Provisioning of application categories at a user equipment during network congestion

• US 10,212,578 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Siow, Eric, Chin, Chen-Ho, Jain, Puneet, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebrahim, Anez C
• Application Number:
  US14/770,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/56 with provision for simultaneous communication in two directions
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/063 Parameters other than those covered in groups H04B7/0623 - H04B7/0634, e.g. channel matrix rank or transmit mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03426 transmission using multiple-input and multiple-output channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0204 of multiple channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03305 Joint sequence estimation and interference removal joint detection of several desired signals H04L25/03331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0085 : when channel conditions change
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 : using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 : for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 : Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 : Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 : Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 : adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 : adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 : at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 : according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 : Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 : based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 : Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 : among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 : Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 : for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 : for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 : of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 : involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 : for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 : by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 : using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 : the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 : Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 : for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Technology for provisioning categories of applications on a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. A registration update message may be received at a wireless network element from the UE over non-access stratum (NAS) signaling. Application Specific Congestion Control for Data Communications (ACDC)/Application and Service Access Control (ASAC) information may be communicated from the wireless network element to the UE in response to receiving the registration update message. The ACDC/ASAC may be activated at a selected prioritization level, at the wireless network element, while a wireless network channel condition of a wireless network exceeds a capacity threshold, the ACDC/ASAC enabling only application categories to operate at the UE that are contained in the ACDC/ASAC information.

Claims

1. A wireless network element operable to provision categories of applications on a mobile device, the wireless network element having computer circuitry configured to:

communicate Application Specific Congestion Control for Data Communications (ACDC)/Application and Service Access Control (ASAC) information to the mobile device, the ACDC/ASAC information including a preconfigured white list of application categories containing categories of applications that are allowed to access the wireless network when ACDC/ASAC is activated in the wireless network, wherein categories of applications that are not listed in the preconfigured white list of application categories are prevented from accessing the wireless network when ACDC/ASAC is activated;

detect that a wireless network channel condition of the wireless network exceeds a capacity threshold due to network congestion in the wireless network; and

activate the ACDC/ASAC at a selected prioritization level while the capacity threshold is exceeded due to the network congestion, the ACDC/ASAC enabling only categories of applications contained in the preconfigured white list to operate at the mobile device.

2. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates whether the preconfigured white list of application categories is capable of being overridden by a home geographical region associated with the mobile device.

3. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates whether the mobile device is able to receive the ACDC/ASAC information for a geographical region that is outside a mobile country code (MCC) associated with the mobile device when the mobile device is roaming within the geographical region.

4. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates that the applications in the preconfigured white list of application categories are valid for a defined period of time when the ACDC/ASAC is active in the wireless network.

5. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates one or more geographical locations where the preconfigured white list of application categories applies to the mobile device when the ACDC/ASAC is active in the wireless network.

6. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the wireless network element includes an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) and the ANDSF communicates the ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device using an Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA-DM) protocol.

7. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the wireless network element includes an ACDC/ASAC server and the ACDC/ASAC server communicates the ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) protocol.

8. The computer circuitry of claim 1, further configured to communicate the ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device in response to receiving at least one of:

a location updating request message, an attach request message, a routing area update request message, a tracking area update request message, or a service request message from the mobile device.

9. The computer circuitry of claim 1, further configured to communicate a state indicator to the mobile device indicating a geographical region associated with the mobile device.

10. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information is included in an elementary file (EF) for one of a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM) or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) of the mobile device.

11. The computer circuitry of claim 10, wherein the EF is communicated to the mobile device using a SIM toolkit.

12. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information is specified as an Open Mobile Alliance management object (OMA-MO) and communicated to the mobile device using an Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA-DM) protocol.

13. The computer circuitry of claim 1, further configured to communicate a reject cause in the ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device, the reject cause indicating that none of the applications in the preconfigured list of application categories are allowed to operate at the mobile device when ACDC/ASAC is activated in the wireless network and the mobile device is roaming outside a home geographical region.

14. The computer circuitry of claim 1, further configured to communicate a reject cause in the ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device, the reject cause indicating that none of the applications in the preconfigured list of application categories are allowed to operate at the mobile device when the mobile device is roaming outside a home geographical region and regardless of whether ACDC/ASAC is activated in the wireless network.

15. The computer circuitry of claim 1, further configured to communicate ACDC/ASAC information to the mobile device indicating that the preconfigured list of application categories are allowed to be operate at the mobile device when the mobile device is roaming outside a home geographical region and ACDC/ASAC is activated in the wireless network.

16. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information includes a plurality of preconfigured white lists of application categories that correspond to a plurality of geographical regions and the wireless network element activates at least one of the preconfigured white lists of application categories when the mobile device roams through the geographical regions.

17. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the preconfigured white list of application categories in the ACDC/ASAC information corresponds to a home geographical region associated with the mobile device and the wireless network element communicates additional preconfigured white lists of application categories when the mobile device roams outside the home geographical region.

18. A user equipment (UE) operable to operate applications according to a preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories, the UE having computer circuitry configured to:

communicate a registration update message to a wireless network element;

receive Application Specific Congestion Control for Data Communications (ACDC)/Application and Service Access Control (ASAC) information from the wireless network element in response to communicating the registration update message, the ACDC/ASAC information including the preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories; and

operate only applications contained in the preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories when ACDC/ASAC is activated in a wireless network, the ACDC/ASAC being activated in response to a wireless network channel condition of the wireless network exceeding a capacity threshold due to network congestion in the wireless network.

19. The computer circuitry of claim 18, further configured to receive an updated preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories from the wireless network element when the wireless network does not exceed the capacity threshold.

20. The computer circuitry of claim 18, further configured to receive an ACDC/ASAC white list notification in a paging message from an evolved node B (eNB) to notify the UE than an ACDC/ASAC system information block (SIB) is being broadcast at the eNB.

21. The computer circuitry of claim 20, further configured to receive the ACDC/ASAC SIB from the eNB after receiving a SIB type 1 (SIB1) from the wireless network element, the UE receiving the ACDC/ASAC SIB according to ACDC/ASAC SIB scheduling information included in the SIB1 and the ACDC/ASAC SIB including updated white list information.

22. The computer circuitry of claim 21, wherein the ACDC/ASAC SIB indicates whether ACDC/ASAC is active in the wireless network, and if ACDC/ASAC is active, whether the ACDC/ASAC is applicable to inbound roamers with exceptions or whether ACDC/ASAC is applicable to inbound roamers without exceptions.

23. The computer circuitry of claim 21, wherein the ACDC/ASAC SIB includes additional information that is sent to a selected group of mobile devices, wherein the additional information indicates specific categories of mobile devices, wherein the additional information indicates specific ranges of international mobile subscriber identities (IMSIs), temporary mobile subscriber identities (TMSIs), and globally unique temporary identifiers (GUTIs).

24. The computer circuitry of claim 18, wherein the UE includes an antenna, a touch sensitive display screen, a speaker, a microphone, a graphics processor, an application processor, internal memory, or a non-volatile memory port.

25. A method for provisioning categories of applications on a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving a registration update message at a wireless network element from the UE over non-access stratum (NAS) signaling;

communicating Application Specific Congestion Control for Data Communications (ACDC)/Application and Service Access Control (ASAC) information from the wireless network element to the UE in response to receiving the registration update message;

activating the ACDC/ASAC at a selected prioritization level, at the wireless network element, while a wireless network channel condition of a wireless network exceeds a capacity threshold due to network congestion in the wireless network, the ACDC/ASAC enabling only categories of applications to operate at the UE that are contained in the ACDC/ASAC information, wherein categories of applications not listed in the ACDC/ASAC information are prevented from operating at the UE when ACDC/ASAC is activated at the selected prioritization level.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information includes a preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories that are allowed to access the wireless network when ACDC/ASAC is activated in the wireless network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates:

a defined period of time for which prioritized applications in the preconfigured white list are valid when the ACDC/ASAC is active in the wireless network;

or

a geographical location where the preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories applies to the UE when the ACDC/ASAC is active in the wireless network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the ACDC/ASAC information indicates:

whether the preconfigured white list of prioritized application categories is capable of being overridden by a home geographical region associated with the mobile device;

or

whether the mobile device is able to receive the ACDC/ASAC information for a geographical region that is outside a mobile country code (MCC) associated with the mobile device when the mobile device is roaming within the geographical region.