Patent ID: 7859998
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for quality-of-service (QoS) management in a network that includes devices for transmitting and receiving data traffic streams, each traffic stream having a priority level and a bandwidth allocation, the method comprising: (a) receiving a device request to admit a new traffic stream having a bandwidth allocation greater than the available network bandwidth; (b) identifying the bandwidth allocations of all traffic streams on the network having the lowest of the priority levels that are lower than the priority level of the requested new traffic stream; (c) pre-empting the allocation of a lowest priority level allocation having an allocation equal to or greater than the additional required bandwidth (ReqBW); (d) if there is no lowest priority level allocation having an allocation equal to or greater than ReqBW in step (c), then pre-empting the allocations of lowest priority level allocations until the sum of pre-empted allocations is equal to or greater than ReqBW; (e) allocating ReqBW to the requested new traffic stream; (f) identifying the bandwidth allocations of all traffic streams on the network after the ReqBW has been allocated to the new traffic stream; (g) reallocating a pre-empted allocation if its required allocation is less than the available network bandwidth, and if its required allocation is greater than the available network bandwidth, then (h) determining if the pre-empted allocation is for a traffic stream available in a format requiring lesser bandwidth, and (i) reallocating the pre-empted allocation if its required lesser bandwidth allocation is less than the available network bandwidth; and wherein if in step (h) the pre-empted allocation is for an audio-video (AV) stream not available in a format requiring lesser bandwidth, then (j) during streaming of the AV stream, reducing the bitrate of the AV stream.