US6529499B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for providing quality of service for delay sensitive traffic over IP networks
Assignee: WSOU Investments LLC
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Filing: 1998-09-22
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Granted: 2003-03-04
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Expires: 2018-09-22
Abstract
Abstract A quality of service guarantee for voice and other delay sensitive transmissions within an Internet Protocol (IP) network is provided by identifying the IP network path utilized for IP packet transmission between source and destination edge devices and virtually provisioning IP network path bandwidth for priority voice traffic. Priority for voice packets and admission control of new voice calls (and other delay sensitive traffic) based on the remaining available capacity over the IP network path guarantees that high priority voice (and other delay sensitive traffic) meet stringent delay requirements. A Virtual Provisioning Server is utilized to maintain bandwidth capacity data for each path segment within the IP network and to forward the bandwidth capacity data to a Signaling Gateway. The Signaling Gateway determines whether to accept or reject an additional delay sensitive traffic component based upon available bandwidth capacity for an IP network path. The Signaling Gateway then signals the originating source edge device as to its determination to accept or reject. Quality of Service guarantees concerning acceptable delay and jitter characteristics for real-time transmission over an IP network are therefore provided without the need to directly signal the individual IP routers over which an IP network path is established.
Inventors
- 👤 Bharat Tarachand Doshi
- 👤 Enrique Hernandez-Valencia
- 👤 Kotikalapudi Sriram
- 👤 Yung-Terng Wang
- 👤 On-Ching Yue
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/10; H04L65/102; H04L65/1043; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/46; H04L12/4641; H04L45/00; H04L45/50; H04L45/502; H04L47/00; H04L47/10; H04L47/15; H04L47/24; H04L47/2416; H04L47/70; H04L47/78; H04L47/781; H04L47/80; H04L47/801; H04L47/805; H04L47/82; H04L47/822; H04L47/825; H04L65/80; H04M; H04M7/00; H04M7/006; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0025; H04Q3/0062; H04Q3/0066; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13166; H04Q2213/13176; H04Q2213/13196; H04Q2213/13204; H04Q2213/1325; H04Q2213/13332; H04Q2213/13337; H04Q2213/13349; H04Q2213/13352; H04Q2213/13384; H04Q2213/13389; H04Q2213/13399
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for providing a Quality of Service guarantee for delay sensitive traffic conveyed over a path within an Internet Protocol (IP) network having a virtual provisioning server, a source edge device providing an interface for launching said delay sensitive traffic within said IP network, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a signaling gateway, a value representing a bandwidth capacity for said path; receiving at said signaling gateway, a request to establish an additional delay sensitive traffic component over said path; comparing, at said signaling gateway, said value representing said bandwidth capacity for said path with a total bandwidth needed if said additional delay sensitive traffic component is established over said path; identifying, at said signaling gateway, at least one of a plurality of paths within said IP network as having a most limiting available bandwidth capacity, wherein the identified path has sufficient available bandwidth capacity to handle said additional delay sensitive traffic component; and limiting said quantity of said delay sensitive traffic launched from said source edge device to less than or equal to said most limiting available bandwidth capacity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for providing a Quality of Service guarantee for delay sensitive traffic conveyed over a path within an Internet Protocol (IP) network having a virtual provisioning server, a source edge device providing an interface for launching said delay sensitive traffic within said IP network, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a signaling gateway, a value representing a bandwidth capacity for said path; receiving at said signaling gateway, a request to establish an additional delay sensitive traffic component over said path; comparing, at said signaling gateway, said value representing said bandwidth capacity for said path with a total bandwidth needed if said additional delay sensitive traffic component is established over said path; identifying, at said signaling gateway, at least one of a plurality of paths within said IP network as having a most limiting available bandwidth capacity, wherein the identified path has sufficient available bandwidth capacity to handle said additional delay sensitive traffic component; and limiting said quantity of said delay sensitive traffic launched from said source edge device to less than or equal to said most limiting available bandwidth capacity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said value representing said bandwidth capacity for said path is transmitted from said virtual provisioning server to said signaling gateway.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said request to establish said additional delay sensitive traffic component over said path is conveyed from said source edge device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said source edge device is a packet circuit gateway.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of conveying said signal denying said request to establish said additional delay sensitive traffic component from said signaling gateway to said source edge device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of: generating, at said signaling gateway, a signal authorizing said request to establish said additional delay sensitive traffic component if said total bandwidth needed is less than or equal to said value representing said bandwidth capacity for said path; and conveying said signal authorizing said request to establish said additional delay sensitive traffic component from said signaling gateway to said source edge device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: generating, at said signaling gateway, a signal denying said request to establish said additional delay sensitive traffic component if said total bandwidth needed is greater than said value representing said bandwidth capacity for said path.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
246 words
A method for providing a Quality of Service guarantee for real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between a source Packet Circuit Gateway and a destination Packet Circuit Gateway over an Internet Protocol (IP) network having a plurality of routers, said source Packet Circuit Gateway providing an interface for launching said real-time voice transmission traffic within said IP network over an IP network path, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning, from a bandwidth capacity associated with said IP network path, a first provisioned bandwidth capacity for a first Virtual Private Network (VPN), said VPN contracted for said real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway; maintaining, at a Signaling Gateway, a value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN; receiving, at said Signaling Gateway, a request from said source Packet Circuit Gateway to establish a new call connection with said destination Packet Circuit Gateway over said first VPN, in addition to a plurality of presently established call connections; comparing, at said Signaling Gateway, said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN with a required first VPN bandwidth capacity should said new call connection be established; and transmitting, from said Signaling Gateway, a signal denying said request to establish said new call connection if said required first VPN bandwidth capacity should said new call connection be established is greater than said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
246 words
A method for providing a Quality of Service guarantee for real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between a source Packet Circuit Gateway and a destination Packet Circuit Gateway over an Internet Protocol (IP) network having a plurality of routers, said source Packet Circuit Gateway providing an interface for launching said real-time voice transmission traffic within said IP network over an IP network path, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning, from a bandwidth capacity associated with said IP network path, a first provisioned bandwidth capacity for a first Virtual Private Network (VPN), said VPN contracted for said real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway; maintaining, at a Signaling Gateway, a value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN; receiving, at said Signaling Gateway, a request from said source Packet Circuit Gateway to establish a new call connection with said destination Packet Circuit Gateway over said first VPN, in addition to a plurality of presently established call connections; comparing, at said Signaling Gateway, said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN with a required first VPN bandwidth capacity should said new call connection be established; and transmitting, from said Signaling Gateway, a signal denying said request to establish said new call connection if said required first VPN bandwidth capacity should said new call connection be established is greater than said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of: transmitting, from said Signaling Gateway, a signal authorizing said request to establish said new call connection if said required first VPN bandwidth capacity should said new call connection be established is less than or equal to said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein a Virtual Provisioning Server is utilized to provide said Signaling Gateway with said value representing said first provisioned bandwidth capacity for said first VPN.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said Virtual Provisioning Server is adapted to maintain a plurality of Virtual Private Networks over said IP network path.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said Quality of Service guarantee is established by maintaining delay of said real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway below a guaranteed threshold value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said Quality of Service guarantee is established by maintaining jitter of said real-time voice transmission traffic conveyed between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway below a guaranteed threshold value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein a circuit network switch is utilized to supply and accept said plurality of presently established call connections and said new call connection from said source Packet Circuit Gateway.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method in accordance with claim 14 wherein said circuit network switch is a Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) switch.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein at least one of said plurality of routers is operable to support Multi-Protocol Label Switching.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein a plurality of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) routers is utilized to establish a plurality of paths between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method in accordance with claim 17 wherein said Virtual Provisioning Server is further operable to provide said Signaling Gateway with a plurality of values representing bandwidth capacities for each of said plurality of paths between said source Packet Circuit Gateway and said destination Packet Circuit Gateway.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein a plurality of Virtual Provisioning Servers are utilized to service a corresponding plurality of Open Shortest Path First domains.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein a plurality of Virtual Provisioning Servers are utilized to service a corresponding plurality of multiple administrative areas.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-03-03 | 2006-09-02 | 2007-03-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-03-03 | 2010-09-02 | 2011-03-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-03-03 | 2014-09-02 | 2015-03-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |