Patent ID: 7724700

Claim:
In an application server communicatively coupled to a layer-2 gateway device, the layer-2 gateway device and a user device having established therebetween a communications session that supports a first quality of service level, a method for managing the communications session established between the layer-2 gateway device and the user device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: the application server receiving a request that originated from the user device; wherein the request is a request for a particular application service provided by the application server; in response to receiving the request, the application server determining based upon the request for the particular application service and policy criteria, a second quality of service level to be supported by the communications session; and the application server sending an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) Change of Authorization (CoA) message to the layer-2 gateway device; wherein said message specifies a quality of service profile for the second quality of service level to be supported by the communications session; wherein the step of sending a message causes the layer-2 gateway device to make a layer-2 change in a communications link used for the communications session so that the communications session supports the second quality of service level instead of the first quality of service level.