NETWORK BANDWIDTH DETECTION, DISTRIBUTION AND TRAFFIC PRIORITIZATION

• US 20090144425A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Marr, James E., Takeda, Yutaka, Vass, Attila, White, Payton R., Detwiler, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/521 Static queue service slot or fixed bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/525 by redistribution of residual bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Network bandwidth detection and distribution and prioritizing network traffic among two or more distinct channels of communication within a single application in a node configured to communicate with one or more other nodes over a network is disclosed. For a particular time quantum, a bandwidth quantum may be distributed amongst two or more communication channels according to priorities associated with those channels.

Claims

1. In a node configured to communicate with one or more other nodes over a network, a method for network bandwidth detection, distribution and traffic prioritization, the method comprising:

a) detecting an available bandwidth for communication between the first node and a second node;

b) determining a distribution for the available bandwidth among the two or more communication channels by distributing a bandwidth quantum BQ for a time quantum T amongst N≧

2 communication channels C₁ . . . C_N, based on priorities P₁ . . . P_N correspondingly assigned to channels C₁ . . . C_N, wherein each channel is assigned a reserved portion of the bandwidth quantum BQ, wherein a size R_i of the reserved portion assigned to a given channel C_i of the N channels C₁ . . . C_N, is greater than zero and wherein R_i is determined based on the corresponding priority P_i assigned to the given channel C_i;

c) transmitting an amount of ready data, if any, for each channel C_i that is greater than zero and less than or equal to the size R_i of the reserved portion for that channel; and

d) redistributing any unused part of any reserved portion R_i amongst any of the N communication channels C₁ . . . C_N having un-transmitted ready data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the size R_i of a given reserved portion is determined by:

3. The method of claim 1, wherein d) takes place before b) and wherein d) includes redistributing any unused part of any reserved portion R_i from a previous time quantum amongst any of the two or more communication channels having un-transmitted buffered data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the bandwidth quantum BQ prior to b).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more communications channels include an audio channel, a video channel, and a file transfer channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the size R_i assigned to a given channel C_i is greater than a predetermined maximum size M_i for the channel C_i, allocating a difference R_i-M_i to one or more other channels.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the size R_i for a given channel C_i is less than a predetermined minimum size m_i for the channel C_i, excluding from a) any channels with lower priority than C_i until the minimum size m_i has been met.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein if more than one of the channels has a predetermined minimum size, b) includes initially distributing the bandwidth quantum BQ to a highest priority channel with a minimum size and any other channels having a higher priority.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein b) comprises determining each priority P_i according to a predetermined policy module for the corresponding channel C_i.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein b) further comprises assigning a maximum and/or minimum value to the size R_i according to the predetermined policy module.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein b) further comprises assigning a maximum and/or minimum value to the size R_i according to a predetermined policy module for the corresponding channel C_i.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the single application is an audio-video chat application.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein c) further comprises implementing a queuing policy for one or more of the communication channels C₁ . . . C_N.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein implementing the queuing policy includes buffering one or more data units by a given communication channel C_i that cannot be transmitted during the time quantum T.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein implementing the queuing policy includes discarding an older data unit in favor of a new data unit.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the older data unit and new data unit comprise audio frames or video frames.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein a) includes

detecting a traffic status with the second node in response to one or more message packets received from the first node;

sending a request from the first node to the second node, wherein the request includes a sending rate for the first node to send message packets to the second node, wherein the sending rate is determined from the traffic status.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein a) includes detecting saturation of the available bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising padding the available bandwidth during communication between the first node and the second node.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein a) includes:

sending one or more message packets from the first node to the second node;

receiving a sending rate from the second node in response to the one or more message packets; and

sending data from the first node to the second node at the sending rate.

21. A node configured to communicate with one or more other nodes over a network, the node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having therein a set of instructions executable by the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for prioritizing network traffic among two or more distinct channels of communication within a single application, the method comprising;

a) detecting an available bandwidth for communication between the first node and a second node;

b) determining a distribution for the available bandwidth among the two or more communication channels by distributing a bandwidth quantum BQ for a time quantum T amongst N≧

2 communication channels C₁ . . . C_N, based on priorities P₁ . . . P_N correspondingly assigned to channels C₁ . . . C_N, wherein each channel is assigned a reserved portion of the bandwidth quantum BQ, wherein a size R_i of the reserved portion assigned to a given channel C_i of the N channels C₁ . . . C_N, is greater than zero and wherein R_i is determined based on the corresponding priority P_i assigned to the given channel C_i;

c) transmitting an amount of ready data, if any, for each channel C_i that is greater than zero and less than or equal to the size R_i of the reserved portion for that channel; and

d) redistributing any unused part of any reserved portion R_i amongst any of the N communication channels C₁ . . . C_N having un-transmitted ready data.

22. The node of claim 21, further comprising one or more instructions in memory configured to implement one or more policy modules configured to determine the priorities P₁ . . . P_N for the corresponding channels C₁ . . . C_N.

23. The node of claim 22, wherein one or more of the policy modules is configured to assign a maximum and/or minimum size to an amount of data that can be transmitted during the time quantum T on one or more of the channels C₁ . . . C_N.

24. The node of claim 22, wherein one or more of the policy modules is configured to assign a maximum and size M_i to an amount of data that can be transmitted during the time quantum T over a given channel C_i, wherein the set of instructions is configured to allocate a difference R_i-M_i from a given channel C_i to one or more other channels if the size R_i assigned to the given channel C_i is greater than the maximum size M_i.

25. The node of claim 22, wherein one or more of the policy modules is configured to assign a minimum size m_i to an amount of data that can be transmitted during the time quantum T over a given channel C_i, wherein the set of instructions is configured to exclude from c) any channels with lower priority than a channel C_i until an amount of data greater than or equal to the minimum size m_i has been sent over the channel C_i.

26. The node of claim 25, wherein the set of instructions is configured such that c) includes initially distributing the bandwidth quantum BQ to a highest priority channel with a minimum size and any other channels having a higher priority if more than one of the channels is assigned a minimum size to an amount of data that can be transmitted during the time quantum T.

27. The node of claim 21, wherein the set of instructions is configured such that d) further comprises implementing a queuing policy for one or more of the communication channels C₁ . . . C_N.

28. The node of claim 27, wherein the set of instructions is configured such that implementing the queuing policy includes buffering one or more data units by a given communication channel C_i that cannot be transmitted during the time quantum T.

29. The node of claim 27, wherein the set of instructions is configured such that implementing the queuing policy includes discarding an older data unit in favor of a newer data unit.

30. The node of claim 29 wherein the older data unit and newer data unit comprise one or more audio frames or video frames.

31. The node of claim 21 wherein the single application is an audio-video chat application.

32. The node of claim 21 wherein the two or more communications channels include an audio channel, a video channel, and a file transfer channel.

33. The node of claim 21, further comprising a bandwidth module configured to determine the bandwidth quantum BQ.

34. A tangible, computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable on a node to implement a method for prioritizing network traffic among two or more distinct channels of communication within a single application, the method comprising:

a) detecting an available bandwidth for communication between the first node and a second node;

b) determining a distribution for the available bandwidth among the two or more communication channels by distributing a bandwidth quantum BQ for a time quantum T amongst N≧

2 communication channels C₁ . . . C_N, based on priorities P₁ . . . P_N correspondingly assigned to channels C₁ . . . C_N, wherein each channel is assigned a reserved portion of the bandwidth quantum BQ, wherein a size R_i of the reserved portion assigned to a given channel C_i of the N channels C₁ . . . C_N, is greater than zero and wherein R_i is determined based on the corresponding priority P_i assigned to the given channel C_i;

c) transmitting an amount of ready data, if any, for each channel C_i that is greater than zero and less than or equal to the size R_i of the reserved portion for that channel; and

d) redistributing any unused part of any reserved portion R_i amongst any of the N communication channels C₁ . . . C_N having un-transmitted ready data.