# US 2014/0153392 A1 · Application quality management in a cooperative communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153392 A1 - Document ID: US20140153392A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/143,800 - Filed: 2013-12-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22 - Assignees: Cygnus Broadband, Inc. - Applicants: Cygnus Broadband, Inc. - Inventors: David Gell; Kenneth L. Stanwood - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153392A1 ## CPC - H04W 28/0236: {radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay} - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04W 4/60: Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An application manager node in a communication network, including a transceiver module configured to monitor data communication in the communication network, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to receive, from at least one terminal node, application information related to at least one application data stream associated with at least one application operating in the at least one terminal node, update, based on the application information, a relationship map that includes a relationship between each of the at least one application data stream and an access node, determine an overall quality metric value associated with the access node based at least in part on the application information received from one or more of the at least one terminal node, and select, based on the overall quality metric value, at least one mitigation option for one or more of the at least one application data stream. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An application manager node in a communication network, comprising: a transceiver module configured to monitor data communication in the communication network; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to: receive, from at least one terminal node, application information related to at least one application data stream associated with at least one application operating in the at least one terminal node, update, based on the application information, a relationship map that includes a relationship between each of the at least one application data stream and an access node, determine an overall quality metric value based at least in part on the application information received from one or more of the at least one terminal node, and select, based on the overall quality metric value, at least one mitigation option for one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the relationship map further includes a relationship between each of the at least one application data stream and one of the at least one terminal node that sent the application information for the respective application data stream to the application manager node. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the overall quality metric value is based at least in part on the application information received from one or more of the at least one terminal node that are associated with the access node. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate the at least one mitigation option. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the overall quality metric value is compared to a threshold and the mitigation selection is conducted if the overall quality metric value crosses the threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the communication link through which the access node and the terminal node communicate is one of a wireless network and a wired network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the application information is one of a periodic report and an aperiodic report that is received from the at least one terminal node. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the application information includes application information and terminal node information and the overall quality metric value is determined based on the application information and the terminal node information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the application information comprises at least one of a data stream quality metric and a data stream importance metric related to one or more of at least one data stream associated with a corresponding application. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the overall quality metric value is a cell-wide quality metric value that is determined based on a data stream quality metric for one or more of the at least one application data stream that is associated with a cell of the access node. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The application manager node of claim 10, wherein the determination of the overall quality metric value is based on an average value of the data stream quality metric for one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The application manager node of claim 10, wherein a weight is applied to each data stream quality metric when determining the overall quality metric value, and wherein each weight is based on at least one of a service level agreement (SLA) value, a quality of service (QoS) value and a data stream importance metric. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the overall quality metric value is determined based on a data stream quality metric for each of a subset of the at least one application data stream associated with the access node. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The application manager node of claim 5, wherein the selection of the at least one mitigation option is conducted if the overall quality metric value stays below the threshold for a minimum time duration. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The application manager node of claim 4, wherein the initiation of the at least one mitigation option includes sending a mitigation instruction message to one of the at least one terminal node that is associated with the application data stream on which the mitigation option is to be implemented. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The application manager node of claim 15, wherein the mitigation instruction message includes at least one of the overall quality metric value and a time duration that the overall quality metric value has been below a threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the at least one mitigation option includes one or more of delaying data packets, discarding data packets, delaying acknowledgements, discarding acknowledgements, delaying new data stream initiation requests, discarding new data stream initiation requests, terminating an application, and taking no action. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The application manager node of claim 1, wherein the selection of at least one mitigation option associated with one or more of the at least one application data stream is based at least in part on a data stream importance metric for each of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) The application manager node of claim 4, wherein the selected at least one mitigation option is implemented based on a time duration that the overall quality metric value is below a threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) The application manager node of claim 4, wherein the selected at least one mitigation option is implemented based on the overall quality metric value. ### Claim 21 A terminal node in a communication network having an access node, comprising: a transceiver module configured to send data packets to, and receive data packets from, the access node via the communication network; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to: detect at least one application data stream by monitoring the data packets sent to, and received from, the access node via the communication network, determine, for each of the detected at least one application data stream, application information related to an application operating in the terminal node that is associated with the respective application data stream, the application information including a data stream quality metric for each respective application data stream, send, via the communication network, the application information for each of the detected at least one application data stream, receive, via the communication network, at least one mitigation instruction associated with one or more of the at least one application data stream, and implement the at least one mitigation instruction for the associated one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the communication network is one of a wireless communication network and a wired communication network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the application information for each of the detected at least one application data stream is determined based at least in part on a current terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the application information is sent to the access node for transfer from the access node to an application manager node. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to classify one or more of the detected at least one application data stream by inspecting one or more data packets associated with the respective application data stream and assigning an application class value to the application data stream based on the inspection of the one or more data packets, and wherein the application class value is included in the application information for the respective application data stream. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the determination of application information for each application data stream includes determining a data stream importance metric for the application data stream and including the data stream importance metric in the application information for the application data stream. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The terminal node of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to generate at least one of a current application characteristics data set for each of the at least one application data stream based on current characteristics of an application associated with the respective application data stream, and a current terminal node characteristics data set based on current characteristics of the terminal node. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The terminal node of claim 27, wherein the data stream importance metric is based at least in part on the current application characteristics data set and the current terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The terminal node of claim 27, wherein the current application characteristics data set includes at least one or more of an application class value, a stream initiation type value, an update pending value, a display position value, a network quality of service (QoS) value and a buffer margin value. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The terminal node of claim 27, wherein the current terminal node characteristics data set includes at least one or more of a user attention value and a service level agreement (SLA) value and a terminal node type. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The terminal node of claim 26, wherein the data stream quality metric is based at least in part on an indication of missing or delayed data packets associated with the application data stream. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The terminal node of claim 26, wherein the data stream quality metric is based at least in part on an application quality metric value received from the application operating in the terminal node that is associated with the corresponding application data stream. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the application information for each application data stream includes at least one of an application characteristics data set related to the data stream and a terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the application information is sent from the terminal node to the access node on one of a periodic and an aperiodic basis. ### Claim 35 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the application information further includes one or more of a terminal node identification associated with the terminal node, a cell identification associated with the access node, and a handover metric value. ### Claim 36 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction includes one or more of a data packet delay instruction, a data packet discard instruction, an acknowledgement delay instruction, an acknowledgement discard instruction, a new data stream request delay instruction, a new data stream request discard instruction, and an application termination instruction. ### Claim 37 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction includes at least one of an overall quality metric value and a time duration that the overall quality metric value is below a threshold, and wherein the implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction includes determining a mitigation action based on the at least one of the overall quality metric value and the time duration. ### Claim 38 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction is based at least in part on a data stream importance metric for each of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The terminal node of claim 38, wherein the respective one of the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented on the application data stream having the lowest data stream importance metric, and is then successively implemented for at least one other application data stream having the next lowest data stream importance metric. ### Claim 40 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented on an increasing number of the associated application data streams as a time duration of the implementation increases. ### Claim 41 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented based on a time duration that a quality metric value is below a threshold. ### Claim 42 (depends on 21) The terminal node of claim 21, wherein a level of implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction is based on a quality metric value. ### Claim 43 A method for management of application quality in a communication network, the method comprising: receiving, from at least one terminal node, application information related to at least one application data stream associated with at least one application operating in the at least one terminal node; updating, based on the application information, a relationship map that includes a relationship between each of the at least one application data stream and an access node; determining an overall quality metric value based at least in part on the application information received from one or more of the at least one terminal node; and selecting, based on the overall quality metric value, at least one mitigation option for one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the relationship map further includes a relationship between each of the at least one application data stream and one of the at least one terminal node that sent the application information for the respective application data stream to the application manager node. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the overall quality metric value is based at least in part on the application information received from one or more of the at least one terminal node that are associated with the access node. ### Claim 46 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further including the step of initiating the at least one mitigation option. ### Claim 47 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the overall quality metric value is compared to a threshold and the mitigation selection is conducted if the overall quality metric value crosses the threshold. ### Claim 48 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein a communication link through which the access node and the terminal node communicate is one of a wireless network and a wired network. ### Claim 49 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the application information is one of a periodic report and an aperiodic report that is received from the at least one terminal node. ### Claim 50 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the application information includes application information and terminal node information and the overall quality metric value is determined based on the application information and the terminal node information. ### Claim 51 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the application information comprises at least one of a data stream quality metric and a data stream importance metric related to one or more of at least one data stream associated with a corresponding application. ### Claim 52 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the overall quality metric value is a cell-wide quality metric value that is determined based on a data stream quality metric for one or more of the at least one application data stream that is associated with a cell of the access node. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52, wherein the determination of the overall quality metric value is based on an average value of the data stream quality metric for one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 54 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52, wherein a weight is applied to each data stream quality metric when determining the overall quality metric value, and wherein each weight is based on at least one of a service level agreement (SLA) value, a quality of service (QoS) value and a data stream importance metric. ### Claim 55 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the overall quality metric value is determined based on a data stream quality metric for each of a subset of the at least one application data stream associated with the access node. ### Claim 56 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the selection of the at least one mitigation option is conducted if the overall quality metric value stays below the threshold for a minimum time duration. ### Claim 57 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein the initiation of the at least one mitigation option includes sending a mitigation instruction message to one of the at least one terminal node that is associated with the application data stream on which the mitigation option is to be implemented. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The method of claim 57, wherein the mitigation instruction message includes at least one of the overall quality metric value and a time duration that the overall quality metric value has been below a threshold. ### Claim 59 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one mitigation option includes one or more of delaying data packets, discarding data packets, delaying acknowledgements, discarding acknowledgements, delaying new data stream initiation requests, discarding new data stream initiation requests, terminating an application, and taking no action. ### Claim 60 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the selection of at least one mitigation option associated with one or more of the at least one application data stream is based at least in part on a data stream importance metric for each of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 61 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein the selected at least one mitigation option is implemented based on a time duration that the overall quality metric value is below a threshold. ### Claim 62 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein the selected at least one mitigation option is implemented based on the overall quality metric value. ### Claim 63 A method for managing application quality in a terminal node within a communication network, the method comprising: detecting at least one application data stream by monitoring data packets sent to, and received from, an access node in the communication network; determining, for each of the detected at least one application data stream, application information related to an application operating in the terminal node that is associated with the respective application data stream, the application information including a data stream quality metric for each respective application data stream; sending, via the communication network, the application information for each of the detected at least one application data stream; receiving, via the communication network, at least one mitigation instruction associated with one or more of the at least one application data stream; and implementing the at least one mitigation instruction for the associated one or more of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 64 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the communication network is one of a wireless communication network and a wired communication network. ### Claim 65 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the application information for each of the detected at least one application data stream is determined based at least in part on a current terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 66 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the application information is sent to the access node for transfer from the access node to an application manager node. ### Claim 67 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, further including the step of classifying one or more of the detected at least one application data stream by inspecting one or more data packets associated with the respective application data stream and assigning an application class value to the application data stream based on the inspection of the one or more data packets, and including the application class value in the application information for the respective application data stream. ### Claim 68 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the determination of application information for each application data stream includes determining a data stream importance metric for the application data stream and including the data stream importance metric in the application information for the application data stream. ### Claim 69 (depends on 68) The terminal node of claim 68, further including the step of generating at least one of a current application characteristics data set for each of the at least one application data stream based on current characteristics of an application associated with the respective application data stream, and a current terminal node characteristics data set based on current characteristics of the terminal node. ### Claim 70 (depends on 69) The terminal node of claim 69, wherein the data stream importance metric is based at least in part on the current application characteristics data set and the current terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 71 (depends on 69) The terminal node of claim 69, wherein the current application characteristics data set includes at least one or more of an application class value, a stream initiation type value, an update pending value, a display position value, a network quality of service (QoS) value and a buffer margin value. ### Claim 72 (depends on 69) The terminal node of claim 69, wherein the current terminal node characteristics data set includes at least one or more of a user attention value and a service level agreement (SLA) value and a terminal node type. ### Claim 73 (depends on 68) The terminal node of claim 68, wherein the data stream quality metric is based at least in part on an indication of missing or delayed data packets associated with the application data stream. ### Claim 74 (depends on 68) The terminal node of claim 68, wherein the data stream quality metric is based at least in part on an application quality metric value received from the application operating in the terminal node that is associated with the corresponding application data stream. ### Claim 75 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the application information for each application data stream includes at least one of an application characteristics data set related to the data stream and a terminal node characteristics data set. ### Claim 76 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the application information is sent from the terminal node to the access node on one of a periodic and an aperiodic basis. ### Claim 77 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the application information further includes one or more of a terminal node identification associated with the terminal node, a cell identification associated with the access node, and a handover metric value. ### Claim 78 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction includes one or more of a data packet delay instruction, a data packet discard instruction, an acknowledgement delay instruction, an acknowledgement discard instruction, a new data stream request delay instruction, a new data stream request discard instruction, and an application termination instruction. ### Claim 79 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction includes at least one of an overall quality metric value and a time duration for which the overall quality metric value is below a threshold, and wherein the implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction includes determining a mitigation action based on the at least one of the overall quality metric value and the time duration. ### Claim 80 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction is based at least in part on a data stream importance metric for each of the at least one application data stream. ### Claim 81 (depends on 80) The terminal node of claim 80, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented on the application data stream having the lowest data stream importance metric, and is then successively implemented for at least one other application data stream having the next lowest data stream importance metric. ### Claim 82 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented on an increasing number of the associated application data streams as a time duration of the implementation increases. ### Claim 83 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein the at least one mitigation instruction is implemented based on a time duration that a quality metric value is below a threshold. ### Claim 84 (depends on 63) The method of claim 63, wherein a level of implementation of the at least one mitigation instruction is based on a quality metric value.