Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Koninklijke Kpn N.v.

Frank Den Hartog

Hans Maarten Stokking

Miodrag Djurica

Menno Remco Bangma

Bernardus Hillen

Shuang Zhang

Jose Almodovar Chico

Robertus Smets

Manuel Herrera Van Der Nood

Pieter-Jan Meulenhoff

José ALMODÓVAR Chico

Vlado Menkovski

Antonio Liotta

A system for managing a data stream between first and second networks is described in which a node entity transmits a data stream addressed to a destination device in the second network and a gateway entity receives the data stream from the first network. The gateway entity identifies at least one characteristic of the destination device and transmits it to the node entity in the first network in such a way that the characteristic is relatable to the data stream. The node entity receives the characteristic of the destination device from the gateway entity and relates it to the data stream and performs Quality of Service management on the data stream based on the at least one characteristic. A gateway device and a method of managing a data stream are also described. The system, gateway, node and method extend the application of QoS performance and management.

QOS in data stream delivery

System and method for making a vertical handover decision between first and second networks using a terminal configured to attach to both networks and a fixed point in either network. Both networks allow information flow between the terminal and the fixed point. When attached to the first network the terminal detects the second and compares a first bandwidth measurement, representing available bandwidth along a first path between the terminal and the fixed point, to a second bandwidth measurement representing available bandwidth along a second path between the terminal and the fixed point. The terminal maintains attach to the first network if the first bandwidth measurement is higher than the second bandwidth measurement and makes a decision to handover to the second network if the second band&#xac; width measurement is higher than first bandwidth measurement.

Vertical handover

The invention relates to a node for communication between a first network and an second network and coupled to a controller in the second network via a first communication route. The node and controller form a virtualised home gateway platform. The node is arranged to access a second communication route and also to couple to the controller via the second communication route upon connection failure of the first communication route. This reconnects the node to the controller thereby maintaining a route for transmission of data streams and downloads into the home environment but also re-establishes control signalling within the virtualised home gateway platform and therefore also within the home network. A system for performing gateway functions between a first network and an second network, and a method of maintaining connection between a node and a controller, are also described.

WAN control failover broker for vHGW

A method is described of probing a network route using a pairs of probe packets in which the first packets are typically smaller than the second. A first pair of probe packets with size ratio [L/L] and a second pair of probe packets with different size ratio [M/M] are transmitted onto a network route. An indicator of time taken for the second probe packet in the packet pairs to traverse the network route is derived and it is identified whether the values of the derived indicators vary or are substantially the same. The method, which can be used to probe home or domestic networks, indicates whether the first link in the route is or is not a bottleneck link, thereby providing further information about the route. A test apparatus, gateway device and computer to perform the method are also disclosed.

Probing a network

A system comprises a first network to which at least one user device and a gateway device are connected, which gateway device is also connected to a second network and is configured to cooperate with a virtual gateway application accommodated in the second network. A method of managing the system comprises the step of accommodating an auxiliary virtual gateway application in the at least one user device, which auxiliary virtual gateway application is configured for providing at least some functionalities of the virtual gateway application when communication between the gateway device and the virtual gateway application is lost. Although the virtual gateway application and the auxiliary gateway application may have distinct sets of functionalities, it is preferred that these applications each have DHCP functionality. This allows the auxiliary virtual gateway application to take over DHCP functions when communication with the second network is lost.

Distributed gateways

A method is presented of probing a network using probing with a probe packet pair, the pair comprising a first probe packet (L) and a second probe packet (L), and wherein L&#x3e;L. The Lprobe packet is transmitted before Land the probe packets are arranged to be back-to-back on the last link. Use of the method provides the capacity of the last link in the probed path. The method may be run from a gateway in a network to probe aspects of the network and is suitable for probing a domestic network behind a home gateway. A use for the method is also described.

A method and system is described for delivering data streams in a network comprising devices connected to the network via adapters and wherein at least some of the devices are programmed to indicate priority of a data stream using priority parameter values of respective priority parameter types. One device in the network operates as a controller and the accompanying controller adapter is configured to perform priority enforcement on data streams according to all priority parameter types used within the datastreams in the network. A controller is also described and the controller can be a gateway configured to allow data streams into and out of the network. The method, system and controller find particular application in networks based on shared network segments, for example power line communication or networks based on coaxial cable.

Growing community of inventors

Melba, Australia

Frank Den Hartog