Automatic packet tagging

• US 8,305,891 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Moonen, Jan Renier
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Marsha D. Banks
• Assistant Examiner(s): Costin, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US12/440,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20090279545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-231, 370/338, 370391-392, 370/395.21, 370411-429, 370/401, 370/466, 379/201.12, 709/220
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A network device is arranged for coupling to a first network segment (18) to a second network segment (17), and has a transfer unit (23) for transferring data packets between the first and second network segments. The device has a determining unit (24) for determining a service requirement for a received data packet for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment. A source of the received data packet in the first network segment is detected. Based on priority criteria and content type criteria a type of service is tagged to the data packet in dependence of the source. The transfer unit is arranged for accommodating the type of service in the second network segment. Advantageously a bridge is formed for transferring data packets that are unaware of quality of service to a network segment that operates according to quality of service requirements.

Claims

1. Network device comprising:

a first interface unit for coupling to a first network segment where service parameters are not controlled and no Quality of Service (QoS) information is available, wherein the first interface unit receives data packets via the first network segment, further wherein the received data packets comprise non-Quality of Service aware (non-QoS aware) data packets;

a second interface unit for coupling to a second network segment, wherein the second network segment is QoS aware and operates according to a type of service;

transfer means for transferring data packets between the first and second network segments; and

determining means for determining a service requirement for a received data packet that is to be transferred, via the transfer means, from the first network segment to the second network segment, as if the type of service was present for the received data packet, for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment as determined for the received data packet;

wherein the determining means is arranged for detecting a source of the received data packet in the first network segment, and

for assigning, to the received data packet that comprises the non-QoS aware data packet, the type of service in dependence of the source of the received data packet, wherein said assigning the type of service is based on analyzing a control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including a mapping of a content type of the received data packet to the source of the received data packet; and

wherein said assigning is made without use of any Quality of Service information previously provided for the received data packet.

2. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining means is further arranged for detecting the source of the received data packet based on at least one of:

a network address indicator;

a network port indicator;

a media access indicator or Media Access Protocol (MAC) address;

and, in the event of the first network segment being coupled to the Internet;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address;

or

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

3. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining means further comprises a control interface for setting the predefined criteria, wherein the control interface comprises a user interface or an application programming interface (API).

4. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control portion comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)-type according to a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) protocol, an audio video (AV) profile according to a real time protocol (RTP), or a code indicating an encoder used for encoding the content of the data packet.

5. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer means are arranged for accommodating the type of service by adapting the control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined protocol.

6. Network device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said adapting the control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined protocol comprises adapting a header by setting a type of service field.

7. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second network interface comprises different buffer queues for packets of different types of service for interfacing to a wireless second network segment, and the transfer means for transferring the received packet via a selected one of the buffer queues based on the type of service.

8. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer means comprise a mass storage unit for storing data packets received from the first network segment and retrieving data packets to be transmitted to the second network segment, and the determining means are arranged for said assigning the type of service before said storing or after said retrieving.

11. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control portion comprises an audio video (AV) profile according to a real time protocol (RTP).

12. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control portion of the received data packet comprises a code indicating an encoder used for encoding content of the data packet.

13. Network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assigning can be overwritten by explicitly defining a priority for all traffic coming from a specific source.

9. Method of determining a service requirement while transferring data packets between a first network segment and a second network segment, wherein service parameters for the first network segment are not controlled and no Quality of Service (QoS) information is available, further wherein received data packets comprise non-Quality of Service aware (non-QoS aware) data packets, and wherein the second network segment is QoS aware and operates according to a type of service, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a service requirement for a received data packet of the received data packets, the received data packet to be transferred from the first network segment to the second network segment, as if the type of service was present for the received data packet, for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment as determined for the received data packet;

which determining comprises;

detecting a source of the received data packet in the first network segment; and

assigning, to the received data packet that comprises the non-QoS aware data packet, the type of service in dependence of the source of the received data packet, wherein said assigning the type of service is based on analyzing a control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including a mapping of a content type of the received data packet to the source of the received data packet; and

wherein said assigning is made without use of any Quality of Service information previously provided for the received data packet;

and which transferring comprises;

accommodating the type of service in the second network segment for the received data packet.

14. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said assigning can be overwritten by explicitly defining a priority for all traffic coming from a specific source.

10. Non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program including a set of instructions executable by a processor to perform method steps for determining a service requirement while transferring data packets between a first network segment and a second network segment, wherein service parameters for the first network segment are not controlled and no Quality of Service (QoS) information is available, further wherein received data packets comprise non-Quality of Service aware (non-QoS aware) data packets, and wherein the second network segment is QoS aware and operates according to a type of service, the method steps comprising:

determining a service requirement for a received data packet of the received data packets that is to be transferred from the first network segment to the second network segment, as if the type of service was present for the received data packet, for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment as determined for the received data packet;

which determining comprises;

detecting a source of the received data packet in the first network segment; and

assigning, to the received data packet that comprises the non-QoS aware data packet, the type of service in dependence of the source of the received data packet, wherein said assigning the type of service is based on analyzing a control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including a mapping of a content type of the received data packet to the source of the received data packet; and

wherein said assigning is made without use of any Quality of Service information previously provided for the received data packet.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein said assigning can be overwritten by explicitly defining a priority for all traffic coming from a specific source.