Method for channel congestion management
View Patent ↗A method for managing data traffic in a multiple-user multiple simultaneous access environment using a channel load estimate and a calculation. The estimate or estimates are used to calculate a congestion threshold (CT) and to select a current congestion threshold broadcast to all potential users. An experiment is performed by users comparing that congestion threshold value and a random number to determine if a packet is eligible to be transmitted, thus throttling the random transmission of packets so that the transmitted load from the terminal has a rate of packet transmission that is less than the congestion threshold times the offered load (from the user), where the congestion threshold value is related to the probability of a globally successful transmission of a number of simultaneously transmitted packets. A quality of service (QOS) factor may also throttle the transmitted load.
1. A method for managing data traffic in a multiple-user environment having true random access with more than one transmission present simultaneously, the method comprising the steps of:
estimating channel load of multiple users at multiple terminals in multiple simultaneous accesses;
calculating on an ongoing basis a congestion threshold value using said estimate of channel load;
selecting a current congestion threshold value; then
at each said terminal, performing an experiment comparing the current congestion threshold value with a random number from a random number generator to obtain a transmission value determinative of whether a packet is eligible to be transmitted by each said terminal;
throttling random transmission of packets according to said transmission value so that a transmitted load from all said terminals has a rate of packet transmission that is less than the current congestion threshold value times an offered load offered to the terminal; and
wherein said estimate of channel load is probability of access and the current congestion threshold value is related to probability of a globally successful transmission of a number of simultaneously transmitted packets.
2. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of, at each said terminal, throttling the channel load according to a quality of service factor.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said current congestion threshold is broadcast and said quality of service factor is broadcast at least as frequently as a current congestion threshold value.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein a quality of service factor is committed to each said terminal for use in additionally throttling the channel load and assuring transmission of selected packets.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said estimating of channel load is at a hub where traffic of multiple users is monitored.
6. The method according to claim 5 further including the step of, at each said terminal, throttling the channel load according to a quality of service factor.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said current congestion threshold is broadcast and said quality of service factor is broadcast at least as frequently as a current congestion threshold value.
8. The method according to claim 5 wherein a quality of service factor is committed to each said terminal for use in additionally throttling the channel load and assuring transmission of selected packets.