Service interface for QOS-driven HPNA networks

• US 9,871,739 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O
• Application Number:
  US14/959,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20160087908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 370417
• 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 comprising:

receiving, at a first terminal in a phoneline network, a first message from a second terminal in the phoneline network, the message including an identifier and quality-of-service parameters for a first data flow to be initiated by the second terminal;

in response to the first message, determining scheduling information for the first data flow based on the identifier and the quality-of-service parameters;

sending a second message to indicate a response status for the first message;

receiving a third message including a changed quality-of-service parameter for the first flow; and

updating the scheduling information for the first data flow based on the changed quality-of-service parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is determined by the second terminal based on an address of the first terminal and an address of the second terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further including using a classifier to identify packets belonging to the first data flow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to the first terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to a third terminal different from the first terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality-of-service parameters include a maximum delay parameter and a jitter parameter.

7. A computer readable memory comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a first terminal for a phoneline network to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first message from a second terminal in the phoneline network, the message including an identifier and quality-of-service parameters for a first data flow to be initiated by the second terminal;

in response to the first message, determining scheduling information for the first data flow based on the identifier and the quality-of-service parameters;

sending a second message to indicate a response status for the first message;

receiving a third message including a changed quality-of-service parameter for the first flow; and

updating the scheduling information for the first data flow based on the changed quality-of-service parameter.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the identifier is determined by the second terminal based on an address of the first terminal and an address of the second terminal.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the operations further include using a classifier to identify packets belonging to the first data flow.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to the first terminal.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to a third terminal different from the first terminal.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the quality-of-service parameters include a maximum delay parameter and a jitter parameter.

13. A first terminal for a phoneline network, the first terminal comprising:

memory including computer readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations including;

receiving a first message from a second terminal in the phoneline network, the message including an identifier and quality-of-service parameters for a first data flow to be initiated by the second terminal, wherein the quality-of-service parameters include a maximum delay parameter and a jitter parameter;

in response to the first message, determining scheduling information for the first data flow based on the identifier and the quality-of-service parameters;

sending a second message to indicate a response status for the first message;

receiving a third message including a changed quality-of-service parameter for the first flow; and

updating the scheduling information for the first data flow based on the changed quality-of-service parameter.

14. The first terminal of claim 13, wherein the identifier is determined by the second terminal based on an address of the first terminal and an address of the second terminal.

15. The first terminal of claim 13, wherein the operations further include using a classifier to identify packets belonging to the first data flow.

16. The first terminal of claim 13, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to the first terminal.

17. The first terminal of claim 13, wherein the first data flow is to be initiated by the second terminal for transmission, via the phoneline network, to a third terminal different from the first terminal.