Network based speed dependent load balancing

• US 10,028,194 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Chen, Ye, Lei, Hongyan, Liu, Cheng P., Tong, Yonghui
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/980,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 455444, 455441, 455436, 455418, 455419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/026 Route selection considering the moving speed of individual devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A mobile device mobility state is included in device reporting to a radio access network for mobility event and load balancing purposes. Respective load conditions and respective coverage areas of a first set of devices of a first network and a second set of devices of a second network are analyzed. In addition, a mobility state of a mobile device, a first signal strength associated with the first set of devices, and a second signal strength associated with the second set of devices are also analyzed. The mobility state is a function of a movement pattern of the mobile device and a speed at which the mobile device is being moved. Network traffic of the mobile device is routed to a set of network devices selected from the first set of devices and the second set of devices, as a result of the analysis.

Claims

1. A user equipment device comprising:

a motion sensor;

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

measuring a first signal strength associated with a first network,

measuring a second signal strength associated with a second network,

receiving an output from the motion sensor,

determining a mobility state of the user equipment device based, at least in part, upon the output received from the motion sensor, wherein the mobility state comprises a frequency component, and wherein the frequency component comprises an irregular sinusoidal nature of a frequency indicative of the user equipment device being moved, but that such movement alone would not result in a handoff between the first network and the second network,

generating a measurement report comprising the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the mobility state, and

providing the measurement report to a network decision component for making a network decision regarding to which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.

2. The user equipment device of claim 1, wherein the mobility state further comprises a speed of the user equipment device.

3. The user equipment device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating feedback related to a preferred network to which the user equipment device should connect; and

providing the feedback to the network decision component for making the network decision regarding which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.

4. A method comprising:

measuring, by a user equipment device, a first signal strength associated with a first network;

measuring, by the user equipment device, a second signal strength associated with a second network;

receiving, by the user equipment device, an output from a motion sensor of the user equipment device;

determining, by the user equipment device, a mobility state of the user equipment device based, at least in part, upon the output received from the motion sensor, wherein the mobility state comprises a frequency component, and wherein the frequency component comprises an irregular sinusoidal nature of a frequency indicative of the user equipment device being moved, but that such movement alone would not result in a handoff between the first network and the second network;

generating, by the user equipment device, a measurement report comprising the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the mobility state; and

providing, by the user equipment device, the measurement report to a network decision component for making a network decision regarding to which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mobility state further comprises a speed of the user equipment device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating feedback related to a preferred network to which the user equipment device should connect; and

providing the feedback to the network decision component for making the network decision regarding which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device that stores executable instructions that, in response to execution by a processor of a user equipment device, cause the user equipment device to perform operations comprising:

measuring a first signal strength associated with a first network;

measuring a second signal strength associated with a second network;

receiving an output from a motion sensor of the user equipment device;

determining a mobility state of the user equipment device based, at least in part, upon the output received from the motion sensor, wherein the mobility state comprises a frequency component, and wherein the frequency component comprises an irregular sinusoidal nature of a frequency indicative of the user equipment device being moved, but that such movement alone would not result in a handoff between the first network and the second network;

generating a measurement report comprising the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the mobility state; and

providing the measurement report to a network decision component for making a network decision regarding to which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the mobility state further comprises a speed of the user equipment device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating feedback related to a preferred network to which the user equipment device should connect; and

providing the feedback to the network decision component for making the network decision regarding which of the first network and the second network the user equipment device should connect.