Method for Priority Based Queuing and Assembling of Packets

• US 20070297435A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bucknell, Paul, Moulsley, Timothy, Baker, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/56 implementing delay-aware scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6255 queue load conditions, e.g. longest queue first
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Data packets having different assigned priorities are multiplexed by operating a queue for each different priority of data packet and assembling groups (80) of the data packets for transmission. Each group has two portions. A first portion (90) of the group is populated with data packets selected from one or more of the queues according to a first rule and a second portion (95) of the group is populated with data packets selected from one or more of the queues according to a second rule. Preferably the first portion contains data packets having the highest priority, and the second portion contains a selection of the data packets having a lower a priority. Selection of data packets for the second portion may depend on criteria such as delay experienced and queue length. The size of the first and second portions may be adapted according to delay experienced and queue length.

Claims

1. A method of multiplexing data packets having different assigned priorities, comprising:

receiving data packets;

operating a queue for each different priority of data packet;

assembling a group of the data packets wherein a first portion (90) of the group is populated with data packets selected from one or more of the queues according to a first rule and a second portion (95) of the group is populated with data packets selected from one or more of the queues according to a second rule; and

transmitting the group.

2. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1 wherein according to the first rule data packets are selected from the queue containing the highest priority of the data packets.

3. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from one or more of the queues containing data packets having a lower priority than the highest priority.

4. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from any queue, except at least the highest priority queue, for which the data packets have experienced a delay longer than a threshold delay.

5. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from any queue which has more data awaiting transmission than a threshold amount of data, except at least the highest priority queue.

6. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, comprising adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) according to the prevailing mix of priorities of the data packets.

7. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, comprising adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) according to the amount of data in the queues.

8. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, comprising adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) according to the delay experienced by data in each queue relative to a delay criterion for the respective queue.

9. A method of multiplexing as claimed in claim 1, comprising receiving a signal indicative of a mix of first and second portions (90, 95) and adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) in response to the signal.

10. Multiplexing apparatus (300) for multiplexing data packets having different assigned priorities, comprising:

means (10) for receiving data packets;

means (30, 40) for operating a queue store (50) for each different priority of data packet;

means (60, 80) for assembling a group of the data packets wherein a first portion (90) of the group is populated with data packets by selecting data packets from one or more of the queue stores (50) according to a first rule and a second portion (95) of the group is populated with data packets by selecting data packets from one or more of the queue stores (50) according to a second rule; and

means (100) for transmitting the group.

11. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10 wherein according to the first rule data packets are selected from the queue store (50) containing the highest priority of the data packets.

12. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from one or more of the queue stores (50) containing data packets having a lower priority than the highest priority.

13. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10 wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from any queue store (50), except at least the highest priority queue store, for which the data packets have experienced a delay longer than a threshold delay.

14. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, wherein according to the second rule data packets are selected from any queue store (50) which has more data awaiting transmission than a threshold amount of data, except at least the highest priority queue store (50).

15. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, comprising means (110) for adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) according to the prevailing mix of priorities of the data packets.

16. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, comprising means (110) for adapting the size of the first and second portions according to the amount of data in the queue stores (50).

17. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, comprising means (110) for adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) according to the delay experienced by data in each queue store (50) relative to a delay criterion for the respective queue store (50).

18. Multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10, comprising means (100) for receiving a signal indicative of a mix of first and second portions and means (110) for adapting the size of the first and second portions (90, 95) in response to the signal.

19. A communication terminal (410) comprising the multiplexing apparatus (300) as claimed in claim 10.

20. A communication system comprising a first communication terminal (410) as claimed in claim 19 for transmitting data packets, and a second communication terminal (400) for receiving the data packets.