Femto cell access point passthrough model

• US 8,194,549 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Kurt Donald, Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Flynn, Judson John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinkantarakorn, Pao
• Application Number:
  US12/340,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20090279430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-235, 370252-253, 370329-338, 370/401, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The subject innovation provides system(s) and method(s) to supply fixed, differentiated quality of service (QoS) for packetized traffic (e.g., voice and data) intended for femto cell coverage when transmitted concurrently with external broadband traffic. Quality of Service differentiation is supplied without an external implementation. Femto cell coverage is prioritized over concurrent packetized traffic to deliver a rich user experience for delay and jitter sensitive applications. A passthrough configuration for a femto access point (AP) facilitates supplying hard QoS for data packet streams, or flows, intended for femto cell coverage or non-femto-cell coverage. The femto AP receives a consolidated packet stream through backhaul link(s) and distinguishes flow(s) for femto coverage and flow(s) for auxiliary broadband coverage. The femto AP routes the flow(s) intended for femto with hard QoS according to QoS policy which can be determined by a network operator or a subscriber.

Claims

1. A femto access point, comprising:

a communication platform configured to receive a packetized stream in a user plane across a broadband network;

an identification component configured to discriminate the packetized stream into a first packet flow for a first device served within femto cell coverage and a second packet flow for a second device served within non-femto-cell background coverage; and

a traffic shaping component configured to provide a first fixed quality of service for the first packet flow in accordance with a first quality of service policy for wireless transmission by the femto access point and a second fixed quality of service for the second packet flow in accordance with a second quality of service policy for transmission across the broadband network.

2. The femto access point of claim 1, wherein the first quality of service policy is different from the second quality of service policy.

3. The femto access point of claim 1, wherein the first quality of service policy is based on an evaluation of available resources.

4. The femto access point of claim 1, wherein the first quality of service policy is defined by at least a subscriber.

5. The femto access point of claim 4, further comprising a configuration component configured to receive a modification to the first quality of service policy from the subscriber.

6. The femto access point of claim 5, wherein the modification removes existing quality of service requirements.

7. The femto access point of claim 1, further comprising a switch component that routes the first packet flow for the first device served by femto cell coverage to a wireless communication component for delivery over-the-air to a wireless device.

8. The femto access point of claim 7, wherein the switch component is configured to route the second packet flow for the second device served within the non-femto-cell background coverage to a broadband interface for delivery through a wired broadband link to a first component configured to supply the non-femto-cell background coverage.

9. The femto access point of claim 8, further comprising a second component configured to convey the first packet flow for the first device served within the femto cell coverage and the second packet flow for the second device served within the non-femto-cell background coverage.

10. The femto access point of claim 1, wherein the first quality of service policy is defined by a network operator.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a packet stream at a femto access point;

identifying a first packet in the packet stream utilized for femto cell coverage and a second packet in the packet stream utilized for wired broadband coverage at the femto access point;

providing a first quality of service grade to the first packet according to a quality of service policy and a second quality of service grade to the second packet according to the quality of service policy at the femto access point;

wirelessly conveying the first packet according to the first quality of service grade from the femto access point to a wireless device; and

non-wirelessly conveying the second packet according to the second quality of service grade from the femto access point to a broadband hub.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing comprises providing the first quality of service grade to the first packet and the second quality of service grade to the second packet, wherein the first quality of service grade is of a higher priority than the second quality of service grade.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing further comprises providing the first quality of service grade to the first packet and the second quality of service grade to the second packet based on evaluating available resources.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising processing the first packet and the second packet based on an available wireless link second.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the quality of service policy based on a quality of service policy directive.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the quality of service policy based on an input from a user.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising processing the first packet and the second packet based on a policy for retaining the first packet.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the quality of service policy based on a quality of service requirement for an application.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the quality of service policy by adding a quality of service requirement to the quality of service policy.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising validating the quality of service policy.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a data packet stream across a broadband connection at a femto cell;

processing the data packet stream at the femto cell and identifying a first packet flow directed to femto cell coverage and a second packet flow dedicated to broadband coverage;

providing a first quality of service profile to the first packet flow based on a quality of service policy at the femto cell;

providing a second quality of service profile to the second packet flow based on the quality of service policy applying to the femto cell;

wirelessly conveying the first packet flow according to the first quality of service policy; and

conveying the second packet flow according to the second quality of service policy across the broadband connection.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

configuring the quality of service policy based on an input from a subscriber.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores components, comprising;

an identification component configured to analyze a packet stream received across a broadband connection and to discriminate between a first data packet flow directed to femto cell coverage and a second data packet flow directed to broadband coverage in a packet stream;

a traffic shaping component configured to process the first data packet flow according to a first quality of service according to a quality of service policy and the second data packet flow according to a second quality of service according to the quality of service policy; and

a switch component configured to route the first data packet flow to a wireless component that transmits the first data packet flow wirelessly according to the first quality of service and to route the second data packet flow to a wired component that transmits the second data packet flow across the broadband connection according to the second quality of service.