Selection of routing paths in data communications networks to satisfy multiple requirements

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, wherein the third delay characteristic is selected such that if the value for the third delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths is less than the third specified limit, then the value for the first delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the first specified limit and the value for the second delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the second specified limit.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3, wherein: the first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; the second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; the first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and the second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4, wherein the total cost is determined via the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology based on the cost associated with each of said transmission links calculated in said calculating step.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6, wherein: the first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; the second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; the first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and the second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 7, wherein the total cost is determined via the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology based on the cost associated with each of said transmission links calculated in said calculating step.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9, wherein: the first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; the second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; the first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and the second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10, wherein the total cost is determined via the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology based on the transmission link costs calculated in said calculating step.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 12, wherein the third delay characteristic is selected such that if the value for the third delay characteristic associated with one of the plurality of routing paths is less than the third specified limit, then the value for the first delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the first specified limit and the value for the second delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the second specified limit.

Claim 21

A system according to claim 14, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 15, wherein the means for determining said total cost comprises means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.

Claim 25

A system according to claim 17, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 26

A system according to claim 18, wherein the means for determining said total cost comprise means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.

Claim 29

A system according to claim 20, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 30

A system according to claim 21, wherein the means for determining said total cost comprise means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.

Claim 31

A computer program product for identifying from a plurality of network routing paths a network routing path having a value for a first delay characteristic which is less hn a first specified limit and a value for a second delay characteristic which is less than a second specified limit, the computer program product comnprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for determining a value for a third delay characteristic associated with one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for determining if the determined value for the third delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths is less than a third specified limit associated with the third delay characteristic, wherein the third delay characteristic differs from both the first and the second delay characteristics and operates as a proxy for the first and second delay characteristics.

Claim 32

A computer program product for identifying from a plurality of network routing paths a network routing path having a value for a first delay characteristic which is less hn a first specified limit and a value for a second delay characteristic which is less than a second specified limit, the computer program product comnprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for determining a value for a third delay characteristic associated with one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for determining if the determined value for the third delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths is less than a third specified limit associated with the third delay characteristic, wherein the third delay characteristic differs from both the first and the second delay characteristics and operates as a proxy for the first and second delay characteristics.

Claim 33

The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the third delay characteristic is selected such that if the value for the third delay characteristic associated with one of the plurality of routing paths is less than the third specific limit, then the value for the first delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the first specified limit and the value for the second delay characteristic associated with the one of the plurality of routing paths will be less than the second specified limit.

Claim 34

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as a first product of a first specified limit and said second variable associated with the transmission link added to a second product of a second specified limit and said first variable associated with the transmission link; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a third product of said first specified limit and said second specified limit.

Claim 35

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as a first product of a first specified limit and said second variable associated with the transmission link added to a second product of a second specified limit and said first variable associated with the transmission link; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a third product of said first specified limit and said second specified limit.

Claim 36

A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 37

A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer-readable program code means for determining said total cost comprise computer-readable program code means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.

Claim 38

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path for a constant bit rate digital communication from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as twice a first product of a first specified limit and said second variable associated with the transmission link added to a second product of said first variable associated with the transmission link with a first sum of said first specified limit and a second specified limit; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a second sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a square of said first specified limit added to a third product of said first specified limit and said second specified limit.

Claim 39

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path for a constant bit rate digital communication from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as twice a first product of a first specified limit and said second variable associated with the transmission link added to a second product of said first variable associated with the transmission link with a first sum of said first specified limit and a second specified limit; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a second sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a square of said first specified limit added to a third product of said first specified limit and said second specified limit.

Claim 40

A computer program product according to claim 28, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 41

A computer program product according to claim 29, wherein the computer-readable program code means for determining said total cost comprise computer-readable program code means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.

Claim 42

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path for a constant bit rate digital communications signal from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a buffer; a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for selecting a specified value which is less than or equal to a minimum possible propagation delay between a source and a destination of the digital communications signal; computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as a first product of said second variable associated with the transmission link with a first difference between a first specified limit and said specified value added to a second product of said first variable associated with the transmission link with x 0 , wherein x 0 is a third product of a first sum of said first specified limit and a second specified limit with a second difference of said first specified limit and said specified value divided by twice said first specified limit; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a second sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a fourth product of said first specified limit and x 0 .

Claim 43

A computer program product for selecting a network routing path for a constant bit rate digital communications signal from a plurality of routing paths, wherein each of said routing paths in said plurality of routing paths consists of at least one transmission link having an associated first and second variable, the computer program product comprising: a buffer; a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for selecting a specified value which is less than or equal to a minimum possible propagation delay between a source and a destination of the digital communications signal; computer-readable program code means for calculating a cost associated with each of said transmission links in one of the plurality of routing paths as a first product of said second variable associated with the transmission link with a first difference between a first specified limit and said specified value added to a second product of said first variable associated with the transmission link with x 0 , wherein x 0 is a third product of a first sum of said first specified limit and a second specified limit with a second difference of said first specified limit and said specified value divided by twice said first specified limit; computer-readable program code means for determining a total cost associated with said one of the plurality of routing paths wherein said total cost is a second sum of said costs associated with each of said transmission links in said one of the plurality of routing paths; and computer-readable program code means for selecting said one of the plurality of routing paths if the total cost for the selected routing path is less than a fourth product of said first specified limit and x 0 .

Claim 44

A computer program product according to claim 31, wherein: said first variable is a propagation delay associated with the transmission link; said second variable is a queuing delay associated with the transmission link; said first specified limit is a maximum allowable total transmission delay; and said second specified limit is a maximum allowable queuing delay.

Claim 45

A computer program product according to claim 32, wherein the computer-readable program code means for determining said total cost comprise computer-readable program code means for performing the Network Broadband Services architecture path selection methodology.