Dynamic control of cell reselection parameters

• US 10,313,946 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saska, David, Ficarra, Louis, Gohel, Kaushik, Ohana, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/636,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Dynamic cell resource management in wireless networking. By way of example, user terminal access parameters can be dynamically modified based on changing load conditions at one or more cells of a wireless network. For instance, resource capacity of a wireless network cell can be monitored over time to identify a potential resource overload condition. If such a condition occurs, a load management algorithm can be executed that progressively restricts or de-restricts user terminal access parameters based on changing load conditions. In particular aspects, the load management algorithm can analyze relative cell load of neighboring cells to implement coordinated load sharing. By dynamically modifying user access parameters, traffic can be directed toward or away from cells operating at low or high capacity, respectively.

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;

determining resource consumption data indicative of a utilization of a resource associated with an access point device of a network;

in response to determining that the resource consumption data satisfies an overload criterion, determining a variable increment value that corresponds to a loading level associated with the resource consumption data, wherein the variable increment value is determined based on event data that represents an event that has been determined to occur at a location associated with access point device;

modifying, based on the variable increment value, a reselection offset threshold value that is to be stored within a user equipment coupled to the access point device, wherein the reselection offset threshold value is employable by the user equipment to initiate a cell reselection based on a comparison of a signal strength value of a signal received by the user equipment with the reselection offset threshold value; and

directing, to the user equipment, the reselection offset threshold value to facilitate the cell reselection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the resource consumption data satisfies an overload criterion comprises determining that a number of devices served by the access point device is greater than a defined threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the resource consumption data satisfies an overload criterion comprises determining that an amount of traffic associated with devices served by the access point device is greater than a defined threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the reselection offset threshold value within a broadcast message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the reselection offset threshold value within a unicast message.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location associated with access point device is a first location, and wherein the user equipment is selected based on location data indicative of a second location of the user equipment within a coverage area of the access point device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the modifying the reselection offset threshold value comprises increasing the reselection offset threshold value to facilitate an increase in a frequency of the cell reselection.

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

modifying, based on the variable increment value, a signal quality threshold value that represents a signal quality threshold associated with a quality of a pilot signal measured by the user equipment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the reselection offset threshold value is employable to bias the user equipment to select a cell device having a load that is determined to satisfy a load criterion.

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

modifying, based on the variable increment value, parameter data that is employable to bias the user equipment to select a cell device that utilizes a radio access technology that is determined to satisfy a radio access technology criterion.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, resource consumption data indicative of a utilization of a resource associated with an access point device of a network;

receiving, by the system, a variable increment value that corresponds to a load level associated with the resource consumption data, wherein the variable increment value is determined based on event data that represents an event that has been determined to occur within an area associated with access point device;

in response to determining that the resource consumption data satisfies an overload criterion, adjusting, by the system, a reselection offset threshold value that is to be stored within a user equipment coupled to the access point device, wherein the reselection offset threshold value is employable by the user equipment to initiate a cell reselection based on comparing a signal strength value of a signal measured by the user equipment with the reselection offset threshold value; and

directing, by the system, the reselection offset threshold value to the user equipment wherein the directing triggers the user equipment to initiate the cell reselection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing comprises broadcasting a system information message that comprises the reselection offset threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing comprises directing, to the user equipment, a unicast message that comprises the reselection offset threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

based on location data indicative of a geographical location of the user equipment, selecting, by the system, the user equipment from devices served by the access point device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the reselection offset threshold value in response to determining that a number of devices served by the access point device satisfy a defined criterion.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the reselection offset threshold value in response to determining that an amount of traffic associated with devices served by the access point device satisfy a defined criterion.

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

determining resource consumption data indicative of a utilization of a resource associated with an access point device of a network;

receiving a variable increment value that corresponds to a load level associated with the resource consumption data, wherein the variable increment value is determined based on event data that represents an event that has been determined to occur within an area associated with access point device;

in response to determining that the resource consumption data satisfies an overload criterion, modifying, based on the variable increment value, a reselection offset threshold value stored within a user equipment that is served by the access point device, wherein the modifying results in a modified reselection offset threshold value; and

directing the modified reselection offset threshold value to the user equipment, wherein the directing triggers the user equipment to initiate the cell reselection based on a comparison of a value associated with a signal strength of a signal received by the user equipment with the modified reselection offset threshold value.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the modifying comprises modifying the reselection offset threshold value in response to determining that a number of devices served by the access point device satisfies a defined criterion.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the modifying comprises modifying the reselection offset threshold value in response to determining that an amount of traffic associated with devices served by the access point device satisfies a defined criterion.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the reselection offset threshold value is a Qrxlevmin parameter of a universal mobile telecommunications system.