Prioritization techniques for quality of service packet transmission over a network lacking quality of service support at the media access control layer

• US 8,634,422 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sali, Vipin, Nookala, Sriram Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKMAN, ANGEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/206,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,079 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.21, 370/345, 370/230, 370/465, 370/387, 370/335, 370/332, 455/422
• US Class Current: 370/395.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/58 Changing or combining different scheduling modes, e.g. multimode scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/60 implementing hierarchical scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/621 Individual queue per connection or flow, e.g. per VC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to packet scheduling techniques for prioritizing packets in the first generation (1X) evolution data optimized (EV-DO) network or similar networks that do not provide quality of service (QoS) support at the media access control (MAC) level. The techniques make use of a plurality of prioritized queues that are organized into packet flows. The different packet flows associate packets having similar or identical radio link protocols (RLPs) in order to achieve the necessary error detection for such related packets. The different queues define packet priorities base on packet type, in order to give transmission priority to certain types of packets over other types of packets. By separating the packets into different prioritized queues and associating several queues into common packet flows, prioritization can be achieved along with an efficient implementation of different error detection schemes.

Claims

1. A device that provides quality of service (QoS) for wireless packet transmission between the device and a base station in a communication network lacking QoS support at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the device comprising:

a packet classifier unit that receives packets to be transmitted and tags each received packet with a priority tag indicating a priority of the received packet and a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) tag indicating an RLP associated with the received packet;

a packet queuing unit that separates the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues based on the priority tag of each received packet, wherein the prioritized queues are organized into a plurality of packet flows such that each of the plurality of packet flows includes at least one of the prioritized queues and at least one of the plurality of packet flows includes at least a first prioritized queue and a second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue has a different priority than the second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue and the second prioritized queue have a common RLP tag, and wherein each of the packet flows associates prioritized queues having common RLP tags; and

a scheduler unit that schedules packet transmissions across the communication network based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues, the RLP tags, and the plurality of packet flows associated with the prioritized queues.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the packet classifier unit classifies the received packets into different packet types.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises an evolution data optimized (EV-DO) network.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the packet classifier unit separates the received packets into the plurality of prioritized queues by separating voice packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the voice packets.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the packet classifier unit separates the received packets into the plurality of prioritized queues by separating video packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the video packets.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of packet flows defines a different error detection scheme relative to others of the plurality of packet flows.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of packet flows defines a different packet loss scheme relative to others of the plurality of packet flows.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein when the device receives a message to re-transmit one or more of the received packets, the scheduler unit schedules re-transmissions prior to first transmissions regardless of priority.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the scheduler unit schedules packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues and the plurality of packet flows associated with the prioritized queues by:

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a higher priority queue when packets are not currently being transmitted from the one of the plurality of packet flows associated with the higher priority queue; and

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a lower priority queue when packets are currently being transmitted from the one of the plurality of packet flows associated with the higher priority queue, wherein the lower priority queue is associated with a different one of the plurality of packet flows than the higher priority queue.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein after transmitting all of the packets in the plurality of packet flows, the scheduler unit determines if a flush time associated with any of the plurality of packet flows has expired and if so, schedules transmission of a last transmitted octet associated with one or more packet flows having an expired flush time.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the scheduler unit schedules transmission of signaling message packets prior to scheduling transmission of any other packets.

12. A method of providing quality of service (QoS) for wireless packet transmission between a device and a base station in a communication network lacking QoS support at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the method comprising:

receiving packets to be transmitted;

tagging each of the received packets with a priority tag indicating a priority of the received packet and a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) tag indicating an RLP associated with the received packet;

separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues based on the priority tag of each received packet, wherein the prioritized queues are organized into packet flows such that each of the packet flows includes at least one of the prioritized queues and at least one of the packet flows include at least a first prioritized queue and a second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue has a different priority than the second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue and the second prioritized queue have a common RLP tag, and wherein each of the packet flows associates prioritized queues having common RLP tags; and

scheduling packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues, the RLP tags, and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising classifying the received packets into different packet types.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication network comprise an evolution data optimized (EV-DO) network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues includes separating voice packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the voice packets.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues includes separating video packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the video packets.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different error detection scheme relative to others of the packet flows.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different packet loss scheme relative to others of the packet flows.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the packet flows includes a subset of the prioritized queues, wherein common RLP tags are associated with packets of the prioritized queues in each of the subsets.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a message to re-transmit one or more packets, wherein scheduling packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues comprises scheduling re-transmissions prior to first transmissions regardless of priority.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein scheduling packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues comprises:

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a higher priority queue when packets are not currently being transmitted from the one of the packet flows associated with the higher priority queue; and

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a lower priority queue when packets are currently being transmitted from the one of the packet flows associated with the higher priority queue, wherein the lower priority queue is associated with a different one of the packet flows than the higher priority queue.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after transmitting all of the packets in the packet flows, determining if a flush time associated with any of the packet flows has expired and if so, scheduling transmission of a last transmitted octet associated with one or more packet flows having an expired flush time.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising scheduling transmission of signaling message packets prior to scheduling transmission of any other packets.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed in a device of a wireless communication network lacking quality of service (QoS) support at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, cause the device to provide QoS for wireless packet transmission between the device and a base station in the wireless communication network, wherein upon execution the instructions cause the device to:

receive packets to be transmitted;

tag each of the received packets with a priority tag indicating a priority of the received packet and a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) tag indicating an RLP associated with the received packet;

separate received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues based on the priority tag of each received packet, wherein the prioritized queues are organized into packet flows such that each of the packet flows includes at least one of the prioritized queues and at least one of the packet flows includes a first prioritized queue and a second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue has a different priority than the second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue and the second prioritized queue have a common RLP tag, and wherein each of the packet flows associates prioritized queues having common RLP tags; and

schedule packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues, the RLP tags, and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions cause the device to separate the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues by separating voice packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the voice packets.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions cause the device to separate the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues by separating video packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the video packets.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different error detection scheme relative to others of the packet flows.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different packet loss scheme relative to others of the packet flows.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein upon receiving a message to re-transmit one or more packets the instructions cause the device to schedule re-transmissions prior to first transmissions regardless of priority.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions cause the device to schedule packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues by:

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a higher priority queue when packets are not currently being transmitted from the one of the packet flows associated with the higher priority queue; and

scheduling packet transmissions for packets in a lower priority queue when packets are currently being transmitted from the one of the packet flows associated with the higher priority queue, wherein the lower priority queue is associated with a different one of the packet flows than the higher priority queue.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions cause the device to determine if a flush time associated with any of the packet flows has expired after transmitting all of the packets in the packet flows, and if so, schedule transmission of a last transmitted octet associated with one or more packet flows having an expired flush time.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions cause the device to schedule transmission of signaling message packets prior to scheduling transmission of any other packets.

33. A device that provides quality of service (QoS) for wireless packet transmission between the device and a base station in a communication network lacking QoS support at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the device comprising:

a packet classifier configured to receive a plurality of packets and classify each of the plurality of packets based on predetermined classification criteria, the packet classifier tagging each of the packets according to a priority associated with the classification criteria and tagging each of the packets with a respective Radio Link Protocol (RLP) from a plurality of RLPs;

a plurality of packet flows, each of the plurality of packet flows associated with a distinct RLP from the plurality of RLPs, each of the plurality of packet flows including at least one of the prioritized queues, and at least one of the packet flows including at least a first prioritized queue and a second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue has a different priority than the second prioritized queue, and wherein the first prioritized queue and the second prioritized queue have a common RLP tag;

a packet queuing unit configured to separate the packets from the packet classifier into one of the prioritized queues in the plurality of packet flows based in part on the priority and RLP associated with the packet; and

a scheduler unit configured to schedule packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues.

34. An apparatus that provides quality of service (QoS) for wireless packet transmission between the device and a base station in a communication network lacking QoS support at a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the device comprising:

means for receiving packets to be transmitted;

means for tagging each of the received packets with a priority tag indicating a priority of the received packet and a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) tag indicating an RLP associated with the received packet;

means for separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues based on the priority tag of each received packet, wherein the prioritized queues are organized into packet flows such that each of the packet flows includes at least one of the prioritized queues and at least one of the packet flows include at least a first prioritized queue and a second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue has a different priority than the second prioritized queue, wherein the first prioritized queue and the second prioritized queue have a common RLP tag, and wherein each of the packet flows associates prioritized queues having common RLP tags; and

means for scheduling packet transmissions based on prioritization numbers of the prioritized queues, the RLP tags, and the packet flows associated with the prioritized queues.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues includes separating voice packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the voice packets.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein separating the received packets into a plurality of prioritized queues includes separating video packets into one or more of the prioritized queues and separating data packets into one or more of the prioritized queues, wherein the prioritized queues associated with the data packets are different than the prioritized queues associated with the video packets.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different error detection scheme relative to others of the packet flows.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein each of the packet flows defines a different packet loss scheme relative to others of the packet flows.