METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING ONE OF A PLURALITY OF NETWORKS FOR AN APPLICATION SERVICE BASED UPON PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR THE APPLICATION SERVICE

• US 20130157708A1
• Filed: 12/17/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: ECONOMY, GEORGE R., MCDONALD, DANIEL J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A communication device performs a method for selecting a network for an application service based upon system performance. The method includes obtaining multiple sets of performance metrics. Each of the multiple sets of performance metrics comprises at least one performance metric for a same application service. The method further includes evaluating the multiple sets of performance metrics to select one of the corresponding networks to access the application service on the selected network.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a first communication device, for selecting a network for an application service, the method comprising:

obtaining multiple sets of performance metrics, wherein each set of performance metrics comprises at least one performance metric for a same application service; and

evaluating the multiple sets of performance metrics to select one of the corresponding networks to access the application service on the selected network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric for the same application service is determined by at least one of the first communication device or a second communication device coupled to the first communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric for the same application service, within each set of performance metrics, is received from a corresponding system performance metric server on a corresponding network.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising sending a performance metric query to at least one of the system performance metric servers, wherein at least a portion of the corresponding set of performance metrics is received in response to the performance metric query.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of one of the sets of performance metrics is received in a broadcast message from the corresponding system performance metric server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application service is a Push-to-Talk service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of talkgroup member reachability by a Push-to-Talk server that provides the Push-to-Talk service.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of dispatcher reachability by a Push-to-Talk server that provides the Push-to-Talk service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sets of performance metrics is received via a second communication device communicatively coupled to the first communication device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising sending an indication of the selected network to the second communication device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the application service using an application server on the selected network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application service is accessed on the selected network using a second communication device communicatively coupled to the first communication device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of turn-around time of a service request for the application service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of loading or an indication of availability of an application that provides the application service.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of services supported by the application service.

16. A method, performed by a system performance metric server on a first Radio Access Network, for selecting a network for a Push-to-Talk service, the method comprising:

receiving a set of Push-to-Talk performance metrics from a Push-to-Talk server on the first Radio Access Network, which provides a Push-to-Talk service;

generating a set of performance metrics that includes the set of Push-to-Talk performance metrics; and

sending the set of performance metrics to a radio for use in selecting between the first Radio Access Network and at least one other Radio Access Network for accessing the Push-to-Talk service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of Push-to-Talk performance metrics comprises an indication of at least one of:

talkgroup member reachability by the Push-to-Talk server;

dispatcher reachability by the Push-to-Talk server;

request turn-around time for the Push-to-Talk service;

loading of the Push-to-Talk service;

availability of the Push-to-Talk service;

or services supported by the Push-to-Talk service.

18. A non-transient computer-readable storage element having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer within a first communication device to perform a method for selecting a network for an application service, the method comprising:

obtaining multiple sets of performance metrics, wherein each set of performance metrics comprises at least one performance metric for a same application service, wherein the at least one performance metric for the same application service is received from a performance metric server on a corresponding network or determined by at least one of the first communication device or a second communication device coupled to the first communication device; and

evaluating the multiple sets of performance metrics to select one of the corresponding networks to access the application service on the selected network.

19. The non-transient computer-readable storage elements of claim 18, wherein at least one of the sets of performance metrics is received via a second communication device communicatively coupled to the first communication device, and wherein the method further comprising sending an indication of the selected network to the second communication device.

20. The non-transient computer-readable storage elements of claim 18, wherein the application service is a Push-to-Talk service, and wherein the performance metric for the application service comprises an indication of at least one of:

talkgroup member reachability by a Push-to-Talk server that provides the Push-to-Talk service;

dispatcher reachability by the Push-to-Talk server;

request turn-around time for the Push-to-Talk service;

loading of the Push-to-Talk service;

availability of the Push-to-Talk service;

or services supported by the Push-to-Talk service.