US 6640248

Here is a concise summary of US patent 6640248:

US Patent 6640248 Summary

• Title: Application-aware, quality of service (QoS) sensitive, media access control (MAC) layer
• Original Assignee: Malibu Networks Inc
• Current Assignee: Dow Chemical Co, Intellectual Ventures I LLC
• Inventors: Jacob W. Jorgensen
• Filing Date: July 9, 1999 (Application number US09/349,482)
• Issue Date: October 28, 2003
• Abstract: An application-aware, quality of service (QoS) sensitive, media access control (MAC) layer and method includes an application-aware resource allocator that allocates bandwidth resource to an application based on an application type. The application type can be based on input from at least one of a packet header and an application communication to the MAC layer. The application communication includes communication between the application, running on at least one of a subscriber workstation and a host workstation, and the MAC layer, running on at least one of a subscriber customer premise equipment (CPE) station and a wireless base station. The bandwidth resource is wireless bandwidth. The resource allocator schedules bandwidth resource to an IP flow. The IP flow includes at least one of a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) IP flow and a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP) IP flow. The resource allocator in scheduling takes into account resource requirements of at least one of a source application and a destination application of an IP flow.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (MAC Layer Apparatus): This claim describes a Media Access Control (MAC) layer component that includes a resource allocator. This allocator is "application-aware," meaning it assigns bandwidth to an application based on its type. The application type can be determined either from information within the packet header or from direct communication between the application (running on a subscriber or host workstation) and the MAC layer (running on subscriber CPE or a wireless base station).
• Claim 7 (MAC Layer Apparatus with Switching Resource): Similar to Claim 1, this claim also describes a MAC layer with an application-aware resource allocator. However, in this case, the allocator is configured to allocate "switching resource" (rather than bandwidth resource) to an application based on its type. The determination of application type and the communication paths are the same as in Claim 1.
• Claim 12 (Method for QoS with Bandwidth Allocation): This claim outlines a method for providing Quality of Service (QoS) within a MAC layer. The method involves allocating bandwidth resources to an application. This allocation is driven by the application's type, which is determined from a packet header or through direct communication between the application (on a workstation) and the MAC layer (on CPE or a wireless base station).
• Claim 18 (Method for QoS with Switching Allocation): This claim describes a method for providing QoS in a MAC layer by allocating "switching resource" to an application based on its type. Similar to Claim 12, the application type is derived from packet headers or direct application-to-MAC communication, with the application and MAC layer residing on specified network equipment.
• Claim 23 (System for QoS with Bandwidth Allocation): This claim describes a system for providing QoS in a MAC layer. It includes "means for allocating bandwidth resource" to an application based on its type. The system identifies the application type using information from a packet header or direct communication from the application, with the application residing on a workstation and the MAC layer on CPE or a wireless base station. This is a "means-plus-function" claim.
• Claim 29 (System for QoS with Switching Allocation): This claim describes a system for providing QoS in a MAC layer using "means for allocating switching resource" to an application based on its type. The application type is identified via packet headers or direct application-to-MAC communication, with the application on a workstation and the MAC layer on CPE or a wireless base station. This is also a "means-plus-function" claim.

Litigation Status:

In 2018, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), in the case Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. T-Mobile USA, Inc. (case numbers 2017-2434, 2017-2435), affirmed a district court's determination that claims of US Patent No. 6,640,248 were indefinite. The CAFC vacated and remanded a summary judgment of non-infringement due to an erroneous claim construction related to the term "Application-Aware Resource Allocator." The Federal Circuit clarified that "application awareness" requires the resource allocator to allocate resources based on application type, which can be discerned from various sources.

As of April 26, 2026, no new dockets specifically pertaining to US Patent 6640248 have been identified in the CAFC 2026 dockets.