Method and system for providing bandwidth request opportunities for high priority service flows

• US 7,974,303 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Group, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howe, Jeffrey J, Barker, Brian J., Gohman, Greg J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH NGOC M
• Application Number:
  US11/130,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,241 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/345, 370/455, 370/346, 370/364, 370/449, 370/230, 370/241, 370/252, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types

Abstract

Different polling rates are applied to high priority BE service flows depending on whether the service flow contains, or is about to contain, traffic packets. A high priority service flow is identified upon boot-up of a user device, and defaults to a slow polling mode. A trigger causes the service flow to be serviced as a fast polling mode. The fast polling mode lasts for a predetermined period of time. If traffic continues at the end of the predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time is reset so that the fast-polling mode continues until traffic flow on the high priority service flow ceases.

Claims

1. A method for providing bandwidth to high priority service flows, comprising:

configuring one or more pieces of network equipment to associate a high priority service flow with a predetermined type of traffic;

configuring the one or more pieces of network equipment to detect initiation of the high priority service flow;

configuring the one or more pieces of network equipment to detect imminent traffic flow within the high priority service flow;

configuring the one or more pieces of network equipment to transition from a slow polling mode to a fast polling mode upon detection of imminent traffic flow within the high priority service flow; and

configuring the one or more pieces of network equipment to monitor the traffic activity over the high priority service flow and transitioning from the fast polling mode to a slow polling mode after a predetermined timeout period has elapsed if traffic over the high priority service flow has ceased.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined type of traffic is voice traffic.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating of the high priority service flow with information corresponding to a predetermined type of traffic includes configuring a CMTS to recognize the high priority service flow and to recognize that this high priority service flow will be carrying the predetermined traffic type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein imminent information transport within the high priority service flow is detected based on a trigger.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the trigger includes a QoS Gate message.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the trigger includes a DSx request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the fast polling mode includes granting intervals during which to make unicast requests more frequently than a slow polling mode.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising renewing the fast polling mode before transitioning from the fast polling mode to the slow polling mode occurs.