EFFICIENTLY ASSIGNING PRECEDENCE VALUES TO NEW AND EXISTING QOS FILTERS

摘要

A wireless data network delivers packets from a network router to a mobile station so that each application running on the mobile station receives an adequate quality of service (QoS). The mobile station sends configuration messages to the network router containing prioritized filters associated with each application. The router filters incoming IP packets into IP flows having the appropriate QoS for the corresponding application. The configuration messages consume valuable air interface resources. Network resources are conserved by assigning precedence values to filters in such a way that fewer configuration messages are needed to reorder the filters when new filters are added. Precedence values for existing filters are spread out in one portion of the precedence space. When the precedence values in that portion are insufficient to accommodate new filters with the correct priority, both new and existing filters are reassigned precedence values in an unassigned portion of the precedence space.