Service interface for QoS-driven HPNA networks

• US 9,231,883 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O
• Application Number:
  US13/963,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20130315261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 370/417, 370/328, 370/329, 370/335, 370/338, 370/342, 370/400, 370/401, 370/420, 370/468, 370/395.41, 370/395.2, 370/346, 370/230, 370/231, 370/445, 709/222, 709/220, 709/227, 709/259, 709/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/18 End to end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

An in-band signaling model media control (MC) terminal for an HPNA network includes a frame classification entity (FCE) and a frame scheduling entity (FSE) and provides end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) by passing the QoS requirements from higher layers to the lower layers of the HPNA network. The FCE is located at an LLC sublayer of the MC terminal, and receives a data frame from a higher layer of the MC terminal that is part of a QoS stream. The FCE classifies the received data frame for a MAC sublayer of the MC terminal based on QoS information contained in the received data frame, and associates the classified data frame with a QoS stream queue corresponding to a classification of the data frame. The FSE is located at the MAC sublayer of the MC terminal, and schedules transmission of the data frame to a destination for the data frame based on a QoS requirement associated with the QoS stream.

Claims

1. A method of classifying data frames in a first layer in a network, the method comprising:

classifying a first data frame received from a second layer in the network into one of a plurality of quality of service streams based on a first value of a quality of service parameter associated with the first data frame, the second layer being a higher layer of the network relative to the first layer, wherein the classifying of the first data frame includes comparing the first value of the quality of service parameter to a stored value;

associating the first data frame with one of a plurality of quality of service queues based on the classifying of the first data frame, each of the plurality of quality of service queues being associated with a respective quality of service stream;

forwarding the first data frame to the one of the plurality of quality of service queues;

forming a frame classification table including a first entry having a frame classifier used for classifying the first data frame based on the first value of the quality of service parameter; and

adding a second entry to the frame classification table when a second data frame received from the second layer is associated with a second value of the quality of service parameter that is not present in the frame classification table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality of service parameter includes a maximum allowed delay.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality of service parameter includes a minimum mean data rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored value includes a plurality of entries in the frame classification table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data frame is part of a first quality of service stream of the plurality of quality of service streams at a logical link control layer of an in-band signaling model non-media control terminal and wherein the first quality of service stream is an up-stream quality of service stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data frame is part of a first quality of service stream of the plurality of quality of service streams at a logical link control layer of an in-band signaling model non-media control terminal and wherein the first quality of service stream is a side-stream quality of service stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of quality of service queues are physically located at a media access control layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a logical link control layer and the frame classification table is located at the logic link control layer.

9. The method of claim 1, further including removing the first entry from the frame classification table when the one of the plurality of quality of service queues is empty and a predetermined amount of time elapses.

10. A method of classifying frames in a first layer in a network, the method comprising:

classifying a first data frame received from a second layer in the network into one of a plurality of quality of service streams based on a first value of a quality of service parameter associated with the first data frame, the second layer being a higher layer of the network relative to the first layer;

associating the first data frame with one of a plurality of quality of service queues based on the classifying of the first data frame, each of the plurality of quality of service queues being associated with a respective quality of service stream;

forwarding the first data frame to the one of the plurality of quality of service queues;

forming a frame classification table including a first entry having a frame classifier used for classifying the first data frame based on the first value of the quality of service parameter;

adding a second entry to the frame classification table when a second data frame received from the second layer is associated with a second value of the quality of service parameter that is not present in the frame classification table, wherein the first data frame is included in a first plurality of data frames;

receiving a second plurality of data frames, each of the second plurality of data frames including an unrecognized quality of service parameter;

classifying each of the second plurality of data frames as a best-effort quality of service stream; and

forwarding each of the second plurality of data frames to a best-effort quality of service queue, the best-effort quality of service queue being associated with the besteffort quality of service stream.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the unrecognized quality of service-parameter does not include quality of service signaling.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the quality of service parameter includes a maximum allowed delay.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the quality of service parameter includes a minimum mean data rate.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data frame is part of a first quality of service stream of the plurality of quality of service streams at a logical link control layer of an in-band signaling model non-media control terminal and wherein the first quality of service stream is an up-stream quality of service stream.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data frame is part of a first quality of service stream of the plurality of quality of service streams at a logical link control layer of an in-band signaling model non-media control terminal and wherein the first quality of service stream is a side-stream quality of service stream.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of quality of service queues are physically located at a media access control layer.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first layer is a logical link control layer and the frame classification table is located at the logic link control layer.

18. The method of claim 10, further including removing the first entry from the frame classification table when the one of the plurality of quality of service queues is empty and a predetermined amount of time elapses.