DETERMINATION OF A LIST OF PREFERRED MOBILE ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20090252059A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Vigue, Helene, Martiquet, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,837,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• 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

Abstract

Telecommunications system including a network selection manager and a mobile node. The network selection manager is operable to determine a list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state and to communicate the list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node. The list of preferred mobile access networks for selection is determined in accordance with operator determined conditions (e.g. load, congestion in the access networks, subscription info, location of the mobile, changes in the list since last communication to the Mobile Station, etc.). The mobile node is operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks communicated to the mobile node from the network selection manager.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system operable to provide a facility for mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, the telecommunications system comprising

a network selection manager operable

to determine a list of preferred mobile access networks to which a mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions, and

to communicate the list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node,

wherein the mobile node is operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.

2. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, comprising one or more resource managers operable to determine current loading conditions on the plurality of mobile access networks, the one or more resource managers being operable to communicate the determined current loading conditions to the network selection manager, wherein the operator determined conditions include conditions for providing a relative load balancing between the mobile access networks, the list of preferred mobile access networks being determined by the network selection manager to provide a relative load balancing in dependence upon the current loading conditions of each of the plurality of mobile access networks.

3. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the operator determined conditions include at least one of

the type of the mobile access network, and

subscription information contained in a user profile associated with the user of the mobile node.

4. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, comprising

a location monitor operable

to monitor the location of the mobile node, and

to communicate the location of the mobile node to the network selection manager, wherein

the network selection manager is operable to determine the list of preferred mobile access networks for the mobile node in dependence on the location of the mobile node.

5. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the network selection manager communicates the list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since the preferred list was last communicated to the mobile node.

6. A network selection manager for determining preferred mobile access networks of a plurality of mobile access networks provided as part of a telecommunications system which enables mobile nodes to communicate via the plurality of mobile access networks, the network selection manager being operable

to determine a list of preferred mobile access networks to which a mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions, and

to communicate the list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node,

wherein the mobile node is operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.

7. A mobile node operable to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks within a telecommunications system, the mobile node being operable:

to receive from a network selection manager a list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions,

to select, in the inactive state, one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.

8. A telecommunications method for providing a facility for mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, the telecommunications method comprising

determining, at a network selection manager, a list of preferred mobile access networks to which a mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions, and

communicating the list of preferred mobile access networks from the network selection manager to the mobile node,

wherein the mobile node is operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.

9. A computer program stored on a computer readable memory medium providing computer executable instructions which when loaded onto a computer cause the computer to perform a method for providing a facility for mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, the computer program comprising:

instructions to determine, at a network selection manager, a list of preferred mobile access networks to which a mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions, and

instructions to communicate the list of preferred mobile access networks from the network selection manager to the mobile node, said mobile node being operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.

10. (canceled)

11. A computer program stored on a computer readable memory medium providing computer executable instructions which when loaded onto a mobile node to perform a method for providing a facility for said mobile node to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive from a network selection manager a list of preferred mobile access networks to which a mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, the inactive state of the mobile node being a state in which the mobile node is responsible for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach, the list of preferred mobile access networks for selection being determined in accordance with operator determined conditions, and

instructions to select in the inactive state one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks.