Predicting movement of a mobile node from a current access location to next access locations

• US 7,657,268 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oswal, Anand K., Waclawsky, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Huy Q
• Application Number:
  US11/277,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 455/453, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/422.1, 455/404.2, 370/229, 370/331, 370/234, 370/310, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data

Abstract

Facilitating mobile node mobility includes facilitating at a current access location a communication session for a mobile node. Context information for the communication session is managed, where the context information comprises information for supporting the communication session. A predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations is established for the communication session. The context information is transferred to the predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating, by a context manager comprising hardware, mobile node mobility, comprising:

facilitating at a current access location a communication session for a mobile node;

managing context information for the communication session, the context information comprising information for supporting the communication session;

accessing historical data describing previous conditions at the current access location, the historical data describing usage at a next access location of a plurality of access locations given the current location;

establishing a predictive set for the mobile node, according to the historical data of a plurality of previous mobile that visited the current access location in the past, the predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations for the communication session; and

transferring the context information to the one or more predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the predictive set for the mobile node further comprises:

selecting the one or more next access locations from the plurality of access locations according to the historical data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the predictive set for the mobile node further comprises:

selecting from the plurality of access locations one or more next access locations with higher usage as the one or more predicted next access locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishin2 the predictive set for the mobile node further comprises:

determining a quality of service associated with the mobile node; and

establishing the predictive set in accordance with the quality of service, a higher quality of service yielding more predicted next access locations than a lower quality of service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a load balancing operation to the historical data to generate a recommendation to balance the load of a plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a load balancing operation to the historical data by:

establishing a first usage of a first next access location of a plurality of access locations, the plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations;

establishing a second usage of a second next access location of the plurality of access locations, the second usage less than the first usage; and

generating a recommendation to attach the mobile node to the second next access location.

7. A system for facilitating mobile node mobility, comprising:

a memory operable to store context information comprising information for supporting a communication session for a mobile node; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

facilitate the communication session for the mobile node;

manage the context information for the communication session;

access historical data describing previous conditions at the current access location, the historical data describing usage at a next access location of a plurality of access locations given the current location;

establish a predictive set for the mobile node, according to the historical data of a plurality of previous mobile nodes that visited the current access location in the past, the predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations for the communication session; and

transfer the context information to the one or more predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location.

8. The system of claim 7, the processor operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

selecting the one or more next access locations from the plurality of access locations according to the historical data.

9. The system of claim 7, the processor operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

selecting from the plurality of access locations one or more next access locations with higher usage as the one or more predicted next access locations.

10. The system of claim 7, the processor operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

determining a quality of service associated with the mobile node; and

establishing the predictive set in accordance with the quality of service, a higher quality of service yielding more predicted next access locations than a lower quality of service.

11. The system of claim 7, the processor further operable to:

apply a load balancing operation to the historical data to generate a recommendation to balance the load of a plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations.

12. The system of claim 7, the processor further operable to apply a load balancing operation to the historical data by:

establishing a first usage of a first next access location of a plurality of access locations, the plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations;

establishing a second usage of a second next access location of the plurality of access locations, the second usage less than the first usage; and

generating a recommendation to attach the mobile node to the second next access location.

13. A computer-readable medium storing logic configured for facilitating mobile node mobility, the logic operable to:

facilitate at a current access location a communication session for a mobile node;

manage context information for the communication session, the context information comprising information for supporting the communication session;

access historical data describing previous conditions at the current access location, the historical data describing usage at a next access location of a plurality of access locations given the current location;

establish a predictive set for the mobile node, according to the historical data of a plurality of previous mobile nodes that visited the current access location in the past, the predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations for the communication session; and

transfer the context information to the one or more predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

selecting the one or more next access locations from the plurality of access locations according to the historical data.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

selecting from the plurality of access locations one or more next access locations with higher usage as the one or more predicted next access locations.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to establish the predictive set for the mobile node by:

determining a quality of service associated with the mobile node; and

establishing the predictive set in accordance with the quality of service, a higher quality of service yielding more predicted next access locations than a lower quality of service.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to:

apply a load balancing operation to the historical data to generate a recommendation to balance the load of a plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to apply a load balancing operation to the historical data by:

establishing a first usage of a first next access location of a plurality of access locations, the plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations;

establishing a second usage of a second next access location of the plurality of access locations, the second usage less than the first usage; and

generating a recommendation to attach the mobile node to the second next access location.

19. A system for facilitating mobile node mobility, comprising:

means for facilitating at a current access location a communication session for a mobile node;

means for managing context information for the communication session, the context information comprising information for supporting the communication session;

means for accessing historical data describing conditions at the current access location, the historical data describing previous usage at a next access location of a plurality of access locations given the current location;

means for establishing a predictive set for the mobile node, according to the historical data of a plurality of previous mobile nodes that visited the current access location in the past, the predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations for the communication session; and

means for transferring the context information to the one or more predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location.

20. A method for facilitating, by a context manager comprising hardware, mobile node mobility, comprising:

facilitating at a current access location a communication session for a mobile node;

managing context information for the communication session, the context information comprising information for supporting the communication session;

accessing historical data describing previous conditions at the current access location, the historical data describing usage at a next access location of a plurality of access locations given the current location;

establishing a predictive set for the mobile node, according to the historical data of a plurality of previous mobile nodes that visited the current access location in the past, the predictive set comprising one or more predicted next access locations for the communication session by;

selecting from the plurality of access locations one or more next access locations with higher usage;

determining a quality of service associated with the mobile node; and

establishing the predictive set in accordance with the quality of service, a higher quality of service yielding more predicted next access locations than a lower quality of service;

transferring the context information to the one or more predicted next access locations prior to the communication session moving to an actual next access location; and

applying a load balancing operation to the historical data by;

establishing a first usage of a first next access location of a plurality of access locations, the plurality of access locations comprising the one or more predicted next access locations;

establishing a second usage of a second next access location of the plurality of access locations, the second usage less than the first usage; and

generating a recommendation to attach the mobile node to the second next access location.