Method and apparatus for auto-configuration for optimum multimedia performance

• US 20030119515A1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Holler, Jan, Landfeldt, Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/181 Transcoding devices; Rate adaptation devices

Abstract

An auto-configuration arrangement enables a general-purpose mobile terminal or user equipment (UE) and an access network having specific native or standardized codecs and media formats to conform to one another and to thus optimize resource utilization in the access network. When the UE is attached to the access network, UE and user identifier information is signaled by the UE to a configuration node implemented in the access network. The configuration node acquires information details regarding the UE, and also relevant user subscription information, by retrieval from one or more access network registers. The configuration node then uses the detailed information together with access network specific information to decide what QoS definition and type of codec to select for use, and assembles the selected definitions and codecs, such as by retrieval from a repository. The configuration node sends the selected QoS definitions and codecs to the UE, and the UE configures itself in accordance therewith by means of a configuration layer residing in the UE.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing data transfer between a user equipment (LE) and an access network having specific access network parameters, said access network parameters comprising at least a set of specific codecs and a set of specific service definitions for said access network, said method comprising the steps of:

operating said access network to implement a configuration node disposed for selective communication with said UE;

furnishing said access network with information identifying said UE and/or a user associated with said UE and with other information associated withsaid UE and/or said user; and

determining a specific set of UE parameters from said specific access network parameters, said UE identity and/or said user identity information and said other information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said method includes the step of furnishing said UE with said specific set of UE parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

said UE furnishing step comprises operating said configuration node of said access network to supply said specific set of UE parameters to said UE.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

said UE furnishing step enables said UE to configure a configuration layer in accordance with said specific set of UE parameters.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

said configuration layer is capable of inserting modules and a set of digital values/parameters as part of said specific set of UE parameters.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

said UE has distributed fuctionality over a plurality of physical devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the configuration layer is distributed over said plurality of physical devices.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:

said modules and said set of digital values/parameters are appropriately distributed across said plurality of physical devices for their respective configuration.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said LE identifying information is signaled from said configuration node to a subscription register in said access network, and in response said subscription register provides said configuration node with UE information and with user subscription information associated with said UE for use in determining said specific set of LE parameters.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said specific set of UE parameters include specific codecs and QoS definitions for said UE which are stored in said access network, and are accessible to said configuration node for use in configuring said UE.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein:

communication takes place between said access network and said UE after said UE is attached to said access network.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein:

communication takes place between said UE and said access network when an application requests functional support requiring configuration of said specific set of UE parameters into said attached UE.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein:

said access network comprises a UMTS network and said configuration node is collocated with the SGSN node of said access network.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein:

said access network comprises a GPRS network or a CDMA network or a CDMA2000 network or a WLAN.

15. A method for enhancing data transfer between a general purpose user equipment and a wireless access network having specific access network parameters, said access network parameters comprising at least a set of specific codecs and a set of specific QoS definitions for said access network, said method comprising the step of:

configuring said UE with specific set of LE parameters derived from said specific access network parameters and from the UE identity information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

said specific set of UE parameters are further derived from a user identity that is associated with said UE or with said data transfer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

operating said access network to implement a configuration node disposed for selective communication with said UE; and

operating said configuration node to supply said specific set of UE parameters to a configuration layer residing in said UE.

18. In a system including an access network having specific network parameters, said network parameters comprising at least a set of specific codecs and a set of specific QoS definitions for said access network, apparatus for enhancing data transfer between a general purpose UE and said access network comprising:

a subscription register in said access network storing information pertaining to a specific set of UE parameters for said UE; and

a configuration node implemented in said access network for communicating with said UE to receive the identity of said UE and/or a user, for providing said identities to said subscription register, and for receiving said information pertaining to said specific set of UE parameters in response to providing said identities.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:

said configuration node determines said specific set of UE parameters from said information stored in said subscription register.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

modules corresponding to said specific set of UE parameters and disposed for transmission to said UE for enabling said UE to insert said modules into a configuration layer.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:

said configuration node of said access network is operated to supply said specific set of UE parameters to a configuration layer residing in said UE.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:

said configuration node is disposed to signal said UE identity and/or said user identity to said subscription register, and in response said subscription register provides said configuration node with UE information and with user subscription information for use in determining said specific set of UE parameters.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:

said specific set of UE parameters include specific codecs and QoS definitions for said UE which are stored in said access network, and are accessible to said configuration node for use in configuring said UE.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein:

communication takes place between said access network and said UE in conjunction with the attachment of said access network.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein:

communication takes place between said UE and said access network when an application requests functional support requiring insertion of one of said modules and/or set of digital values/parameters into said attached UE.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein:

said access network comprises a GPRS network or a CDMA network or a CDMA2000 network or a WLAN.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein:

said access network comprises a UMTS network and said configuration node is collocated with the SGSN node of said access network.