Policy Controlled Offloading Among Neighboring Networks
First Claim
1. A method of making network resource available for prioritized users in a wireless communications network, said method comprising:
- identifying one or more alternate networks in a concerned area;
identifying user terminals with established packet flows in the wireless communications network in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks;
offloading one or more of the packet flows for the user terminals to the one or more alternate networks.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for controlling and distributing data traffic among neighboring access networks within a geographic area. Subscribers may be given different priorities. Requests of services by subscribers may be prioritized. Data traffic within a congested access network may be offloaded to alternate access networks based on criteria such as service types and Quality of Service requirements associated with the data traffic, subscriber priorities associated with the subscribers, software and hardware capabilities associated with the user terminals of the subscribers, and resource availabilities in the alternate access networks.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of making network resource available for prioritized users in a wireless communications network, said method comprising:
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identifying one or more alternate networks in a concerned area; identifying user terminals with established packet flows in the wireless communications network in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks; offloading one or more of the packet flows for the user terminals to the one or more alternate networks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A network node for making network resource available for prioritized users in a wireless communications network, said network node comprising:
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a network interface unit for exchanging information between the PCRF node and other network devices; a processor configured to; identify one or more alternate networks in a concerned area; identify user terminals in the concerned area with established packet flows in the wireless communications network that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks; and offload one or more of the packet flows for the user terminals to the identified one or more alternate networks. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification