METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING WIRELESS ACCESS NETWORK BASED ON CONTENTS CHARACTERISTIC

• US 20130215770A1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: KIM, YOUNG IL
• Application Number:
  US13/572,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for selecting wireless access networks in wireless communication systems including a plurality of wireless access networks are provided. A broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network includes a wireless access network wireless resource cost comparing module configured to select one wireless access network by calculating a cost function of each of the plurality of wireless access networks, based on wireless traffic information of each wireless access network received from the plurality of wireless access networks and contents information to be provided to terminals; a wireless router control module configured to control a path of a contents based router with the selected one wireless access network; and a network matching module configured to be connected to the plurality of wireless access network through the contents based router.

Claims

1. A broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network in wireless communication systems including a plurality of wireless access networks, comprising:

a wireless access network wireless resource cost comparing module configured to select one wireless access network by calculating a cost function of each of the plurality of wireless access networks, based on wireless traffic information of each wireless access network received from the plurality of wireless access networks and contents information to be provided to terminals;

a wireless router control module, operatively coupled to the wireless access network wireless resource cost comparing module, and configured to control a path of a contents based router with the selected one wireless access network; and

a network matching module configured to be connected to the plurality of wireless access network through the contents based router.

2. The broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network of claim 1, wherein the cost function is calculated based on the following Equation:

Cost=Weight×

{(Contents required transmission rate)/(Allowable transmission rate in consideration of delay of each wireless access network)}×

(cost of each wireless access network/bit),

where the weight is a parameter in consideration of characteristics of each wireless access network.

3. The broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network of claim 1, wherein the one wireless access network is selected as a wireless access network having the smallest cost function calculated.

4. The broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network of claim 1, wherein the wireless traffic information of each wireless access network includes at least one of wireless resource allocation information of each wireless access network, available wireless resource information, and interference information within each wireless access network.

5. The broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network of claim 1, wherein the wireless traffic information of each wireless access network is periodically received from each wireless access network.

6. The broadcasting/communication server for a multi access network of claim 1, wherein the contents information includes at least one of a bandwidth, a delayed value, and contents characteristics.

7. A method for selecting wireless access networks in wireless communication systems including a plurality of wireless access networks, the method comprising:

receiving wireless traffic information of each wireless access network from the plurality of wireless access networks;

receiving a contents transmission request from terminals;

selecting one wireless access network by calculating a cost function of each of the plurality of wireless access networks, based on the wireless traffic information of each wireless access network and contents information to be provided to the terminals; and

transmitting contents to the terminals through the selected one wireless access network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cost function is calculated based on the following Equation:

Cost=Weight×

{(Contents required transmission rate)/(Allowable transmission rate in consideration of delay of each wireless access network)}×

(cost of each wireless access network/bit),

where the weight is a parameter in consideration of characteristics of each wireless access network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one wireless access network is selected as a wireless access network having the smallest cost function calculated.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless traffic information of each wireless access network includes at least one of wireless resource allocation information of each wireless access network, available wireless resource information, and interference information within each wireless access network.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless traffic information of each wireless access network is periodically received from each wireless access network.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the contents information includes at least one of a bandwidth, a delayed value, and contents characteristics.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a path of a contents based router with the selected one wireless access network.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising, when the selected one wireless access network is different from a wireless access network to which the terminals are currently accessed,

performing a handover to the selected one wireless access network from the wireless access network to which the terminals are currently accessed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the performing of the handover includes transmitting an inter-system handover enable message to a wireless access network to which the terminals are currently accessed and the selected one wireless access network.

16. A signal converting apparatus between a wireless access network in wireless communication systems including a plurality of wireless access networks, the signal converting apparatus comprising;

a target physical/MAC layer processing unit configured to convert wireless signals of other wireless access networks among the plurality of wireless access networks into wireless signals of the targeted wireless access network and process a physical/multimedia access control (MAC) layer of the targeted wireless access network; and

at least one source physical/MAC layer processing unit configured to process the physical/MAC layer of the other wireless access network.

17. The signal converting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the targeted wireless access network is a Wi-Fi network.

18. The signal converting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the other wireless access network is one of a 3^rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) network, an international mobile telecommunications (IMT)-advance WiBro network, and a Wibro/Mobile WiMax network.

19. The signal converting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the target physical/MAC layer processing unit is further configured to communicate with a single mode terminal.

20. A communication method in wireless communication systems including a plurality of wireless access networks, the communication method comprising:

receiving wireless signals of other wireless access networks among the plurality of wireless access networks and converting the received wireless signals into wireless signals of a targeted wireless access network;

processing a physical/media access control (MAC) layer of the targeted wireless access network; and

communicating with a single mode terminal through the targeted wireless access network.