CAC Engine Bandwidth Throttling via Real-Time PIP Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telephony over packet networks lacks effective mechanisms for managing network bandwidth and diagnosing communication issues, leading to problems such as congestion, jitter, and voice quality degradation due to the lack of real-time bandwidth awareness and in-band path signaling.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses Performance Information Packets (PIP) to gather and throttle network bandwidth based on real-time data, allowing for controlled network throttling and improved call management by providing real-time network performance information across packet networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network bandwidth is allowed to be used freely without control, then network utilization and throughput are maximized, but network congestion, jitter, and voice quality degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where network performance information is continuously collected from the network path using Performance Information (PI) packets. This feedback loop allows the Connection Admission Control (CAC) engine to monitor actual network conditions (bandwidth availability, congestion levels, jitter) and dynamically adjust call admission decisions. The CAC engine uses this real-time feedback to prevent network overload while maintaining adequate bandwidth for active calls, thus resolving the contradiction between maximizing throughput and ensuring voice quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing connection admission control before calls are established. The CAC engine proactively evaluates network performance and predicts whether additional calls can be admitted without causing congestion. By making admission decisions in advance based on current network state and projected load, the system prevents congestion before it occurs, thereby maintaining both high utilization and reliable voice quality.
2Reliability
If Connection Admission Control (CAC) is implemented to manage bandwidth, then voice quality and congestion control improve, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling network elements to autonomously generate and process Performance Information packets without requiring external monitoring infrastructure. Network devices themselves collect performance data, embed it in PI packets, and transmit it along the call path. The CAC engine at each device independently makes admission decisions based on local network state assessment. This self-service approach distributes the control function across multiple devices, reducing the complexity burden on any single device while achieving reliable voice quality through coordinated admission control.
3Loss of information
If real-time network performance monitoring is implemented using PIP packets, then bandwidth awareness and call management improve, but network overhead and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the performance monitoring function with existing call signaling and data traffic by embedding Performance Information packets within the same network infrastructure that carries voice and data. Rather than creating a separate monitoring network, the system utilizes the existing packet network to transport PI packets alongside regular traffic. This merging approach allows real-time bandwidth awareness to be achieved without adding separate dedicated monitoring channels, thereby reducing the relative overhead while maintaining comprehensive network visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling network bandwidth. Network performance information that includes information regarding real-time data packets using performance information packet data packets is gathered. The network bandwidth is throttled for each of a number of customers in a communications network using one or more connection admission control (CAC) engines based on the network performance information and quality of service guarantees.