Methods, systems, and computer program products for allocating different quality of service/bandwidth allocation to subscribers having different levels of subscription service for interactive gaming

• US 8,638,735 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holt, Scott Crandall, Wright, Steven Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/945,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/395.21, 370/353, 370/463, 380/211, 455/452.2, 455/552.1, 463/42, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA

Abstract

Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided for interactive gaming via a Regional/Access Network (RAN). The RAN can provide end-to-end transport between a Gaming Application Service Provider (GASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes a Routing Gateway (RG). Quality of Service (QoS) and/or bandwidth allocation can be provided by determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants. Different QoS and/or bandwidth allocations can be provided to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing, by the system, different quality of service allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein the traffic flows are for interactive gaming via an access network providing end-to-end transport between equipment of a gaming application service provider and a customer premises network;

receiving, by the system, an inquiry at the access network from the equipment of the gaming application service provider, wherein the inquiry is associated with a quality of service allocation available to equipment of a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game of the equipment of the subscriber; and

providing, by the system, a profile, for the equipment of the gaming application service provider, including an allocated quality of service allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing, by the system, different bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein the traffic flows are for interactive gaming via an access network providing end-to-end transport between the equipment of the gaming application service provider and the customer premises network.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the profile comprises providing a first allocated quality of service allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

providing, by the system, a second allocated quality of service for the equipment of the subscriber based on a second type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

changing, by the system, the allocated quality of service for the equipment of the subscriber responsive to a change in the level of subscription service of the equipment of the subscriber.

6. The method according claim 1 wherein providing, by the system, a profile including an allocated quality of service for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry comprises allocating an assured forwarding queue to the equipment of the subscriber to the interactive game.

7. The method according claim 1 wherein providing a profile including an allocated quality of service for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry comprises allocating an assured forwarding queue to the equipment of the subscriber to the interactive game for processing of interactive game play information and allocating a best effort queue to the equipment of the subscriber for processing of auxiliary information.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing, by the system, the profile to a routing gateway associated with the equipment of the subscriber.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing, by the system, game play information between the equipment of the gaming application service provider and the customer premises network limited by the allocated quality of service allocation.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising establishing, by the system, a port through which the interactive game communicates with the equipment of the subscriber, wherein the port is associated with the profile.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by equipment of a gaming application service provider, a session request to an access network to establish a session to which one of a quality of service or a bandwidth allocation is made to equipment of a subscriber to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a session response responsive to the session request authorizing the equipment of the gaming application service provider to allocate access network resources to the equipment of the subscriber if the equipment of the gaming application service provider is authorized to allocate the access network resources;

receiving, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow query as to which resources are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

providing, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow response responsive to the gaming flow query indicating the resources that are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

receiving, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow allocation request that indicates resources that the access network is to allocate to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game; and

providing, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow allocation response responsive to the gaming flow allocation request indicating resources allocated to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing, by the system, different bandwidth allocations to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein the traffic flows are for interactive gaming via an access network providing end-to-end transport between equipment of a gaming application service provider and a customer premises network;

receiving, by the system, an inquiry at the access network from the equipment of the gaming application service provider, wherein the inquiry is associated with a bandwidth allocation available to equipment of a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the equipment of the subscriber; and

providing, by the system, a profile, for the equipment of the gaming application service provider, including an allocated bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry.

13. A system, comprising:

means for receiving, by equipment of a gaming application service provider, a session request to an access network to establish a session to which a bandwidth allocation is made to equipment of a subscriber to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

means for providing, by the equipment of the a-gaming application service provider, a session response responsive to the session request authorizing the equipment of the gaming application service provider to allocate access network resources to the equipment of the subscriber if the equipment of the gaming application service provider is authorized to allocate access network resources;

means for receiving, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow query as to which resources are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

means for providing, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow response responsive to the gaming flow query indicating the resources that are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

means for receiving, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow allocation request that indicates resources that the access network is to allocate to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game; and

means for providing, by the equipment of the gaming application service provider, a gaming flow allocation response responsive to the gaming flow allocation request indicating resources allocated to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining different levels of subscription service for different subscribers to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing one of different quality of service allocation or different bandwidth allocation to different gaming traffic flows associated with the different subscribers to the interactive game based on the different levels of subscription service of the different subscribers, wherein the traffic flows are for interactive gaming via an access network providing end-to-end transport between equipment of a gaming application service provider and a customer premises network;

receiving an inquiry at the access network from the equipment of the gaming application service provider, wherein the inquiry is associated with a quality of service allocation available to equipment of a subscriber to the interactive game responsive to a level of the subscription service to the interactive game by the equipment of the subscriber; and

providing a profile for the equipment of the gaming application service provider, including an allocated quality of service allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising providing one of a first allocated quality of service allocation or a first allocated bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on a first type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising providing one of a second allocated quality of service allocation or a second allocated bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on a second type of information transmitted during the interactive game.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising changing the different quality of service allocation or the different bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber responsive to a change in the level of subscription service of the equipment of the subscriber.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

providing to the profile one of an allocated quality of service allocation or bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry; and

allocating an assured forwarding queue to the equipment of the subscriber to the interactive game.

19. The non-transitory storage medium according claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

providing to the profile one of an allocated quality of service allocation or bandwidth allocation for the equipment of the subscriber based on the inquiry;

allocating an assured forwarding queue to the equipment of the subscriber to the interactive game for processing of interactive game play information; and

allocating a best effort queue to the equipment of the subscriber for processing of auxiliary information.

20. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising providing the profile to a routing gateway associated with the equipment of the subscriber.

21. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

providing game play information associated with the equipment of the gaming application service provider limited by the quality of service allocation or the bandwidth allocation.

22. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the processor performs operations further comprising establishing a port through which the interactive game communicates with the equipment of the subscriber, wherein the port is associated with the profile.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a session request to an access network to establish a session to which one of a quality of service or a bandwidth allocation is made to equipment of a subscriber to an interactive game between a plurality of participants;

providing a session response responsive to the session request authorizing equipment of a gaming application service provider to allocate access network resources to the equipment of the subscriber if the equipment of the gaming application service provider is authorized to allocate the access network resources;

receiving a gaming flow query as to which resources are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

providing a gaming flow response responsive to the gaming flow query indicating the resources that are available to the equipment of the gaming application service provider for allocation to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game;

receiving a gaming flow allocation request that indicates resources that the access network is to allocate to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game; and

providing a gaming flow allocation response responsive to the gaming flow allocation request indicating resources allocated to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game.

24. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising:

providing a gaming flow allocation notice that indicates that resources have been allocated to the equipment of the subscriber for the interactive game; and

receiving a gaming flow resource allocation responsive to the gaming flow allocation notice indicating the resources that have been allocated.