Bandwidth management

• US 8,584,187 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Udani, Sanjay K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US12/732,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/74, 725/85, 725/82, 725/119
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A device may include a memory to store parameters associated with allocating bandwidth. The bandwidth may be allocated among at least a local class of traffic and a network class of traffic, and a portion of the bandwidth may be shareable between the local and network classes of traffic. The device may also include a communication interface to receive requests for access to bandwidth from a number of devices, the devices including at least one set top box (STB) and at least one digital video recorder (DVR). The device may also include logic to receive a first request having a corresponding first bandwidth and being associated with a first class of traffic, and determine whether the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than a reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic. The logic may also be configured to approve the first request when the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic. The logic may be further configured to forward the first request to a second device to determine whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not greater than a maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, at a first network device configured to communicate with at least one set top box (STB) and at least one digital video recorder (DVR), information identifying a plurality of parameters associated with allocating bandwidth in a home network, the bandwidth being allocated among at least a local class of traffic and a network class of traffic and wherein at least a portion of the bandwidth is shareable between the local class of traffic and the network class of traffic;

receiving, at the first network device, a request having a corresponding first bandwidth and being associated with a first class of traffic;

determining, by the first network device, whether the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than a reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, wherein the reserved bandwidth corresponds to a minimum bandwidth that is reserved for the first class of traffic and that cannot be shared with other classes of traffic;

approving the request, by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic;

determining by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, whether the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is greater than a maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic;

rejecting the request, by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is greater than the maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic; and

determining, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not greater than the maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request, wherein the determining whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request comprises;

forwarding the request to a second network device located remotely from the home network, and

determining, by the second network device, whether to approve the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first class of traffic corresponds to local traffic, the first network device corresponds to a first device located in the home network and the second network device corresponds to a second device located remotely from the home network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first class of traffic corresponds to network traffic, the first network device corresponds to a first device located remotely from the home network and the second network device corresponds to a second device located in the home network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the request corresponds to a request for Internet protocol television programming, the first network device corresponds to an optical line terminal or a device located in a central office, and receiving a request having a corresponding first bandwidth comprises:

receiving the request at the optical line terminal or the central office.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters comprises:

the maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, and

the minimum bandwidth reserved for the first class of traffic, wherein the minimum bandwidth is less than the maximum bandwidth.

6. A method, comprising:

storing, at a first network device configured to communicate with at least one set top box (STB) and at least one digital video recorder (DVR), information identifying a plurality of parameters associated with allocating bandwidth in a home network, the bandwidth being allocated among at least a local class of traffic and a network class of traffic and wherein at least a portion of the bandwidth is shareable between the local class of traffic and the network class of traffic;

receiving, at the first network device, a request having a corresponding first bandwidth and being associated with a first class of traffic;

determining, by the first network device, whether the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than a reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, wherein the reserved bandwidth corresponds to a minimum bandwidth that is reserved for the first class of traffic and that cannot be shared with other classes of traffic;

approving the request, by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic;

determining by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, whether the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is greater than a maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic;

rejecting the request, by the first network device, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is greater than the maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic; and

determining, when the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not greater than the maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request,

wherein the determining whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request comprises;

determining, by the first network device, whether the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, and

forwarding the request to a second network device along with second bandwidth information, the second bandwidth information corresponding to;

the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic minus the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, when the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, and

the first bandwidth, when the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, and

determining, by the second network device, whether to approve the request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the request further comprises:

determining, by the second network device, whether currently used bandwidth associated with a second class of traffic plus the second bandwidth is less than an overall maximum allowed bandwidth,

allowing the request when the currently used bandwidth associated with the second class of traffic plus the second bandwidth is less than the overall maximum allowed bandwidth, and

rejecting the request when the currently used bandwidth associated with the second class of traffic plus the second bandwidth is not less than the overall maximum allowed bandwidth.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first class of traffic corresponds to one of the local class of traffic or the network class of traffic, and the second class of traffic corresponds to the other one of the local class of traffic or the network class of traffic.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adjusting, by the second network device, an available bandwidth associated with the second class of traffic, in response to allowing the request.

10. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of parameters associated with allocating bandwidth in a home network, the bandwidth being allocated among at least a local class of traffic and a network class of traffic, and wherein at least a portion of the bandwidth is shareable between the local class of traffic and the network class of traffic;

a communication interface configured to;

receive requests for access to bandwidth from a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices including at least one set top box (STB) and at least one digital video recorder (DVR); and

logic configured to;

receive a first request having a corresponding first bandwidth and being associated with a first class of traffic,

determine whether the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than a reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, wherein the reserved bandwidth corresponds to a minimum bandwidth that is reserved for the first class of traffic and that cannot be shared with other classes of traffic,

approve the first request in response to determining that the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic,

forward, in response to determining that the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not greater than a maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, the first request to a second device located remotely from the home network to determine whether a portion of the shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the first request, and

receive, from the second device via the communication interface, information indicating whether to approve or reject the first request.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein when forwarding the first request to a second device, the logic is further configured to:

forward information identifying a value corresponding to the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic minus the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, in response to determining that the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein when forwarding the first request to a second device, the logic is further configured to forward information identifying a value corresponding to the first bandwidth, in response to determining that the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein when the first request corresponds to a request for local traffic between the at least one STB and the at least one DVR, the device comprises a router or a set top box located in a home network.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein when the first request corresponds to a request for video on demand traffic, the device comprises a network device located at a facility associated with a service provider that provides programming to the at least one STB or the at least one DVR.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein when the first request corresponds to a request for Internet protocol television, the device comprises an optical line terminal or a device located in a central office.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

store a plurality of parameters associated with managing bandwidth in a home network;

receive a first request having a corresponding first bandwidth and being associated with a first class of traffic;

determine whether the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than a reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, wherein the reserved bandwidth corresponds to a minimum bandwidth that is reserved for the first class of traffic and that cannot be shared with other classes of traffic;

approve the first request in response to determining that the first bandwidth plus currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic;

forward, in response to determining that the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not greater than a maximum bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, the first request to a device located remotely from the home network to determine whether a portion of shareable bandwidth is available to fulfill the first request; and

receive, from the device located remotely from the home network, information indicating whether to approve or reject the first request.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

forward second bandwidth information to the device located remotely from the home network along with the first request, the second bandwidth information corresponding to;

the first bandwidth plus the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic minus the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, in response to determining that the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic, and

the first bandwidth, in response to determining that the currently used bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic is not less than the reserved bandwidth associated with the first class of traffic.