System and Method for Adaptive Access and Handover Configuration Based on Prior History in a Multi-RAT Environment

• US 20140355565A1
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: WALLEY, John, HAYES, Raymond, MESE, Murat
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements

Abstract

Systems and methods for adaptive access and handover configuration based on historical data are provided. Access and handover decisions are optimized in a multiple radio access technology environment using historical data associated with network performance. Future needs for access and handovers are predicted using historical data associated with the user and historical data associated with network performance. Performance metrics are received periodically or continuously from nodes in one or more networks at a centralized controller. The centralized multi RAT controller correlates these performance metrics and determines predicted handovers for a user device. Preparations for the predicted handovers can then be made prior to the handover event.

Claims

1. A method, in a network controller, for optimizing handover decisions based on performance data, comprising:

receiving identification of an application running on a user device currently served by a first network access device;

receiving indication of a set of handover options for the user device;

retrieving performance data for the application including a pathway performance profile for the application;

determining a handover path to a second network access device for the application running on the user device based on the retrieved performance data; and

communicating the handover path to the first network access device currently serving the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving performance metrics from a plurality of user devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving performance metrics for the application from a network node.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

compiling the received performance metrics; and

generating the pathway performance profile for the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance metrics include observed network latency, error rates, or quality of service (QoS) data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network access device is a wireless base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network access device is an access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pathway performance profile for the application includes a plurality of paths, each path having a set of network nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the each network node in the set of network nodes in a path in the plurality of paths includes a set of metrics.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving identification of a second application running on the user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the handover path to the second access network device includes:

determining the handover path based on performance data for the second application.

12. A network controller for optimizing handover between a first network access device and a second access device, comprising:

a performance metric module configured to compile received performance metrics for a set of applications configured to execute on a user device and to generate a pathway performance profile for the set of applications;

a handover module configured to receive identification of an application running on a user device and a set of handover options for the user device and determine a handover path for the user device based on the pathway performance profile for the application running on the user device; and

storage configured to store the pathway performance profile and a network topology map.

13. The network controller of claim 12, wherein the pathway performance profile for the application includes a plurality of paths, each path having a set of network nodes.

14. The network controller of claim 13, wherein the each network node in the set of network nodes in a path in the plurality of paths includes a set of metrics.

15. The network controller of claim 12, wherein the performance metrics include observed network latency, error rates, or quality of service (QoS) data.

16. The network controller of claim 15, wherein the handover module is configured to select a path in the plurality of paths based on the set of metrics associated with the set of network nodes.

17. The network controller of claim 12, wherein the first network access device and the second access device utilize different radio access technologies.

18. The network controller of claim 12, wherein the network controller is shared by a plurality of networks.

19. A user device, comprising:

a plurality of radio access technology (RAT) modules, each RAT module configured to communicate with a network using a specific radio access technology;

a processor configured to execute an application; and

a module configured to generate performance metrics and report the generated performance metrics to a network controller; and

a handover module configured to communicate an identification of the application executing on the processor.

20. The user device of claim 19, wherein the performance metrics include network latency, error rate, or quality of service.