CAPACITY ALLOCATION IN COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140086049A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Suonvieri, Jukka Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

A capacity allocation method comprises receiving (303), in a network apparatus (101), a capacity request message regarding a user terminal (102). In response to receiving the capacity request message, the apparatus (101) checks (303) one or more service parameters related to the user terminal (102). If the checking (303) reveals that enhanced network service activation criteria are fulfilled, the service parameters are used to define (303), by using a suitable network algorithm, a temporarily enhanced network service for the user terminal (102) such that the temporarily enhanced network service exceeds the service level originally agreed for the user terminal (102).

Claims

1. A method of capacity allocation in a communications system comprising a network apparatus, the method comprising receiving, in the network apparatus, a capacity request message regarding a user terminal;

in response to receiving the capacity request message, checking, in the network apparatus, one or more service parameters related to the user terminal;

wherein if the checking reveals that enhanced network service activation criteria are fulfilled, said one or more service parameters are used to define, by using a suitable network algorithm, a temporarily enhanced network service for the user terminal, the temporarily enhanced network service exceeding the service level originally agreed for the user terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the parameters to be checked include one or more of the parameters selected from a location, time, user terminal identification, available data speed, available data amount, lowered cost indicator, network element identification, enhanced network services being offered, charged account identification, virtual SIM identification, and campaign identification.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the defining is carried out by means of a capacity algorithm comprising an admission control algorithm, a packet scheduler algorithm, a home location register algorithm, a messages waiting element algorithm, a handover control algorithm, a load control algorithm, a medium access control algorithm, an enhanced node B application control algorithm, a radio link control algorithm, a radio resource control algorithm, and/or a transport resource manager algorithm.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the checking of the parameters is carried out in response to a call setup event and/or a call maintenance event related to the user terminal.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises monitoring, during a call, temporary parameters related to the user terminal, wherein if a need to deactivate an enhanced service is detected, the enhanced service is deactivated for the user terminal.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises informing the user terminal on the deactivation in order the user terminal to start to use the original service parameters instead of the temporarily enhanced service parameters.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that if predetermined activation criteria is fulfilled, the method comprises temporarily providing, for the user terminal, a data speed that exceeds the predefined maximum data speed agreed for the user terminal.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises defining a new temporary quality of service, a new temporary maximum data speed and/or other enhanced temporary network service for the user terminal.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises automatically activating monitoring of the temporarily enhanced service parameters used by a group of user terminals, wherein if the monitoring reveals a network overload, the method comprises deactivating the enhanced service for the user terminal and using the original service parameters instead of the temporarily enhanced service parameters.

10. An apparatus for communications, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a capacity request message regarding a user terminal;

in response to receiving the capacity request message, check one or more service parameters related to the user terminal;

wherein if the checking reveals that enhanced network service activation criteria are fulfilled, the apparatus is configured to use said one or more service parameters to define, by using a suitable network algorithm, a temporarily enhanced network service for the user terminal, the temporarily enhanced network service exceeding the service level originally agreed for the user terminal.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the parameters to be checked include one or more of the parameters selected from a location, time, user terminal identification, available data speed, available data amount, lowered cost indicator, network element identification, enhanced network services being offered, charged account identification, virtual SIM identification, and campaign identification.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to carry out the defining by means of a capacity algorithm comprising an admission control algorithm, a packet scheduler algorithm, a home location register algorithm, a messages waiting element algorithm, a handover control algorithm, a load control algorithm, a medium access control algorithm, an enhanced node B application control algorithm, a radio link control algorithm, a radio resource control algorithm, and/or a transport resource manager algorithm.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to transmit to the user terminal, a capacity response message informing the user terminal on the enhanced network service that the user terminal is able to start to use in communications in the network.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to carry out the checking of the parameters in response to a call setup event and/or a call maintenance event related to the user terminal.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to monitor, during a call, temporary parameters related to the user terminal, wherein if a need to deactivate an enhanced service is detected, the apparatus is configured to deactivate the enhanced service for the user terminal.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it the apparatus is configured to inform the user terminal on the deactivation in order the user terminal to start to use the original service parameters instead of the temporarily enhanced service parameters.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that if predetermined activation criteria is fulfilled, the apparatus is configured to temporarily provide, for the user terminal, a data speed that exceeds the predefined maximum data speed agreed for the user terminal.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to define a new temporary quality of service, a new temporary maximum data speed and/or other enhanced temporary network service for the user terminal.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to store the temporary parameters in a database.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to automatically activate monitoring of the temporarily enhanced service parameters used by a group of user terminals.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that if the monitoring reveals a network overload, the apparatus is configured to deactivate the enhanced service for the user terminal and using the original service parameters instead of the temporarily enhanced service parameters.

22. A user equipment for communications, wherein the user equipment is configured to in response to a call setup event or call maintenance event in the user equipment, transmit a capacity request message to a network apparatus;

receive a capacity response message from the network apparatus;

wherein if the capacity response message includes information on a temporarily enhanced network service defined for the user equipment by using a suitable network algorithm, the temporarily enhanced network service exceeding the service level originally agreed for the user terminal, the user equipment is configured to utilize the temporarily enhanced network service during the call.

23. A computer-readable storage medium embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to perform actions directed toward receiving, in a network apparatus, a capacity request message regarding a user terminal;

in response to receiving the capacity request message, checking, in the network apparatus, one or more service parameters related to the user terminal;

wherein if the checking reveals that enhanced network service activation criteria are fulfilled, said one or more service parameters are used to define, by using a suitable network algorithm, a temporarily enhanced network service for the user terminal, the temporarily enhanced network service exceeding the service level originally agreed for the user terminal.