Apparatus and method for cloud assisted wireless mobility

• US 10,021,618 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William, Chisu, Daniel, Thorson, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/701,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing wireless access to a radio access network for a user equipment (UE) obtains, at a server (102), a plurality UE upload cell messages from a plurality UEs (106) served by different cells (402). Each UE upload cell message includes cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data for a specific cell. The method and apparatus aggregate network cell data based at least on the cell specific data and the corresponding UE specific data (404). For example, the method and apparatus may aggregate the cell specific data and the corresponding UE specific data for each serving cell, such that the observances by the UEs are grouped together according to each serving cell. A UE may then receive cell information that is based on the aggregated network cell data (506) to, for example, re-order a scan list or cell roaming list, or bias a cell measurement.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless access to a radio access network for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising at a server:

obtaining a plurality of UE upload cell messages from a plurality of UEs served by different cells, wherein each UE upload cell message comprises cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data for a specific cell;

aggregating network cell data based at least on the cell specific data and the corresponding UE specific data of the plurality of UE upload cell messages;

receiving a cell query message from the UE that includes a particular day and time in the future; and

in response to receiving the cell query message, providing cell specific information for the particular day and time in the future to the UE based at least on the aggregated network cell data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing cell specific information for the particular time in the future comprises providing at least one of:

a recommended scan list, a recommended roaming list, an observed maximum downlink throughput rate, and an observed maximum downlink throughput rate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing cell specific information for the particular time in the future comprises providing a recommended cell for at least one of:

re-ordering by the UE a scan list to elevate the position of the recommended cell, re-ordering by the UE a cell roaming list to elevate the position of the recommended cell, and biasing by the UE a cell measurement of the recommended cell.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing cell specific information for the particular time in the future comprises providing a recommended radio access technology for at least one of:

re-ordering a scan list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended cell, re-ordering a radio access technology roaming list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended radio access technology, and biasing by the UE a cell measurement of the recommended radio access technology.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell query message identifies a future location of the UE, and wherein the provided cell specific information is provided for the future location of the UE.

6. A server comprising:

multi-cell and multi-UE data aggregator logic configured to;

receive a plurality of UE upload cell messages from a plurality of UEs served by different cells, wherein each UE upload cell message comprises cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data for a specific cell; and

aggregate network cell data based at least on the cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data of the plurality of UE upload cell messages; and

cell information provider logic configured to;

receive a cell query message from a UE that includes a particular day and time in a future; and

in response to receiving the cell query message, provide cell specific information for the particular day and time in the future to the UE based at least on the aggregated network cell data.

7. The server of claim 6 comprising cell and UE list replacement logic configured to provide to the UE a list replacement message comprising at least one of a re-ordered scan list and a re-ordered roaming list.

8. The server of claim 6 comprising cell recommendation logic configured to provide a cell recommendation for at least one of:

re-ordering a scan list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended cell, re-ordering a cell roaming list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended cell, and biasing by the UE a cell measurement of the recommended cell.

9. The server of claim 6, wherein the cell query message identifies a future location of the UE, and wherein the provided cell specific information is provided for the future location of the UE.

10. A method of providing wireless access to a radio access network for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising at a server:

obtaining a plurality of UE upload cell messages from a plurality of UEs served by different cells, wherein each UE upload cell message comprises cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data for a specific cell;

aggregating network cell data based at least on the cell specific data and the corresponding UE specific data of the plurality of UE upload cell messages; and

providing cell specific information for a future scheduled time to the UE based at least on the aggregated network cell data, wherein providing cell specific information for the future scheduled time comprises providing a recommended radio access technology for at least one of;

re-ordering a scan list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended cell, re-ordering a radio access technology roaming list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended radio access technology, and biasing by the UE a cell measurement of the recommended radio access technology.

11. A server comprising:

multi-cell and multi-UE data aggregator logic configured to;

receive a plurality of UE upload cell messages from a plurality of UEs served by different cells, wherein each UE upload cell message comprises cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data for a specific cell; and

aggregate network cell data based at least on the cell specific data and corresponding UE specific data of the plurality of UE upload cell messages; and

cell information provider logic configured to provide cell specific information for a future scheduled time to a UE based at least on the aggregated network cell data, wherein the cell information provider logic is configured to provide a recommended radio access technology for at least one of;

re-ordering a scan list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended cell, re-ordering a radio access technology roaming list by the UE to elevate the position of the recommended radio access technology, and biasing by the UE a cell measurement of the recommended radio access technology.