Transmission method for packet data and a network element
View Patent ↗In packet data transmission method, a packet data connection is indicated with a connection identifier and the destination of the packet data connection is indicated with a destination identifier. A destination identifier is involved in the initialization of a transmission queue, at least one connection identifier is related to each transmission queue, and a set of proper connection identifiers is the union of the connection identifiers related to the initialized transmission queues. A data packet having a proper connection identifier is placed ( 504, 505 ) to the corresponding transmission queue. The method is characterized in that the initialization of a new transmission queue is triggered ( 506, 508 ) by a data packet not having a proper connection identifier and having a destination identifier and after a successful initialization of a new transmission queue the data packet that triggered the initialization is placed ( 509 ) to the new transmission queue. The method can be employed, for example, in a network element ( 800 ).
1. A method for transmitting data packets, comprising the steps of:
indicating a packet data connection with a connection identifier and indicating a destination of the packet data connection with a destination identifier;
sorting data packets into initialized transmission queues before transmission;
involving the destination identifier in an initialization of a transmission queue;
relating at least one connection identifier to at least one transmission queue, a set of proper connection identifiers comprises a union of the connection identifiers related to initialized transmission queues; and
placing a data packet having a proper connection identifier to the transmission queue determined by the connection identifier;
wherein the initialization of the new transmission queue is triggered by a data packet not having a proper connection identifier and having a destination identifier, and after successful initialization of the new transmission queue, the data packet that triggered the initialization is placed in the new transmission queue and a sender of a data packet is notified if the initialization of the new transmission queue is not successful.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein activation of the new transmission queue is triggered by the data packet not having a queue identifier.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein activation of the new transmission queue is triggered by a data packet having a queue identifier that is not a proper queue identifier.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection identifier comprises a certain data field in a protocol packet header.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the connection identifier comprises a flow label of General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol header and the destination identifier comprises a certain cellular network subscriber identifier.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
reserving transmission resources in a radio access network when the initialization of the new transmission queue is triggered.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein transmission resources are reserved using Radio Access Network Application Part in Universal Mobile Communication System.
8. A network element, comprising:
means for storing data packet to transmission queues;
means for indicating the connections related to each transmission queue with connection identifiers;
means for detecting a connection identifier in a data packet; and
means for placing a data packet to an initialized transmission queue whose connection identifier is equal to the connection identifier in the data packet; and
means for triggering the initialization of a new transmission queue upon arrival of a data packet not having a connection identifier equal to any connection identifiers of transmission queues and having a destination identifier,
wherein a sender of a data packet is notified if the initialization of the new transmission queue is not successful.
9. The network element of claim 8 , wherein the network element comprises an element of a cellular network.
10. The network element of claim 9 , wherein the network element comprises an element of a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System.
11. The network element of claim 10 , wherein the network element comprises a radio network controller.
12. The network element of claim 9 , wherein the network element comprises an element of a General Packet Radio Service core network.
13. The network element of claim 12 , wherein the network element comprises a Serving GPRS Supporting Node.
14. A network element, comprising:
a buffer for storing data packet to transmission queues;
a transmission queues block for indicating connections related to at least one transmission queue with connection identifiers;
a connection identifier detection block for detecting a connection identifier in a data packet;
an adder for placing a data packet into an initialized transmission queue having a connection identifier which is equal to the connection identifier in the data packet; and
a queue initialization triggering block for triggering the initialization of a new transmission queue upon arrival of a data packet not having a connection identifier equal to any connection identifiers of transmission queues and having a destination identifier;
wherein a sender of a data packet is notified if the initialization of the new transmission queue is not successful.