Congestion in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method of observing congestion in a wireless network, comprising:
- intercepting packets exchanged between a base station and a packet data network, by a supervisor computer, separate from the base station;
noting times of the intercepted packets at the supervisor computer;
identifying in the intercepted packets, pairs of corresponding packets;
for a plurality of user equipments serviced during a time span by the base station, estimating an incoming data rate to the base station and an outgoing data rate from the base station to the user equipments, responsive to the intercepted packets;
estimating parameters indicative of a fullness of at least one queue in the base station, responsive to the estimated incoming data rates and outgoing data rates of the plurality of user equipments;
determining one or more thresholds dependent on current conditions at the time of estimating the parameters;
comparing the estimated parameters indicative of service to the plurality of user equipments or a function of the estimated parameters to the one or more thresholds;
determining whether or not said base station is congested at least partly based on a percentage of the plurality of user equipments serviced by the base station for which the comparison indicated that the estimated parameters were above the one or more thresholds; and
if determined that said base station is congested, outputting a report of said congestion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Examples of methods, systems, and computer program products relating to supervising data in a wireless network are disclosed. At least part of a system may be located between a packet data network and a base station, and/or may be at least logically separate from the base station. The system may be capable of evaluating the service provided by the base station, and may be capable of determining whether or not any action should consequently be performed. Examples of an action may include an action which may not necessarily affect en-route data packets such as outputting a report, and/or an action which may affect en-route data packets such as delaying packets, not delaying packets, and/or stopping the delaying of packets. An action which affects data packets may or may not affect data packets uniformly. An action may or may not result in an improvement in quality of user experience.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of observing congestion in a wireless network, comprising:
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intercepting packets exchanged between a base station and a packet data network, by a supervisor computer, separate from the base station; noting times of the intercepted packets at the supervisor computer; identifying in the intercepted packets, pairs of corresponding packets; for a plurality of user equipments serviced during a time span by the base station, estimating an incoming data rate to the base station and an outgoing data rate from the base station to the user equipments, responsive to the intercepted packets; estimating parameters indicative of a fullness of at least one queue in the base station, responsive to the estimated incoming data rates and outgoing data rates of the plurality of user equipments; determining one or more thresholds dependent on current conditions at the time of estimating the parameters; comparing the estimated parameters indicative of service to the plurality of user equipments or a function of the estimated parameters to the one or more thresholds; determining whether or not said base station is congested at least partly based on a percentage of the plurality of user equipments serviced by the base station for which the comparison indicated that the estimated parameters were above the one or more thresholds; and if determined that said base station is congested, outputting a report of said congestion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for observing congestion in a wireless network, comprising:
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a congestion evaluator configured, to intercept packets exchanged between a base station and a packet data network, note times of the intercepted packets, identify in the intercepted packets, pairs of corresponding packets, for a plurality of user equipments serviced during a time span by the base station, to estimate an incoming data rate to the base station and an outgoing data rate from the base station to the user equipments, responsive to the intercepted packets, to estimate parameters indicative of a fullness of at least one queue in the base station, responsive to the estimated incoming data rates and outgoing data rates of the plurality of user equipments;
said congestion evaluator further configured to determine one or more thresholds dependent on current conditions at the time of estimating the parameters, to compare the estimated parameters indicative of service to the plurality of user equipments or a function of the estimated parameters to the one or more thresholds and to determine whether or not said base station is congested at least partly based on a percentage of the plurality of user equipments serviced by the base station for which the comparison indicated that the estimated parameters were above the one or more thresholds; anda reporter configured, if determined that said base station is congested, to output a report of said congestion. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for observing congestion in a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code for causing a computer, separate from a base station, to intercept packets exchanged between the base station and a packet data network, note times of the intercepted packets, identify in the intercepted packets, pairs of corresponding packets, and for a plurality of user equipments serviced during a time span by the base station, estimate an incoming data rate to the base station and an outgoing data rate from the base station to the user equipments, responsive to the intercepted packets, and estimate parameters indicative of a fullness of at least one queue in the base station, responsive to the estimated incoming data rates and outgoing data rates of the plurality of user equipments; computer readable program code for causing a computer to determine one or more thresholds dependent on current conditions at the time of estimating the parameters, and to compare the estimated parameters indicative of service to the plurality of user equipments or a function of the estimated parameters to the one or more thresholds; computer readable program code for causing a computer determine whether or not said base station is congested at least partly based on a percentage of the plurality of user equipments serviced by the base station for which the comparison indicated that the estimated parameters were above the one or more thresholds; and computer readable program code for causing a computer, if it is determined that said base station is congested, to output a report of said congestion. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification