Methods and Apparatuses for User Distribution over Multiple Mobile Networks

• US 20180176981A1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telia Company AB
• Original Assignee: Telia Company AB
• Inventors: BAER, Anders
• Granted Patent: US 10,306,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/13 Cell handover without a predetermined boundary, e.g. virtual cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• 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

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a network device, a network node, a mobile device and respective method. The network device is configured to receive from a network node of each network provider information including a percentage of network utilization and based on that information determine a list including information on network providers to which mobile devices may connect to in the event of an emergency. The network providers being comprised in a given geographical area and connected to the network device.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network device connected to a plurality of network providers in a given geographical area, the method comprising:

periodically receiving, from a network node of each network provider, information including a percentage of network utilization;

determining, for each network provider, based on at least the received percentage of network utilization of the network provider, an individual list including information on other available network providers to which mobile devices subscribing to the network provider may connect to in the event of an emergency; and

instructing the network node of each network provider to transmit said determined individual list received from the network device, to mobile devices subscribing to the network provider.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein each individual list further includes information on services, per available network provider, that said mobile devices may use, and the individual list further includes an emergency service profile, per available network provider, the profile indicating at least service settings and resource allocation information.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising updating the individual list of each network provider depending on at least the regularly reported percentage of network utilization received from the network node of each network provider.

4. A method performed by a network node of a network provider connected to a network device to which a plurality of network providers are connected, the method comprising:

periodically transmitting, to the network device and for a given geographical area, information including a percentage of network utilization;

receiving from the network device an individual list including information on other available network providers, in the geographical area, to which mobile devices subscribing to the network provider may connect to in the event of an emergency;

wherein the individual list is determined by the network device based on at least the information including the percentage of network utilization; and

transmitting said individual list to the mobile devices.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising notifying the network device in the event of a network failure or congestion or when at least one mobile device subscribing to another network provider has been granted access to the network node.

6. A method performed by a mobile device in a given geographical area comprising a plurality of network providers each connected to a network device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a network node of a network provider to which the mobile device is subscribing, an individual list including information on other available network providers, in the geographical area, to which the mobile device may connect to in the event of an emergency; and

in the event of an emergency, selecting from said list a network provider to connect to, when the network provider to which the mobile device is subscribing is no longer accessible due to the emergency event.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the list further includes an emergency service profile, per available network provider, the profile indicating at least service settings and resource allocation information.

8. The method according to claim 7 comprising:

if the connection to the selected network provider is successful, activating an application emergency mode and terminating at least one of functions and applications in the mobile device that do not fulfil the requirements of the emergency service profile of the selected network provider.

9. A network device configured to be connected to a plurality of network providers in a given geographical area, the network device comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the network device is operative to:

periodically receive, from a network node of each network provider, information including a percentage of network utilization;

determine, for each network provider, based on at least the received percentage of network utilization of the network provider, an individual list including information on other available network providers to which mobile devices subscribing to the network provider may connect to in the event of an emergency; and

instruct the network node of each network provider to transmit said determined individual list received from the network device, to mobile devices subscribing to the network provider.

10. The network device according to claim 9 wherein each individual list further includes information on services, per available network provider, that said mobile devices may use, and wherein the individual list further includes an emergency service profile, per available network provider, the profile indicating at least service settings and resource allocation information.

11. The network device according to claim 9 is further operative to update the individual list of each network provider depending on at least the regularly reported percentage of network utilization received from the network node of each network provider.

12. A network node of a network provider connected to a network device to which a plurality of other network providers are connected, the network node comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the network node is operative to:

periodically transmit, to the network device and for a given geographical area, information including a percentage of network utilization;

receive from the network device an individual list including information on other available network providers in the geographical area, to which mobile devices subscribing to the network provider may connect to in the event of an emergency, wherein the list is determined by the network device based on at least the information including the percentage of network utilization, and

transmit the individual list to the mobile devices.

13. The network node according to claim 12 wherein the individual list further includes information on services, per available network provider, that said mobile devices may use, and the individual list further includes an emergency service profile, per available network provider, the emergency service profile indicating at least service settings and resource allocation information.

14. The network node according to claim 12 is further operative to notify the network device in the event of a network failure or congestion or when at least one mobile device subscribing to another network provider has been granted access to the network node.

15. A mobile device in a given geographical area comprising a plurality of network providers each connected to a network device, the mobile device comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the mobile device is operative to:

receive, from a network node of a network provider to which the mobile device is subscribing, an individual list comprising information on other available network providers, in the given geographical area, to which the mobile device may connect to in the event of an emergency; and

in the event of an emergency, select from said list a network provider to connect to when the network provider to which the mobile device is subscribing is no longer accessible due to the emergency event.

16. The mobile device according to claim 15 wherein the list further includes an emergency service profile, per available network provider, the profile indicating at least service settings and resource allocation information.

17. The mobile device according to claim 16 is operative to activate an application emergency mode if the connection to the selected network provider is successful, and to terminate at least one of applications and functions in the mobile device that do not fulfil the requirements of the emergency service profile of the selected network provider.