Network gateway and a method for transmitting packets of a data stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10142882-B2
Application number	US-201214369343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A network gateway comprises a buffer and a transmission module that is configured to transmit packets of a data stream from a source device to a user device via a network medium. The packets of the data stream are received from the source device by an uplink connection between the source device and the gateway, the packets are temporarily stored in the buffer and the packets are transmitted from the buffer to the user device by a downlink connection between the user device and the gateway, such that the downlink connection depends on the uplink connection. Furthermore, the network gateway comprises a protection module that is configured to provide a protection of the uplink connection, wherein access to the network medium is reserved for the packets of the data stream of the uplink connection. Finally the network gateway comprises a control module that is configured to monitor the buffer and to send an instruction to the protection module to reduce the protection of the uplink connection if a buffer overflow is detected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A network gateway, comprising
a buffer,
a transmission module that is configured to transmit packets of a data stream from a source device to a user device via a network medium, wherein the packets of the data stream are received from the source device by an uplink connection between the source device and the gateway, the packets are temporarily stored in the buffer and the packets are transmitted from the buffer to the user device by a downlink connection between the user device and the gateway, such that the downlink connection depends on the uplink connection, the downlink connection and the uplink connection sharing said network medium;
a protection module configured to provide a protection of the uplink connection reserving access to the network medium for the packets of the data stream of the uplink connection of said network medium, and
a control module that is configured to monitor the buffer and to send an instruction to the protection module to reduce the protection of the uplink connection if a buffer overflow is detected, so as to reduce access of the source device to the network medium.

2. The gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the packets of the data stream via a wireless network medium.

3. The gateway according to claim 2 , wherein the protection module is configured to send clear-to-send signals at a target rate to the source device, wherein the target rate is chosen to ensure that the packets of the data stream are received in a timely manner so that the data stream is not interrupted.

4. The gateway according to claim 3 , wherein the control module is configured to send an instruction to the protection module to reduce the rate at which the clear-to-send signals are sent to the source device below the target rate if a buffer overflow is detected.

5. The gateway according to claim 4 , wherein the control module is configured to send an instruction to the protection module to increase the rate at which the clear-to-send signals are sent to the source device up to the target rate if a buffer underflow is detected.

6. The gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the packets of the data stream at a medium access control layer.

7. The gateway according to claim 1 , wherein a buffer overflow is detected if a number of packets in the buffer exceeds an upper buffer number and/or a size of the packets in the buffer exceeds an upper buffer size.

8. A method for transmitting packets of a data stream from a source device to a user device by a network gateway via a network medium, the method comprising:
receiving the packets of the data stream from the source device by the gateway, wherein an uplink connection between the source device and the gateway is provided,
temporarily storing the packets of the data stream in a buffer of the gateway,
transmitting the packets of the data stream from the buffer of the gateway to the user device, wherein a downlink connection between the gateway and the user device is provided such that the downlink connection depends on the uplink connection, the downlink connection and the uplink connection sharing said network medium;
protecting the uplink connection of said network medium by reserving access to the network medium for the packets of the data stream by the gateway,
monitoring the buffer, and
reducing the protection of the uplink connection if a buffer overflow is detected by the gateway, so as to reduce access of the source device to the network medium.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the packets of the data stream are transmitted via a wireless network medium.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising sending clear-to-send signals at a target rate to the to the source device by the gateway, wherein the target rate is chosen to ensure that the packets of the data stream are received in a timely manner so that the data stream is not interrupted.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising reducing the rate at which the clear-to-send signals are sent below the target rate if a buffer overflow is detected.

12. The according to claim 11 , further comprising increasing the rate at which the clear-to-send signals are sent up to the target rate if a buffer underflow is detected by the gateway.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein receiving and/or transmitting the packets of the data stream is performed by the gateway at a medium access control layer.

14. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising detecting a buffer overflow if a number of packets in the buffer exceeds an upper buffer number and/or a size of the packets in the buffer exceeds an upper buffer size.

15. A network gateway for transmitting packets of a data stream from a source device to a user device via a network medium, the network gateway comprising at least one memory and at least one processing circuitry configured to perform:
receiving the packets of the data stream from the source device by the gateway, wherein an uplink connection between the source device and the gateway is provided,
temporarily storing the packets of the data stream in a buffer of the gateway,
transmitting the packets of the data stream from the buffer of the gateway to the user device, wherein a downlink connection between the gateway and the user device is provided such that the downlink connection depends on the uplink connection, the downlink connection and the uplink connection sharing said network medium,
protecting the uplink connection of said network medium by reserving access to the network medium for the packets of the data stream by the gateway,
monitoring the buffer, and
reducing the protection of the uplink connection if a buffer overflow is detected by the gateway, so as to reduce access of the source device to the network medium.

Assignees

• Thomson Licensing

Inventors

• Carrera Marianna
• Hegde Nidhi
• May Martin

Classifications

• H04W28/0278 Primary

  using buffer status reports (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W88/16

  Gateway arrangements · CPC title

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04L49/9084

  Reactions to storage capacity overflow · CPC title