Systems and methods for subscriber-centric dynamic spectrum management

• US 8,363,546 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Canadian Managed Services Inc. (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Bridgewater Systems Corp. (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Freen, Russ, Garry, Eamonn, Nelson, Tyler, Momtahan, Parham
• Primary Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US11/873,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-235, 370328-330, 370/338, 370/400, 370/401, 370/468, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/509, 455/512, 455/513
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

A radio spectrum management system is provided. In an embodiment, the radio spectrum management system includes a radio spectrum gateway, a radio spectrum management server and a radio spectrum policy decision server. The radio spectrum gateway is coupled to a radio access network that receives bandwidth requests from subscriber devices and provides bandwidth allocation decisions to the radio access network. The radio spectrum management server receives bandwidth requests from the radio spectrum gateway and provides bandwidth allocation decisions to the radio spectrum gateway based on radio resources and bandwidth policy decisions. The radio spectrum policy management server provides bandwidth policy decisions to the radio spectrum server. The bandwidth policy decisions are generated based on consideration of subscriber and/or application service provider characteristics. Methods for allocation of radio spectrum for a subscriber within a wireless network when the subscriber requests an application are also provided.

Claims

1. A radio spectrum policy management server, comprising:

a radio access network interface that enables a radio spectrum policy management server to be communicatively coupled to one or more radio access networks; and

a bandwidth allocation policy decision module that upon receipt of a request for bandwidth from a subscriber that includes a subscriber specific identifier determines a bandwidth allocation policy decision based on characteristics of the subscriber,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision provides an amount of bandwidth to be allocated to the subscriber,

wherein the amount of bandwidth to be allocated is based on a bandwidth allocation score that is determined by quantizing the subscriber characteristics associated with the subscriber specific identifier with at least one subscriber characteristic existing prior to the request for bandwidth by the subscriber,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision is transmitted via the radio access network interface to the radio access network,

wherein the subscriber characteristics include one or more of subscription Information, historical usage information current usage information that are associated with the subscriber, and

wherein the subscription information includes entitlements, allowed service types, allowed device identifiers, allowed subscription identifiers and billing information.

2. The radio spectrum policy management server of claim 1, further comprising a subscriber profile database that includes the subscriber characteristics.

3. The radio spectrum policy management server of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision module generates the bandwidth allocation policy decision based on the subscriber characteristics and application service provider characteristics.

4. The radio spectrum policy management server of claim 3, wherein the application service provider characteristics includes one or more of quality of service requirements for a given service, entitlement levels for a service provider, and entitlement levels on a service-by-service basis.

5. The radio spectrum policy management server of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision module dynamically updates the bandwidth allocation policy decision based on changes in at least one of the subscriber and application service provider characteristics, wherein the updated bandwidth allocation policy decision is transmitted to a radio access network during a service session.

6. The radio spectrum policy management server of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision module compares the bandwidth allocation score for the subscriber with bandwidth allocation scores for other subscribers connected to the one or more radio access networks to determine the bandwidth allocation policy decision.

7. A radio spectrum policy management server, comprising:

a radio access network interface that enables a radio spectrum policy management server to be communicatively coupled to one or more radio access networks; and

a bandwidth allocation policy decision module that upon receipt of a request for bandwidth from a subscriber that includes a subscriber specific identifier determines a bandwidth allocation policy decision based on characteristics of the subscriber,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision provides an amount of bandwidth to be allocated to the subscriber,

wherein the amount of bandwidth to be allocated is based on a bandwidth allocation score that is determined by quantizing the subscriber characteristics associated with the subscriber specific identifier with at least one subscriber characteristic existing nor to the request for bandwidth by the subscriber,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision is transmitted via the radio access network interface to the radio access network,

wherein the subscriber characteristics include one or more of subscription information, historical usage information and current usage information that are associated with the subscriber, and

wherein the historical usage information includes a record of a subscriber'"'"'s previous service request and a treatment thereof, and satisfaction level.

8. A radio spectrum policy management server, comprising:

a radio access network interface that enables a radio spectrum policy management server to be communicatively coupled to one or more radio access networks;

a bandwidth allocation policy decision module that upon receipt of a request for bandwidth from a subscriber that includes a subscriber specific identifier determines a bandwidth allocation policy decision based on characteristics of the subscriber; and

a service provider interface that enables the radio spectrum policy management server to be communicatively coupled to one or more service providers that provide applications to subscribers who are supported by the one or more radio access networks,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision provides an amount of bandwidth to be allocated to the subscriber,

wherein the amount of bandwidth to be allocated is based on a bandwidth allocation score that is determined by quantizing the subscriber characteristics associated with the subscriber specific identifier with at least one subscriber characteristic existing prior to the request for bandwidth by the subscriber,

wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decisions are transmitted via the radio access network interface to the radio access network, and

wherein during a development of a bandwidth allocation policy decision following a service request the radio spectrum policy management server interacts with an application service provider through the service provider interface to consider quality of service requests from the application service provider.

9. A method for allocating radio spectrum for a subscriber within a wireless network when the subscriber requests an application, comprising:

(a) receiving an association/authentication/authorization request from a subscriber, wherein the association/authentication/authorization request includes a subscriber specific identifier;

(b) upon receipt of the association/authentication/authorization request, identifying subscriber characteristics for the subscriber based on the subscriber specific identifier;

(c) determining a bandwidth allocation score by quantizing the subscriber characteristics with at least one subscriber characteristic existing prior to receipt of the association/authentication/authorization request;

(d) generating a bandwidth allocation policy decision based on the bandwidth allocation score;

(e) transmitting the bandwidth allocation policy decision, wherein the bandwidth allocation policy decision includes information to enable a system to allocate radio spectrum to the subscriber; and

(f) receiving a request from a service provider for a specific quality of service and factoring the quality of service request into the decision process for generating a service profile,

wherein generating the bandwidth allocation policy decision is based on the subscriber characteristics and application service provider characteristics for the service provider that provides a requested application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

defining diffserv markings for end-to-end quality of service allocation; and

forwarding diffserv markings for packet forwarding to edge and other network routers.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing subscriber usage information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the subscriber characteristics include one or more of entitlements, allowed service types, allowed device identifiers, allowed subscription identifiers and billing information, a record of a subscriber'"'"'s previous service request and a treatment thereof, satisfaction level, roaming status, device capabilities, signal quality and current bandwidth allocation.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the bandwidth allocation policy decision further comprises comparing the bandwidth allocation score for the subscriber with bandwidth allocation scores for other subscribers connected to one or more radio access networks.