METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING LAYERED WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20110151924A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Rosemarie B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A capability is provided for supporting a layered wireless network. A method for supporting a service session for a wireless user device includes receiving a service request associated with the wireless user device, determining at least one characteristic of the service request, and selecting, using the at least one characteristic of the service request, one of a plurality of network layers available for supporting a service session for the service request. A network layer has a wireless access technology associated therewith and, optionally, also may have a core network technology associated therewith. The selection of the network layer for a service request may be performed within the network or performed at the wireless user device under the control of the network.

Claims

1. A method for supporting a service session for a wireless user device, the method comprising:

receiving a service request associated with the wireless user device;

determining at least one characteristic of the service request; and

selecting, using the at least one characteristic of the service request, one of a plurality of network layers available for supporting a service session for the service request, wherein each of the network layers has a respective wireless access technology associated therewith.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the network layers has a wireless access technology and a core network technology associated therewith.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, for at least one of the network layers:

the wireless access technology comprises one of a 4G wireless access technology, a 3G wireless access technology, a WiFi wireless access technology network, a ZigBee access technology, and a wireless broadcast access technology; and

the core network technology comprises one of a 4G core network technology, a 4G core network technology, and a wired core network technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request is received by a network element, wherein the network element selects the one of the network layers using network layer selection information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request is received at the wireless user device from an application available on the wireless user device, wherein the wireless user device selects the one of the network layers using network layer selection information received from a network element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network layers are composed of a plurality of networks comprising a plurality of wireless access networks and at least one core network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, for each of the network layers, the network layer includes one of the plurality of wireless access networks and one of the at least one core network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the network layers is a first network layer of the plurality of network layers, wherein the service request is received via a second network layer of the plurality of network layers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the service request is determined using information included within the service request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the service request comprises at least one of an application-related characteristic of the service request, a user-related characteristic of the service request, or a Service Level Agreement (SLA)-related characteristic of the user device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the service request comprises an application-related characteristic of the service request, wherein the application-related characteristic comprises at least one of an application-type of the service request and an application of the service request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request is associated with an application and the at least one characteristic of service request is an application-related characteristic of the service request, wherein the service session is associated with a service provider, the method further comprising:

determining whether the application is an application of the service provider or a third-party application;

if the application is an application of the service provider, determining the application-related characteristic directly from information included within the service request;

if the application is a third-party application, determining the application-related characteristic, based on information included within the service request, using bearer control processes.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the network layers is selected using network layer selection information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network layer selection information comprises at least one of service provider preferences, network status information, user preferences, behavioral characteristics, and application preferences.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the network layers comprises:

accessing one of a plurality of network layer selection policies based on the at least one characteristic of the service request;

selecting the one of the network layers using the accessed network layer selection policy.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the accessed network layer selection policy identifies at least two of the network layers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least two of the network layers are prioritized.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected network layer is selected using a plurality of network layer selection policies.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the network layer selection policies are determined using service provider preference information and at least one of network status information associated with networks of which the network layers are composed, user preference information, and application preference information.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a trigger condition associated with the service session; and

propagating, toward at least one of the network layers, at least one reconfiguration message adapted for use in performing at least one of;

moving the service session from the one of the selected network layers to a different network layer; and

forming a new service session using at least one of the network layers.

21. An apparatus for supporting a service session for a wireless user device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing network layer selection information associated with a plurality of network layers available for supporting a service session for the service request, wherein each of the network layers has a respective wireless access technology associated therewith; and

a processor for;

receiving a service request associated with the wireless user device;

determining at least one characteristic of the service request; and

selecting one of the network layers using the at least one characteristic of the service request.

22. A computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for supporting a service session for a wireless user device, the method comprising:

receiving a service request associated with the wireless user device;

determining an application-related characteristic of the service request; and

selecting, using the application-related characteristic of the service request, one of a plurality of network layers available for supporting a service session for the service request, wherein each of the network layers has a respective wireless access technology associated therewith.