Method and apparatus for communicating data in a GPRS network based on a plurality of traffic classes

In a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network comprising a plurality of GPRS Support Nodes (GSNs), including at least one Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) in communication with at least one Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) via an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network comprising a plurality of intermediate nodes, a method for communicating data across the IP-based network according to a plurality of traffic classes, the method comprising steps of:

• defining a plurality of delay-differentiated paths within the IP-based network between each of the at least one SGSN and each of the at least one GGSN, wherein each of the plurality of traffic classes has at least one delay-differentiated path of the plurality of delay-differentiated paths corresponding thereto;
• determining, by an ingress GSN of the plurality of GSNs, a traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes corresponding to the data;
• assigning, by the ingress GSN, a per-hop behavior (PHB) group of a plurality of PHB groups to the data based on the traffic class;
• transmitting, by the ingress GSN, a portion of the data to one of the plurality of intermediate nodes through a first delay-differentiated path of the plurality of delay-differentiated paths based on correspondence of the assigned PHB group to the first delay-differentiated path;
• and
• handling, by the one of the plurality of intermediate nodes, the portion of the data based on the PHB group, wherein the plurality of traffic classes comprises conversational, streaming, interactive and background traffic classes, and wherein the conversational class corresponds to an Expedited Forwarding PHB group, the streaming class corresponds to a First Assured Forwarding (AF1) PHB group, the interactive class corresponds to a Second Assured Forwarding (AF2) PHB group and the background class corresponds to a Third Assured Forwarding (AF3) PHB group.

An improved General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network of a type comprising a plurality of GPRS Support Nodes (GSNs) in communication with each other via an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network comprising a plurality of intermediate nodes, wherein the improved GPRS network is capable of supporting a plurality of traffic classes, the improvement comprising:

• at least one Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and at least one Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) having a plurality of delay-differentiated paths within the IP-based network between each of the at least one SGSN and each of the at least one GGSN, wherein each of the plurality of traffic classes has at least one delay-differentiated path of the plurality of delay-differentiated paths corresponding thereto, wherein each of the at least one SGSN and each of the at least one GGSN further function to assign a per-hop behavior (PHB) group of a plurality of PHB groups to data belonging to a traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes, wherein the intermediate nodes handle the data according to the PHB group, wherein an ingress GSN routes to an egress GSN, the data through a first delay-differentiated path of the plurality of delay-differentiated paths based on correspondence of the PHB group to the first delay-differentiated path, and
• wherein the plurality of traffic classes comprises conversational, streaming, interactive and background traffic classes, and wherein the conversational class correspond and bacground to an Expedited Forwarding PHB group, the streaming class corresponds to a First Assured Forwarding (AF1) PHB group, the interactive class correspond to a Second Assured Forwarding (AF2) PHB group and the background class corresponds to a Third Assured Forwarding (AF3) PHB group.

In a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network comprising a plurality of GPRS Support Nodes (GSNs), a method for communicating data across an IP-based network according to a plurality of traffic classes, the method comprising steps of:

• determining, by an ingress GSN of the plurality of GSNs, a traffic class corresponding to the data;
• and
• assigning, by the ingress GSN, a label to at least a portion of the data according to the traffic class to provide labeled data;
• routing the labeled data through one of a plurality of delay-differentiated paths based on a correspondence of the label to the one delay-differentiated path, handling the portion of the data based on per-hop behavior (PHB) group, and
• wherein the plurality of traffic classes comprises conversational, streaming, interactive and background traffic classes, and wherein the conversational class correspond and background to an Expedited Forwarding PHB group, the streaming class corresponds to a First Assured Forwarding (AF1) PHB group, the interactive class correspond to a Second Assured Forwarding (AF2) PHB group and the background class corresponds to a Third Assured Forwarding (AF3) PHB group.