Cisco Technology, Inc.

Balasubramanian Kalyanasundaram

John Gary Waclawsky

Mahendran Velauthapillai

The invention provides a system including methods and apparatus that adjust usage of one or more resources of a data communications channel. The system can negotiate a current resource setting for usage of the resource of the communications channel and can perform communications on the communications channel using the resource. The resource can be, for example, a bandwidth setting of the communications channel. Periodically, the system can renegotiate a new value for the current resource setting upon detecting a negotiation event during performance of communications on the communications channel using the resource. One such negotiation event is an indication that an accrued usage cost of the resource of the communications channel substantially equals or exceeds a cost to renegotiate the current resource setting. Another negotiation event indicates that an actual resource setting of the communications channel substantially equals or exceeds the current resource setting for the communications channel. Another negotiation event indicates that a data communications device using the bandwidth setting of the communications channel has requested to negotiate a new value for the current resource setting of the communications channel.

Methods and apparatus for allocating resources in a communications system

A configuration of a communications device, and a method for its operation are provided for automatically and dynamically adjusting bandwidth of a communications channel. The device and method operate to detect events indicating anticipated changes in bandwidth requirements of the communications channel. Such events may be browser or bandwidth related events, for example, that indicate a forthcoming requirement for increased or decreased bandwidth. The device and method then can extract a bandwidth determination factor if available and then calculate a new value for a bandwidth setting of the communications channel in response to detecting such an event and can adjust a bandwidth characteristic of the communications channel according to the new value of the bandwidth setting such that communications channel can accommodate the anticipated change(s) in the bandwidth requirement. The invention can operate in wireless and non-wireless communications systems to cause bandwidth to be adjusted to closely track usage requirements of the communications channel.

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Herndon, VA, United States of America

Balasubramanian Kalyanasundaram