Method of managing user traffic to prevent aggressive users from abusing network resources
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, a plurality of queues are established corresponding to each of a plurality mobiles, respectively. Data packets associated with the plurality of mobiles are received at a network element. Each received data packet is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of queues. A determination operation is performed on a selected one of the plurality of queues to determine whether or not to send one or more packets of each queue from the network gateway element. The determination operation is performed based on a comparison between a packet size of a head packet and an adaptive transmission threshold value associated with the selected queue. The adaptive transmission threshold value is a value that is changed based on an amount data sent from the selected queue. The head data packet being an earliest received data packet in the selected queue.
1. A method for queuing data packets for a plurality of mobiles in a communications network at a network element, the method including: establishing a plurality of queues corresponding to each of the plurality of mobiles, respectively; receiving data packets associated with the plurality of mobiles at the network element; assigning each of the received data packets to a corresponding one of the plurality of queues; performing a determination operation on a selected queue to determine whether or not to send one or more packets of the selected queue from the network element, based on a packet size of a head data packet and an adaptive transmission threshold value associated with the selected queue, the selected queue being selected from among the plurality of queues, the selected queue being a queue having at least one data packet, the adaptive transmission threshold value changing based on an amount data sent from the selected queue, the head data
packet being an earliest received data packet in the selected queue, wherein the determination operation includes, incrementing the adaptive transmission threshold value by adding a reference value to the adaptive transmission threshold value, the reference value being determined based on at least one of a number of users currently accessing the network element, and an amount free resources available at the network element, comparing a packet size of the head packet in the selected queue to the adaptive transmission threshold value, and performing a processing operation including when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value, sending the head packet, subtracting the size of the head packet from the adaptive transmission threshold value, and performing the comparing step and the processing operation for a packet following the head packet in the selected queue, and when the packet size is greater than the adaptive transmission threshold value, ending the determination operation for the selected queue.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element is a packet data network gateway (PGW), the received data packets are data packets included in a downlink stream between an external network and the plurality of mobiles, and when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value, the sending the head packet includes sending the head packet from the PGW towards a mobile from among the plurality of mobiles to which the head packet is addressed.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element is a packet data network gateway (PGW), the received data packets are data packets included in a uplink stream between the plurality of mobiles and an external network, and when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value, the sending the head packet includes sending the head packet from the PGW towards a destination to which the first packet is addressed.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination operation further includes removing the sent packet from the selected queue, when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference value is the same for each of the plurality of queues.
6. The method of claim 1 further including:
receiving quality of service (QoS) information corresponding to the plurality of mobiles at the network element from a policy management element,
wherein the reference value is determined based on a QoS level assigned to the mobile corresponding to the selected queue.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reference value is determined to be higher for queues corresponding to mobiles to which high QoS levels are assigned, and the reference value is determined to be lower for queues corresponding to mobiles to which low QoS levels are assigned.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element is a base station.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the base station is an evolved Node B (eNB), the received data packets are data packets included in an uplink stream between the plurality of mobiles and an external network, and when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value, the sending step includes sending the head packet from the eNB towards a destination to which the head packet is addressed.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the determination operation further includes removing the sent packet from the queue, when the packet size is less than or equal to the adaptive transmission threshold value.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein incrementing the adaptive transmission threshold value includes adding a reference value to the adaptive transmission threshold value.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the reference value is the same for each of the plurality of queues, and the reference value is determined based on at least one of a number of users currently accessing the base station, and an amount of free resources available at the base station.