source node transmits traffic to a receiving node via K communications channels in accordance with partition coefficients α₁, . . . , α_K, and the source node receives information regarding the quality of service (QoS) provided by each of the communications channels. The source node adjusts the values of the partition coefficients α₁, . . . , α_K adaptively based on: the current channel QoS information, prior channel QoS information, the prior values of α₁, . . . , α_K, and a measure of channel independence for one or more pairs of communications channels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving values q₁, . . . , q_K of a quality-of-service metric for K communications channels that connect a first node with a second node, wherein K is an integer greater than one, and wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are obtained without injecting any probe traffic into any of said K communications channels;

determining values for K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K that quantify how subsequent traffic is to be partitioned among said K communications channels;

wherein the determination of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K is based on;

(i) said values , q₁, . . . , q_K,

(ii) one or more previous values of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K, and

(iii) a measure of channel independence for one or more pairs of said K communications channels; and

transmitting traffic from said first node to said second node via said K communications channels, wherein said traffic is distributed among said K communications channels based on the values of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said measure of channel independence is based on at least one of:

(i) the extent to which traffic in a first channel affects traffic in a second channel,

(ii) the extent to which traffic in a first channel affects quality of service of a second channel, and

(iii) the extent to which a change in quality of service of a first channel affects quality of service of a second channel.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting traffic via said K communications channels in accordance with said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said K communications channels enable transmission of traffic from a source node to a receiving node.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are estimated by said receiving node.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are transmitted to said source node via one or more of said K communications channels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are transmitted periodically.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are transmitted in response to a change in F(q₁), . . . , F(q_K) that exceeds a threshold, and wherein F is a function.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K sets the values of α

₁, . . . , α

_K proportionally to said values q₁, . . . , q_K.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K is based on a ranking of said values q₁, . . . , q_K.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving values q₁, . . . , q_K of a quality-of-service metric for K communications channels, wherein K is an integer greater than one, and wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are obtained without injecting any probe traffic into any of said K communications channels;

a processor for determining values for K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K that quantify how subsequent traffic is to be partitioned among said K communications channels; and

a transmitter for transmitting traffic via said K communications channels, wherein said traffic is distributed among said K communications channels based on the values of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K;

wherein the determination of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K is based on;

(i) said values q₁, . . . , q_K,

(ii) one or more previous values of said coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K, and

(iii) a measure of channel independence for one or more pairs of said K communications channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said measure of channel independence is based on at least one of:

(i) the extent to which traffic in a first channel affects traffic in a second channel,

(ii) the extent to which traffic in a first channel affects quality of service of a second channel, and

(iii) the extent to which a change in quality of service of a first channel affects quality of service of a second channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting traffic via said K communications channels in accordance with said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said transmitter transmits traffic via said K communications channels to a receiving node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are estimated by said receiving node.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are received via said K communications channels.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are received periodically.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said values q₁, . . . , q_K are received in response to a change in F(q₁), . . . , F(q_K) that exceeds a threshold, and wherein F is a function.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the determination of said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , _K sets the values of α

₁, . . . , α

_K proportionally to said values q₁, . . . , q_K.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the determination of said K coefficients α

₁, . . . , α

_K is based on a ranking of said values q₁, . . . , q_K.