Provisioning of services or applications with predetermined QOS

The invention relates to providing a service or an application with a particular QoS class; QoS = Quality of Service.

Services and applications are provided, inter alia, in access systems. Such access systems are, for example, as so-called shared medium access system formed. Such access system is for example a HFC system, an HFR system, an LMDS-system or an XDSL system; HFC = Hybrid Fibre Coax, HFR = Hybrid Fibre Radio, LMDS = Local Multipoint Distribution System; XDSL = X Digital Subscriber Line, where X eg Asynchronous, synchronous, Very High Speed ​​stands etc.. In such Access systems is mostly for the transmission of a headquarters or Sub-center, such as a Head End or a base station, to the terminals of the customers, for example, cable modems or radio stations, a point-to-multi-point network educated. For the transmission of the terminals to central or sub-center is a multipoint-to-point network educated. A variety of services and applications are the Customer provided. These are as interactive services such as service on demand for providing voice and / or video services, services for Transferring data, internet services, cable television, telephony, for example, the so-called Voice over IP, IP = Internet Protocol, banking services for online banking.

An intelligent resource management with QoS is required to produce a fair and adequate distribution of resources available to customers, reach services and applications. Under QoS, the so-called Quality of Service, while the transmission quality of a connection Roger that. For an image or video connection, for example, is a higher transmission quality required than for a pure voice or Audio connection.

The availability and reliability of bandwidth in both Direction of the center or sub-center to the terminals of the Customers as well as in the direction from the terminals to the central or Sub-center should be managed.

QoS classes are for example:<sl><li>a) Premium Service, consist in the high QoS requirements, for example, regarding the maximum delay time (delay) within a cell, the jitter, the construction of virtual leased connections (setup of leased lines)</li><li>b) Assured Service, made at the lower requirements than the Premium Service and in the more variability as well as a so-called bursty traffic is possible</li><li>c) Best Effort Service, in which there are the lowest requirements.</li></sl>

Each service and each application is nowadays a certain QoS class assigned in advance. When selecting a service by the Customers, for example by transmitting a corresponding request for Providing a service to a central station, provides the Central automatically a particular bandwidth associated with the QoS class corresponds to the selected service. The be provided Bandwidth is the direction from the center to the terminal devices of Customers and in the direction from the terminals to the central office for each Service and each application fixed.

For example, if a premium application service requested and is not enough bandwidth is available, can and will Application not provided.

The object of the invention is to provide an alternative QoS management for To make available.

This object is achieved in each case by a method according Patent claim 1 and a center in accordance with claim. 6

The customer is given the opportunity, the QoS class for each service and each itself to select Application. In addition, he receives as the possibility that QoS class and on-line, ie during operation, ie during a altering compound. Selecting a QoS class as occurs when any request after receiving a list of the control panel. The Central transmitted as three ways like by ticking or are selectable. The selection list of possible restrictions; for example can be used for cable television only the Premium Service and the Assured Service, but not the best effort service are selected. The Limitation is possible eg due to technical or commercial Establish. Selecting a QoS class takes place alternatively by Communicating a selection of a QoS class simultaneously with the request to provide a service or an application. A customer can Thus the selection of the service or application the same selection meet the QoS class. A further possibility for the selection of QoS classes is that in single or for each customer table the headquarters is stored in a pre-selection of customers is entered. A customer chooses one as a particular Configuration, which is then stored in the control panel and on the Centre for every request for a service or application access Has. If a customer with a service that so determines the center via the Table individual QoS class of the customer and provides him then the appropriate bandwidth for the requested service. The configuration can provide the same QoS class for all services and applications include, for example, Assured Service or for different categories services different QoS classes, as for all image links Assured service and for all data and voice connections Best Effort Service.

The invention thus provides a flexible, custom-defined QoS management to disposal. The invention is a new feature that can be implemented in particular in access systems. if not enough bandwidth for a connection with a high QoS class to Available, the customer can choose a lower QoS class and so that a service or an application, albeit with lower Quality desired as originally avail. The Central provides the customer in this case, for example, suitable alternatives to Selection. An advantage for the customer is to independent determination of connection costs through appropriate Selection of the QoS class, since a higher QoS class usually to higher connection costs. It is also conceivable that for the Customers preselected configurations are package deals. Further the QoS class may additionally or alternatively to another time or be the parameter for determining the current fee.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are dependent Claims and the following description refer to.

In the following an embodiment of the invention will be explained.

An internet connection (IP connection), paid by a customer is required, for example over an IP router, an ATM switch and an access system provided; ATM = Asynchronous Transfer mode. At the beginning of the application, the customer has the choice of a to select QoS class for Verbidung. Each QoS class has a Number of parameters. All parameters have default settings. Each Parameters can be changed. The customer is, for example, by a Resource management with a MAC (Medium Access Control) about informed which QoS class has what current default parameters. The Default parameters may vary as a function of the time. Parameters are, for example, the bandwidth, the maximum delay jitter, the Costs, etc. The customer can then transfer his choice for MAC. The MAC is the appropriate application with the selected QoS class provide. To perform a selection, is in natural resource management and the customer will be a special Software Management Tool installed. The software tool of the customer, which as a computer program is designed, is applied to a terminal of the Customer installed. The terminal is for example a cable modem or a PC (personal computer) or a radio station. The software tool is used to access to the resource management and the obtain toll acquisition control center. The toll acquisition control center then the customer, for example, on-line on the current fees inform a running application. The resource management is For example, in a control center, a sub-center, a Head End, a Base station or a so-called Access Network Adaptation arranged. Resource management is a tool for software of Customers corresponding software management tool installed. by means of This software tool is the provision of telemetric selection of QoS classes allows. are in the toll acquisition control center at least parts of this tool installed.

In summary, therefore the novel process for Providing a service or an application one by one customer requested service or requested by the customer application linked to a selected one of the customer QoS class and the Customers of the requested service or the requested application with the provided by the customer selected QoS class.

In a first embodiment of the inventive method is in natural resource management from a terminal of a customer received request to provide a service or an application and the customer a request for selecting one of at least two transmitted QoS classes. Resource management is the receive selected QoS class from the terminal and by the Resource management is the requested service or the requested Application to the terminal with the selected QoS class provided.

In a second embodiment of the inventive method is in natural resource management from a terminal of a customer Request to provide a service or an application receive said request one of at least two QoS classes includes that was pre-selected by the customer. The requested Service or the requested application is the terminal with the selected QoS class provided.

In a third embodiment of the method according to the invention is in natural resource management from a terminal of a customer received request to provide a service or an application and subsequently to a stored pre-selection of a QoS class customer access. The requested by the customer service or requested by the client application, the resource Management with the QoS class selected by the customer in advance linked. The customer is then the requested service or the requested application with the QoS class chosen by the client provided.

In all three variants can be used as an additional feature be provided that the selected and provided QoS class the duration of the provision of the service or application can be changed by the customer by transmitting a new selected QoS class.

In a fourth embodiment, the feature that the selected and provided QoS class during the period of Providing the service or the application by the customer can be changed by transmitting a new selected QoS class are also independently implemented. For example, each from a customer requested connection for service or Application initially started with default values. The customer thus receives without selecting parameters of a QoS connect directly. Of the Customers can then decide during the connection, the QoS class to change. Reasons for this request could be:

During an Internet session the customer is the screen layout to slow. By appropriate modification of the QoS class, the bitmap generation for the Subsequent images are accelerated.

Or during the duration of the connection is an indication relating to the transfer fees. If the customer session or Telephone or the like too expensive, it may by suitable Changing the QoS class, for example, by demoting the same, the reduce ongoing fees.

The possibility of the QoS class, only during the connection, but not too altering its beginning, has the following advantages: Customers with the Selection of the QoS class do not want to deal with a direct, Connection without time delay and without to make a selection have to. Customers receive only want a selection of QoS class also directly connect and can on-line differences watching between two QoS classes. For example, cons by any set too high default values ​​and thus to high fees deal, billing the charges is example after a certain time period, for example, ten seconds after connection on. Active customers have made their selection of QoS class until then.

The selection of QoS classes can in all four variants For example, instead of or in addition to the selection of individual parameters carried out by an icon that a simple regulation on the Quality includes. Seamlessly or stepped rules, ie Move the scheme, can then easily fashion more or less quality are required.

The headquarters of the invention to provide services and / or Applications for customers whose terminals are connected to the headquarters is suitable, at a request of a customer for a service or Application this service or the application with a QoS class provide, by the customer corresponding to a selected QoS class. The Centre has to a data carrier with a computer program. The computer program is adapted by a customer, selected QoS class with a requested by customer service or to link a client-requested application. The Central includes an arithmetic unit such as a processor on which the computer Program is implemented. The arithmetic unit operates for example with a conventional programming language such as C or C ++. The computer Program code elements lead to implement the Process steps.

In the third embodiment, the Centre has access to a Memory in which for at least a portion of the customer with at least one is stored preselected QoS class. The memory is located in the center or a suitable place outside the headquarters. The center is suitable for an inquiry from a customer for a Service or application this service or the application with a QoS class provide that the stored for the customer QoS class equivalent. If a QoS class for a customer not be saved, uses the default values.

The center is for example as resource management unit, as formed head end or a base station.

The terminal a customer has a data carrier, such as a RAM, a Computer program. The computer program is characterized in that it includes computer program code elements, enabling a selection of at least one QoS class, when the Computer program is executed on a computer. As computer is understood here to a processing unit, which may be for example: a processor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a microprocessor, a so-called FPGA, a processing unit in the phone, a processing unit in Cable modem or a personal computer or a card of the same. In a further embodiment allows the computer program the Selection of parameters at least one QoS class. The terminal of the Customers, for example, as a cable modem, a personal computer, as Telephone, as TV, as a radio station or a mobile unit educated.