DYNAMIC STEERING OF TRAFFIC ACROSS RADIO ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20140162629A1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Austin, Mark, Ohana, Alain, Cui, Zhi
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0925 using policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

Intelligent radio access technology sensing and selection are applied in a dynamic traffic steering network. Network characteristics and network policies are determined. A server sends network characteristics and network policies to user equipment devices. User equipment devices can determine a radio access technology to connect to based on network policies and network characteristics. Further, it can be determined how to select user equipment devices for connection to a radio access network via a radio access technology. In one aspect, user equipment devices dynamically select a radio access network for connection based on real-time or near real-time radio access network conditions. In another aspect, a self-organizing network can monitor and determine radio access network conditions and the radio access network conditions can be sent to user equipment devices in given cellular broadcast area.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a system comprising a processor, network characteristics based on information relating to a plurality of networks;

analyzing, by the system, the network characteristics to determine network loads relating to the plurality of networks;

determining, by the system, a network selection policy for selecting, for connection to a device, a network of the plurality of networks as a function of the network characteristics and the network loads; and

transmitting, by the system, the network selection policy to one or more devices in response to determining that a defined event has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the system, the network loads to the one or more devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

triggering, by the system, the transmitting the network loads in response to determining that the defined event has occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the system, a type of the device,

wherein the determining the network selection policy comprises determining the network selection policy based on the type of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the network selection policy comprises selecting the network to which the device is to connect based on the network selection policy and the network loads.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network selection policy is a function of a subscription agreement, a rule input to the system, a device type associated with the device, or a location of the device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting the network comprises:

determining a device characteristic of the device; and

selecting the network as a function of the device characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network characteristics comprise one of a performance metric associated with an interaction of the system with a network of the plurality of networks, a bandwidth utilization of the network of the plurality of networks, a processing speed of the network of the plurality of networks, or a type defining a characteristic of the network of the plurality of networks.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the network characteristics are received and monitored as the network characteristics change.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the defined event comprises one of a network load of the network loads satisfying a threshold condition defining a congested network, a network load of the network loads satisfying a threshold condition defining a non-congested network, or a new device activated within a coverage area of network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the network characteristics comprises:

receiving measurements indicative of the network characteristics.

12. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations, comprising;

determining, in response to determining that a defined event has occurred, network load conditions of a set of mobile communication networks based on network measurements;

transmitting, in response to determining that the defined event has occurred, the network load conditions; and

selecting, as a function of the network load conditions, a mobile communication network from the set of mobile communication networks as the mobile communication network to which to connect.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining the network load conditions comprises:

analyzing the network load conditions based upon updated measurements of load across the set of mobile communication networks.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a network protocol associated with the mobile communication network; and

connecting to the mobile communication network according to the network protocol.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a network selection policy; and

determining network selection policy parameters relating to a user identity, wherein the network selection policy parameters comprise user defined rules and service level agreement rules,

wherein the selecting the mobile communication network comprises selecting the mobile communication network as the function of the network load conditions, the network selection policy, and the network selection policy parameters.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

transitioning connection from a current mobile communication network to the mobile communication network.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring the network load condition based on an updated set of measurements associated with the mobile communication network.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

identifying a communication network performance metric based on measurements relating to communication networks;

transmitting the communication network performance metric in response to determining the communication network performance metric has transitioned between a condition that satisfies a congested network and a condition that satisfies a non-congested network; and

controlling transitioning of a wireless communication device between a first communication network and a second communication network of the communication networks based on the communication network performance metric.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring an updated set of measurements relating to the communication networks, wherein the updated set of measurements are representative of substantially current network performance of the communication networks.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the transmitting the communication network performance metric comprises transmitting a communication network selection policy.