FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present subject matter relates to over the top (OTT) services and, more
particularly but not exclusively, to providing quality of service for the OTT services5 .
BACKGROUND
[0002] Over-The-Top (OTT) services refer to broadband internet delivery of content,
such as video content and audio content, without an operator, such as an internet service
provider (ISP) or cable services provider, being involved in the control or distribution of the
10 content. Typically, OTT services are used to deliver content that may be received from a third
party or an OTT content provider, for example, Netflix®, Bigflix®, Hulu®, Amazon®,
Google®, Facebook®, Apple®, Skype®, and YouTube®. With the growing popularity of the
OTT applications or services, network service providers are being impacted as the OTT
services, such as OTT video streaming, are delivered to an end user by various internet
15 service providers (ISPs) without the service provider controlling the service other than
providing transport to the content of the OTT service. On the other hand, unlike network
operators, OTT content providers may not provide the OTT services with a guaranteed QoS,
which may in turn negatively impact quality of experience (QoE) of a service to the end user.
Thus, in the current scenario, both the network operators and end users may not benefit from
20 current ways of delivering OTT services.
SUMMARY
[0003] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to systems and
methods for providing quality of service (QoS) for over the top (OTT) services. This
summary is neither intended to identify features of the claimed subject matter nor is it
25 intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0004] In one implementation, a QoS controller for providing a predetermined quality
of service (QoS) for over the top (OTT) services is described. The QoS controller includes a
processor and a QoS provisioning module coupled to the processor. The QoS provisioning
module determines an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device requested for,
30 based on a received OTT service request. The OTT service request may include an OTT
3
service category and a user ID corresponding to a user of the user device. In an example, the
QoS provisioning module may receive the OTT service request from a provisioning system
and ascertain whether the user who provided the OTT service request has subscribed for
enhanced QoS for OTT services, based on the corresponding user profile. Further, the OTT
service category may be determined when the user has subscribed for enhanced QoS for OT5 T
services.
[0005] Upon determining the OTT service category, a predetermined value of at least
one QoS parameter to be set for one or more network devices is obtained to provide at least a
minimum quality of service for the OTT service. The predetermined value is determined
10 based on the OTT service category and a user profile corresponding to the user ID.
Additionally, the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter is provided to an
SDN controller for provisioning the one or more network devices in an OTT path of the OTT
service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT service. The OTT path indicates a path
through which OTT content of the OTT service is to be sent from an OTT content provider to
15 the user device.
[0006] Further, in an example, the QoS provisioning module may ascertain whether a
minimum value of the at least one QoS parameter is to be updated to a higher value, based on
a user profile of a user associated with the user device. When it is ascertained that the
minimum value is to be updated, the higher value is identified as the predetermined value.
20 However, when it is ascertained that the minimum value is not to be updated, the minimum
value is identified as the predetermined value.
[0007] In another implementation, a method for providing a predetermined quality of
service (QoS) for over the top (OTT) services is described. The method includes determining
an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device requested for, based on a received
25 OTT service request. The OTT service request includes the OTT service category and a user
ID of a user corresponding to the user device. Further, a predetermined value of at least one
QoS parameter to be set for one or more network devices is obtained to provide at least a
minimum quality of service for the OTT service. The predetermined value is determined
based on the OTT service category and a user profile corresponding to the user ID.
30 Additionally, the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter is provided to an
SDN controller for provisioning the one or more network devices in an OTT path of the OTT
4
service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT service. The OTT path indicates a path
through which OTT content of the OTT service is to be sent from an OTT content provider to
the user device.
[0008] Further, in an example, the method includes ascertaining whether a minimum
value of the at least one QoS parameter is to be updated to a higher value, based on a use5 r
profile of a user associated with the user device. When it is ascertained that the minimum
value is to be updated, the higher value is identified as the predetermined value. However,
when it is ascertained that the minimum value is not to be updated, the minimum value is
identified as the predetermined value.
10 [0009] In yet another implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium
having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for providing a
predetermined quality of service (QoS) for over the top (OTT) services is described. The
method includes determining an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device
requested for, based on a received OTT service request. The OTT service request includes the
15 OTT service category and a user ID of a user corresponding to the user device. Further, a
predetermined value of at least one QoS parameter to be set for one or more network devices
is obtained to provide at least a minimum quality of service for the OTT service. The
predetermined value is determined based on the OTT service category and a user profile
corresponding to the user ID. Additionally, the predetermined value of the at least one QoS
20 parameter is provided to an SDN controller for provisioning the one or more network devices
in an OTT path of the OTT service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT service.
The OTT path indicates a path through which OTT content of the OTT service is to be sent
from an OTT content provider to the user device.
[0010] Further, in an example, the method executed by the computer-readable
25 medium includes ascertaining whether a minimum value of the at least one QoS parameter is
to be updated to a higher value, based on a user profile of a user associated with the user
device. When it is ascertained that the minimum value is to be updated, the higher value is
identified as the predetermined value.
[0011] In an implementation, a service information determination system is
30 described. The service information determination system includes a processor and an OTT
service module coupled to the processor. The OTT service module receives a request for a
5
service from a user device and ascertains whether the request pertains to an OTT service.
When the request pertains to the OTT service, the OTT service category and a user ID of a
user corresponding to the user device is provided to, for example, a provisioning system,
ensure a predetermined QoS for the OTT service.
[0012] In another implementation, a method for determining service informatio5 n
corresponding to an OTT service is described. The method includes receiving a request for a
service from a user device and ascertaining whether the request pertains to an OTT service.
Further, when the request pertains to the OTT service, the OTT service category and a user
ID of a user corresponding to the user device is provided to, for example, a provisioning
10 system, to ensure a predetermined QoS for the OTT service.
[0013] In yet another implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium
having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for determining service
information corresponding to an OTT service is described. The method includes receiving a
request for a service from a user device and ascertaining whether the request pertains to an
15 OTT service. Further, when the request pertains to the OTT service, the OTT service
category and a user ID of a user corresponding to the user device is provided to, for example,
a provisioning system, to ensure a predetermined QoS for the OTT service.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying
20 figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in
which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures
to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods in
accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of
example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
25 [0015] Fig. 1a illustrates a communication network environment for providing OTT
services, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0016] Fig. 1b illustrates schematic diagram illustrating provisioning of QoS for an
OTT service to a user device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
matter;
6
[0017] Fig. 2 illustrates a method for determining information pertaining to an OTT
service, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter; and
[0018] Fig. 3 illustrates a method for providing quality of service (QoS) for the OTT
service, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0019] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagram5 s
herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the
present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams,
state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like, represent various processes which may
be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or
10 processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Systems, devices, and methods for providing QoS for OTT services are
described. Generally, an OTT service may be understood as a service that is provided over
the Internet to a user device, where a network service provider may only transport content
15 from an OTT content provider to a user, who had requested for the OTT service. The
applications generally provided by OTT services include multimedia applications, video
applications, etc. Generally, OTT content providers do not provide OTT services over QoS
based communication channels and handle requests using best-effort delivery mechanism,
where a QoS to an end user is not guaranteed. Consequently, often times, the OTT service
20 provided to the user may not be of a desired quality. For example, in case a user has
requested for an OTT service, say, a video from Netflix®, and is simultaneously performing
other actions, such as downloading a large file, the user may experience buffering, jitter, or
delay while watching the video, which in turn may impact quality of experience for the user.
[0021] Further, it will be understood that the network service providers provide the
25 OTT services in addition to the usual telecommunication related services over a common
channel, and therefore OTT services are generally assigned a lower priority as compared to
usual telecommunication related services. Consequently, in certain other cases, where even
when the network bandwidth is not being used for any other purpose, the user may still
experience such issues and the QoS may not be guaranteed.
7
[0022] To minimize buffer issues, the OTT content providers may use adaptive
streaming techniques. However, QoS may still not be improved or guaranteed even with the
use of adaptive streaming techniques. For example, quality of the video cannot be controlled
by the OTT content providers, therefore QoE may not be guaranteed. Further, still rebuffering,
quality degradation, slow start time, etc., may be experienced when there i5 s
network congestion.
[0023] According to an implementation of the present subject matter, systems,
devices, and methods for providing QoS for OTT services over a software defined network
(SDN) are described herein. SDN typically provides a platform where control is decoupled
10 from hardware and is provided to a software controller instead. The controller manages and
optimizes network resources dynamically without having to make a change in the network
resources manually. The present subject matter provides for provisioning and providing
guaranteed QoS using SDN as will be explained in detail in the following paragraphs.
[0024] In an implementation, a user may subscribe for enhanced QoS for OTT
15 services, i.e., for receiving OTT services with a guaranteed predetermined QoS. For example,
the user may subscribe to a network service provider for providing the OTT services with the
predetermined QoS. It will be understood that the user may, in addition to requesting for OTT
services, request for other telecommunication related services as well. Accordingly, when a
user requests for a service, it may be determined whether the requested service is an OTT
20 service using, for example, deep packet inspection. Upon determining that the requested
service is an OTT service, information pertaining to the requested OTT service may be
obtained. The information may include OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to
the user. The user ID may be a subscriber ID provider by a network operator. An OTT
service may be of different types or category based on, for example, content that is provided
25 or the way the content is provided and the OTT service category indicates the category to
which the requested OTT service belongs. Examples of OTT service categories include, but
are not limited to, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) applications, Internet Protocol
television (IPTV), and high speed internet (HSI) service The OTT service category and the
user ID may be provided to a controller, such as operation support system (OSS), for
30 provisioning the QoS for the OTT service.
8
[0025] In an example, based on the OTT service category, a minimum value of at
least one QoS parameter, such as bandwidth or classification, may be determined for the OTT
service. The classification may be a p-bit QoS parameter, where priority of 7 indicates
highest priority and with chances of data packet being dropped minimum, while 1 indicates
lowest priority. Further, based on a user profile corresponding to the user ID, it may b5 e
ascertained whether the minimum value is to be updated to a higher value. For example,
while subscribing, the user may be provided with various packages where, on paying a higher
monetary value, a higher QoS may be guaranteed. Accordingly, based on the package, QoS
parameters may be associated with predetermined values to provide the predetermined QoS
10 for the OTT service. Thus, the predetermined value may be the minimum value or the higher
value, based on the package a user has subscribed for.
[0026] The predetermined value, of the QoS parameter is provided to the network
devices in an OTT path. The OTT path refers to a communication path, including multiple
network entities and devices, established between an OTT content provider and the user to
15 deliver the content of the OTT service to the user. Further, the values of the QoS parameters
may be provided using SDN to dynamically update the network devices regarding the QoS to
be provided to the user for the OTT service. The use of SDN ensures dynamic updating of the
network devices, which may be provided across various locations, without human
intervention. Further, SDN provides for centralized control and support for various multi20
vendor network devices.
[0027] Thus, the present subject matter provides for guaranteeing a predetermined
QoS for OTT services. Therefore, even if the user performs multiple activities, such as
checking email, browsing internet, and downloading a file, and in parallel requests for an
OTT service, QoS for the requested OTT service may not be compromised. For instance,
25 sufficient bandwidth may be allocated to the OTT services requested by the user. This in
addition may also enhance quality of experience (QoE) of the users for the OTT services.
Additionally, the network service providers may also generate revenue by having separate
charges for providing a predetermined QoS to the users. The network providers may obtain
revenue not only from the subscribers but also from the OTT content providers so that the
30 users may prefer using OTT services from such OTT content providers, which in turn may
enhance the popularity of the OTT content providers that guarantee certain QoS. Further, the
9
present subject matter may re-use existing network devices, such as a digital subscriber line
access multiplexer (DSLAM) and an OSS, thereby making it easy to implement.
[0028] It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate the
principles of the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art
will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or show5 n
herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter. Furthermore, all examples recited
herein are principally intended expressly to be for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in
understanding the principles of the present subject matter and the concepts contributed by the
inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such
10 specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting
principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present subject matter, as well as specific
examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0029] It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during,
while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly
15 upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a
propagation delay, between the initial action and the reaction that is initiated by the initial
action. Additionally, the words “connected” and “coupled” are used throughout for clarity of
the description and can include either a direct connection or an indirect connection.
[0030] The manner in which the systems and the methods of providing guaranteed
20 QoS for OTT services may be implemented has been explained in details with respect to the
Figures 1 to 3. While aspects of described systems and methods for providing the guaranteed
QoS for OTT services can be implemented in any number of different computing systems and
transmission environments, the embodiments are described in the context of the following
system(s).
25 [0031] Fig. 1a illustrates a communication network environment 100 for providing
guaranteed QoS for OTT services, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
In an implementation, the communication network environment 100 is an SDN based
network environment, where control is decoupled from hardware and is given to a software
application based central controller, thereby providing for dynamic updating of network
30 devices. Therefore, network traffic can be shaped from a central controller, also referred to as
an SDN controller (not shown in the figures), without having to touch individual network
10
devices. Further, in the SDN environment, each network device in the end-to-end network is
coupled to the SDN controller, which controls the network devices.
[0032] Further, the communication network environment 100 includes a plurality of
user devices 105-1, 105-2, … 105-n communicating with at least one OTT content provider
110 over a communication network 115. The plurality of user devices 105-1, 105-2, … 105-5 n
may be collectively referred to as user device(s) 105. The user devices 105 may be
implemented as one or more of cellular phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants
(PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, tablet computers, tablets, and the like. Each
of the user devices 105 works on a communication protocol as defined by the communication
10 network 115 to which the user device 105 is coupled.
[0033] The communication network 115 may be a wireless or a wired network, or a
combination thereof. The communication network 115 can be a collection of individual
networks, interconnected with each other and functioning as a single large network (e.g., the
internet or an intranet). Examples of such individual networks include, but are not limited to,
15 Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, Personal Communications Service (PCS)
network, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA) network, Next Generation Network (NGN), Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN), and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Depending on the technology, the
20 communication network 115 includes various network devices, such as gateways, modems,
routers; however, such details have been omitted for ease of understanding.
[0034] In an implementation, a user through a corresponding user device 105 may
send a request for service, which may be received by a service information determination
system 120. In an example the service information determination system 120 may be in a
25 network terminal card of a layer 2 switch, such as an intelligent service access manager
(ISAM). Further, the request may be first authenticated for user credentials by a line terminal
card of the layer 2 switch and then may be provided to the service information determination
system 120 for further analysis. The service information determination system 120, among
other things, may include a processor 125-1, interfaces, memory, modules and data.
30 [0035] The processor 125-1 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors,
microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic
circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions.
11
Among other capabilities, the processor(s) is configured to fetch and execute computerreadable
instructions stored in the memory.
[0036] The functions of the various elements shown in the figure, including any
functional blocks labeled as “processor(s)”, may be provided through the use of dedicated
hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriat5 e
software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated
processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of
which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” should not be construed
to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include,
10 without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read only memory
(ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), non-volatile storage. Other
hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.
[0037] The interface(s) (not shown in the figures) may include a variety of software
15 and hardware interfaces that allow the service information determination system 120 to
interact with network devices, a provisioning system 130, and other communication and
computing devices, such as web servers and external repositories.
[0038] The memory (not shown in the figures) may be coupled to the processor 125-1
and may include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example,
20 volatile memory (e.g., RAM), and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., EPROM, flash memory,
etc.).
[0039] The data may serve, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data that
may be fetched, processed, received, or generated by one or more of the modules.
[0040] The modules (not shown in the figures) include routines, programs, objects,
25 components, data structures, and the like, which perform particular tasks or implement
particular abstract data types. The modules further include modules that supplement
applications on the service information determination module 120, for example, modules of
an operating system.
[0041] Further, the modules can be implemented in hardware, instructions executed
30 by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The processing unit can comprise a
12
computer, a processor, such as the processor 125-1, a state machine, a logic array or any other
suitable devices capable of processing instructions. The processing unit can be a generalpurpose
processor which executes instructions to cause the general-purpose processor to
perform the tasks or, the processing unit can be dedicated to perform the functions.
[0042] In another aspect of the present subject matter, the modules may be machine5 -
readable instructions (software) which, when executed by a processor/processing unit,
perform any of the described functionalities. The machine-readable instructions may be
stored on an electronic memory device, hard disk, optical disk or other machine-readable
storage medium or non-transitory medium. In one implementation, the machine-readable
10 instructions can be also be downloaded to the storage medium via a network connection. The
data serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data that may be fetched,
processed, received, or generated by one or more of the modules.
[0043] In an implementation, the modules of the service information determination
system 120 include an OTT service module 135. In an example, the functionality of the OTT
15 service module 135 may be realized through an application programming interface (API).
The OTT service module 135, on receiving the request form the user device 105, may
ascertain whether the request pertains to an OTT service. In an example, the OTT service
module 135 may analyze data packets of the request using deep packet inspection technique
to ascertain whether the request pertains to an OTT service. Using the deep packet inspection
20 technique, the OTT service module 135 may analyze the data packets in all layers to gather
information pertaining to a requested service. In case it is ascertained that the user has not
requested for an OTT service, the service information determination system 120 may process
the request as per the usual protocols and processes. However, if it is ascertained that the user
has requested for the OTT service, the OTT service module 135 may obtain information
25 relating to the requested OTT service on analyzing the request.
[0044] Further, the information pertaining to an OTT service may include OTT
features, such as OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to a user of the user
device 105. The user ID may be, for example, a subscriber ID provided by a network service
provider. The user ID may be obtained based on inspection of data packets, which include
30 source and destination addresses, received from the user. Further, an OTT service category
may be indicative of a type of OTT service, which may have been classified based on various
13
parameters, such as content, content provider, manner in which content is provided, etc.
Examples of the OTT service category include VoIP services, IPTV services, HSI services,
virtual private network (VPN) services, cloud based services, and storage based services. For
instance, VoIP service may include Skype® call HSI services may include video requested
from Netflix® or Bigflix®, the cloud based services may include platform as a service (Paas)5 ,
and software as a service (Saas), and the storage based services may include dropbox®,
electronic emails, and instant messengers.
[0045] In an implementation, upon obtaining the information pertaining to the
requested service, an OTT service request including the OTT service category and user ID
10 may be provided to the provisioning system 130. The provisioning system 130 may be, for
example, a network event management system. The provisioning system 130 may be coupled
to a QoS controller 136 and may forward the request and the OTT features to the QoS
controller 136. It will be understood that various network entities and devices, such as the
service information determination system 120, the provisioning system 130, and the QoS
15 controller 136 may controlled and managed by a network service provider.
[0046] The QoS controller 136, in an example, may be provided as an operation
support system (OSS). The QoS controller 136 may be implemented in a computing device or
a network device. The QoS controller 136 may include a processor 125-2, interfaces,
memory, modules, and data. The processor 125-2, the interface, the memory, the modules,
20 and the data of the QoS controller 136 may be similar to the processor 125-1, the interface,
the memory, the modules, and the data of the service information determination system 120.
[0047] In an example, the modules in the QoS controller 136 may include a QoS
provisioning module 140 and the data, amongst other things, may include OTT service
profiles 145 and user profiles 150. Upon receiving OTT features and the OTT serve request,
25 the QoS provisioning module 140 may ascertain whether the user, who requested for the OTT
service, has subscribed for enhanced QoS services. In an implementation, the users may be
provided with an option to subscribe beforehand for enhanced QoS for OTT services. For
example, a user may be provided with an option for receiving a guaranteed predetermined
QoS for a given OTT service while subscribing for telecommunication services. It will be
30 understood that the subscription may be provided in return for a monetary value. Further, the
user may be provided with multiple such options, for example, a higher QoS may be
guaranteed on payment of a higher monetary value or for a limited time period.
14
[0048] The QoS provisioning module 140 may check for user’s subscription based on
a corresponding user profile, which may be stored in the user profiles 150. It will be
understood that the user profile may be identified using the user ID received in the OTT
service request. In case it is ascertained that the user has not subscribed for the enhanced QoS
for OTT services, the OTT service request may be processed using usual protocols an5 d
techniques. However, if it is determined that the user has subscribed for the enhanced QoS
for OTT services, the QoS provisioning module 140 may determine an OTT service category
of the requested OTT service, based on the received OTT service request. As mentioned
before, the OTT service request includes details pertaining to OTT service category of a
10 corresponding OTT service and a user ID of the user, who requested for the OTT service.
[0049] Based on the OTT service category, a corresponding OTT service profile,
which may be stored in the OTT service profiles 145, may be identified and a minimum value
of one or more QoS parameters is determined. The QoS parameters may be understood as
factors or features based on which QoS provided for an OTT service is determined. Examples
15 of QoS parameters include, but are not limited to, bandwidth, classification, policy actions,
L2 filters, L3 filters, differentiated services code point (DSCP) to pbit mapping, and call
admission control (CAC). It will be understood that for different network devices different
QoS parameters may be set. For instance, for network devices at the entry point, such as
DSLAM, Modem, and optical network terminal (ONT), the QoS parameters to be set may be
20 bandwidth and priority, while for other network devices, it may be CAC and others.
Generally, adjustment to bandwidth and priority at ingress points of a network ensures the
QoS. Nevertheless, the provision of configuring intermediate network node ensures that
modification to these intermediate nodes can also be provided if required by any particular
service type.
25 [0050] Upon determining, the minimum value of the QoS parameter, it may be
ascertained whether the minimum value is to be updated to a higher value, based on the user
profile. As mentioned above, there can be various types of packages based on type of
package the user may have subscribed for. Based on the package the user may have
subscribed, it may be determined whether the minimum value of the QoS parameter is to be
30 updated to a higher value. In case the QoS provisioning module 140 ascertains that the value
of the QoS parameter is not to be updated, the minimum value may be selected as the
predetermined value of the QoS parameter. On the other hand, if it is ascertained that the
15
minimum value is to be updated, the higher value may be selected as the predetermined value
of the QoS parameter. Thus, in either case, at least minimum QoS for the OTT service is
guaranteed to the user.
[0051] For example, consider that user through corresponding user device 105 has
requested for, say, Netflix®. Upon receiving the OTT service request, the QoS provisionin5 g
module 140 may determine that the service category of the requested OTT service is HSI and
from a corresponding OTT service profile may determine that a minimum value for
bandwidth corresponding to this service is 2 Mbps and classification as priority 3, 2, or 1.
The classification may be a p-bit QoS parameter, where priority of 7 indicates highest priority
10 and with chances of data packet being dropped minimum, while 1 indicates lowest priority.
[0052] Additionally, based on the user profile, which indicates the type of package
the user has subscribed for, say, premium, gold, silver, etc., it may be determined whether
QoS parameters have to be updated. In case the user has opted for a premium package the
bandwidth may be updated to 12 Mbps and the priority may be updated to 5. Likewise, in
15 case the user has opted for a gold package, the bandwidth may be updated to 5 Mbps and the
priority may be updated to 4.
[0053] In another example, for a VoIP service, such as Skype® call, minimum
bandwidth may be selected as 256 kbps and minimum priority as 6, 7. Further, based on the
user profile, bandwidth may be updated upto 4Mbps.
20 [0054] Upon indentifying a predetermined value for each of one or more QoS
parameters, corresponding network devices in an OTT path of the requested OTT service
may be configured to ensure that a predetermined QoS guaranteed to the user is realized. The
OTT path may include a communication path, including multiple network entities and
devices, established between the OTT content provider 110 and the user device 105 to deliver
25 the content of the OTT service to the user. In an example, the QoS controller 136 may
provide the information pertaining to the QoS parameters to the SDN controller. Since, the
SDN controller already has or controls the information pertaining to the OTT path, the SDN
controller may update the network devices in the OTT path regarding the predetermined
values of the QoS parameters.
30 [0055] In an example, the SDN controller may notify the network devices through the
corresponding provisioning system, such as a network event management system. The
16
network devices may accordingly transmit the data packets including the content from the
OTT content provider 110 to the user device 105 as per the QoS indicated by the SDN
controller. Thus, the QoS for the OTT services is enhanced and guaranteed, which in turn
enhances QoE for the users. Additionally, the network service providers may generate
revenue by assuring a given QoS for OTT services and the OTT content providers ma5 y
observe even higher popularity owing to better QoS provided for the OTT services to the
users.
[0056] For the purpose and not as limitation, provisioning of QoS for an OTT service
in the SDN based environment has been explained with reference to Fig. 1b, considering a
10 user has subscribed for the enhanced QoS service and provides a request for an OTT service.
The OTT service request may be received as indicated by the arrow 205. The OTT service
request may be provided by a provisioning system corresponding to the service information
determination system 120, such as an ISAM. Based on the OTT request, the QoS controller
may determine the predetermined values of one or more QoS parameters. The functionality of
15 the SDN controller may be realized through Openflow APIs as depicted in Fig. 1b. The QoS
controller 136 may interact with the SDN controller through the RESTful layer 210 to
provide the information pertaining to QoS to be configured. Further, as will be understood by
the one skilled in the art Representational State Transfer (REST) has an architectural style
that generally runs on HTTP and REST is a web API design model.
20 [0057] In an example, the SDN controller, based on the OTT path of the requested
OTT service, may provision one or more network devices. For example, the predetermine
value for the QoS parameter to be provisioned by a network device 220-1 may be provided to
it through RESTful 215-1. Likewise, the predetermine value for the QoS parameter to be
provisioned by a network device 220-2 and a network device 220-n may be provided to it
25 through a RESTful 215-2 and RESTful 215-n respectively. Accordingly, the network devices
220-1, 220-2,…220-n, collectively referred to as network devices 220, are dynamically
updated regarding the QoS to be provided for a given OTT service. Thus, the QoS applied
across the OTT path is indicated by the arrow 225. Accordingly, the content from the OTT
content provider 110 may be forwarded from one network device 220 to another network
30 device 220, based on predetermined values for corresponding QoS parameters and finally to
the user device 105.
17
[0058] Fig. 2 illustrates a method 200 for determining information pertaining to a
requested OTT service, and Fig. 3 illustrates a method 300 for provisioning QoS for the
requested OTT service, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The order
in which the methods is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any
number of the described methods blocks can be combined in any order to implement th5 e
methods or any alternative methods. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the
methods without departing from scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore,
the methods can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or
combination thereof.
10 [0059] The methods may be described in the general context of computer executable
instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs,
objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, etc., that perform
particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The methods may also be
practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote
15 processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed
computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and
remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.
[0060] A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that steps of the methods can
be performed by programmed computers. Herein, some embodiments are also intended to
20 cover program storage devices or computer readable medium, for example, digital data
storage media, which are machine or computer readable and encode machine-executable or
computer-executable programs of instructions, where said instructions perform some or all of
the steps of the described methods. The program storage devices may be, for example, digital
memories, magnetic storage media, such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives,
25 or optically readable digital data storage media. The embodiments are also intended to cover
both communication network and communication devices to perform said steps of the
methods.
[0061] Referring to Fig. 2, in an example the method 200 may be performed by the
OTT service module 135 of the service information determination system 120.
30 [0062] At block 205, a request for a service may be received from a user device.
18
[0063] At block 210, it may be ascertained whether the requests pertains to an OTT
service. In an example, the request may be analyzed using deep packet inspection technique.
In case it is determined that the request does not relate to an OTT service, method 200
branches to (‘No’ branch) block 215.
[0064] At block 215, the request may be processed using usual protocols fo5 r
providing the service to a user corresponding to the user device.
[0065] However, if at block 210 it is ascertained that the request relates to an OTT
service, the method 200 may proceed to (‘Yes’ branch) block 220. At block 220, a user ID
corresponding to the user is obtained. The user ID may be obtained based on inspection of
10 data packets, which include source and destination addresses, received from the user.
[0066] At block 225, the OTT service request including the OTT service category and
the user ID is provided to a provisioning system, such as the provisioning system 130, for
providing QoS for the OTT service request.
[0067] Referring to figure 3, in an example the method 300 may be performed by the
15 QoS controller 136, for example, an OSS.
[0068] At block 305, an OTT service request is received. The OTT service request
may include an OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to the user, who requested
for the OTT service. In an example, the provisioning system 130 may receive the OTT
service request form a user device and forward the OTT service request to the QoS controller
20 136.
[0069] At block 310, it is ascertained whether the user who requested for the OTT
service has subscribed for enhanced QoS for OTT services. In an example, check regarding
subscription may be made based on a user profile. In case it is ascertained that the user has
not subscribed for the enhanced QoS for OTT services, the method 300 may branch to (‘No’
25 branch) block 315. At block 315, the OTT service request may be processed using usual
protocols and procedures.
[0070] However, if at block 310, it is ascertained that the user has subscribed for
enhanced QoS for OTT services, the method 300 may proceed to (‘Yes’ branch) block 320.
19
At block 320, an OTT service category of the requested OTT service is determined, based on
the received OTT service request.
[0071] At block 325, a minimum value of at least one QoS parameter may be
determined based on the OTT service category. The minimum values may be obtained from
an OTT service profile corresponding to the OTT service type5 .
[0072] At block 330, it is ascertained whether the minimum value of the at least one
QoS parameter is to be updated to a higher value, based on a user profile of the user who
requested for the OTT service. It will be understood that different QoS parameters may have
different minimum values. Further, the QoS parameters applicable on one network device
10 may be different from the ones applicable to other. In case it is ascertained that the minimum
value of the at least one QoS parameter is not to be updated, the method 300 branches to
(‘No’ branch) block 335.
[0073] At block 335, the minimum value determined at block 325 is identified as a
predetermined value of the QoS parameter to be provided for the OTT service.
15 [0074] However, if at block 330 it is ascertained that the minimum value is to be
updated, the method 300 proceeds to (‘Yes’ branch) block 340. At block 340, the higher
value, which may be determined based on the user profile, is identified as the predetermined
value of the QoS parameter.
[0075] At block 345, the information pertaining to the predetermined value of the
20 QoS parameter is provided to an SDN controller. The SDN controller identifies one or more
network devices that are to be provided with the values of QoS parameters, based on the OTT
path of the requested OTT service. Further, the identified network devices are updated
regarding predetermined values of QoS parameters. In an example, the identified network
devices may be updated through RESTful APIs of a SDN type network.
25 [0076] Although embodiments for providing guaranteed QoS for OTT services have
been described in a language specific to structural features or method(s), it is to be
understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific features or method(s)
described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as embodiments for
providing guaranteed QoS for OTT services.
30
20

I/We claim:
1. A QoS controller (136) for providing a predetermined quality of service (QoS) for over
the top (OTT) services, the QoS controller (136) comprising:
a processor (125-2); and
a QoS provisioning module (140) coupled to the processor (125-2) to5 :
determine an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device
(105) requested for, based on a received OTT service request, the OTT service
request including the OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to a user
of the user device (105);
10 obtain a predetermined value of at least one QoS parameter to be set for
one or more network devices (220) to provide at least a minimum quality of
service for the OTT service, wherein the predetermined value is determined
based on the OTT service category and a user profile corresponding to the user
ID; and
15 provide the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter to an
SDN controller for provisioning the one or more network devices (220) in an
OTT path of the OTT service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT
service to the user device (105), wherein the OTT path indicates a path through
which OTT content of the OTT service is to be sent from an OTT content
20 provider (110) to the user device (105).
2. The QoS controller (136) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the QoS provisioning module
(140) to obtain the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter:
ascertains whether a minimum value of the at least one QoS parameter is to be
updated to a higher value, based on a user profile of a user associated with the user device
25 (105); and
identifies the higher value as the predetermined value, when it is ascertained that
the minimum value is to be updated.
21
3. The QoS controller (136) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the QoS provisioning module
(140) further identifies the minimum value as the predetermined value, when it is
ascertained that the minimum value is not to be updated.
4. The QoS controller (136) as claimed in claimed in claim 1, wherein the QoS provisioning
module (140) further5 :
receives the OTT service request from a provisioning system (130); and
ascertains whether the user who provided the OTT service request has subscribed
for enhanced QoS for OTT services, based on the corresponding user profile, and wherein
the OTT service category is determined when the user has subscribed for enhanced QoS
10 for OTT services.
5. The QoS controller (136) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the OTT service category
includes one of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, Internet Protocol television
(IPTV) services, and high speed internet (HSI) services, virtual private network (VPN)
services, cloud based services, and storage based services.
15 6. A service information determination system (120) comprising:
a processor (125-1); and
an OTT service module (135) coupled to the processor (125-1) to:
receive a request for a service from a user device (105);
ascertain whether the request pertains to an OTT service; and
20 provide, when the request pertains to the OTT service, an OTT service
category of the OTT service and a user ID corresponding to the user device (105)
to ensure a predetermined QoS to the OTT service.
7. A method for providing a predetermined quality of service (QoS) for over the top (OTT)
services, the method comprising:
25 determining an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device (105)
requested for, based on a received OTT service request, the OTT service request
22
including the OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to a user of the user
device (105);
obtaining a predetermined value of at least one QoS parameter to be set for one
or more network devices (220) to provide at least a minimum quality of service for the
OTT service, wherein the predetermined value is determined based on the OTT servic5 e
category; and
providing the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter to an SDN
controller for provisioning the one or more network devices (220) in an OTT path of the
OTT service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT service to the user device
10 (105), wherein the OTT path indicates a path through which OTT content of the OTT
service is to be sent from an OTT content provider (110) to the user device (105).
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the obtaining further comprises:
ascertaining whether a minimum value of the at least one QoS parameter is to be
updated to a higher value, based on a user profile of a user associated with the user device
15 (105); and
identifying the higher value as the predetermined value, when it is ascertained
that the minimum value is to be updated.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises identifying the
minimum value as the predetermined value, when it is ascertained that the minimum
20 value is not to be updated.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the OTT service request from a provisioning system (130);
ascertaining whether the user who provided the OTT service request has
subscribed for enhanced QoS for the OTT services, based on the corresponding user
25 profile, and wherein the OTT service category is determined when the user has subscribed
for enhanced QoS for the OTT services.
11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the OTT service category includes one of
voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services,
23
and high speed internet (HSI) services, virtual private network (VPN) services, cloud
based services, and storage based services.
12. A method for determining service information corresponding to an OTT service, the
method comprising:
receiving a request for a service from a user device (105)5 ;
ascertaining whether the request pertains to an OTT service; and
providing, when the request pertains to the OTT service, an OTT service category of
the OTT service and a user ID corresponding to the user device (105) to ensure a
predetermined QoS for the OTT service..
10 13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer
program for executing a method for providing a predetermined quality of service (QoS)
for over the top (OTT) services, the method comprising:
determining an OTT service category of an OTT service a user device (105)
requested for, based on a received OTT service request, the OTT service request
15 including the OTT service category and a user ID corresponding to a user of the user
device (105);
obtaining a predetermined value of at least one QoS parameter to be set for one
or more network devices (220) to provide at least a minimum quality of service for the
OTT service, wherein the predetermined value is determined based on the OTT service
20 category; and
providing the predetermined value of the at least one QoS parameter to an SDN
controller for provisioning the one or more network devices (220) in an OTT path of the
OTT service to provide the predetermined QoS for the OTT service to the user device
(105), wherein the OTT path indicates a path through which OTT content of the OTT
25 service is to be sent from an OTT content provider (110) to the user device (105).
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the
obtaining further comprises:
24
ascertaining whether a minimum value of the at least one QoS parameter is to be
updated to a higher value, based on a user profile of the user associated with the user
device (105); and
identifying the higher value as the predetermined value, when it is ascertained
that the minimum value is to be updated5 .
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer
program for executing a method for determining service information corresponding to an
OTT service, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a service from a user device (105);
10 ascertaining whether the request pertains to an OTT service; and
providing, when the request pertains to the OTT service, an OTT service
category of the OTT service and a user ID corresponding to the user device (105) to
ensure a predetermined QoS for the OTT service.
15 Date 07 January 2014
JAYA PANDEYA
IN/PA-1345
Agent for the Applicant
To,
20 The Controller of Patents
The Patent Office at New Delhi