Reservation and admission of access resources for access selection in multi-access networks

• US 20100250688A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sachs, Joachim, Rinta-Aho, Teemu, Magnusson, Per, Prytz, Mikael
• Application Number:
  US12/514,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/788 Autonomous allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/823 Prediction of resource usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

A multi-resource management entity is described herein which optimizes access to at least one access network that is located in a multi-access network environment by performing the following steps: (a) obtaining information about a potentially required access resource of one of the at least one access networks; (b) determining that more than a certain number of user networks may potentially use the access resource to establish a connection with the one access network; (c) obtaining information indicating an availability of the access resource; and (d) limiting a number of the user networks that may potentially access the access resource in view of the obtained availability information.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing access in a multi-access network environment, wherein a multi-resource managing entity for managing access to at least one access network performs the following steps:

obtaining information about a required access resource of one of the at least one access networks;

determining that more than a certain number of user networks may use the access resource to establish a connection with the one access network;

obtaining information indicating an availability of the access resource; and

limiting a number of the user networks that may access the access resource in view of the obtained availability information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information about the required access resource comprises information about whether the access resource and a related access flow is part of a validated set or a candidate set in each of the user networks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining information indicating the availability of the access resource further comprises:

sending a message indicating a number of the user networks that may use the access resource to an access resource managing entity that is also associated with the one access network, wherein the access resource managing entity determines how much resources should be reserved by calculating a required amount of resources that are expected to be used by the user networks, checks availability of the access resource, pre-reserves resources associated with the access resource, and sends a report containing availability information about the pre-reserved resources back to the multi-resource managing entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining information indicating the availability of the access resource further comprises:

determining how much resources should be reserved by calculating a required amount of resources that are expected to be used by the user networks; and

sending a reservation request message indicating at least the required amount of resources to an access resource managing entity that is also associated with the one access network, wherein the access resource managing entity checks availability of the access resource, pre-reserves resources associated with the access resource, and sends a report containing availability information about the pre-reserved resources back to the multi-resource managing entity.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the calculated required amount of resources is based on a probability that these resources are expected to be used by the user networks.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the calculated required amount of resources is based on at least one of a past measurement, a pre-determined value, an estimated bearer requirement or weighted values.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein said report further contains availability information about a fraction of the user networks that should be rejected.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein said access resource managing entity is embodied in a network intrinsic radio resource managing entity.

9. A processing unit in a multi-resource managing entity utilizing stored computer program instructions for optimizing access in a multi-access network environment, the processing unit performing the instructions for:

obtaining information about a required access resource of one of the at least one access networks;

determining that more than a certain number of user networks may use the access resource to establish a connection with the one access network;

obtaining information indicating an availability of the access resource; and

limiting a number of the user networks that may access the access resource in view of the obtained availability information.

10. A multi-resource managing entity comprising:

a processing unit; and

a storage unit, where said processor obtains instructions from said storage unit and processes those instructions to enable the following;

obtain information about a required access resource of one of the at least one access networks;

determine that more than a certain number of user networks may use the access resource to establish a connection with the one access network;

obtain information indicating an availability of the access resource; and

limit a number of the user networks that may access the access resource in view of the obtained availability information.

11. The multi-resource managing entity of claim 10, wherein said information about the required access resource includes information about whether the access resource or a related access flow is part of a validated set or a candidate set in each of the user networks.

12. (canceled)

13. A method for optimizing access in a multi-access network environment, wherein an access resource managing entity managing access to at least one access resource performs the following steps:

obtaining information from a multi-resource managing entity where said information is related to a required access resource that may be used by one or more user networks;

checking availability of the required access resource; and

sending a report containing availability information back to the multi-resource managing entity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of pre-reserving resources associated with the required access resource with the availability information comprising information about the pre-reserved resources and information about the fraction of user networks that are to be rejected.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said obtained information includes a reservation request indicating at least a required amount of the access resource.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein if said obtained information includes an indication of a number of user networks that may use the access resource then said access resource managing entity prior to performing the checking step and the sending step performs a step of determining how many resources are expected to be used by the user networks.

17. A processing unit in an access resource managing entity utilizing stored computer program instructions for optimizing access in a multi-access network environment, the processing unit performing the instructions for:

obtaining information from a multi-resource managing entity where said information is related to a required access resource that may be used by one or more user networks;

checking availability of the require access resource; and

sending a report containing availability information back to the multi-resource manacling entity.

18. An access resource managing entity comprising:

a processing unit; and

a storage unit, where said processor obtains instructions from said storage unit and processes those instructions to enable the following;

obtain information from a multi-resource managing entity where said information is related to a potentially required access resource that may be used by one or more user networks;

check availability of the required access resource; and

send a report containing availability information back to the multi-resource managing entity.

19. The access resource managing entity of claim 18, wherein said processor further enables pre-reserving resources associated with the required access resource with the availability information comprising information about the pre-reserved resources and information about the fraction of user networks that are to be rejected.

20. The access resource managing entity of claim 18, wherein said processor prior to enabling the check operation and the send operation enables a determination of how many resources are expected to be used by the user networks.