Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/10—Flow control; Congestion control
  • H04L47/24—Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
  • H04L47/2425—Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
  • H04L47/2433—Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/74—Admission control; Resource allocation measures in reaction to resource unavailability
  • H04L47/743—Reaction at the end points
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/74—Admission control; Resource allocation measures in reaction to resource unavailability
  • H04L47/745—Reaction in network
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/74—Admission control; Resource allocation measures in reaction to resource unavailability
  • H04L47/748—Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/76—Admission control; Resource allocation using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
  • H04L47/765—Admission control; Resource allocation using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions triggered by the end-points
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/78—Architectures of resource allocation
  • H04L47/781—Centralised allocation of resources
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/80—Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
  • H04L47/801—Real time traffic
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/80—Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
  • H04L47/805—QOS or priority aware
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/80—Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
  • H04L47/806—Broadcast or multicast traffic
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/70—Admission control; Resource allocation
  • H04L47/82—Miscellaneous aspects
  • H04L47/822—Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/50—Network services
  • H04L67/60—Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources
  • H04L67/61—Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
  • H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
  • H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
  • H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and a system for providing communication services between subscriber connections and/or for passing different information types to the subscriber connection in the communications network.
• connection it is known, that different information types, such as speech-, data-, multimedia- and video/TV communication, require different communication speeds to make problem-free communication possible, h narrow-band connections, only speech communication and data communication are carried out problem-free without de- lays and without compressing the signal to be transmitted, if the signal to be transmitted does not contain moving images. Accordingly, in order to allow possible the transmission of all different signal types, a sufficiently broad-band access connection or access network of the subscriber connection must be provided in the communications network. In the following, for simplicity, the access connection or access network are referred to as connection. Thus, it is preferred that the connection speed is at least 64 kbp/s.
• the subscriber com ection refers to a physical terminal equipment, such as a telephone or a workstation, which generally has a wired or wireless connection to the communications network.
• the subscriber connection which, as such, contains one or more wired or wireless user interfaces, also refers to an area network, such as for example,
• - LAN Local Area Network
• WAN Wide Area Network
• Ethernet token ring
• ARCNET Fire Distributed Data Interface
• FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface
• WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
• wireless network which is based on the IEEE 802.11 standard
• the subscriber connection also refers to a logical interface with the connection or with the communications network for sending signals from the subscriber connection and for receiving them from the communications network over the connection.
• the communications network which can be public or non-public, refers both to a fixed telecommunication or data transmission network, to whose area exchange the subscriber connection is connected through a wired connection, and to a mobile network, to whose base station system the subscriber connection connects through a wireless connection, and which base station system is connected, in turn, through a fixed connection, to the mobile phone exchange of the mobile network.
• the communications network can therefore, as such, be a commercial or non-commercial telecommunication and/or data transmission network, which is owned and/or maintained by any network operator or service operator, such as a tele service operator and/or a mobile service operator and being comprised of network elements, such as exchanges, gateways, base station systems, different registers and databases and suchlike, and the connections provided therebetween by circuit switching, packet switching and/or by routers/switches.
• network operator or service operator such as a tele service operator and/or a mobile service operator and being comprised of network elements, such as exchanges, gateways, base station systems, different registers and databases and suchlike, and the connections provided therebetween by circuit switching, packet switching and/or by routers/switches.
• connection technique such as e.g. WEB, PLMN, PSTN, ISDN, cable TV and such, is used.
• a preferred solution for providing a fixed connection is the wide-band xDSL te- chnique (DSL, Digital Subscriber Line), including e.g. ADSL (Asymmetric DSL),
• RADSL Ring-Adaptive DSL from Westwell
• CDSL Conser DSL from Rockwell
• HDSL High bit-rate DSL
• SDSL Symmetric DSL
• UDSL Unidirectional DSL
• VDSL Very High DSL
• DM Division Multiplexing
• CDM- Code Division Multiplexing
• TDM- Time Division Multiplexing
• FDM- multiplexing Frequency Division Multiplexing
• the data infor- mation is transmitted typically based on the IP addresses and packaged in to relatively small units, i.e. in packets, meaning that a typical data transmission network is a packet switched data network.
• the server providing the service communicates, through the access server/servers, with the data network in question, which in turn communicates with the communications network, whereby the data transmission path from the server providing the service to the subscriber connection or subscriber network can be created over the server interface to the communications network and from the communications network over the subscriber connection to the subscriber connection or subscriber network.
• connection set-up from the subscriber connection over the interface to the communications network, is not essential for the present invention, it should be noted that, the connection set-up can be switched or the subscriber connection is connected to the communications network through a fixed connection.
• the subscriber connection can be a fixed network connection, whereby a broad- band connection is provided between the fixed connection and the communications network, preferably being an xDSL connection, or a mobile network connec- tion, such as e.g. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) or a third generation 3G connection, such as e.g.
• GPRS General Packet Radio Service
• UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service
• WCDMA Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access
• a broad-band connection preferably an xDMA-connection (DMA, Division Multiple Access) is provided over the air, between the mobile connection and the communications network.
• the subscriber connection can be an individual terminal equipment, such as a telephone or a workstation
• the subscriber comiection can comprise an area network, such as e.g. LAN-, WLAN-, WAN-, Bluetooth-, RF- (Radio Frequency), intranet-, internet or some other closed or open data transmission network to which several wired or wireless terminal equipment have been arranged through a network server, router, switch, router/switch combination i.e. a so-called hub, or a similar equipment.
• the subscriber connection is an indi- vidual terminal equipment or area network
• the connection between the subscriber connection and communications network can be wired or wireless.
• the terminal equipment in the area network can be a wired and/or wireless terminal equipment.
• SIP Session Initiation Protocol
• Proxy has been used in this description of the invention.
• Proxy gen- erally refers to a server, which operates as a repeater between the subscriber connection or subscriber terminal equipment and the network applying to the IP- protocol, such as the Internet.
• IP- protocol such as the Internet.
• the transmission speed, number of errors and other features are measured, and to some extent, the quality of transmission is ensured by the QoS (Quality of Service) -facility.
• QoS relates foremost to continuous broad-band video and multimedia communication, the content of which is diffi- cult to send by using the ordinary "Best Efforf'-protocols associated typically with the Internet communication.
• the publication WO 02/09358 represents a close prior art, where, according to the described method, the service provider allocates a specific amount of frequency band for the connections and changes it dynamically on the basis of the existing frequency band and the band required by the connections.
• the data structure of the QoS classes and the WRR weighting method (Weighted Round Robin) are used for implementing the method, whereby an attempt is made to divide the available frequency band as optimally as possible to the connections that need it.
• DSLAM Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer
• Backbone is a larger transmission line which transmits data, and which has been built up from smaller lines that are connected to the backbone line in question.
• Locally backbone is a line or a group of lines, which is connected by an area network, such as e.g. the LAN network, into a connection of a larger area network, such as e.g. the WAN network, or which, in the area network efficiently bridges the distances.
• the backbone is a group of gateways connected by the local or area networks to the long distance connections.
• the access points are known as the communications network nodes or exchanges.
• the previously known broad-band WCDMA system is a 3G system in accordance with the ITU standards.
• the WCDMA is generally based on the CDMA technol- ogy and it applies the changing bandwidth that is optimized according to the data type to be transmitted.
• the WCDMA is one of the third generation (3G) wireless communication technologies, and its object is to provide faster data speeds over the wireless connection and thus more efficiently support different information types.
• the WCDMA is a modulation and multi access technology based on the "spread spectrum" model known per se.
• the "spread spectrum” is a form of wireless communication, where the frequency of the sent signal is changed in purpose, resulting with a substantially wider bandwidth than if the signal width was not changed.
• the technology is meant to be used in chang- ing only one data transmission type bandwidth at a time; the signal with a constant frequency is exposed to strong interference. This occurs when other signal is transmitted at the same frequency or at a frequency very close to the frequency of the desired signal.
• the strong interference may be unintentional, as in radio amateur communication, or it can be intentional, as in a state of war; and the constant frequency signal is easy to catch, therefore it is not applicable to applications where the information between the sender and receiver should remain confidential.
• Weakness of the WCDMA is also, that only one type of data can be transmitted over the access network at one time.
• One general object of the present invention is to eliminate, or at least substantially reduce, the weaknesses and drawbacks with the conventional way of providing services, and to provide an improved method and system for managing and/or improving different services, more preferably differently prioritized communication services and/or data transmission connections, such as e.g. telephone communication, video/TN communication or data transmission, and/or Internet data transmis- sion applying the IP protocol, between the subscriber connection or the server providing the service and the subscriber connections over the router or switch device arranged in the communication network.
• communication services and/or data transmission connections such as e.g. telephone communication, video/TN communication or data transmission, and/or Internet data transmis- sion applying the IP protocol
• One specific object of the invention is to provide a connection between the sub- scriber connection and communications network that can be changed or that can adapt its bandwidth flexibly, i.e. in accordance with the data transmission or communication requirements.
• This connection according to the invention and flexibly changing its bandwidth will in future be referred to as the connection with dynamically changing bandwidth.
• the connection with dynamically chang- ing bandwidth changes thus its bandwidth according to the different communications requirements and creates and guarantees a sufficient data transmission capacity and speed in different communication and data transmission situations.
• the invention thus provides, e.g. alongside the telephone traffic, when required, a simultaneous TN/video communication or some other multimedia communication and/or a "Best Effort" type data transmission, such as e.g. the internet communication applying the IP protocol.
• the object of the invention is not to limit itself to only transmitting to specific different information types over the subscriber connection with a data transmission band dynamically changing its bandwidth, which is divided into sub-bands for each different data transmission type, the bandwidth of these sub-bands is dynamically changing in relation to each other, depending on the data transmission and transfer requirements.
• the existence of any of the data transmission types is not necessary as such, since the data transmission types to be transmitted can be selected freely from a group of different data transmission types, including pref- erably at least the "Best Effort" type data transmission, the TN/Video or corresponding multimedia communication and the SIP controlled telephone communication.
• the different data transmission types can be prioritized in relation to each other to acquire different priorities, by applying the data transmission proto- col, and the data transmission types can also reserve the entire maximum bandwidth or they can change dynamically on the entire data transmission bandwidth.
• the invention also provides the communication and/or data transmission of at least two different traffic classes of an information type and being of just one information type, such as e.g. the "Best Effort" type data transmission, TV/Video- or similar multimedia communication or SIP controlled telephone communication, over the subscriber connection, having a data transmission band that dynamically changes its bandwidth and that is divided into traffic class-specific sub-bands, whose bandwidth changes dy- namically in relation to each other depending on the data transmission and communication requirements.
• the "Best Effort" type data transmission TV/Video- or similar multimedia communication or SIP controlled telephone communication
• the traffic classes of one data transmission type are prioritized by using the data transmission protocol into different priorities in relation to each other and the sub- band bandwidths of the traffic classes can reserve the entire maximum bandwidth or they can dynamically change on the entire data transmission bandwidth.
• the object is to provide the widening and narrowing of the data transmission band, according to the respective communications requirements.
• the object is to prioritize the traffic classes of the different information types or one information type, in accordance with the data transmission protocol, for the respective information types or for the traffic classes of the respective information type, in order to optimize the bandwidth of the required sub-band.
• the different data transmission types of the data transmission band are prioritized in relation to each other, whereby an individual sub-band of the data transmission type is reserved for each data transmission type. Then, as above was described, there are at least two data transmission types to be transmitted.
• the lowest priority is given to the "best effort" data transmission, which typically is data transmission that applies the data transmission, preferably the TCP/IP protocol, that the middle priority is given to the multimedia data transmission, which preferably is TV/video data transmission, and that the highest priority is given to communication which preferably is SIP controlled communication and/or telephone traffic.
• the "best effort" data transmission typically is data transmission that applies the data transmission, preferably the TCP/IP protocol
• the middle priority is given to the multimedia data transmission, which preferably is TV/video data transmission
• the highest priority is given to communication which preferably is SIP controlled communication and/or telephone traffic.
• larger numbers of different data transmission types with different priorities can be used.
• the prioritization can be provided also within one data transmission type, for different traffic classes or optional services. Then, an individual traffic class or service specific sub-band from the data transmission band or the data transmission band's sub-band is reserved for the each traffic class or optional service of one data transmission type.
• this problem of preventing the possible exceeding of the total bandwidth can be solved so that the sub-band or bandwidth of the higher priority information type or traffic class reduce the bandwidth of the sub-band of the lower priority information type or traffic class, resulting in the sum of sub-band bandwidths being below the maximum bandwidth of the connection's total data transmission band.
• this problem of preventing the possible exceeding of the total bandwidth can be solved so that, the sub-band bandwidth of each information type or traffic class is reduced, whereby the sum of the sub-band bandwidths remains below the maximum bandwidth of the total data transmission band of the connection. Then the sub-band bandwidth of all the information types or traffic classes are preferably reduced relatively equal amounts so, that the sum of the sub-band bandwidths is below the maximum bandwidth of the total data transmission band. Most preferred is, that the bandwidths of all the information types or traffic classes are reduced by the equal percentage, whereby the sum of sub-band bandwidths remains below said maximum bandwidth.
• the dynamically changing comiection between the communications network subscriber connection can be activated, either from the subscriber connection using the connection, i.e. from the connection's user interface connection, or from the subscriber connection using the comiection i.e. from the user interface of a third party being independent from the connection's subscriber connection.
• Fig. 1 shows a transmission system in the communications network generally according to the invention
• Fig. 2 illustrates the division of the communication or data transmission traffic into sub-bands in the data transmission band of the connection dynamically changing its bandwidth, according to an example of the data transmission protocol
• Fig. 3 illustrates an example of signaling, where the bandwidth is desired to be changed in accordance with to the request, either by narrowing the subscriber connection bandwidth, by widening the subscriber connection bandwidth or by releasing enough lower priority bandwidth in order to get another data transmission type or service in to the user's subscriber connection from the subscriber connection in question, from the server or the second subscriber connection or from the third party, and
• Fig. 4 illustrates another example of signaling, where the bandwidth is desired to be changed in accordance with the request, either by narrowing the subscriber connection bandwidth, by widening the subscriber connection bandwidth or by releasing enough lower priority bandwidth in order to get another data transmis- sion type or service in to the user's subscriber connection from the subscriber con- nection in question, from the server or the second subscriber connection or from the third party.
• the transmission system according to the present in- vention and arranged in the communications network 200, and providing the implementing of the improved communication between the subscriber connections 100 of the communications network 200, and the transmission of the differently prioritized information types or the differently prioritized traffic classes of an individual information type from the server 301, 302, 401 providing the service, to the subscriber connection 100, belongs at least one data network 300, 400, preferably being a data network applying the TCP/IP protocol, such as e.g. the internet, and to which data network the server 301, 302, 401 providing the service, is connected to, and which data network is connected to the communication network 200 for providing the services from the server in question, over the subscriber connection access i.e.
• TCP/IP protocol such as e.g. the internet
• the data transmission path from the communications network 200 through the router and/or switch device, preferably through the QoS router 202, to the sub- scriber connection 100 comprises a data transmission band with changing bandwidth.
• the data network 300, 400 or the communications network type is not relevant to the present invention, it should be noted shortly, that the packaging of information for the data transmission in the data network can be implemented in other ways than by using the TCP/IP protocol.
• the TCP/IP network is, due to it being widely spread and having open interfaces, the preferred option for the "Best Effort" data transmission.
• the communications network can be a fixed or mobile network, it is however preferred, that the subscriber access connection 500 to the communications network 200 could be arranged as a wide band connection.
• the management means 204 of the QoS router 202 arranged in the communications network and controlling the data transmission of the servers 301, 302, 401 providing the service, over the QoS router 202 arranged in the communications network 200 to the subscriber connection-specific data transmission band, or the communication between the two subscriber connections 100 of the communications network 200 over the QoS router 202 changes the total bandwidth of the data transmission band and/or the bandwidths of the sub-bands by controlling the QoS router 202.
• the data transmission connection between the QoS router 202 and its management means 204 is as such, substantially problem-free for an average person skilled in the art.
• the data transmission connection between the QoS router 202 and its management means 204 can be provided by using the network protocols known in the telecommunications and designed for the data transmission between network elements, these being e.g. the xUP (User Part) and xAP (Application Part) network protocols above the third layer of the se- ven-layer OSI model, such as e.g. TUP (Telephony User Part), ISUP (ISDN).
• TUP Transmission User Part
• ISUP ISDN
• the system according to the invention is then a system distributed in one communications network. - If the QoS router 202 arranged in the communications network 200 has a data transmission connection with e.g.
• the access server of the data network that uses the IP protocol such as the Internet can be implemented by using the UP- or AP-network protocols known in the telecom- munications and designed for the data transmission between the network elements, and the second data transmission connection between the management means 204 and the access server (not shown) can be provided by using, for example the TCP/IP protocol.
• the system according to the invention is then a system distributed in at least two communications networks, at least one of which is the telecommunications network and the other is the data network, such as the internet.
• the QoS router 202 and its management means 204 can also be integrated into one network element of the communications network 200. Then there is no need for a specific standard network protocol solution for providing the data transmission between the functions, but the required data transmission can be provided by using an internal control of that network element.
• the system in accordance with the invention is then an integrated network element in the communications network.
• Sub-bands are reserved, according to the invention, from the data transmission band with dynamically changing bandwidth, for the communication or data transmission types with different priorities according to the respective requirements, and/or for the different traffic classes with different priorities.
• the multimedia communication such as TV/video communication and e.g. the IP or SIP controlled calls can be transmitted using their respective data transmission type sub-band,
• TV/Video/Multimedia traffic band when different priorities are reserved for different information types, such as news or sports transmission channel/s, video films, TV-channels,
• - different traffic classes of an individual data transmission type which can be prioritized in relation to each other, can be transmitted by using an internal traffic class sub-band of the respective data transmission type, and - at least one of the at least two different data transmission types to be transmitted is divided into at least two traffic classes with different priorities, whereby the traffic classes are transmitted within the sub-band of the respective data transmission type, each in their own traffic class sub-band.
• the data transmission protocol applies the data transmission protocol.
• the most typical data transmission types are a)"best effort" data transmission including e.g. the internet data transmission or other IP service from the data network of the applied TCP/IP protocol, such as e.g. security, emergency, surveillance services etc., b) multimedia data transmission of e.g. commonly QoS supported TV/video communications, and c) SIP controlled communication, preferably SIP controlled calls, with high quality requirements, that is QoS supported data transmission.
• a) the "best effort" data transmission of the class has the lowest priority
• the multimedia data transmission of the class has the middle priority
• the SIP controlled communication of the class has the highest priority.
• the protocol is as the following: -
• the protocol ensures that the used data transmission or communication total capacity does not go beyond the limits of the connection's 500 physical total data transmission band.
• the ADSL connection can have five (5) overlapping call connections, three (3) TV/video connections (2MB/s) and "best effort" traffic.
• the management of the system according to the invention allows increasing of the "best effort" traffic's data transmission band, if one or more sub-bands of the higher priority data transmission type, such as a TV/Video channel and/or a call connection, is removed from the data transmission band.
• the "best effort" traffic is, preferably automatically narrowed, if one or more new higher priority sub-bands of the data transmission type is opened, such as a TV/Video channels and/or a call con- nection.
• the protocol controls the bandwidth and quality features of the subscriber connection's 100 access, for example using the QoS router 202 settings.
• the QoS router is required to have at least the management properties of the total bandwidth of the comiection 500 and also the management properties of the quality grades.
• Respective priorities are defined for the logical channels, based on the priority mechanisms offered by the used protocol, for example the Quality of Service (QoS) classes of the Internet Protocol (IP).
• QoS Quality of Service
• IP Internet Protocol
• the classification can be for example the traffic of the highest priority SIP controlled call communication, the middle priority TV/video or other multimedia traffic, and the lowest priority
• At least one middle priority traffic can be transmitted over the QoS router 202.
• the subscriber connection 100 is given the required optional basic bandwidth and maximum bandwidth, which determines the total bandwidth of the data transmission band of the comiection 500.
• the bandwidth of the upper priority information type de- creases the lower priority bandwidth so, that the sum of the sub-band bandwidths remains within the limits of the total bandwidth and below said maximum bandwidth.
• each of the sub-band bandwidths of the information type transmit- ted to the subscriber connection 100 is decreased so, that the sum of the sub-band bandwidths remains within the limits of the total bandwidth. Then the decreasing of the sub-band bandwidths can be provided so, that all the sub-band bandwidths of the information types that are transmitted to the subscriber connection, are decreased relatively equal amounts, i.e. preferably the same percentage. Then the sum of the sub-band bandwidths remains within the limits of the total bandwidth and below the maximum bandwidth.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the division of the information transmitted through a data transmission path, according to a data transmission protocol example, in different situations. It should be emphasized, that the Fig. 2 illustrates only some of the data transmission situations, of which there are several, depending on the respective data transmission situation and requirement.
• the subscriber connection is in a mode in accordance with the basic agree- ment where the data transmission band of the "best-effort" data transmission sub-bandwidth is used.
• the user adds on top of the base band, and for the highest priority service, the sub-band of the highest priority data transmission type, i.e. the SIP controlled call.
• the sum of the increased bandwidth and the base band remains still be- low the agreed maximum bandwidth of the subscriber connection 100.
• the user orders the lowest priority bandwidth, i.e. the "best effort" bandwidth beyond the physical maximum bandwidth, whereby the transmission system 200 limits the used bandwidth to the agreed physical maximum bandwidth of the connection 500.
• the user lowers the required bandwidth of the lowest priority data transmission type below the maximum bandwidth, whereby the transmission system 200 lowers the total bandwidth of the data transmission band according to the users request. .
• the user opens a connection with a middle priority. If the then required bandwidth of the sub-band of the middle priority data transmission type alone or together with the bandwidths of the other sub-bands being already in use exceeds the maximum bandwidth of the connection 500, the bandwidth of the sub-band of lower priority will be limited. .
• the user opens, in addition to the step 6, the sub-band of the highest priority class data transmission type. Then the sub-band of the lowest priority data transmission type will be limited even further.
• the user opens the second middle priority class connection, whereby the bandwidth of the sub-band of the lowest priority class data transmission type will be limited. 10.
• the user opens the third middle priority class connection, whereby the bandwidth of the entire physical transmission path comes into the use of the prioritized data transmission types sub-bands. Then the service of the traffic of data transmission type in accordance with the lowest priority class is terminated.
• the user opens the highest priority class service.
• the lowest data transmission type sub-band of the above step 10 does not exist any more, so limiting this lowest priority sub-band does not result in additional bandwidth.
• the sub-bands of the data transmission type with lower priority than the highest priority are limited evenly, preferably proportionally in equal amounts i.e. the same percentage. 12. Return to the situation in step 10.
• step 13 Return to the situation in step 9, whereby the lowest priority data transmission type will again get the data transfer band.
• the user limits the bandwidth of the sub-band of the lowest priority data transmission type to the base bandwidth according to the subscriber agree- ment.
• the user closes one of the data transmission types of the middle priority. 16. The user closes all the services in accordance with the middle priority data transmission type. A sub-band of base bandwidth , e.g. the "best-effort" data transmission band is in use again.
• the subscriber connection 100 uses the dynamically and in real-time optional data transmission bandwidth for the data transmission from the subscriber connection, it is desirable, that when using the present invention the subscriber connection invoicing is also a ⁇ anged.
• the invoicing system 205 is arranged in connec- tion with the management means 204 of the QoS router 202, whereby the subscriber comiection 100 can be invoiced according to the agreed changes in the base bandwidth of the data transmission band.
• Fig. 3 illustrates one example of signaling, where the bandwidth is desired to be changed in an amount according to the request, either by na ⁇ owing the subscriber connection bandwidth, by widening the subscriber comiection bandwidth or by releasing the lower priority bandwidth enough in order to get the second data transmission type or service in to the user's subscriber connection from the above mentioned subscriber connection, server or the second subscriber connection or from the third party.
• the transmission system contains a switch device 202, which is a QoS router and which is a ⁇ anged to the communications network 200, over a subscriber connection 100 and server 301, 302, 401, belonging to or connected to a data network, preferably being an internet network subscriber connection 100 and to the data network 300, which preferably is an internet, and which can provide the required service to the subscriber connection 100 over the communications network 200, preferably being: - a low priority "best effort" data transmission service, typically being the services available in the internet network, - a middle priority multimedia data transmission service, being e.g. the video and TV program services, and/or
• the transmission system contains the management means 204 of the QoS router. Additionally, it is preferred according to the invention, that the transmission system is provided with a firewall 203, arranged before the QoS router 202 in the data transmission direction from the communications network 200 to the subscriber connection 100. Arranging the firewall in the transmission system is however optional but preferred.
• the transmission system contains the following functional entities: the protocol, refe ⁇ ed to in Fig. 2, for prioritizing the different data transmission connections, that is the sub-bands or logical bands, according to the invention (Policy Manager, PM); means for identifying the subscriber connection 100, that is the user (Access Control, AC); and means for collecting the log in- fo ⁇ nation to be used by the sub-systems, such as e.g. invoicing 205, and for producing the user- (User Log Recording, ULR) and the system log (System Log, SL).
• the transmission system contains
• system interface management means System Interface Manager, SIM
• configuration- and management means for the external interfaces of the tele network 200 installed in the subscriber connections 100 and the service provider systems 301, 302, 401,
• the firewall unit 203 whose settings can be controlled by the QoS router 202 management means 204, for example in the same way as the QoS router, and through which all traffic and connections subject to the protocol are preferably routed, whereby
• the QoS router 202, the firewall unit 203 and the management means 204 can be integrated into one network element of the communications net- work 200, or
• the QoS router 202, the firewall unit 203 and the management means 204 can be distributed either to one communications network 200 or at least to one communications network that is designed for telecommunication, and at least to one data network that is designed for data transmission, - the support, which has been arranged in e.g. access modules, for different connection techniques known per se and including e.g. WEB, PLMN, PSTN, ISDN, cable TV, etc.,
• the firewall 203 When the firewall 203 is arranged to be controlled by the management means 204, the firewall can be controlled by changing its settings with the management means 204. Additionally, the firewall unit 203 enables the information access, such as the type and subscriber of the initiated connection, changes and terminations of the comiections, to the management means 204 by using the SIP signaling from the SIP proxy 401 to the firewall unit 203.
• a connection is created over the com- munications network 200, being the original connection in accordance with the step 2, the bandwidth of which being a base bandwidth supporting only the "best effort" service.
• the bandwidth of which being a base bandwidth supporting only the "best effort" service.
• the request for change of the routing bandwidth is sent to the QoS router management means 204 in the step 3. This request for change can be sent according to the invention
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will determine the possibility of the mentioned required changing of the bandwidth. The result of this determination is taken to the condition processing of the bandwidth change, in accordance with the step 5. Then,
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will send to the sender of the request for bandwidth change a query, e.g. the requested bandwidth is "X”, available bandwidth is "Y", after which the one requiring or asking the bandwidth change can adjust the request for bandwidth change to be in accordance with the available bandwidth "Y".
• the signaling proceed in the transmission system to the step 4; - if the bandwidth according to the request for bandwidth change is available, the subscriber connection bandwidth will be changed in accordance with the step 6. in the transmission system.
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will instruct, in step 7., the QoS router 202 to change, on the one hand, the subscriber connection 100 bandwidth to be in accordance with the request for change and on the other hand the QoS router 202 settings to be in accordance with the changed bandwidth.
• the QoS router 202 sends to the management means 204 of the QoS router a confirmation of the successful setting.
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will, in accordance with the step 8., send information of the changed subscriber connection bandwidth to the invoicing 205, after which, between the subscriber comiection and service/services 301, 302, 401 is formed a modified connection, in accordance with the step 9., whose invoicing is based on the changed bandwidth.
• the Fig. 4 illustrates another signaling example, where the bandwidth is desired to be changed to be in accordance with the request, either by narrowing the subscriber connection bandwidth, by widening the subscriber connection bandwidth or by releasing the lower priority bandwidth enough in order to get the second data transmission type or service in to the user's subscriber connection from the above mentioned subscriber connection, server or the second subscriber connection or from the third party.
• the transmission system according to the Fig. 4 with its arrangement and internal and external interfaces and connections of the communications network 200, co ⁇ esponds substantially with the transmission system of Fig. 3, but differs from the example of Fig. 3 as to signaling of the transmission system.
• a connection is created over the communications network 200, being the initial connection in accordance with the step 2 the bandwidth of which being a base bandwidth supporting only the "best effort" service.
• the bandwidth is a base bandwidth supporting only the "best effort" service.
• the request for change of the routing bandwidth is sent to the QoS router management means 204 in the step 3. This request for change can be sent according to the invention
• the step 4 it is determined by using the management means 204 of the QoS router with the one or two step condition processing, whether the bandwidth change according to the request is possible. Then, in the first step 4a., the first query is made requesting if the bandwidth in accordance with the request for change is available.
• condition queries can be passed in the QoS router 204, and proceed to the signaling step 6., where the subscriber connection bandwidth is changed,
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will send a query to the sender of the request for bandwidth change, e.g. the required bandwidth is "X”, the available bandwidth is "Y”, after which the one requiring or requesting the change in bandwidth will adjust the request for band- width change to be in accordance with the available bandwidth "Y", as a result of which the signaling proceeds in the transmission system through the step 4a to the step 6, in a described way.
• the bandwidths of lower or lowest priorities can be na ⁇ owed relatively or physically equal amounts in order to enable the request for band- width change, as a result of which the signaling proceeds in the transmission system as described above, through the step 4a to the step 6 and substantially enables the providing of all the required services in the subscriber connection 100.
• step 6. the bandwidth of the subscriber connection will be changed.
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will, in the step 7., instruct the QoS router 202 on the one hand to change the subscriber connection 100 bandwidth to co ⁇ espond to the request for change and on the other hand change the QoS router setting 202 to correspond the changed bandwidth.
• the QoS router 202 sends to the management means 202 of the QoS router a confirmation of the successful settings.
• the management means 204 of the QoS router will, in accordance with the step 8., send information of the changed subscriber connection bandwidth to the invoicing 205.
• a modified connection whose invoicing is based on the changed bandwidth, is formed between the subscriber connection and the service/services 301, 302, 401, in accordance with the step 9.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

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Citations (5)

• 2002
  • 2002-09-23 FI FI20021693A patent/FI113316B/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2003
  • 2003-09-23 WO PCT/FI2003/000693 patent/WO2004028087A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-23 AU AU2003262615A patent/AU2003262615A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

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