HANDOVER MANAGER COMPONENT

• US 20140031044A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mazzarella, Nick John
• Application Number:
  US13/556,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20140031044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data

Abstract

In one implementation of an apparatus, a handover manager component for a communication network is configured to determine a target network element for a handover for a mobile device. The determination is made through employment of an anticipated path of the mobile device and a local geographical profile.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a handover manager component for a communication network;

wherein the handover manager component is configured to determine a target network element for a handover for a mobile device through employment of an anticipated path of the mobile device and a local geographical profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local geographical profile comprises one or more of a known transportation route, locations of one or more network elements of the communication network, and locations of one or more service coverage areas of the communication network.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the known transportation route comprises a high-speed railway, roadway, or mass-transit route.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the handover manager component is configured to determine the anticipated path based on location and timestamp data for a plurality of previous handovers in the communication network.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of previous handovers comprise handovers for a plurality of mobile devices served by the communication network.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the handover manager component is configured to determine the anticipated path based on a proximity of the plurality of previous handovers to the known transportation route.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the anticipated path comprises stop points and/or reduced speed zones for the known transportation route.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the handover manager component is configured to store and compare the location and timestamp data for respective ones of the plurality of previous handovers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the handover manager component is configured to determine an estimated handover time to the target network element for the mobile device based on a time differential between respective ones of the plurality of previous handovers.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the handover manager component is configured to create a handover plan with a plurality of sequential target network elements of the communication network;

wherein the handover manager component sends the handover plan to a subsequent target network element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the handover manager component creates the handover plan when an estimated speed of the mobile device is over a threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the handover manager component is configured to send a notification of an anticipated handover to the target network element to reserve resources of the target network element for the handover.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the handover manager component is configured to send an update message to the target network element upon a change in the anticipated path of the mobile device.

14. A method, comprising the steps of:

comparing at least first and second location and timestamp data to create an anticipated path for a mobile device served by a communication network;

comparing the anticipated path to a local geographical profile that comprises at least one known transportation route;

if the anticipated path matches one of the at least one known transportation routes, sending a notification of an anticipated handover to one or more network elements of the communication network that are located along the one known transportation route.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of comparing the at least first and second location and timestamp data comprises:

performing a differential calculation to determine a speed and direction of the mobile device for the anticipated path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of comparing the anticipated path to the local geographical profile comprises the step of:

comparing the anticipated path to the local geographical profile only if the speed of the mobile device exceeds a threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

creating a handover plan based on the anticipated path of the mobile device and the one known transportation route;

sending the handover plan to the one or more network elements of the communication network that are located along the one known transportation route.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

sending an update message to the one or more network elements upon a change in the anticipated path for the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sending the update message comprises:

sending a suspend message for the anticipated handover.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sending the update message comprises:

sending a free resource message for the anticipated handover.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a handover manager component for a communication network;

wherein the handover manager component comprises;

a profile memory configured to store at least one geographical profile;

path determination circuitry configured to determine an anticipated path for a mobile device based on data from the profile memory; and

target selection circuitry configured to select a target network element of the communication network for a handover based on data from the path determination circuitry.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the profile memory is configured to store at least one geographical profile that comprises at least one known transportation route.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the profile memory is configured to store at least one geographical profile that comprises a location for at least one network element of the communication network.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the path determination circuitry is configured to compare location and timestamp data for the mobile device with data from the profile memory to determine the anticipated path.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the target selection circuitry is configured to select the target network element as one of a base station, Node B, enhanced Node B, or radio network controller of the communication network.