METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING NETWORK PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100331002A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: ROLL, JONATHAN H., SMALL, DAVID, OU, CANHUI
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for improving network performance in a communication system. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to group a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) into first and second groups that share at least one common WBT and select a resultant communication path for the at least one common WBT to a mobile telephone switching office based on differential delays associated with alternative communication paths for combinations of WBTs in at least one of the first and second groups. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

grouping a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) into first and second groups that share at least one common WBT; and

selecting a resultant communication path for the at least one common WBT to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) based on differential delays associated with alternative communication paths for one or more other WBTs in the first and second groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other WTBs are combinations of WBTs in the first and second groups.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the alternative communication paths based on a distance between the one or more other WBTs and the MTSO.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting the resultant communication path based on path delays calculated for at least a portion of the alternative communication paths.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising selecting the resultant communication path based on distortions calculated for at least a portion of the alternative communication paths.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting for each WBT in a select one of the first and second groups a communication path to the MTSO based on the differential delays, path delays, and distortions associated with alternative communication paths to the MTSO for combinations of WBTs in the select one of the first and second groups.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the distortions comprise jitter.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for:

grouping a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) into first and second groups that share at least one common WBT; and

selecting a resultant communication path for the at least one common WBT to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) based on performance parameters associated with alternative communication paths for combinations of WBTs in the first and second groups.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the performance parameters comprise differential delays.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the performance parameters comprise jitter.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the performance parameters comprise path delays.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the performance parameters comprise path delays, jitter and differential delays.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer instructions for selecting for each WBT in a select one of the first and second groups a communication path to the MTSO based on at least one of differential delays, path delays and distortions associated with alternative communication paths to the MTSO for combinations of WBTs in the select one of the first and second groups.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, comprising computer instructions for provisioning a plurality of network elements with the communication path for each WBT in the select one of the first and second groups to exchange messages with the MTSO.

15. A server comprising a controller to:

group a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) into first and second groups that share at least one common WBT; and

select a resultant communication path for the at least one common WBT to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) based on differential delays associated with alternative communication paths for combinations of WBTs in at least one of the first and second groups.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to select for each WBT in a select one of the first and second groups a communication path to the MTSO based on at least one of differential delays, path delays and distortions associated with alternative communication paths to the MTSO for combinations of WBTs in the select one of the first and second groups.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the controller is programmed to provision a plurality of network elements with the communication path for each WBT in the select one of the first and second groups to exchange messages with the MTSO.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the alternative communication paths based on distances between at least a portion of the plurality of WBTs and the MTSO.

19. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to select the resultant communication path based on path delays calculated for at least a portion of the alternative communication paths.

20. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to select the resultant communication path based on distortions calculated for at least a portion of the alternative communication paths.