Carrier-driven bearer path selection

• US 10,153,968 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walsh, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US14/754,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Carrier-driven bearer path selection is disclosed. Carrier-driven bearer path selection enables a carrier to assert bearer path selection policies. Bearer paths available to UEs can be checked for compliance with a carrier'"'"'s policies. Preferred bearer paths can be designated to the UE for selection. Designation of preferred bearer paths can, in an aspect, be related to route cost, path requests, or path characteristics. In addition, complex bearer path schema can be determined. In an aspect, complex bearer path schema can include asymmetric routing, bonding, and multiplexing. The subject disclosure can enable a carrier to improve management of the carrier'"'"'s network resources by driving bearer path selection determination to UEs.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

accessing first bearer path segment information related to a first characteristic of a first bearer path segment of a first bearer path, wherein the first bearer path comprises two or more bearer path segments;

accessing second bearer path segment information related to a second characteristic of a second bearer path segment of the first bearer path;

determining, based on first carrier policy information representative of a first carrier policy and based on the first bearer path segment information and the second bearer path segment information, a first compliance value for the first bearer path that comprises the first bearer path segment and the second bearer path segment;

enabling access to the first compliance value by a user equipment to facilitate selection of the first bearer path by the user equipment, wherein the device is not the user equipment; and

in response to receiving an indication of the selection of the first bearer path by the user equipment, employing the two or more bearer path segments of the first bearer path to facilitate data transport for the user equipment via the first bearer path, wherein the first bearer path comprises at least the first bearer path segment and the second bearer path segment.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third bearer path segment information related to a third characteristic of a third bearer path segment of a second bearer path;

determining, based on second carrier policy information representative of a second carrier policy and based on the third bearer path segment information, a second compliance value for the second bearer path that comprises the third bearer path segment; and

enabling access to the second compliance value by the user equipment to facilitate selection of the second bearer path by the user equipment based on the first compliance value and the second compliance value.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is a cost of using the first bearer path segment.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is a latency associated with communication using the first bearer path segment.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is an identifier of usage rights associated with the first bearer path segment.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is an identifier of a location of the first bearer path segment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is an identifier of a security protocol associated with the first bearer path segment.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is an indicator that the first bearer path segment is a wireless bearer path segment.

9. A method, comprising:

in response to receiving, by a device comprising a processor, bearer path segment information related to a characteristic of a first bearer path segment and a second bearer path segment of bearer path segments, wherein a bearer path of bearer paths for transmission of data between a user equipment and a second device comprises at least the first bearer path segment and the second bearer path segment of the bearer path segments, determining, by the device based on carrier policy information representative of a carrier policy and the bearer path segment information, a path score for the bearer path;

enabling, by the device, access to the path score by the user equipment to facilitate the user equipment ranking the bearer path relative to the bearer paths; and

in response to receiving, by the device, information indicating that the bearer path has been selected by the user equipment, facilitating data transport via the first bearer path segment and the second bearer path segment of the bearer path, wherein the user equipment selects the bearer path based on the ranking of the bearer path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bearer path segment information is first bearer path segment information, wherein the path score is a first path score for a first bearer path of the bearer paths, and further comprising:

determining, by the device based on the carrier policy information and third bearer path segment information, a second path score for a second bearer path of the bearer paths; and

enabling access to the second path score by the user equipment to facilitate the user equipment ranking the second bearer path against the bearer paths.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is a monetary cost of using the bearer path segment.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is a bandwidth limitation associated with communication using the bearer path segment.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is an identifier of ownership rights associated with the bearer path segment.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is an identifier of a location of a node associated with the bearer path segment.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is an identifier of a security feature associated with the bearer path segment.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic is an indicator that the bearer path segment is a wired bearer path segment.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving bearer path segment information related to a characteristic of a first bearer path segment and a second bearer path segment of bearer path segments comprised in a first bearer path of bearer paths for transmitting data between a user equipment and a device;

determining, based on carrier policy information representative of a carrier policy and the bearer path segment information, a first path score for the first bearer path and a second path score for a second bearer path of the bearer paths that comprises a third bearer path segment, enabling ranking of the first bearer path and the second bearer path; and

in response to receiving information about selection of the first bearer path from the user equipment, selecting the first bearer path segment and the second bearer path segment of the first bearer path to enable data transport via the first bearer path, wherein the selection of the first bearer path by the user equipment is based on a result of the ranking of the first bearer path and the second bearer path.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the characteristic is related to a monetary cost of employing the first bearer path segment in the first bearer path.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the characteristic is related to a data transmission performance aspect of the first bearer path segment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the characteristic is related to a limiting access to data transmitted via the first bearer path segment.