Integrated wireline and wireless access using software defined networking

• US 10,230,622 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Smith, Jr., Paul Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shukri
• Application Number:
  US14/870,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]

Abstract

An integrated wireless and wireline access system that uses software defined networking is provided to deliver communication services to user equipment via a variety of network access technologies. The software defined networking system can dynamically choose which network access technology to use to deliver services to the user equipment based on network conditions, quality of service concerns, and user equipment context. The user equipment can have different addresses based on the network access technology, and the software defined networking can redirect communications that are directed to a first address associated with the device on a first network to a second address associated with the same device on a second network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving a transmission that has been directed to a first network address of a user equipment, wherein the first network address is associated with a first access point device of a first network;

identifying a second network address of the user equipment associated with a second access point device of a second network, wherein the first network and the second network utilize different network access technologies;

determining a quality of service requirement of an active packet data protocol context associated with the transmission; and

redirecting the transmission to the user equipment at the second address via the second access point device in response to a first network condition of the first network being determined not to satisfy the quality of service requirement, a second network condition of the second network being determined to satisfy the quality of service requirement, and determination that a risk of a transfer disruption redirecting the transmission being lower than a risk of a load disruption due to a load associated with the first network.

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

determining the first network address based on a prefix associated with the first access point device associated with the first network.

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

associating the first network address of the user equipment with the second network address of the user equipment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

associating a media access control address of the user equipment with the first network address and the second network address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting the second network based on a mobility state of the user equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the quality of service parameter is based on an operator policy and an active application on the user equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network condition and the second network condition are based on a function of network congestion of the first network and the second network, used bandwidth of the first network and the second network, available bandwidth of the first network and the second network, and predicted congestion of the first network and the second network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network condition and the second network condition are based on a ratio of a first network congestion level of the first network and a second network congestion level of the second network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information from a first network access point device comprising a media access control address and the first network address of the user equipment connected to the first access point device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information from a second network access point device on a different network than the first access point device, wherein the information comprises the media access control address.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device comprising a processor, a transmission that has been directed to a first network address of a user equipment, wherein the first network address is associated with a first network device of a first network using a first network access technology;

determining, by the device, that the user equipment is associated with a second network address associated with a second network device of a second network using a second network access technology;

determining, by the device, a quality of service requirement for an active packet data protocol context associated with the transmission; and

directing, by the device, the transmission to the user equipment at the second network address via the second network device in response to determining that the second network device has a second network condition that satisfies the quality of service requirement, the first network device does not have a first network condition that satisfies the quality of service requirement, and a result of a function of a risk of transfer disruption of directing the transmission to the second network, a risk of a load disruption due to a load of the first network, and a priority of the transmission.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the device, the second network address based on a prefix associated with a network access point device associated with the second network device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating, by the device, the first network address of the user equipment with the second network address of the user equipment.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating, by the device, a media access control address of the user equipment with the first network address and the second network address.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing the transmission to the user equipment at the second network address is based on a mobility state of the user equipment.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second network condition criterion is based on a function of network congestion of the second network device, used bandwidth of the second network device, available bandwidth of the second network device, and predicted congestion of the second network device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the device, information from a network access point device associated with the second network device comprising a media access control address and the second network address of the user equipment connected to the network access point device.

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

receiving a data packet that has been directed to a first network address of a user equipment, wherein the first network address is associated with a first network access point device on a first network of first network devices;

determining that the user equipment is associated with a second network address associated with a second network access point device on a second network of second network devices;

determining that a congestion rating of a second network device of the second network devices is lower than a congestion rating of a first network device of the first network devices the congestion rating of the first network device does not satisfy a quality of service, requirement of an active packet data protocol context associated with the data packet, and a risk of a transfer disruption redirecting the transmission is lower than a risk of a load disruption due to a load associated with the first network; and

directing, by the device, the transmission to the user equipment at the second network address via the second network access point device via the second network device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the second network address based on a prefix associated with the second network access point device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first and second congestion ratings are based on a function of used bandwidths of the first network device and the second network device, available bandwidths of the first network device and the second network device, and predicted congestions of the first network device and the second network device.