Reducing the usage of non-preferred wireless coverage areas
First Claim
1. A method, performed by a radio access network (RAN) that provides a preferred wireless coverage area to serve wireless communications devices (WCDs), wherein wireless coverage areas are either preferred or non-preferred, and wherein the RAN has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, the method comprising:
- the RAN determining a first WCD identifier of a first WCD served by the preferred wireless coverage area;
the RAN looking up the determined first WCD identifier in the table; and
based on the handoff data that is stored in the table, the RAN determining that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas; and
in response to determining that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, the RAN granting the first WCD an increased service quality.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for reducing the usage of non-preferred wireless coverage areas are presented. In particular, a RAN may determine that a WCD is likely to begin roaming. The WCD may be served by a preferred wireless coverage area and may be likely to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area. In an effort to avoid drawbacks associated with letting the WCD roam, the RAN may grant the WCD one or more forms of increased service quality. Doing so may prevent the WCD from roaming.
40 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method, performed by a radio access network (RAN) that provides a preferred wireless coverage area to serve wireless communications devices (WCDs), wherein wireless coverage areas are either preferred or non-preferred, and wherein the RAN has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, the method comprising:
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the RAN determining a first WCD identifier of a first WCD served by the preferred wireless coverage area; the RAN looking up the determined first WCD identifier in the table; and based on the handoff data that is stored in the table, the RAN determining that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas; and in response to determining that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, the RAN granting the first WCD an increased service quality. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A radio access network (RAN) component capable of controlling a preferred wireless coverage area, wherein wireless coverage areas are either preferred or non-preferred, and wherein the RAN component has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, the RAN component comprising:
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a processor; a data storage; and program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) determine a first WCD identifier of the first WCD, (ii) look up the determined first WCD identifier in the table, (iii) based on the handoff data that is stored in the table and associated with the first WCD identifier, determine that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, and (iv) in response to determining that, in the past, the first WCD has been handed off from the preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, grant the first WCD an increased service quality. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification