Congestion aware throughput targets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359750-A1
Application number	US-201414782973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Apr 8, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein is a Core Network (CN) node 200 and a Radio Access Network (RAN) node 100 and methods therein for handling quality of service, QoS, targets for traffic flows between the RAN, node and a radio terminal 300 served by the RAN node, disclosing an obtaining a number of traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified, and QoS targets are defined for each obtained traffic class for at least two congestion levels, and wherein the traffic classes with the associated QoS targets and congestion levels are provided to the RAN node so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes to the RAN node.

First claim

1 . A method in a core network (CN) node for handling quality of service (QoS) targets for traffic flows between a radio access network (RAN) node and a radio terminal-served by the RAN node, wherein the method comprises:
obtaining a number of traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified, defining QoS targets for each obtained traffic class for at least two congestion levels, and providing the traffic classes with the associated QoS targets and congestion levels to the RAN node so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes to the RAN node.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
classifying received traffic flows into traffic classes corresponding to the defined congestion level dependent QoS targets indicating the traffic classes, and forwarding the classified traffic flows to the RAN node.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving congestion information from the RAN node indicating a failure of satisfying a congestion level dependent QoS target in the RAN node.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining load instructions to be used by the RAN node for reducing or adapting the congestion level dependent QoS congestion in the RAN node, and sending the load instructions to the RAN node.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining comprises one or more of:
receiving the traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified from another CN node, and pre-configuring in the in the receiving CN node traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of classifying comprises:
marking each received traffic flow so as to associate the traffic flow with a traffic class.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the traffic classes and the QoS targets and the congestion levels are set in advance without knowledge of a momentary congestion level in the RAN node so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets set in advance.

8 . A core network (CN) node for handling quality of service (QoS) targets for traffic flows between a radio access network (RAN) node and a radio terminal served by the RAN node, wherein a processing circuitry is configured to:
obtain a number of traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified, define QoS targets for each obtained traffic class for at least two congestion levels, and provide the traffic classes with the associated QoS targets and congestion levels to the RAN node so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes to the RAN node.

9 . The CN node of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
classify traffic flows received by the CN node into traffic classes corresponding to the defined congestion level dependent QoS targets indicating the traffic classes, and forward the classified traffic flows to the RAN node.

10 . The CN node of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive congestion information from the RAN node indicating a failure of satisfying a congestion level dependent QoS target in the RAN node.

11 . The CN node of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determining load instructions to be used by the RAN node for reducing or adapting the congestion level dependent QoS congestion in the RAN node, sending the load instructions to the RAN node.

12 . The CN node of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive the traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified from another CN node, or pre-configure in the receiving CN node traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified.

13 . The CN node of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
mark each received traffic flow so as to associate the traffic flow with a traffic class.

14 . The CN node of claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
set the traffic classes and the QoS targets and the congestion levels in advance, without knowledge of a momentary congestion level in the RAN node, so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets set in advance.

15 . A method in a radio access network (RAN) node for handling quality of service (QoS) targets for traffic flows between the RAN, node and a wireless terminal served by the RAN node, wherein the method comprises:
defining traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified and QoS targets for at least two congestion levels for each traffic class so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes in the RAN node. classifying each traffic flow received by the RAN node into a traffic class, and obtaining congestion information indicating a congestion level in the RAN node and determining a QoS target for each traffic class based on the obtained congestion level and the congestion level dependent QoS targets.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of defining the traffic classes comprises:
receiving from a core network, (CN), node said congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes, or pre-configuring in the RAN node said congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting that at least one congestion level dependent QoS target cannot be satisfied at the congestion level indicated by the obtained congestion information, and sending congestion information to a CN node indicating a congestion level dependent QoS target congestion in the RAN node.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving from the CN node load instructions to be used by the RAN node for reducing or adapting the congestion level dependent QoS congestion in the RAN node.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
applying the congestion level dependent QoS targets based on the congestion level indicated by the obtained congestion information.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
applying the congestion level dependent QoS targets such that if a given congestion level indicated by the congestion level dependent QoS targets is not feasible, then the next higher congestion level indicated by the congestion level dependent QoS targets should be applied.

21 . A radio access network (RAN) node for handling quality of service (QoS) targets for traffic flows between the RAN, node and a wireless terminal served by the RAN node, wherein a processing circuitry is configured to:
define traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified and QoS targets for at least two congestion levels for each traffic class so as to provide congestion level dependent QoS targets for the traffic classes in the RAN node, classify each traffic flow received by the RAN node into a traffic class, and obtain congestion information indicating a congestion level in the RAN node and determining a QoS target for each traffic class based on the obtained congestion level and the congestion level dependent QoS targets.

22 . The RAN node of claim 21 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to define said traffic classes into which the traffic flows can be classified and QoS targets for at least two congestion le

Assignees

• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Miklós György
• Bolle Aldo
• Nadas Szilveszter

Classifications

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04L47/24 Primary

  Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS · CPC title

• H04L5/006

  Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling · CPC title