Method and system for managing bandwidth in communication networks

• US 7,978,842 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooke, Jawhny
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG HOANG JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/186,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/329, 370/486, 370/395.21, 709/226
• US Class Current: 379/221.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus and machine-readable medium for managing bandwidth in a communication network via a Turbo Button Service (TBS) are provided. The communication network includes a Regional/Access Network (RAN). The bandwidth management includes varying the bandwidth according to the usage requirement. The method comprises invoking a request for the TBS. The invocation of the request results in a change in a default bandwidth associated with a user'"'"'s access connection.

Claims

1. A method for managing bandwidth in a communication network, the method comprising:

a Residential Gateway (RG), establishing a communication session for a user between the user and a Service Provider (SP) using a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates communications between the RG and the SP;

the RG, determining, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user or from the SP, a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device;

wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category;

wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category;

the RG, requesting, without receiving, from the user, any signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the selected bandwidth category of communication speed for the user;

the RG, querying the RAN, without receiving input from the user, for one or more options available for an access session connection between the user and the SP;

the RG, selecting, without receiving input from the user, one of the options provided by the RAN;

the RG, requesting the RAN to change a session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option to the selected bandwidth category by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and

the RG, receiving, from the RAN, a new policy to support a faster communication speed for the access session connection based on the selected option;

upon determining that the access session connection was terminated, the RG requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a cancellation of an invocation of the request for the TBS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated automatically after a pre-determined fixed time is over.

5. A system for managing bandwidth in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

a Residential Gateway (RG);

means, at the RG, for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

means, at the RG, for determining, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user or from a service provider (SP), a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device;

wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category;

wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category;

means, at the RG, for, requesting, without receiving, from the user, a signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the selected bandwidth category of communication speed for the user;

means, at the RG, for querying the RAN, without receiving input from the user, for options available for an access session connection;

means, at the RG, for selecting, without receiving input from the user, one of the options;

means, at the RG, for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option to the selected bandwidth category by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and

means, at the RG, for receiving a new policy from the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected option;

means, at the RG, for requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category upon determining that the access session connection was terminated.

6. A system for managing bandwidth in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

at a Residential Gateway (RG);

an establishing module for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

a first requesting module for requesting, without receiving, from a user, a signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the improved communication speed for the user;

a querying module for querying the RAN, without receiving input from a user, for one or more options available for an access session connection;

a selecting module for selecting, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user or from a service provider (SP), a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device;

wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category;

wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category;

a second requesting module for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed to the selected bandwidth category by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and

an updating module for receiving a new policy from the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed, and for requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and for resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a cancellation module initiating a cancellation of an invocation of a request for the TBS.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cancellation of the invocation of the request for the TBS is initiated automatically after a pre-determined fixed time.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions for managing bandwidth in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the medium comprising:

one or more instructions, executed by a Residential Gateway (RG), for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting, without receiving, from the user, a signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the improved communication speed for the user;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for querying the RAN, without receiving input from the user, for one or more options available for an access session connection;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for selecting, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user of from a service provider (SP), a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device;

wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category;

wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for receiving a new policy from the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category upon determining that the access session connection was terminated.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions, executed by the RG, for initiating a cancellation of an invocation of the request for the TBS.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions, executed by the RG, for initiating a cancellation of an invocation of a request for the TBS.

12. An apparatus for managing bandwidth in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN), the apparatus comprising:

a processing system including a processor coupled to a display and user input device; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor comprising;

a Residential gateway (RG);

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) access session for a user;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting, without receiving, from the user, a signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the improved communication speed for the user;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for querying the RAN, without receiving input from the user, one or more options available for an access session connection;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for selecting, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user or a service provider (SP), a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device;

wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category;

wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting the RAN to change the session bandwidth associated with the access session based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for receiving a new policy from the RAN to support a new turbo speed for Internet access the new policy being based on the selected bandwidth category of communication speed;

one or more instructions, executed by the RG, for requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category upon determining that the access session connection was terminated.