Systems and methods for managing resources during handoff across communication systems having different grades of quality of service awareness

Abstract

In a method for managing quality of service (QoS) resources during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, an access terminal (AT) determines that handoff has occurred from a QoS unaware system to a QoS aware system. The AT also determines whether there are any allocated, unrequested QoS resources. If one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources are identified, the AT requests that the QoS aware system release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources. The AT also determines whether there are any requested, unallocated QoS resources. If one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources are identified, the AT requests that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a system in which embodiments may be practiced;

FIG. 2 illustrates a method for facilitating release of QoS resources while receiving service from a QoS unaware system in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for facilitating automatic restoration of QoS resources in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates another system in which embodiments may be practiced;

FIG. 5 illustrates another method for managing quality of service (QoS) resources across QoS aware and QoS unaware communication systems in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate operation of the various components in the system of FIG. 4 during handoff from the QoS aware system to the QoS unaware system in accordance with an embodiment;

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate operation of the various components in the system of FIG. 4 during handoff from the QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system in accordance with an embodiment; and

FIG. 8 illustrates various components that may be utilized in an access terminal in accordance with an embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for managing quality of service (QoS) resources during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, the method being implemented by an access terminal, the method comprising: determining whether there are any allocated, unrequested QoS resources that are allocated to an application on the access terminal by a QoS aware system but that are not requested by the application;if one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources are identified, requesting that the QoS aware system release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources;determining whether there are any requested, unallocated QoS resources that are requested by the application but that are not allocated by the QoS aware system; andif one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources are identified, requesting that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the allocated, unrequested QoS resources and identifying the requested, unallocated QoS resources comprise comparing requested QoS resources information with allocated QoS resources information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the requested QoS resources information identifies requested QoS resources that are requested by an application on the access terminal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the allocated QoS resources information identifies allocated QoS resources that are allocated for the application.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the requested QoS resources information and the allocated QoS resources information are stored at the access terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating requested QoS resources information in response to determining that the application has released requested QoS resources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating allocated QoS resources information in response to determining that the QoS aware system has released allocated QoS resources.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting that the QoS aware system release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources comprises sending a traffic filter template (TFT) delete message to a packet data serving node in the QoS aware system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources comprises sending a TFT create message to a packet data serving node in the QoS aware system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the TFT create message is sent to the packet data serving node only if it is determined that a point-to-point protocol (PPP) re-sync has not occurred since the access terminal was previously connected to any QoS aware system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the application that QoS operations may be resumed in response to determining that handoff has occurred from a QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising suspending all QoS flows in response to determining that handoff has occurred from the QoS aware system to a QoS unaware system.

13. An access terminal configured to manage quality of service (QoS) resources during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, comprising: a transmitter for communicating with a QoS aware system and a QoS unaware system;a processor;memory in electronic communication with the processor; andinstructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to: determine whether there are any allocated, unrequested QoS resources that are allocated to an application on the access terminal by the QoS aware system but that are not requested by the application;if one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources are identified, request that the QoS aware system release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources;determine whether there are any requested, unallocated QoS resources that are requested by the application but that are not allocated by the QoS aware system; andif one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources are identified, request that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application.

14. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein requesting that the QoS aware system release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources comprises sending a TFT delete message to a packet data serving node in the QoS aware system.

15. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein requesting that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources comprises sending a TFT create message to a packet data serving node in the QoS aware system.

16. The access terminal of claim 15, wherein the TFT create message is sent to the packet data serving node only if it is determined that a PPP re-sync has not occurred since the access terminal was previously connected to any QoS aware system.

17. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable to notify the application that QoS operations may be resumed in response to determining that handoff has occurred from the QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system.

18. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable to suspend all QoS flows in response to determining that handoff has occurred from the QoS aware system to the QoS unaware system.

19. A quality of service (QoS) aware system configured to facilitate management of QoS resources by an access terminal during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, comprising: a transmitter for communicating with an access terminal;a processor;memory in electronic communication with the processor; andinstructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to: receive a release request from the access terminal to release allocated, unrequested QoS resources that are allocated by the QoS aware system for an application on the access terminal but that are not requested by the application, wherein the release request is sent by the access terminal in response to handoff occurring from a QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system;release the allocated, unrequested QoS resources in response to receiving the release request;receive an allocation request from the access terminal to allocate requested, unallocated QoS resources that are requested by the application on the access terminal but that are not allocated by the QoS aware system, wherein the allocation request is sent by the access terminal in response to handoff occurring from the QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system; andallocate the requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application in response to receiving the allocation request.

20. The QoS aware system of claim 19, further comprising: an access network comprising an access network transceiver in electronic communication with an access network controller; anda packet data serving node in electronic communication with the access network;wherein the release request comprises a TFT delete message that is sent to the packet data serving node, and wherein the allocation request comprises a TFT create message that is sent to the packet data serving node.

21. An access terminal configured to manage quality of service (QoS) resources during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, comprising: means for communicating with a QoS aware system and a QoS unaware system;means for determining whether there are any allocated, unrequested QoS resources that are allocated to an application on the access terminal by the QoS aware system but that are not requested by the application;if one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources are identified, means for requesting the QoS aware system to release the one or more allocated, unrequested QoS resources;means for determining whether there are any requested, unallocated QoS resources that are requested by the application but that are not allocated by the QoS aware system; andif one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources are identified, request that the QoS aware system allocate the one or more requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application.

22. A quality of service (QoS) aware system configured to facilitate management of QoS resources by an access terminal during handoff across communication systems having different grades of QoS awareness, comprising: means for communicating with an access terminal;means for receiving a release request from the access terminal to release allocated, unrequested QoS resources that are allocated by the QoS aware system for an application on the access terminal but that are not requested by the application, wherein the release request is sent by the access terminal in response to handoff occurring from a QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system;means for releasing the allocated, unrequested QoS resources in response to receiving the release request;means for receiving an allocation request from the access terminal to allocate requested, unallocated QoS resources that are requested by the application on the access terminal but that are not allocated by the QoS aware system, wherein the allocation request is sent by the access terminal in response to handoff occurring from the QoS unaware system to the QoS aware system; andmeans for allocating the requested, unallocated QoS resources to the application in response to receiving the allocation request.