WIRELESS NETWORK SELECTION MANAGEMENT

• US 20100110890A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moulton, Frederick J., Steeley, Tina R., Seiders, Faith Taner, Rainer, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7428 Load situation, e.g. Current network load, traffic load or available resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

Abstract

Providing for network selection management for a mobile communication environment is provided herein. By way of example, the network selection can supersede default network selection configurations of a mobile terminal. Usage behaviors of mobile terminals can be monitored to gauge service demand for individual terminals. Based on the service demand, a particular network can be selected as a default for a terminal. The network selection can be utilized for load balancing terminals among suitable mobile networks, optimizing network resources, improving services for terminal devices, or the like.

Claims

1. A system that provides load balancing for a mobile network, comprising:

a tracking component that determines a data usage behavior of a mobile terminal; and

a mediation component that employs the data usage behavior to determine whether to direct the mobile terminal to a relatively low data rate mobile network in lieu of a higher data rate mobile network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a services database that maintains a record of data-related mobile services provisioned for the terminal, the mediation component further employs the record of services in the determination.

3. The system of claim 2, the services database stores data indicating whether the terminal is compatible with the mobile network, the mediation component employs the compatibility in the determination.

4. The system of claim 2, the services database stores data indicating a subscriber'"'"'s mobile network preference for the terminal, the mediation component employs the network preference in the determination.

5. The system of claim 2, the data-related services comprise at least one of:

a data subscription plan,

a third generation (3G)-optimized service,

a data rate plan package service,

a voice roaming package;

or

a mid to high quality of service (QoS) data application.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network load component that determines current terminal load for the relatively low data rate mobile network or the higher data rate mobile network, the mediation component employs the current terminal load in the determination.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a download component that provides the terminal with data establishing the relatively low data rate mobile network or the higher data rate mobile network as a default for network selection.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a signaling interface that updates a home location register (HLR) associated with the terminal based on the determination.

9. The system of claim 1, the mediation component references a network billing platform for the determination and identifies whether a rate plan of the terminal restricts the terminal to the higher data rate mobile network.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analysis component that monitors the data usage behavior of the mobile terminal over time to determine whether the data usage behavior exceeds a minimum threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, the mediation component sets the mobile terminal to the high data rate mobile network if the data usage behavior exceeds the threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface that enables an authorized user to set the mobile terminal to the lower data rate network or the higher data rate network.

13. The system of claim 12, the user interface further enables the authorized user to lock the setting, preventing the mediation component from directing the mobile network contrary to the setting.

14. A method for load balancing mobile terminals among mobile networks, comprising:

monitoring data usage of a mobile terminal; and

setting a relatively low data rate network as a default for the mobile terminal if the data usage is below a minimum usage threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining load of the low data rate network and a second mobile network; and

conditioning setting the low data rate network as the default based on a threshold disparity in respective network load.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an authorized user input pertaining to the network default setting; and

changing the setting, maintaining the setting or locking the setting against further system-based changes according to the authorized user input.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising re-evaluating the data usage and updating the default network setting based on data usage within a re-evaluation period.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

maintaining the default network setting if the data usage does not exceed the minimum threshold during the re-evaluation period;

or

establishing a relatively high data rate network as the default for the mobile terminal if the data usage does exceed the minimum threshold during such period.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising conditioning setting the relatively low data rate network as the default on at least one of:

capabilities of a network region in which the mobile terminal is located;

capabilities of the mobile terminal;

capabilities of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the mobile terminal;

data services the mobile terminal is configured to use;

whether the mobile terminal is configured for femtocell access;

a rate plan or account type associated with the mobile terminal;

whether setting the default network is locked via authorized user input;

or

whether data usage determination or re-evaluation is in progress for the mobile terminal, or a combination of the foregoing.

20. A system for providing load balancing in a mobile network, comprising:

means for monitoring data usage of a mobile terminal; and

means for setting a relatively low data rate network as a default for the mobile terminal if the data usage is below a minimum usage threshold.