Admissions control in a connectionless communications network
First Claim
1. A call server for use in a connectionless, packet, communications network in order to provide admissions control, said communications network comprising a plurality of middleboxes, each middlebox being associated with a different link in the communications network and arranged to control packet flow over that link, said call server comprising:
- (i) an input arranged to receive a call admission request from an originating packet media endpoint, said call admission request comprising information about the originating packet media endpoint, and a destination packet media endpoint;
(ii) an input for accessing information about all first middleboxes associated with the originating node and all second middleboxes associated with the destination node, together with information about the amount of available bandwidth on the link associated with each of those middleboxes;
(iii) a processor for determining whether to accept the call admission request on the basis of the accessed information about available bandwidth;
(iv) an output arranged to output the results of the determination as to whether to accept the call admission request.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of providing call admission control which does not require using MIDCOM protocol methods, Packetcable protocols or COPS-RSVP s approaches is described which is simple to implement, cost-effective and which is able to deal with particular situations such as conference calls. Each link in a communications network over which it is required to perform call admissions control is provided with a middlebox connected at each end of that link such that admissions control can be carried out at one end of the link. Call services are provided by Call Servers, each of which has access to a database containing pre-specified information about all middleboxes in that call server'"'"'s realm. The database also has information about maximum bandwidths for the link associated with each middlebox. The call servers are used to keep a running tally of the amount of VoIP call bandwidth associated with each middlebox on the edge of a low-bandwidth link, and to accept or refuse calls on the basis of the bandwidth information on a per-call basis.
7 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A call server for use in a connectionless, packet, communications network in order to provide admissions control, said communications network comprising a plurality of middleboxes, each middlebox being associated with a different link in the communications network and arranged to control packet flow over that link, said call server comprising:
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(i) an input arranged to receive a call admission request from an originating packet media endpoint, said call admission request comprising information about the originating packet media endpoint, and a destination packet media endpoint;
(ii) an input for accessing information about all first middleboxes associated with the originating node and all second middleboxes associated with the destination node, together with information about the amount of available bandwidth on the link associated with each of those middleboxes;
(iii) a processor for determining whether to accept the call admission request on the basis of the accessed information about available bandwidth;
(iv) an output arranged to output the results of the determination as to whether to accept the call admission request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 22, 23)
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5. A method of performing admissions control in a connectionless, packet, communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of middleboxes, each middlebox being associated with a different link in the communications network and arranged to control packet flow over that link, said method comprising the steps of, at a call server:
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(i) receiving a call admission request from an originating packet media endpoint, said call admission request comprising information about the originating packet media endpoint and a destination packet media endpoint;
(ii) accessing information about all first middleboxes associated with the originating packet media endpoint and all second middleboxes associated with the destination packet media endpoint, together with information about the amount of available bandwidth on the link associated with each of those middleboxes;
(iii) determining whether to accept the call admission request on the basis of the accessed information about available bandwidth; and
(iv) outputting the results of the determination as to whether to accept the call admission request. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeInternational License Exchange of America, LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
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Original AssigneeNortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
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InventorsBradd, Patrick
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Granted Patent
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Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current370/230
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CPC Class CodesH04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource...H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g....H04L 47/801 Real time trafficH04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast trafficH04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring res...H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. m...H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registra...H04L 65/1083 In-session proceduresH04L 65/1101 Session protocolsH04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol...H04L 65/4038 with floor controlH04L 65/80 Responding to QoSH04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting...H04W 28/10 Flow control between commun...H04W 72/00 Local resource managementH04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
