System and method for providing multiple quality of service classes

Abstract

A system for providing multiple quality of service classes to a subscriber using a terminal unit includes a gateway operable to communicate with a network and a base station coupled to the gateway. The base station is operable to communicate with the terminal unit over a wireless interface. The base station is also operable to receive a first packet associated with a first application and a second packet associated with a second application from the gateway. The applications are executed by the terminal unit. The base station is further operable to identify a first quality of service class associated with the first packet and a second quality of service class associated with the second packet using quality of service information. The quality of service information is associated with the first and second applications, and at least a portion of the quality of service information is identified by a network address. In addition, the base station is operable to communicate the first packet to the terminal unit using the first quality of service class and to communicate the second packet to the terminal unit using the second quality of service class.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A device for providing multiple quality of service classes to a subscriber using a terminal unit, comprising: 
       a memory operable to store quality of service information associated with a first application and a second application executed on the terminal unit, at least a portion of the quality of service information identified by a network address;  
       a snooping module coupled to the memory, the snooping module operable to receive a first packet associated with the first application and a second packet associated with the second application, the snooping module also operable to identify a first quality of service class associated with the first packet and a second quality of service class associated with the second packet using at least a portion of the quality of service information; and  
       a transmitter operable to communicate the first packet over a wireless interface using the first quality of service class and to communicate the second packet over the wireless interface using the second quality of service class.  
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a packet data protocol (PDP) context, the PDP context containing at least a portion of the quality of service information, the PDP context identified by the network address. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the snooping module is operable to: 
       retrieve at least a portion of the quality of service information contained in the PDP context; and  
       identify the first quality of service class using the retrieved quality of service information.  
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a state table, the state table comprising an entry containing at least a portion of the quality of service information. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the entry in the state table further comprises a source address and a destination address, the source and destination addresses associated with the first application. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , wherein the first packet comprises a second source address and a second destination address, and wherein the snooping module is operable to: 
       compare the source address in the entry to the second source address in the first packet;  
       compare the destination address in the entry to the second destination address in the first packet; and  
       identify the first quality of service class using the quality of service information in the entry when the source addresses match and the destination addresses match.  
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory, snooping module, and transmitter are configured as a base station. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the memory, snooping module, and transmitter are configured as the terminal unit. 
     
     
       9. A system for providing multiple quality of service classes to a subscriber using a terminal unit, comprising: 
       a gateway operable to communicate with a network; and  
       a base station coupled to the gateway, the base station operable to communicate with the terminal unit over a wireless interface, the base station also operable to:  
       receive a first packet associated with a first application and a second packet associated with a second application from the gateway, the applications executed by the terminal unit;  
       identify a first quality of service class associated with the first packet and a second quality of service class associated with the second packet using quality of service information, the quality of service information associated with the first and second applications, at least a portion of the quality of service information identified by a network address;  
       communicate the first packet to the terminal unit using the first quality of service class; and  
       communicate the second packet to the terminal unit using the second quality of service class.  
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the base station comprises: 
       a memory operable to store the quality of service information;  
       a snooping module coupled to the memory, the snooping module operable to receive the first packet and the second packet, the snooping module also operable to identify the first quality of service class and the second quality of service class; and  
       a transmitter operable to communicate the first packet over the wireless interface using the first quality of service class and to communicate the second packet over the wireless interface using the second quality of service class.  
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the memory comprises: 
       a packet data protocol (PDP) context containing at least a portion of the quality of service information, the PDP context identified by the network address; and  
       a state table comprising an entry containing at least a portion of the quality of service information.  
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the entry in the state table further comprises a source address and a destination address, the source and destination addresses associated with the first application. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first packet comprises a second source address and a second destination address, and wherein the snooping module is operable to: 
       compare the source address in the entry to the second source address in the first packet;  
       compare the destination address in the entry to the second destination address in the first packet;  
       identify the first quality of service class using the quality of service information in the entry when the source addresses match and the destination addresses match; and  
       identify the first quality of service class using the quality of service information in the PDP context when at least one of the source addresses and the destination addresses fail to match.  
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising the terminal unit. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the terminal unit comprises: 
       a memory operable to store the quality of service information;  
       a snooping module coupled to the memory, the snooping module operable to receive a third packet associated with the first application and a fourth packet associated with the second application, the snooping module also operable to identify a third quality of service class associated with the third packet and a fourth quality of service class associated with the fourth packet using at least a portion of the quality of service information; and  
       a transmitter operable to communicate the third packet over the wireless interface using the third quality of service class and to communicate the fourth packet over the wireless interface using the fourth quality of service class.  
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the gateway comprises a circuit-switched gateway operable to communicate with a circuit-switched network. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a packet network coupling the gateway and the base station. 
     
     
       18. A method for providing multiple quality of service classes to a subscriber using a terminal unit, comprising: 
       receiving a first packet associated with a first application and a second packet associated with a second application, the applications executed by the terminal unit;  
       identifying a first quality of service class associated with the first packet and a second quality of service class associated with the second packet using quality of service information, the quality of service information associated with the first and second applications, at least a portion of the quality of service information identified by a network address;  
       communicating the first packet over a wireless interface using the first quality of service class; and  
       communicating the second packet over the wireless interface using the second quality of service class.  
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the quality of service information is contained in a packet data protocol (PDP) context, the PDP context identified by the network address. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein identifying the first quality of service class comprises: 
       retrieving at least a portion of the quality of service information contained in the PDP context; and  
       identifying the first quality of service class using the retrieved quality of service information.  
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the quality of service information is contained in a state table. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein an entry in the state table comprises the quality of service information, a source address, and a destination address, the source and destination addresses associated with the first application. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first packet comprises a second source address and a second destination address, and wherein identifying the first quality of service class comprises: 
       comparing the source address in the entry to the second source address in the first packet;  
       comparing the destination address in the entry to the second destination address in the first packet; and  
       identifying the first quality of service class using the quality of service information in the entry when the source addresses match and the destination addresses match.  
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 18 , wherein communicating the first packet over a wireless interface comprises communicating the first packet to a base station. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 18 , wherein communicating the first packet over a wireless interface comprises communicating the first packet to a terminal unit.