Patent ID: 7978842
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for managing bandwidth in a communication network, the method comprising: a Residential Gateway (RG), establishing a communication session for a user between the user and a Service Provider (SP) using a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates communications between the RG and the SP; the RG, determining, without receiving any bandwidth category selection input from the user or from the SP, a selected bandwidth category of communication speed, from a plurality of different bandwidth categories, that needs to be provided to a user device to provide sufficient amount of bandwidth to the user device; wherein the plurality of different bandwidth categories comprises a default bandwidth category; wherein the selected bandwidth category is different than the default bandwidth category; the RG, requesting, without receiving, from the user, any signal to invoke a request for improved communication speed, the selected bandwidth category of communication speed for the user; the RG, querying the RAN, without receiving input from the user, for one or more options available for an access session connection between the user and the SP; the RG, selecting, without receiving input from the user, one of the options provided by the RAN; the RG, requesting the RAN to change a session bandwidth associated with the access session connection based on the selected option to the selected bandwidth category by making a request for a Turbo Button Service (TBS); and the RG, receiving, from the RAN, a new policy to support a faster communication speed for the access session connection based on the selected option; upon determining that the access session connection was terminated, the RG requesting, without receiving input from the user, the RAN to change the session bandwidth to the default bandwidth category and resetting the bandwidth to the default bandwidth category.