Mobile communication system and transmission-side node

• US 8,867,387 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimazu, Yoshitsugu, Hapsari, Wuri Andarmawanti, Motegi, Masayuki, Yamato, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mered, Habte
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENSAH, PRINCE AKWASI
• Application Number:
  US13/122,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 370/231, 370/242, 370/252, 370/336, 370/338, 370/389, 370/395.52, 370/428, 370/468, 370/474
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/564 Attaching a deadline to packets, e.g. earliest due date first
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/08 Upper layer protocols network arrangements or communication protocols for networked applications H04L67/00

Abstract

In a mobile communication system according to the present invention, an AP/ULP layer of a transmission-side node (A) is configured to acquire, from a SCTP layer of the transmission-side node (A), a “rwnd” for each connection of the SCTP layer, a “cwnd” for each physical path, and a third data amount indicating an amount of data transmitted within a unit time by the transmission-side node (A) for each stream; and when an urgency flag is included in data subject to transmission, the AP/ULP layer of the transmission-side node (A) is configured to determine a stream and a physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, based on the “rwnd”, the “cwnd”, and the third data amount, and to notify, to the SCTP layer, the determination.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising a reception-side node and a transmission-side node, the transmission-side node further comprising a processor and a memory:

wherein a communication is configured to be performed between the reception-side node and the transmission-side node by a first protocol layer and a second protocol layer that is a lower layer of the first protocol layer,

wherein the transmission-side node includes one or a plurality of transmission-side IP addresses,

wherein the reception-side node includes one or a plurality of reception-side IP addresses,

wherein a connection of the second protocol layer formed by a plurality of physical paths is configured to be set between the transmission-side node and the reception-side node,

wherein the plurality of physical paths are configured to be set by each of the transmission-side IP addresses and each of the reception-side IP addresses,

wherein one or a plurality of streams are configured to be set within the connection of the second protocol layer set between the transmission-side node and the reception-side node,

wherein the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to acquire, from the second protocol layer of the transmission-side node, a first data amount indicting an amount of data that can be received at the reception-side node for each connection of the second protocol layer, a second data amount indicating an amount of data that can be transmitted by the transmission-side node for each physical path, and a third data amount indicating an amount of data transmitted within a unit time by the transmission-side node for each stream,

and wherein, when an urgency flag is included in data subject to transmission, the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to determine a stream and a physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, based on the first data amount, the second data amount, and the third data amount, and to notify, to the second protocol layer of the transmission-side node, the determination.

2. The mobile communication system according to claim 1,

wherein one primary path is configured to be set in the plurality of physical paths included in each of the connections of the second protocol layer,

wherein the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to acquire a fourth data amount indicating an amount of data which has been transmitted through each of the physical paths but of which the transmission confirmation information has not been yet received,

and wherein, when the amount of the data subject to transmission is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount in the primary path, the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to search a stream having the smallest third data amount, number of times of re-transmissions, or amount to be retained in a transmission buffer, to determine the searched stream and primary path as the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, and to notify, to the second protocol layer of the transmission-side node, the determination.

3. The mobile communication system according to claim 1,

wherein, when the amount of the data subject to transmission is not smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount in the primary path, the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to search a physical path in which the amount of the data subject to transmission is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount, and to search a stream having the smallest third data amount, number of times of re-transmissions, or amount to be retained in a transmission buffer,

and wherein the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to determine the searched stream and physical path as the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, and to notify, to the second protocol layer, the determination.

4. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein when an urgency flag is included in the data subject to transmission, the first protocol layer of the transmission- side node is configured to determine a survival time of the data subject to transmission, together with the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, based on the first data amount, the second data amount, and the third data amount, and to notify, to the second protocol layer, the determination.

5. The mobile communication system according to claim 4, wherein the second protocol layer of the transmission-side node is configured to preferentially transmit data subject to transmission having the shortest survival time, out of the data subject to transmission received from the first protocol layer of the transmission-side node.

6. A transmission-side node comprising a processor and a memory in which a communication is configured to be performed between the transmission-side node and a reception-side node having one or a plurality of reception-side IP addresses by a first protocol layer and a second protocol layer that is a lower layer of the first protocol layer,

wherein the transmission-side node includes one or a plurality of transmission-side IP addresses,

wherein a connection of the second protocol layer formed by a plurality of physical paths is configured to be set between the transmission-side node and the reception-side node,

wherein the plurality of physical paths are configured to be set by each of the transmission-side IP addresses and each of the reception-side IP addresses,

wherein one or a plurality of streams are configured to be set within the connection of the second protocol layer,

wherein the first protocol layer is configured to acquire, from the second protocol layer, a first data amount indicting an amount of data that can be received at the reception-side node for each connection of the second protocol layer, a second data amount indicating an amount of data that can be transmitted by the transmission-side node for each physical path, and a third data amount indicating an amount of data transmitted within a unit time by the transmission-side node for each stream,

and wherein when an urgency flag is included in data subject to transmission, the first protocol layer is configured to determine a stream and a physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, based on the first data amount, the second data amount, and the third data amount, and to notify, to the second protocol layer of the transmission-side node, the determination.

7. The transmission-side node according to claim 6, wherein one primary path is configured to be set in the plurality of physical paths included in each of the connections of the second protocol layer,

wherein the first protocol layer is configured to acquire a fourth data amount indicating an amount of data which has been transmitted through each of the physical paths but of which the transmission confirmation information has not been yet received,

and wherein when the amount of the data subject to transmission is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount in the primary path, the first protocol layer is configured to search, within the primary path, a stream having the smallest third data amount, number of times of re-transmissions, or amount to be retained in a transmission buffer, to determine the searched stream and primary path as the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, and to notify, to the second protocol layer, the determination.

8. The transmission-side node according to claim 6, wherein when the amount of the data subject to transmission is not smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount in the primary path, the first protocol layer is configured to search a physical path in which the amount of the data subject to transmission is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the fourth data amount from the second data amount, and to search a stream having the smallest third data amount, number of times of retransmissions, or amount to be retained in a transmission buffer, and wherein the first protocol layer is configured to determine the searched stream and physical path as the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, and to notify, to the second protocol layer, the determination.

9. The transmission-side node according to claim 6, wherein when an urgency flag is included in the data subject to transmission, the first protocol layer is configured to determine a survival time of the data subject to transmission, together with the stream and the physical path through which the data subject to transmission should be transmitted, based on the first data amount, the second data amount, and the third data amount, and to notify, to the second protocol layer, the determination.

10. The transmission-side node according to claim 9, wherein the second protocol layer is configured to preferentially transmit data subject to transmission having the shortest survival time, out of the data subject to transmission received from the first protocol layer.