Method and system for providing user configurable differentiated service

#The phenomenal growth of the Internet has presented service providers with the continual task of responding to the millions of users' demand for reliable and fast access service. Undoubtedly the Internet has revolutionized the way personal communication as well as business communication is conducted. With its expansive reach, the Internet has allowed users to communicate freely without geographic boundaries. In fact, businesses have integrated numerous Internet services, which include e-mail, mailing lists, e-commerce (electronic commerce), and the World Wide Web, into their business processes. Given the diversity of users and applications, prioritization of traffic is needed to ensure efficient transport of information. Traditionally, users have very few parameters that are under their control with respect to such prioritization.

#Based on the foregoing, there is a need for efficiently transporting data taking into account the diversity of user requirements and associated traffic types.

#Various exemplary embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

#FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system including a wireless network capable of providing Class of Service (CoS) service, according to an exemplary embodiment;

#FIG. 2 is a diagram of a wireless device including a packet generation module for marking packets, according to various exemplary embodiments;

#A system, method, and software for providing user configurable differentiated services are described. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the exemplary embodiments.

#Although the various exemplary embodiments are described with respect to a class of service (CoS) mechanism over a wireless network, it is contemplated that these embodiments have applicability to other marking technologies and communication systems.

#FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system including a wireless network capable of providing Class of Service (CoS) service, according to an exemplary embodiment. For the purposes of illustration, a communication system 100 includes a wireless device 101 that has a capability to mark packets based on user input and/or applications in support of class of service (CoS). In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless device 101 is a hand-held mobile device, such as a cellular handset, palm computer, etc. The device 101 communicates with a wireless access point 103 within a wireless network 105. The wireless network 105 can include a router 107 for access to a data network 109, which can be an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network. The data network 109 can be an internetwork that includes the global Internet. In one embodiment, the router 107 operates at the physical layer, link layer and network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model to transport data across the network 105.