Managing the bandwidth of a communication session

• US 8,838,828 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramalho, Michael A., Eckert, Toerless T., Zanaty, Mohamed K., Zilovic, Mihailo, Coffman, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yohannes, Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US13/305,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/246, 370/230, 370/468
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876

Abstract

A system includes a processor operable to identify each of a plurality of first video packets from a communication session with a first identifier designating that band width is reserved on the network for the packet, and identify each of a plurality of second video packets from the communication session with a second identifier designating that bandwidth is not reserved on the network for the packet. The system further includes an interface operable to initiate transmission of the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets in the communication session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

marking, by a processor, each of a plurality of first video packets from a communication session with a first identifier in the first video packets, wherein the first identifier designates that bandwidth is reserved on a network for the first video packets;

marking, by a processor, each of a plurality of second video packets from the communication session with a second identifier in the second video packets, wherein the second identifier designates that bandwidth is not reserved on the network for the second video packets; and

initiating transmission of the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets in the communication session;

monitoring an available bandwidth on the network; and

adjusting, during the communication session based on the monitored available bandwidth, the bandwidth of at least one from a set comprising;

the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets, wherein the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets is adjusted by adjusting at least one from a set comprising;

video frame rate, quantization, and video resolution.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an allocated bandwidth amount, wherein the allocated bandwidth amount represents an amount of bandwidth reserved on the network for the plurality of first video packets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a maximum bandwidth amount, wherein the maximum bandwidth amount represents a maximum amount of bandwidth on the network allowed for communication session; and

adjusting the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets based on the received maximum bandwidth amount such that the bandwidth of the communication session does not exceed the maximum bandwidth amount.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a packet identifier is located in at least one from a set comprising:

a differentiated services code point (DSCP) field of the header of a data packet;

a real-time transport protocol header extension of a data packet;

a payload of a data packet; and

a transport format of a data packet.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic, the logic, when executed by a processor, operable to:

mark each of a plurality of first video packets from a communication session with a first identifier in the first video packets designating that bandwidth is reserved on a network for the first video packets;

mark each of a plurality of second video packets from the communication session with a second identifier in the second video packets designating that bandwidth is not reserved on the network for the second video packets; and

initiate transmission of the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets in the communication session;

monitor an available bandwidth on the network; and

adjust, during the communication session based on the monitored available bandwidth, the bandwidth of at least one from a set comprising;

the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets, wherein the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets is adjusted by adjusting at least one from a set comprising;

video frame rate, quantization, and video resolution.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, the logic further operable to receive an allocated bandwidth amount, wherein the allocated bandwidth amount represents an amount of bandwidth reserved on the network for the plurality of first video packets.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 5, the logic further operable to:

receive a maximum bandwidth amount, wherein the maximum bandwidth amount represents a maximum amount of bandwidth on the network allowed for communication session; and

adjust the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets based on the received maximum bandwidth amount such that the bandwidth of the communication session does not exceed the maximum bandwidth amount.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein a packet identifier is located in at least one from a set comprising:

a differentiated services code point (DSCP) field of the header of a data packet;

a real-time transport protocol header extension of a data packet;

a payload of a data packet; and

a transport format of a data packet.

9. A system comprising:

a processor operable to;

mark each of a plurality of first video packets from a communication session with a first identifier in the first video packets designating that bandwidth is reserved on a network for the first video packets; and

mark each of a plurality of second video packets from the communication session with a second identifier in the second video packets designating that bandwidth is not reserved on the network for the second video packets; and

an interface operable to initiate transmission of the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets in the communication session; and

the processor further operable to;

monitor an available bandwidth on the network; and

adjust, during the communication session based on the monitored available bandwidth, the bandwidth of at least one from a set comprising;

the plurality of first video packets and the plurality of second video packets, wherein the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets is adjusted by adjusting at least one from a set comprising;

video frame rate, quantization, and video resolution.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an interface operable to receive an allocated bandwidth amount, wherein the allocated bandwidth amount represents an amount of bandwidth reserved on the network for the plurality of first video packets.

11. The system of claim 9, further wherein:

the interface is operable to receive a maximum bandwidth amount, wherein the maximum bandwidth amount represents a maximum amount of bandwidth on the network allowed for communication session; and

the processor further operable to adjust the bandwidth of the plurality of second video packets based on the received maximum bandwidth amount such that the bandwidth of the communication session does not exceed the maximum bandwidth amount.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a packet identifier is located in at least one from a set comprising:

a differentiated services code point (DSCP) field of the header of a data packet;

a real-time transport protocol header extension of a data packet;

a payload of a data packet; and

a transport format of a data packet.