Selective internet priority service

Abstract

An Internet Priority Service (IPS) provides to authorized users priority access to communication over the Internet during emergencies. Transmission of data packets from an authorized user that accesses the IPS are given priority for transmission over the Internet. The level of priority given to a data packet depends on the type of application associated with the data packet. Each user or group of users may also be given a respective IPS level of priority. Furthermore, for a particular authorized user, access to the IPS may be limited to a specific number of application types, which for example do not have high bandwidth requirements. Assigning different priority levels as a function of application type and user or group of users, and limiting IPS access to specific application types allows efficient methods of emergency communication to be implemented over the Internet during emergencies.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of providing a priority service for transmission of data packets, each data packet associated with an application type of a plurality of application types, the method comprising:
 for a ranked plurality of user categories and the plurality of communication application types, assigning a respective priority level to each combination of a respective user category and a respective application type;   for each data packet:
 determining which combination of user category and application type is associated with the data packet; 
 associating with the packet the respective priority level assigned to the combination of user category and application type associated with the packet; and 
 processing the data packets according to the respective priority levels associated with the data packets. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, for each application type, the respective priority level assigned to each combination of a higher ranked user category and the application type are at least as high as the respective priority level assigned to each combination of a lower ranked user category and the application type. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning a respective priority level to each combination of a respective user category and a respective application type comprises assigning the priority levels such that a respective priority level assigned to at least one combination of a lower ranked user category and a first application type exceeds a respective priority level assigned to at least one combination of a higher ranked user category and a second priority application type. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the plurality of application types is ranked; and 
 for each user category, the respective priority level assigned to each combination of the user category and a higher ranked application type are at least as high as the respective priority level assigned to each combination of the user category and a lower ranked application type. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein packets associated with an application type requiring less network resources and a particular user category are assigned a priority level that is at least as high as a priority level assigned to packets associated with an application type requiring more network resources and that particular user category. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein packets associated with an application type requiring less network resources and a particular user category are assigned a priority level that is higher than a priority level assigned to packets associated with an application type requiring more network resources and that particular user category. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein packets associated with an application type requiring less network bandwidth and a particular user category are assigned a priority level that is at least as high as a priority level assigned to packets associated with an application type requiring more network bandwidth and that particular user category. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein packets associated with an application type requiring less network bandwidth and a particular user category are assigned a priority level that is higher than a priority level assigned to packets associated with an application type requiring more network bandwidth and that particular user category. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the data packets according to the priority levels associated with the data packets comprises transmitting packets having a higher priority level before packets having a lower priority level. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the data packets according to the priority levels associated with the data packets comprising transmitting available packets in decreasing order of the priority levels associated with the data packets. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein transmitting available data packets in decreasing order of the priority levels associated with the data packets comprises:
 queuing the data packets in at least one queue; and   removing data packets from the queue for transmission in decreasing order of the priority levels associated with the data packets.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein processing the data packets according to the respective priority levels associated with the data packets comprises discarding data packets associated with a particular priority level when the at least one queue is full of data packets associated with priority levels at least as high as the particular priority level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the data packets according to the respective priority levels associated with the data packets comprises marking each data packet according to the respective priority level associated with the data packet. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein processing the data packets according to the respective priority levels associated with the data packets comprises:
 reading a priority level from each of the marked data packets; and   forwarding the marked data packets according to the priority levels read from the marked data packets.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data packets comprise application fields, each application field containing at least one application type indicator;   determining which application type is associated with the data packet comprises reading the application type indicator; and   determining a priority level associated with the data packet comprises determining the priority level based on the at least one application type indicator and the user category associated with the data packet.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining which application type is associated with the data packet comprises performing deep packet inspection on the data packet. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a user invokes an application by messaging a network element;   at least some data packets are associated with the application invoked by the user; and   determining which application type is associated with the at least some data packets comprises determining the application type from the messaging.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to invocation of an application by a user authorized to use the priority service, confirming with the user whether data packets associated with the application require the priority service; and   when the associated data packets require the priority service, providing the priority service for the associated data packets.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving credentials from a user; and   associating the user with a user category.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising:
 confirming that the received credentials are valid before providing access to the priority service to the user.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising providing the user access to the priority service for a set of application types, the set of application types being a subset of the plurality of application types. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving the credentials and confirming that the received credentials are valid at a priority service management function; and   sending information from the priority service management function to at least one other network element indicating that access to the priority service is enabled for the user.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein a proxy function serves as a proxy for applications invoked remotely. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the proxy function provides at least one secure link for access by users invoking the priority service. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the proxy function provides the at least one secure link using a secure socket layer (SSL) protocol. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the proxy function is implemented on a virtual private network (VPN) server. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the proxy function is implemented in a secure socket layer (SSL) portal. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ranked plurality of user categories comprises at least three user categories, each having a different respective rank. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the ranked plurality of application types comprises at least two application types, each having a different respective rank. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the ranked plurality of application types comprise at least three application types, at least two of which have the same rank.