Optimal load-based wireless session context transfer
First Claim
1. A method of transferring session context by a subscriber unit in a wireless communication network comprising:
- defining, at the subscriber unit, a first wireless coverage area provided by a first base station;
establishing a first wireless session context between the subscriber access unit and the first base station;
defining, at the subscriber unit, a second wireless coverage area provided by a second base station;
determining a first loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the first base station;
determining a second loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the second base station; and
selectively establishing a second wireless session context between the subscriber access unit and the second base station;
wherein determining the first loading factor and determining the second loading factor further comprises;
transmitting a first loading summary from the first base station;
transmitting a second loading summary from the second base station; and
receiving the first loading summary and the second loading summary at the subscriber access unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a wireless communication network, a system and method for transferring a wireless session context allows a subscriber access unit to transfer the session context from one base station to another base station depending on a loading factor which indicates the throughput load through each of the base stations. A subscriber access unit which is located in an overlapping wireless coverage area served by both base stations can transfer the session context such that it is served by the base station having the least throughput load. Subscriber access units in overlapping coverage areas will therefore tend to transfer session context to the least burdened base station processor. In this manner, performance is improved because subscriber access units within a wireless coverage area of multiple base station processors are transferred to the base station able to provide the maximum throughput. Further, subscriber access units may be mobile, traveling between coverage areas and passing through overlapping coverage areas. A check is made to determine which of the base station processors corresponding to the coverage areas is least burdened by throughput. A loading factor indicative of resource utilization of each of the base station processors is computed. Each of the loading factors is compared, and the session context is transferred, or switched to the base station having the lowest loading factor.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of transferring session context by a subscriber unit in a wireless communication network comprising:
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defining, at the subscriber unit, a first wireless coverage area provided by a first base station;
establishing a first wireless session context between the subscriber access unit and the first base station;
defining, at the subscriber unit, a second wireless coverage area provided by a second base station;
determining a first loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the first base station;
determining a second loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the second base station; and
selectively establishing a second wireless session context between the subscriber access unit and the second base station;
wherein determining the first loading factor and determining the second loading factor further comprises;
transmitting a first loading summary from the first base station;
transmitting a second loading summary from the second base station; and
receiving the first loading summary and the second loading summary at the subscriber access unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
reading each of the load parameters; and
computing a loading factor based on a weighted comparison of the load parameters.
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10. A method of transferring session context in a wireless communication network comprising:
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defining a first wireless coverage area provided by a first base station;
establishing a first wireless session context between a subscriber access unit and the first base station;
defining a second wireless coverage area provided by a second base station;
determining whether the subscriber access unit is concurrently in the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area;
determining a first loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the first base station;
determining a second loading factor indicative of a throughput load at the second base station;
storing the first loading factor and the second loading factor in a loading factor history, wherein the first loading factor and the second loading factor further comprise a snapshot loading factor and a weighted loading factor wherein the snapshot loading factor is indicative of the previous determination of the loading factor and the weighted loading factor includes the loading factor history indicative of a plurality of previous loading factor values; and
selectively establishing a second wireless session context between the subscriber access unit and the second base station. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A system for establishing a wireless communication link comprising:
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a first base station connected to a public access network and operable for wireless communication in a wireless network;
a second base station connected to the public access network and operable for wireless communication in a wireless network;
a subscriber access unit operable for wireless communication with the first base station processor and the second base station processor; and
a load manager at the subscriber access unit operable to determine a loading factor indicative of a throughput load, wherein a wireless session context is selectively established from the subscriber access unit to the first base station processor and the second base station processor based on the loading factor, further comprising a context selector in communication with the load manager, wherein the context selector establishes the wireless session context when the loading factor is indicative of an imbalanced throughput load between the first base station processor and the second base station processor. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for establishing a wireless communication link comprising:
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a first base station connected to a public access network and operable for wireless communication in a wireless network;
a second base station connected to the public access network and operable for wireless communication in a wireless network;
a subscriber access unit operable for wireless communication with the first base station processor and the second base station processor; and
a load manager operable to determine a loading factor indicate of a throughput load, wherein a wireless session context is selectively established from the subscriber access unit to the first base station processor and the second base station processor based on the loading factor, wherein the load manager is further operable to determine a snapshot loading factor and a weighted loading factor, wherein the snapshot loading factor is indicative of the previous loading factor and the weighted loading factor is determined using the loading history. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification