Patent Application
20070217335
This invention relates generally to communications and more particularly to the apportionment of limited communications resources.
Communications systems of various kinds are known in the art. Many such systems serve, at least in part, to provide a circuit-switched and/or data packet communication path for a plurality of end users. Cellular telephony networks represent one relatively ubiquitous example of such communications systems.
Facilitating a modern communication path typically entails allocating one or more of a variety of communication resources. Examples of such communication resources will vary from system to system but might include a bearer frequency or physical transport medium, a time slot, a spreading code, an encryption key, a percentage or rate of data throughput capability, and so forth.
Rapidly evolving end user platforms and corresponding services have led to problems with respect to ensuring a relatively equitable (or at least controlled) allocation of such communication resources. It is possible in many systems, for example, for a single end user to make use of a disproportionately large number of communication resources. This, in turn, can lead to a denial or reduction of services for a considerable number of other end users. Undue usage, for example, of peer-to-peer services by a few end users can readily create such problems in many wireless communication systems.
The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the method and apparatus to facilitate communication resource usage control described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments a network element can monitor communication resource usage by, for example, a first end user. A determination can then be had as to whether this first end user's communication resource usage exceeds a predetermined individual level of usage for that first end user (as distinguished, for example, from an upper limit as might be generically applied across an entire user population although it is certainly possible and even probable in at least some application settings that many end users will have identical limits applied to their activities). When the first end user's communication resource does exceed this predetermined individual level of usage, automatic limitations regarding the first end user's communication resource usage can be imposed while nevertheless continuing to facilitate the end user's communication resource usage.
Such a determination can be made for an aggregate quantity of communication resource usage or can, if desired, be determined independently, for example, for both inbound and outbound communication paths and activities. Such teachings can further accommodate, if desired, temporal conditioning as well. As one example, the above-described determination of communication resource usage can be effected after a predetermined period of time following a predetermined event (such as, but not limited to, establishment of a call with the first end user).
So configured, the allocation of communication resources can be controlled with a high degree of granularity; in fact, at the level of the individual user, application, or the like. These teachings also permit considerable flexibility with respect to when and how such control is exerted. These benefits can be attained with relative ease, in a cost effective manner, and in the absence, for example, of re-programming an already-deployed base of end user platforms.
These and other benefits may become clearer upon making a thorough review and study of the following detailed description. Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
This process 100 then provides for determining 106 whether this monitored communication resource usage exceeds a predetermined individual level of usage for the monitored end user. By one approach, this can comprise determining whether a simple total aggregate quantity of data as corresponds to, for example, a given call session exceeds a predetermined threshold. By another approach this comparison can relate to a quantity of data as has been transported with respect to a particular amount of time. To illustrate, this can comprise a determination as to whether a predetermined individual level of usage has occurred during or after a predetermined period of time has passed following some predetermined event. An illustrative predetermined event might comprise, for example, the establishment of a call with the monitored end user.
Such temporal conditioning can be applied on a threshold-by-threshold basis if desired. For example, a more generous individual level of usage might be applied for inbound data being transmitted by an end user by granting that end user a greater duration of time before communication resource usage will be compared against the relevant predetermined individual level of usage threshold value and/or such comparison results used to control communication resource usage by the end user. To contrast, a less generous level of usage might then also apply to outbound data being transmitted to an end user by using a considerably shorter period of time before such comparisons are made or become effective.
If desired, this determination step 106 can comprise use of a token bucket mechanism. Token bucket mechanisms are known in the art. Referring momentarily to
At time T1 a call is established and the bucket is filled with 150 tokens. At time T2 this call has used 100 Kilobits and a bucket refresh has not yet occurred (as this first five second window 201 has not yet expired). By time T3, an additional 30 Kilobits has been used during the call. This leaves the bucket with 20 remaining tokens. Time T3 also represents the conclusion of the first five second window 201 and the beginning of the following five second window 202. Therefore, the bucket is replenished with a sufficient number of tokens to return the available number to 150 tokens.
In this example, at time T4 the call has depleted the bucket of all 150 tokens. This occurs when the end user is party to a transfer of 150 Kilobits of data since time T3 (corresponding to whichever link (or links) is being monitored). At this time, the above described decision step 106 would determine that the end user has now exceeded their predetermined individual level of usage.
At time T5, a next succeeding five second window 203 begins and the token depth is again replenished with 150 tokens. The above described process 100 would therefore now decide 106 that the end user is now again operating within the limits proscribed by the predetermined individual level of usage. To complete this brief illustrative example, by time T6 the end user has consumed only 70 tokens so far with no further tokens being consumed by the time this five second window 203 concludes at time T7 (at which time T7 the token bucket is again replenished to hold 150 tokens).
Returning again to
When this determination 106 does reveal that the monitored end user is exceeding their permitted level of usage, this process 100 can then automatically limit 108 the end user's communication resource usage while nevertheless continuing to facilitate the end user's communication resource usage (by, for example, not dropping the call). This can be done, for example, by dropping one or more data packets as are presented subsequent to the permitted level of usage having been exceeded. To return again momentarily to
If desired, such resource usage control can be rendered subject to other parameters, inputs, or circumstances of interest. As one example, this step of automatically limiting 108 an end user's communication resource usage when a predetermined individual level of usage has been exceeded can be made subject to a further consideration regarding what information resource the end user might be presently accessing. To illustrate, this process 100 can accommodate automatically limiting the end user's communication resource usage while continuing to facilitate that end user's communication resource usage when the communication resource usage comprises accessing a first information resource (such as a first Internet resource) and automatically not limiting this end user's communication resource usage when that communication resource usage comprises accessing a second information resource that is different than the first information resource (where, for example, the second information resource comprises a different Internet resource) notwithstanding that, in both cases, the end user may be operating in excess of the predetermined individual level of usage. Such an approach might be useful, for example, to permit an employee to have relatively generous access to business-related information resources while ensuring metered and controlled usage of non-business-related information resources.
This process 100 may accommodate additional steps and actions if desired. For example, this process 100 can optionally provide for detecting 101 the existence of a need by an end user for a communication resource. This might comprise, for example, simply detecting that the end user is signaling to request allocation of a communication resource in order to establish a call session.
This process 100 can also optionally provide for obtaining 102 the aforementioned predetermined level of usage for the end user (in response, for example, to detecting 101 the communication resource needs of the end user). This can vary with the needs and/or capabilities of a given application setting. By one approach the network element is simply pre-provisioned with this information. By another approach the network element receives this information regarding the predetermined individual level of usage from a remote network element 103. Various remote network elements 103 can serve in this regard. One illustrative example comprises an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) network element as is known in the art.
This process 100 can then optionally also provide for facilitating the provision of the needed communication resource to or on behalf of the end user. Actions such as this are well understood in the art and require no further elaboration here.
It may also be useful in some application settings to render some or all of these actions enabled or disabled 109 as a function of, for example, user and/or automated input. So configured, for example, a network administrator could be provided with the ability and option of selectively enabling or disabling 109 the step of automatically limiting an end user's communication resource usage when the end user's level of usage exceeds the predetermined value.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described processes are readily enabled using any of a wide variety of available and/or readily configured platforms, including partially or wholly programmable platforms as are known in the art or dedicated purpose platforms as may be desired for some applications. Referring now to
In this illustrative embodiment, a network element 300 (such as, but not limited to, a packet data serving node (PDSN)) can comprise a comparator 301 that operably couples to a memory 302 to receive the predetermined individual level of usage as pertains to a given end user and as is stored therein. As noted above, such information may, if desired, be provided via a remote network element. To facilitate such an approach, this network element 300 can further comprise an optional receiver 303 that provides for reception of the predetermined individual level of usage information from the remote network element. As noted above, these teachings may also employ predetermined durations of time. Accordingly, if desired, this memory 302 can also serve to store one or more predetermined durations of time (comprising, for example, corresponding temporal thresholds and the like).
The comparator 301 also operably couples to a communication resource first end user usage monitor. In a typical deployment, of course, this monitor will serve to observe the communication usage activities of a plurality of end users. This monitor can be configured and arranged, for example, as a monitor of quantities of transported data. As described above, this can comprise the monitoring of data being transmitted by the first end user and/or of data being transmitted to the first end user.
So configured, the comparator 301 provides a comparison result that corresponds to a comparison between the first end user's communication resource usage and the predetermined level of usage as individually corresponds to that particular end user. A communication resource usage limiter 305 operably couples to the comparator 301 and receives that comparison result. In this illustrative embodiment this communication resource usage limiter 305 is configured and arranged to operate in conformance with the teachings set forth herein. Accordingly, this communication resource usage limiter 305 serves to automatically limit the first end user's communication resource usage while also continuing to facilitate the end user's communication resource usage when the first end user's communication resource usage exceeds the predetermined individual level of usage.
By one approach, this communication resource usage limiter 305 comprises a data packet dropper (such as, but not limited to, a token bucket-based data packet dropper). This can comprise, if desired, use of one or more predetermined durations of time as may be stored in the memory 302. For example, this communication resource usage limiter 305 can be configured and arranged to determine whether the first end user's communication resource usage exceeds the predetermined individual level of usage beyond a predetermined period of time (following, for example, some predetermined event such as the establishment of a call). By such an approach, relatively short-lived data transmission/reception events that otherwise exceed the predetermined individual level of usage for a given end user can be tolerated without causing a corresponding limitation of that end user's communication resource usage.
Those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that such an apparatus 300 may be comprised of a plurality of physically distinct elements as is suggested by the illustration shown in
As noted above, if desired, the predetermined individual levels of usage can be provided from a remote network element. For example, an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) network element as is known in the art can be employed for such purposes and the level of usage information conveyed using, for example, remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS) messages.
With reference now to
This process 400 then provides for receiving 402 a message from another network element (such as, but not limited to, a packet data serving node) indicating a need to facilitate providing a given communication network end user with a communication resource (or resources). This process 400 can then responsively provide 403 the information as corresponds to the given communication network end user to the opposing network element such that the latter can use the information to limit communication resource usage by the given communication network end user.
Referring now to
Following establishment of the call 503 the PDSN validates 504 the rate limitation parameters as were received from the AAA and begins to apply 505 this predetermined individual level of usage information with respect to the mobile stations first call. Accordingly, if and as the mobile station's communication resource usage exceeds the limits proscribed by the rate limit information from the AAA the PDSN will take corresponding actions to limit that usage while nevertheless continuing to facilitate the persistence of this first call.
In this example, and during the course of this first call, the mobile station and AAA conduct, via the PDSN, a renegotiation 506 of one or more particulars as relate to the first call. As the first call continues, the PDSN continues to apply 507 the communication resource usage limits as pertain to this individual mobile station. The AAA then transmits, pertinent to the first call, a Change of Authorization request 508 along with corresponding rate limiting parameters (again relating, for example, to data rates and corresponding time or quota triggers). The PDSN provides a corresponding acknowledgement 509 to the AAA and proceeds to employ 510 these rate limitation parameters against a continuing portion of the first call.
In this example, rate limiting for the PDSN now becomes disabled 511 via, for example, the instructions of a system administrator. The PDSN continues, however, to employ communication resource usage control as described above until an event occurs such as completion of the first call or, as illustrated here, the mobile station again conducts a call re-negotiation 512 with the AAA via the PDSN as pertains to the first call. In this case, although the AAA again provides rate limiting parameters to the PDSN the PDSN now facilitates the continuation of the first call without also imposing the communication resource usage limiting 513 described herein. As rate limiting has been disabled, in this example the PDSN then also discards 514 the aforementioned rate limitation parameters as were received from the AAA.
To continue with this example, while rate limiting remains disabled the mobile station effects call establishment procedures 515 for a second call. In this case, and notwithstanding that the AAA will provide rate limiting parameters as correspond to this individual mobile station, the PDSN discards 516 the rate limiting parameters and supports call establishment 517 in the absence of communication resource usage limiting. Much the same occurs when a Change of Authorization request 518 transaction occurs. Again, notwithstanding that the AAA provides corresponding communication resource usage limitation information to the PDSN the latter, in this illustrative embodiment, simply discards 519 that information and responds with a NAK message carrying a 501 attribute value to signal that rate limitation comprises an administratively prohibited function.
So configured, considerable control can be provided with respect to individual rates of communication resource usage. Such usage can be throttled in a manner well calculated to persist provision of previously established services while nevertheless tending to assure that certain end users do not usurp more than an administratively determined fair share of available network communication resources. These teachings require no active participation on the part of the end user platforms and hence can be readily deployed in already-existing communication networks in a compatible manner.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept. As one illustrative example, these teachings are readily applicable to user groups such as, for example, a group comprising a family of end users (as typified, for example, by so-called cellular service family plans). In such an application setting, a number of end users who comprise a single billing entity might share such limits amongst themselves. In such a case, no limits or more generous limits may be imposed with respect to calls conducted within the group itself, while external calls remain subject to the controls set forth herein.
