TCP-aware resource allocation in wireless networks

1. A computer-implemented method for allocating wireless channels in a multi-rate wireless system, the method comprising:

determining a long-term transmission control protocol (TCP) sending rate;

generating, by an optimization engine, a subset of channel rates from available channel rates associated with the multi-rate wireless system, wherein the subset of channel rates is based on the long-term TCP sending rate and maximizes TCP throughput;

storing the subset of channel rates;

after generating and storing the subset of channel rates, observing a transmission control protocol (TCP) sending rate associated with a mobile session established between at least one sender device and at least one receiver device;

allocating wireless channels based on the observed TCP sending rate; and

adapting the allocated wireless channels when the TCP sending rate changes by selecting a new channel rate from the stored subset of channel rates generated by the optimization engine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein observing the TCP sending rate includes utilizing one or more network probes to measure a round trip time and a window size for the mobile session.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein allocating wireless channels includes assigning at least one of a fundamental and a supplemental channel to the mobile session.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring a current channel rate; and increasing said current channel rate if the current channel rate is below the TCP sending rate.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising decreasing said current channel rate if the current channel rate is above the TCP sending rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein allocating wireless channels includes assigning one of a low-rate channel and a high-rate channel to the mobile session.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein adapting the allocated wireless channels includes assigning the high-rate channel to the mobile session when the TCP sending rate is equal to or above a capacity threshold of the low-rate channel.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein adapting the allocated wireless channels includes assigning the low-rate channel to the mobile session when the TCP sending rate is below a capacity threshold of the low-rate channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein allocating wireless channels includes assigning multiple rates based on one or more changes in the TCP sending rate.

10. One or more non-transitory computer storage media (“media”) storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method to maximize throughput in a multi-rate wireless system, the method comprising:

determining a long-term transmission control protocol (TCP) sending rate;

generating, by an optimization engine, a subset of channel rates from available channel rates associated with the multi-rate wireless system, wherein the subset of channel rates is based on the long-term TCP sending rate and maximizes TCP throughput;

storing the subset of channel rates;

receiving an advertisement having the current window size of a receiver device for a mobile session with a sender device;

after generating the subset of channel rates, calculating a current TCP sending rate for the sender device; and

selecting, based on the current TCP sending rate, a wireless channel rate from the stored subset of channel rates.

11. The media of claim 10 , wherein the current TCP sending rate is based on a window size at the sender device and a round trip delay provided by one or more network probes associated with the mobile session.

12. The media of claim 11 , wherein the current TCP sending rate is modified by a jump factor when a scheduler transitions the mobile session to a new channel rate.

13. The media of claim 10 , wherein a window size at the sender device grows when there is no reported packet loss.

14. The media of claim 13 , wherein the window size at the sender device is constrained to the window size of the receiver device.

15. The media of claim 13 , wherein the long-term TCP sending rate is determined by collecting window sizes and round trip times over a specified period by one or more network probes.

16. A multi-rate wireless system for adaptive scheduling of channel resources, the system comprising:

a wireless network that supports mobile sessions generated by one or more mobile devices:

a base station communicatively connected to said one or more mobile devices and the wireless network;

an optimization engine that generates and stores a subset of available channel rates that maximize TCP throughput, wherein the subset of channel rates is based on a long-term TCP sending rate; and

a multi-rate wireless channel scheduler that generates messages that inform the base station of channel rates to apply to the mobile sessions, wherein the channel rates are selected from the stored subset of available channel rates generated by the optimization engine and are applied to the mobile sessions.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the multi-rate wireless scheduler is configured to utilize the TCP sending rate to transition between states defined by a channel rate and a packet error probability pair and is further configured to generate messages based on the current state.