Explicit congestion notification based rate adaptation using binary marking in communication systems

• US 8,416,690 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Zhao, Xiaoming, Furbeck, David, Burbidge, Richard Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jianye
• Application Number:
  US12/685,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for responding to congestion levels in a communication system by rate adaptation. A congestion condition is indicated by marking data packets. In response to receiving an indication of congestion, a data rate is reduced. A rate reduction inhibit timer is started, and further rate reduction is initiated if congestion is indicated after the rate reduction inhibit timer has expired. A rate increase timer is used to initiate a rate increase if no indication of congestion is received during a rate increase time.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor configured to;

detect an Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) Congestion Experienced (CE) marking within an internet protocol (IP) packet header; and

transmit a request to reduce a bit rate to a reduced bit rate based on the detection of the ECN CE marking within the IP packet header,

wherein a value specifying the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the value of the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device based on an operator policy.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the value of the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device using Open Mobile Alliance—

Device Management (OMA).

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the value of the reduced bit rate comprises a default value.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the bit rate equals a lowest bit rate.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the request to reduce the bit rate based on a determination that the bit rate does not equal the lowest bit rate.

8. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

detecting, at the wireless communication device, an Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) Congestion Experienced (CE) marking within an internet protocol (IP) packet header; and

transmitting, by the wireless communication device, a request to reduce a bit rate to a reduced bit rate based on the detection of the ECN CE marking within the IP packet header,

wherein a value specifying the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wireless communication device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the value of the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device based on an operator policy.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the value of the reduced bit rate is configured at the wireless communication device using Open Mobile Alliance—

Device Management (OMA).

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the value of reduced bit rate comprises a default value.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining whether the bit rate equals a lowest bit rate.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising transmitting the request to reduce the bit rate based on a determination that the bit rate does not equal the lowest bit rate.

15. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to

detect an Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) Congestion Experienced (CE) marking within an internet protocol (IP) packet header; and

refrain, during a period of time after the detection of the ECN CE marking within the IP packet header, from transmitting a request to increase a bit rate,

wherein the period of time is configured at the wireless communication device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the period of time is configured based on an operator policy.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the period of time is configured using Open Mobile Alliance—

Device Management (OMA).

18. The wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the period of time comprises a default value.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the wireless communication device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the request to increase the bit rate after the period of time expires.

21. A method for a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

detecting, at the wireless communication device, an Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) Congestion Experienced (CE) marking within an internet protocol (IP) packet header; and

refraining, during a period of time after the detection of the ECN CE marking within the IP packet header, from transmitting a request to increase a bit rate,

wherein the period of time is configured at the wireless communication device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the period of time is configured based on an operator policy.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the period of time is configured using Open Mobile Alliance—

Device Management (OMA).

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the period of time comprises a default value.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising transmitting the request to increase the bit rate after the period of time expires.

25. The method of 21 wherein the wireless communication device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

27. A device comprising:

a processor configured to

receive, from a wireless communication device, a message associated with network congestion; and

based on receiving the message, reduce a bit rate between the device and the wireless communication device to a reduced bit rate,

wherein the reduced bit rate is configured at the device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the processor is further configured to receive, from the wireless communication device, a request to increase the bit rate.

29. The device of claim 27 wherein the device is a network node.

30. The device of claim 27 wherein the device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

31. The device of claim 27 wherein the message is a request to reduce the bit rate.

32. A method for a device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless communication device, a message associated with network congestion; and

based on receiving the message, reducing a bit rate between the device and the wireless communication device to a reduced bit rate,

wherein the reduced bit rate is configured at the device for ECN-based adaptation of the bit rate.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising receiving, from the wireless communication device, a request to increase the bit rate.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the device is a network node.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the device is a user equipment configured with a Multimedia Telephony Services for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) client.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the message is a request to reduce the bit rate.