Patent ID: 7180860
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: H04L,H04Q,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of providing a defined quality of service in a packet switched communication system having a plurality of interconnected nodes for forwarding of data packets, wherein the plurality of interconnected nodes includes an edge node and a plurality of interior nodes, wherein the edge node connects to user equipment or to a further communication system, processes data packets having a data field specifying a handling of the packets, and forwards the processed data packets to the interior nodes, wherein the plurality of interior nodes form a core network through which data packets received from the edge node are forwarded toward a destination, said method comprising: connecting the edge node to a data base that contains a user subscription for an identified user specifying a quality of service for the identified user; providing the edge node with quality parameters from the identified user's subscription; receiving in the edge node, a data packet for the identified user, said packet being received on a first protocol layer; processing in the edge node, the received data packet for the identified user according to a protocol stack, wherein the data field specifying the handling of the packet is set according to the quality parameters from the identified user's subscription and according to a second quality of service requested for the received data packet on a layer in the protocol stack of the edge node that is different from a lower layer evaluated by the interior nodes for the handling of the packets; encapsulating the incoming data packet with the processed data field into a data packet on the lower protocol layer for the routing of the data packet; and forwarding the processed data packets by the interior nodes in the core network by performing a differentiated handling of the packets according to the data field set by the edge node, wherein the interior nodes evaluate the data field at the lower layer and route the packets according to the quality parameters specified in the data field.