Network Controller Priority Scheduling for Bandwidth Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current home networking systems face challenges in efficiently managing bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS) due to increased complexity and traffic, particularly in prioritizing network communications among various devices and services, which can lead to undesirable interruptions and delays in multimedia streaming and gaming applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a hierarchical priority scheme where the Network Controller classifies nodes and assigns time slots based on priority classifications, allowing higher-priority nodes and flows to be scheduled first, and allocating bandwidth on a prioritized basis without relying on VLAN tags, ensuring guaranteed resources for Parameterized QoS flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized Network Coordinator schedules all network communications using a Media Access Plan, then network access control and basic QoS are managed, but bandwidth utilization is inefficient and parameterized QoS cannot be guaranteed during high network loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network node population into multiple priority classes (e.g., high priority, medium priority, low priority) based on service requirements. This segmentation allows the Network Coordinator to apply different scheduling policies to different classes, ensuring that critical services receive guaranteed bandwidth while maximizing overall network utilization by allowing lower-priority traffic to use remaining capacity.
2Reliability
If the Network Coordinator schedules transmissions based on reservation requests from all nodes, then network access is controlled, but delays and interruptions occur in multimedia streaming and gaming applications during high traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by reserving bandwidth resources in advance for high-priority services before other traffic is scheduled. The Network Coordinator pre-allocates time slots and bandwidth portions to nodes with parameterized QoS requirements, ensuring that critical transmissions (multimedia streaming, gaming) are guaranteed timely delivery even during high network loads, before lower-priority traffic competes for remaining resources.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of services and devices in the home network increases, then more subscriber services are available, but the complexity of coordinating communication between network nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different service qualities and priority levels to different network nodes based on their specific requirements. Instead of treating all nodes uniformly, the system applies localized quality-of-service policies where multimedia devices receive guaranteed bandwidth, gaming devices receive low-latency prioritization, and other devices receive standard service. This differentiated approach manages coordination complexity by applying specific rules to specific node types.
4Ease of operation
If equal bandwidth allocation is used for all network nodes, then fairness is maintained, but critical multimedia streams and gaming applications experience interruptions and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bandwidth allocation parameter from equal distribution to priority-based distribution. The Network Coordinator modifies the allocation parameters dynamically based on node priority class and service type, ensuring that critical services (multimedia streaming, online gaming) receive sufficient bandwidth guarantees while other services receive remaining capacity. This parameter change maintains a form of fairness where each node receives appropriate resources based on its requirements rather than identical resources.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for scheduling network communications in a managed network can include a Network Controller discovering a plurality of network nodes; the Network Controller classifying the discovered network nodes into two or more classifications of node for node-level prioritization of network communications; the Network Controller receiving reservation requests from at least some of the plurality of network nodes, wherein the reservation requests request one or more time slots for their respective network nodes in an upcoming communication window; and the Network Controller assigning time slots in the upcoming communication window to one or more network nodes in response to reservation requests, wherein the assignment is based on a priority of the network nodes and wherein the priority is assigned to the nodes according to their classification.