Methods and devices for managing video sessions in a network based on network performance information

• US 10,172,062 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Halepovic, Emir, McCaskey, Harold Orr, Hwang, Kyung-Wook, Platania, Marco, Jana, Rittwik, Puthenpura, Sarat
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis-Fils, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US15/284,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 455438, 455453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving network information for a group of video sessions. Embodiments include calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the network information and include determining a first overall video traffic metric of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold. Also, embodiments include generating a graphical map that indicates the overall video traffic metric for each cell in the cellular network and sending the graphical map to a mobile device in the first cell showing first overall video traffic metric and the second overall video traffic metric relative to the first predetermined threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

receiving aggregate network information for communication sessions for each cell of a plurality of cells in a cellular network, wherein the communication sessions include a group of video sessions, and wherein the aggregate network information comprises network information from a plurality of data sources;

calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the aggregate network information;

generating a graphical map of the cellular network that displays a geography of the cellular network and indicates the overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell in the cellular network within the geography;

determining that a first overall video traffic metric of a first group of video sessions controlled by a first base station of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second group of video sessions controlled by a second base station of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold;

sending, to a communication device, the graphical map and first indication that the first overall video traffic metric associated with the first cell is above the first predetermined threshold and the second overall video traffic metric associated with the second cell is below the first predetermined threshold;

performing a handover of control of a first portion of the first group of video sessions from the first base station to the second base station responsive to receiving a message from the communication device, wherein the message provides a second indication to change control of the first portion of the first group of video session from the first base station to the second base station;

identifying a trajectory of a mobile device conducting a video session of the first portion of the first group of video sessions, wherein the identifying the trajectory comprises accessing historical travel information associated with the mobile device based on time of day and determining the trajectory according to the historical travel information;

identifying one or more wireless networks on the trajectory of the mobile device, wherein each of the one or more wireless networks use a WiFi protocol, and wherein the graphical map indicates a traffic level of each of the one or more wireless networks; and

selecting between the one or more wireless networks and the second cell to carry video traffic of the mobile device according to the trajectory of the mobile device.

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

calculating an excess capacity of the second cell as a difference between the second overall video traffic metric and the first predetermined threshold; and

determining an overall video traffic metric of the first portion of the first group of video sessions is less than the excess capacity.

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

receiving aggregate wireless network information for each of a plurality of wireless networks;

calculating a wireless traffic metric for each of the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the generating of the graphical map further comprises;

displaying a geography of the plurality of wireless networks; and

indicating the wireless traffic metric for each of the plurality of wireless networks.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a first wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the first wireless network has a first wireless traffic metric below a second predetermined threshold.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise sending a message to each of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices is conducting a video session in the first cell, and wherein the message indicates the mobile device to connect to the first wireless network to conduct the video session.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending a message to each of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices is conducting a video session in the first cell, and wherein the message indicates each mobile device to send a request to a video content provider associated with the video session to lower resolution of the video session.

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

identifying a video content provider associated with a second portion of the first group of video sessions; and

transmitting a request to the video content provider, wherein the request indicates the video content provider to lower video resolution of each of the video sessions of the second portion of the first group of video sessions.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

obtaining aggregate network information for communication sessions for each cell of a plurality of cells in a cellular network, wherein the communication sessions include a group of video sessions, and wherein the aggregate network information comprises network information from a plurality of data sources, wherein the aggregate network information is generated by linking and correlating data from the plurality of data sources;

calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the aggregate network information;

determining that a first overall video traffic metric of a first group of video sessions controlled by a first base station of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second group of video sessions controlled by a second base station of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold;

receiving aggregate wireless network information for each of a plurality of wireless networks;

calculating a wireless traffic metric for each of the plurality of wireless networks;

identifying a first wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks, wherein the first wireless network has a first wireless traffic metric below a second predetermined threshold;

identifying a trajectory of a mobile device, wherein the identifying the trajectory comprises accessing historical travel information associated with the mobile device based on time of day and determining the trajectory according to the historical travel information;

identifying one or more wireless networks on the trajectory of the mobile device, wherein each of the one or more wireless networks use a WiFi protocol;

generating a graphical map of the cellular network that displays a geography of the cellular network and the one or more wireless networks on the trajectory of the mobile device, indicates the overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell in the cellular network, displays a geography of the plurality of wireless networks, and indicates the wireless traffic metric for each of the plurality of wireless networks, and wherein the graphical map indicates a traffic level of each of the one or more wireless networks;

sending, to the mobile device conducting a video session in the first cell, the graphical map and a first indication that the first overall video traffic metric associated with the first cell is above the first predetermined threshold, the second overall video traffic metric associated with the second cell is below the first predetermined threshold, and the first wireless traffic metric is below the second predetermined threshold; and

selecting the second cell according to the trajectory of the mobile device.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating an excess capacity of the second cell as a difference between the second overall video traffic metric and the first predetermined threshold; and

determining an overall video traffic metric of a first portion of the first group of video sessions is less than the excess capacity, wherein the video session conducted by the mobile device is in the first portion of the first group of video sessions.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise performing a handover of control of the mobile device from the first base station to the second base station of the second cell responsive to receiving a message from the mobile device, wherein the message provides a second indication to change control of the mobile device from the first base station to the second base station.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a third indication that the mobile device is connected to the first wireless network to conduct the video session.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a message to the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the message indicates the mobile device to send a request to a video content provider associated with the video session to lower resolution of the video session.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a video content provider associated with the video session; and

transmitting a request to the video content provider, wherein the request indicates the video content provider to lower video resolution of the video session.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, aggregate network information for communication sessions for each cell of a plurality of cells in a cellular network, wherein the communication sessions include a group of video sessions, and wherein the aggregate network information comprises network information from a plurality of data sources;

calculating, by the processing system, an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the aggregate network information;

determining, by the processing system, that a first overall video traffic metric of a first group of video sessions controlled by a first base station of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second group of video sessions controlled by a second base station of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold;

identifying, by the processing system, a trajectory of the mobile device, wherein the identifying the trajectory comprises accessing, by the processing system, historical travel information associated with the mobile device based on time of day and determining, by the processing system, the trajectory according to the historical travel information;

identifying one or more wireless networks on the trajectory of the mobile device, wherein each of the one or more wireless networks use a WiFi protocol;

generating, by the processing system, a graphical map of the cellular network that displays a geography of the cellular network and the one or more wireless networks on the trajectory of the mobile device, and indicates the overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell in the cellular network, and wherein the graphical map indicates a traffic level of each of the one or more wireless networks; and

sending, by the processing system to a mobile device conducting a video session in the first cell, the graphical map and a first indication that the first overall video traffic metric associated with the first cell is above the first predetermined threshold and the second overall video traffic metric associated with the second cell is below the first predetermined threshold; and

selecting, by the processing system, between the one or more wireless networks and the second cell according to the trajectory of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing, by the processing system, a handover of control of the mobile device from the first base station to the second base station responsive to receiving a message from the mobile device, wherein the message provides a second indication to change control of the mobile device from the first base station to the second base station.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

calculating, by the processing system, an excess capacity of the second cell as a difference between the second overall video traffic metric and the first predetermined threshold; and

determining, by the processing system, an overall video traffic metric of a first portion of the first group of video sessions is less than the excess capacity, wherein the mobile device, wherein the video session conducted by the mobile device is in the first portion of the first group of video sessions.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a message from the mobile device, wherein the message indicates that the mobile device has sent a request to a video content provider associated with the video session to lower resolution of the video session.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying a video content provider associated with a second portion of the first group of video sessions.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising

transmitting a request to the video content provider, wherein the request indicates the video content provider to lower video resolution of each of the video sessions of the second portion of the first group of video sessions.