Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing bandwidth control services

• US 8,098,582 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A., Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russell, Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US11/304,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20060222008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.21, 370/400, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• 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 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing bandwidth control services are provided. The method includes assigning a quality of service preference to a device. The method also includes associating a service session with the device. The method further includes executing a control action for at least one other simultaneously occurring service session when a quality of service level of the service session differs from the quality of service preference by a specified degree. The control action is operable for producing and maintaining the quality of service preference.

Claims

1. A method for implementing bandwidth control services, comprising:

assigning, via a computer processor, a quality of service preference to a device identified for a physical premises;

associating, via the computer processor, a service session with the device;

monitoring, via the computer processor, the service session and another concurrently running service session, the other concurrently running service session implemented by another device co-located with the device identified for the physical premises, the monitoring including analyzing measurements for the service session and determining a current state;

identifying differences between aspects of the current state and a desired state indicated by the quality of service preference;

evaluating, via the computer processor;

user quality of service preferences associated with the device,

sensitivities associated with the device; and

capabilities indicating service needs associated with the device;

applying a weight to the differences based on the sensitivities;

mapping the differences, resulting from the applying weights, to a corresponding policy; and

executing, via the computer processor, a control action for the other concurrently running service session based on the corresponding policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a resource from a set of resources to facilitate the control action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of resources selectable for facilitating the control action include:

network elements providing the service session and the other concurrently running service session;

the device;

the other device engaged in the other concurrently running service session;

an application executing on the device;

an application executing on the other device;

a peripheral component in communication with the device;

a peripheral component in communication with the other device;

an entity providing the service session; and

an entity providing the other concurrently running service session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy includes a rule that when executed, limits a transfer of traffic to and from the other device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the policy specifies prioritization of bandwidth allocation to the other device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a first type and employs a first technology, and the other device comprises a second type and employs a second technology;

wherein the first type is different than the second type, and the first technology is different than the second technology.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the quality of service preference to a user of the device via an identifier of the user; and

associating the service session with the user of the device;

wherein the quality of service preference is selected by user of the device.

8. A system for implementing bandwidth control services, comprising:

a processor;

a bandwidth control application executing on the processor, performing;

assigning a quality of service preference to a device identified for a physical premises;

associating a service session with the device;

monitoring the service session and another concurrently running service session, the other concurrently running service session implemented by another device co-located with the device identified for the physical premises, the monitoring including analyzing measurements for the service session and determining a current state;

identifying differences between aspects of the current state and a desired state indicated by the quality of service preference;

evaluating user preferences associated with the device, the user preferences including the quality of service preference, the quality of service preference is selected by a user of the device;

evaluating sensitivities and capabilities associated with the device;

applying a weight to the differences based on the sensitivities;

mapping the differences, resulting from the applying weights, to a corresponding policy; and

executing a control action for the other concurrently running service session based on the corresponding policy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control application further performs:

selecting a resource from a set of resources to facilitate the control action.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of resources includes:

network elements providing the service session and the other concurrently running service session;

the device;

the other device engaged in the other concurrently running service session;

an application executing on the device;

an application executing on the other device;

a peripheral component in communication with the other device;

an entity providing the service session; and

an entity providing the other concurrently running service session.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the control action includes an operating mode-based action including a rule that when executed, modifies a mode of operation of the other device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operating mode-based priority specifies a change in a ratio of data compression functions performed at the other device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the service session is a communications session utilizing bandwidth.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control application further performs:

assigning the quality of service preference to the user of the device via an identifier of the user; and

associating the service session with the user of the device.

15. A computer program product for implementing bandwidth control services, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable code to perform a method, the method comprising:

assigning a quality of service preference to a device identified for a physical premises;

associating a service session with the device;

monitoring the service session and another concurrently running service session, the other concurrently running service session implemented by another device co-located with the device identified for the physical premises, the monitoring including analyzing measurements for the service session and determining a current state;

identifying differences between aspects of the current state and a desired state indicated by the quality of service preference;

evaluating;

user preferences associated with the device, the user preferences including the quality of service preference;

sensitivities associated with the device; and

capabilities associated with the device;

applying a weight to the differences based on the sensitivities;

mapping the differences, resulting from the applying weights, to a corresponding policy; and

executing a control action for the other concurrently running service session based on the corresponding policy.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for implementing:

selecting a resource from a set of resources to facilitate the control action.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the set of resources includes:

network elements providing the service session and the other concurrently running service session;

the device;

the device engaged in the other concurrently running service session;

an application executing on the device;

an application executing on the other device;

a peripheral component in communication with the device;

a peripheral component in communication with the other device;

an entity providing the service session; and

an entity providing the other concurrently running service session.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the policy includes:

a rule that when executed, limits a transfer of traffic to and from the other device; and

an operating mode-based action including a rule that when executed, modifies a mode of operation of the other device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the policy specifies prioritization of bandwidth allocation to the other device and the operating mode-based action specifies a change in a ratio of data compression functions performed at the other device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the service session is a communications session utilizing bandwidth.