PARAMETERIZED QUALITY OF SERVICE IN A NETWORK

1 - 77 . (canceled)

78 . A communication network node of a home communication network comprising: at least one module operable to, at least:

receive from a first node of the home communication network a first request of a first request type for communication bandwidth for a first communication directly between the first node and a second node of the home communication network, the first request comprising first parameters defining a first requested guaranteed quality of service;

in response to at least the received first request, allocate a first amount of communication bandwidth for providing the first communication at the first requested guaranteed quality of service;

receive from a third node of the home communication network a second request of a second request type for communication bandwidth for a second communication, the second request comprising second parameters specifying a non-guaranteed quality of service; and

if the first communication does not utilize all of the allocated first amount of communication bandwidth, then reallocate a remaining portion of the first amount of communication bandwidth to the second communication.

79 . The communication network node of claim 78 , wherein the first request type is for a parameterized quality of service (PQoS) flow, and the second request type is for a prioritized quality of service (QoS) flow.

80 . The communication network node of claim 79 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, under particular circumstances, prioritize a portion of the second communication higher than a portion of the first communication.

81 . The communication network node of claim 78 , wherein the at least one module is operable as a network controller node of the home communication network.

82 . The communication network node of claim 78 , wherein the at least one module is operable to:

receive another request of the first request type;

determine that there is not enough communication bandwidth remaining to accommodate the another request; and

deny the another request with a response message comprising information indicating an amount of bandwidth remaining.

83 . The communication network node of claim 78 , wherein the first request comprises priority information prioritizing the first communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the first request type.

84 . The communication network node of claim 83 , wherein the second request comprises priority information prioritizing the second communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the second request type.

85 . A communication network node of a home communication network comprising: at least one module operable to, at least:

allocate a prescribed bandwidth on a network resource for data being communicated between at least two other network nodes of the home communication network in accordance with a prescribed quality of service guarantee identified in a request of a first request type;

schedule transmission of first data in accordance with the request of the first request type between the at least two other nodes on the network resource using a first portion of the prescribed bandwidth;

schedule transmission of second data according to a request of a second request type on the network resource between the at least two other nodes, the second data communicated without a quality of service guarantee using a second portion of the prescribed bandwidth if the first portion of the prescribed bandwidth is less than the prescribed bandwidth; and

transmit a message communicating a schedule for the scheduled transmissions over the home communication network.

86 . The communication network node of claim 85 , wherein the first request type is for a parameterized quality of service (PQoS) flow, and the second request type is for a prioritized quality of service (QoS) flow.

87 . The communication network node of claim 86 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, under particular circumstances, prioritize a portion of a communication corresponding to the second request type higher than a portion of a communication corresponding to the first request type.

88 . The communication network node of claim 85 , wherein the at least one module is operable as a network controller node of the home communication network.

89 . The communication network node of claim 85 , wherein the at least one module is operable to:

receive another request of the first request type;

determine that there is not enough communication bandwidth remaining to accommodate the another request; and

deny the another request with a response message comprising information indicating an amount of bandwidth remaining.

90 . The communication network node of claim 85 , wherein the first request comprises priority information prioritizing the first communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the first request type.

91 . The communication network node of claim 90 , wherein the second request type comprises priority information prioritizing the second communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the second request type.

92 . A communication network node of a home communication network comprising: at least one module operable to, at least:

receive from a first ingress node of the home communication network a first request of a first request type for communication bandwidth for a first communication directly between the first ingress node and an egress node for the first communication, the first request comprising first parameters defining a first requested guaranteed quality of service, wherein the first ingress node and the egress node for the first communication are peer nodes of the home communication network;

in response to at least the received first request:

communicate with at least the first ingress node and the egress node; and

based on the communicating with at least the first ingress node and the egress node, allocate a first amount of communication bandwidth for providing the first communication at the first requested guaranteed quality of service;

receive a second request of a second request type for communication bandwidth for a second communication, the second request comprising second parameters specifying a non-guaranteed quality of service; and

if the first communication does not utilize all of the allocated first amount of communication bandwidth, then reallocate a remaining portion of the first amount of communication bandwidth to the second communication.

93 . The communication network node of claim 92 , wherein the first request type is for a parameterized quality of service (PQoS) flow, and the second request type is for a prioritized quality of service (QoS) flow.

94 . The communication network node of claim 93 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, under particular circumstances, prioritize a portion of the second communication higher than a portion of the first communication.

95 . The communication network node of claim 92 , wherein the at least one module is operable as a network controller node of the home communication network.

96 . The communication network node of claim 92 , wherein the at least one module is operable to:

receive another request of the first request type;

determine that there is not enough communication bandwidth remaining to accommodate the another request; and

deny the another request with a response message comprising information indicating an amount of bandwidth remaining.

97 . The communication network node of claim 92 , wherein the first request comprises priority information prioritizing the first communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the first request type.

98 . The communication network node of claim 97 , wherein the second request comprises priority information prioritizing the second communication relative to other communications corresponding to other requests of the second request type.