Bandwidth requests transmitted according to priority in a centrally managed network

• US 8,116,337 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godlewski, Marcin, Burns, James M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASUR, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US11/829,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/449, 370/458
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for a managed access network device that generates and transmits a schedule map for requesting bandwidth to a plurality of network devices. The managed access network device then broadcasts a request time where the request time is broken down into a plurality of periods. When a network device generates a packet having a priority, the schedule map is then consulted to determine one of a plurality of periods in which to transmit the request for bandwidth, where each period corresponds with at least one priority. The network device then subsequently transmits the request for bandwidth during the determined period within the request time.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting requests for bandwidth in an access network, the method comprising:

generating, at a network device, a first packet having a first priority and a second packet having a second priority, the second priority being lesser than the first priority, wherein the first packet is a streaming video packet;

receiving, at the network device, a schedule map;

consulting, at the network device, the schedule map to determine one of a plurality of periods in which to transmit a request during a request time, wherein a period is determined based on the generated packet priorities, and wherein a first period of time within the request time corresponds to the first priority and a second period of time within the request time corresponds to the second priority, wherein the first period of time is reduced when a first number of packets having the first priority is expected to be less than a second number of packets having the second priority; and

according to the determined period, transmitting the request for bandwidth from the network device, wherein transmitting the request occurs at a specific time that differs from another specific time that a second network device transmits a second request for bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving bandwidth in response to the request; and

transmitting the first packet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving and storing in a memory an updated schedule map; and

transmitting the first packet according to the updated schedule map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the network device, the schedule map comprises receiving at the network device comprising a media terminal adapter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the network device, the schedule map comprises receiving at the network device comprising a cable modem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the network device, the schedule map comprises receiving at the network device comprising a device comprising a combination cable modem and media terminal adapter.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise combination cable modems and media terminal adapters.

7. A system for transmitting requests for bandwidth in an access network, the system comprising:

a managed access network device for transmitting a schedule map, wherein the schedule map includes a plurality of periods, each period corresponding with at least one priority; and

a plurality of network devices for receiving and storing the schedule map, each network device for generating a packet having a priority and for transmitting a request for bandwidth during the period and at a specific time corresponding to the priority of the packet,

wherein the managed access network device is further configured for updating the schedule map in accordance with the amount of requests from the plurality of network devices and for transmitting the updated schedule map to the plurality of network devices for storage, wherein updating the schedule map includes decreasing at least one of the plurality of periods based on an expected number of packets to be received at the managed access network device within the at least one of the plurality of periods; and

wherein a first priority corresponds with a streaming video packet and a second priority corresponds with a packet of lesser importance, and wherein a first period of time within the request time corresponds to the first priority and a second period of time within the request time corresponds to the second priority.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the managed access network device provides a request time for the plurality of network devices to transmit requests for bandwidth, wherein the request time includes the plurality of periods and the specific time corresponding with the at least one priority of the packet by each of the plurality of network devices.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the managed access network device receives each request for bandwidth and subsequently allocates bandwidth for each request.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise media terminal adapters.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise cable modems.

13. An access network for requesting bandwidth for packet transmission, the access network comprising:

a plurality of network devices each for generating a packet having a priority and for requesting bandwidth indicating the priority for transmitting the generated packet; and

a managed access network device for receiving the request for bandwidth from the plurality of network devices and for allocating bandwidth to each of the plurality of network devices depending upon the priority of each packet received,

wherein the plurality of network devices transmit the request for bandwidth according to a schedule map and the schedule map comprises a plurality of periods and specific times with each period and specific time corresponding to at least one priority,

wherein the managed access network device, updates the schedule map when the amount of requests for bandwidth for each priority changes, wherein updating the schedule map includes decreasing at least one of the plurality of periods based on an expected number of packets to be received at the managed access network device within the at least one of the plurality of periods, and transmits the updated schedule map to the plurality of network devices for storage,

wherein the plurality of network devices further transmit the request for bandwidth during at specific time corresponding to the at least one priority,

wherein a first priority corresponds to a streaming video packet and a second priority corresponds to a packet of lesser importance and a first period of time within the periodic request time corresponds to the first priority and a second period of time within the periodic request time corresponds to the second priority.

14. The access network for requesting bandwidth for packet transmission of claim 13, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise media terminal adapters.

15. The access network for requesting bandwidth for packet transmission of claim 13, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise cable modems.

16. The access network of claim 13, wherein the plurality of network devices comprise combination cable modems and media terminal adapters.