SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RADIO AWARE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT BASED WIRELESS AUTHORIZATION

• US 20160134761A1
• Filed: 11/09/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pazhyannur, Rajesh S., Ami, Alon Ben, Campbell, Ian McDowell, Grayson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,843,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) to access a wireless access network, wherein the UE is currently accessing one or more other wireless networks; determining by a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) whether a subscriber associated with the UE is authorized to access the wireless access network based, at least in part, on a profile for the subscriber; and communicating one of a wireless access rejection and a wireless access acceptance to the UE based on the determination. In some instances, the determining can include recovering the profile for the subscriber associated with the UE from a Subscriber Profile Repository (SPR) using an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for a communication network comprising:

receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) to access a wireless access network, wherein the UE is currently accessing one or more other wireless networks;

determining by a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) whether a subscriber associated with the UE is authorized to access the wireless access network based, at least in part, on a profile for the subscriber; and

communicating one of a wireless access rejection and a wireless access acceptance to the UE based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes recovering the profile for the subscriber associated with the UE from a Subscriber Profile Repository (SPR) using an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the subscriber indicates at least one of:

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network;

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network in combination with accessing another wireless network using a particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) type; and

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network in combination with accessing another wireless network using a particular RAT type for one or more network conditions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more network conditions include at least one of:

whether a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSSI threshold;

whether a received channel power indicator (RCPI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RCPI threshold;

whether a received signal to noise indicator (RSNI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSNI threshold;

whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold; and

whether at least one of an RSSI, RCPI or RSNI for the UE is within a predetermined range and whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the particular RAT type includes at least one of:

a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN) RAT type;

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) RAT type; and

an evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) RAT type.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with a list of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network in relation to cell information for one or more cells of one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of the one or more wireless radio access points.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with one or more predicted load thresholds for one or more cells one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

9. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoding logic that include instructions for execution that, when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) to access a wireless access network, wherein the UE is currently accessing one or more other wireless networks;

determining by a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) whether a subscriber associated with the UE is authorized to access the wireless access network based, at least in part, on a profile for the subscriber; and

communicating one of a wireless access rejection and a wireless access acceptance to the UE based on the determination.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the determining includes recovering the profile for the subscriber associated with the UE from a Subscriber Profile Repository (SPR) using an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the subscriber.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the profile for the subscriber indicates at least one of:

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network;

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network in combination with accessing another wireless network using a particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) type; and

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless network in combination with accessing another wireless network using a particular RAT type for one or more network conditions.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the one or more network conditions include at least one of:

whether a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSSI threshold;

whether a received channel power indicator (RCPI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RCPI threshold;

whether a received signal to noise indicator (RSNI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSNI threshold;

whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold; and

whether at least one of an RSSI, RCPI or RSNI for the UE is within a predetermined range and whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the particular RAT type includes at least one of:

a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN) RAT type;

a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) RAT type; and

an evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) RAT type.

14. The media of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with a list of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network in relation to cell information for one or more cells of one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of the one or more wireless radio access points.

15. The media of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with one or more predicted load thresholds for one or more cells one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF);

a memory element for storing data; and

a processor that executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and memory element cooperate such that the apparatus is configured for;

receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) to access a wireless access network, wherein the UE is currently accessing one or more other wireless networks;

determining by the PCRF whether a subscriber associated with the UE is authorized to access the wireless access network based, at least in part, on a profile for the subscriber; and

communicating one of a wireless access rejection and a wireless access acceptance to the UE based on the determination.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the profile for the subscriber indicates at least one of:

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network;

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network in combination with accessing another wireless network using a particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) type; and

whether the subscriber is allowed to access the wireless access network in combination with accessing cellular another wireless network using a particular RAT type for one or more network conditions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more network conditions includes at least one of:

whether a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSSI threshold;

whether a received channel power indicator (RCPI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RCPI threshold;

whether a received signal to noise indicator (RSNI) for the UE is above, below or equal to a particular RSNI threshold;

whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold; and

whether at least one of an RSSI, RCPI or RSNI for the UE is within a predetermined range and whether a load of a particular RAT type is above, below or equal to a particular load threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with a list of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network in relation to cell information for one or more cells of one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of the one or more wireless radio access points.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

configuring at least one memory element in the PCRF with one or more predicted load thresholds for one or more cells one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types of the one or more other wireless networks, wherein each of the one or more cells provide a coverage area overlapping each of one or more wireless radio access points in the wireless access network.