Systems and methods for enhanced frequency allocation

• US 10,652,811 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Nimbavikar, Gunjan, Jones, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaheed, Khalid W
• Application Number:
  US16/014,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20190394718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving network resource allocation are disclosed. The system can determine which user'"'"'s equipment (UEs) can be reallocated from a first network (e.g., one of the 4G network or the 5G network) to a second network (e.g., the other of the 4G network or the 5G network) to reduce load on the first network. The system can determine which UEs are capable of using each type of network and which services or applications that are suitable for use on each type of network. Due to differences in propagation and penetration distances of various frequency spectrums, the system can also determine which UEs have sufficient signal strength for each type of network. The system can reside on the network, on the UEs, or on both the network and the UE. The system can switch back and forth between multiple networks as conditions, applications, or other factors change.

Claims

1. A method for allocating network resources from a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more inputs on the UE, a request to initiate an application or action on the UE;

determining, with a processor of the UE, that the UE is currently capable of using a first network;

determining, with the processor of the UE, that the UE is currently capable of using a second network based at least in part on one or more of a battery level of the UE or a memory buffer level of the UE;

sending, with the transceiver on the UE, a first registration request to a wireless base station (WBS) to connect to the WBS using the second network;

determining that the UE is no longer capable of using the second network by;

determining, with the processor of the UE, that a signal strength associated with the UE is below a first predetermined level; and

determining one or more of the battery level of the UE or the memory buffer of the UE has fallen below a second predetermined level; and

in response to determining that the UE is no longer capable of using the second network, sending, with a transceiver on the UE, a second registration request to the WBS to connect to the WBS using the first network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the transceiver on the UE, a registration acknowledgement from the WBS;

determining, with a processor on the UE, that the registration acknowledgement is associated with the first network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first network comprises a 4G network;

and wherein the second network comprises a 5G network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the registration acknowledgement is associated with the first network, the method further comprising:

determining, with the processor of the UE, that the UE is no longer capable of using the first network; and

sending, with the transceiver of the UE, a registration request to the WBS to connect to the WBS using the second network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the UE is currently capable of using the second network comprises determining that the memory buffer level of the UE is above the second predetermined level.

6. The method of claim 1, the signal strength being a first signal strength, wherein determining that the UE is currently capable of using the second network comprises determining that at least one of a second signal strength or a signal quality is above a third predetermined level.

7. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

one or more inputs to receive selections of applications or actions on the UE;

one or more transceivers to send and receive one or more wireless transmissions;

memory storing at least a UE allocation application; and

one or more processors in communication with at least the one or more transceivers and the memory, the UE allocation application causing the one or more processors to;

receive, from the one or more inputs, a selection of an application or action to be executed by the UE;

determine that the selected application is suitable for use with a first network and a second network;

determine that the UE is capable of connecting to the second network based at least in part on one or more of a battery level of the UE or a memory buffer level of the UE;

determine that a first signal strength associated with the UE is below a predetermined level;

determine that the UE is capable of connecting to the first network based at least in part on one or more of the battery level of the UE or the memory buffer level of the UE; and

send, with the one or more transceivers, a registration request to a wireless base station (WBS) to connect to the WBS using the first network, the first network utilizing a different frequency spectrum than a second network.

8. The UE of claim 7, wherein the application is suitable for use on the first network when the application comprises a video call or a voice call.

9. The UE of claim 7, wherein the application is suitable for use on the second network when the application comprises a file transfer protocol (FTP) or operating system (OS) download.

10. The UE of claim 7, the registration request being afirst registration request, wherein the UE allocation application further causes the one or more processors to:

send, with the one or more transceivers, a second registration request to the WBS to connect to the WBS using the second network; and

determine that the UE is no longer capable of connecting to the second network based at least in part on determining that the first signal strength associated with the UE is below the predetermined level.

11. The UE of claim 10, wherein the UE is no longer capable of connecting to the second network based at least in part on the battery level or the memory buffer level falling below a predetermined threshold.

12. The UE of claim 7, wherein the UE allocation application further causes the one or more processors to:

receive, with the one or more transceivers, a registration acknowledgement from the WBS; and

determine, with the one or more processors, that the registration acknowledgement is associated with the first network.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying a request to initiate an application or action on a User Equipment (UE);

determining that the UE is currently capable of using a first network;

determining that the UE is currently capable of using a second network based at least in part on one or more of a battery level of the UE or a memory buffer level of the UE;

causing the UE to connect to the WBS using the second network;

determining that the UE is no longer capable of using the second network by;

determining that a signal strength associated with the UE is below a first predetermined level; and

determining one or more of the battery level of the UE or the memory buffer of the UE has fallen below a second predetermined level; and

in response to determining that the UE is no longer capable of using the second network, causing the UE to connect to the WBS using the first network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first network comprises a 4G network;

and wherein the second network comprises a 5G network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the UE is no longer capable of using the first network; and

causing the UE to connect to the WBS using the second network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein determining that the UE is currently capable of using the second network comprises determining that the memory buffer level of the UE is above the second predetermined level.

17. The system of claim 13, the signal strength being a first signal strength, wherein determining that the UE is currently capable of using the second network comprises determining that at least one of a second signal strength or a signal quality is above a third predetermined level.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system comprises the UE.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to causing the UE to connect to the WBS using the first network, causing the UE to receive data wirelessly from the WBS.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the data comprises voice data.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein determining thatthe UE is currently capable of using a second network comprises determining that theapplication comprises a file transfer protocol (FTP) or operating system (OS) download.