Procedure latency based admission control node and method

• US 8,620,370 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sandberg, Pontus, Mller, Walter, strup, Peter, Johansson, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/218,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/115.1, 455/226.1, 455/414.1, 455/453, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/561, 455/517, 370230-235
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control

Abstract

A wireless telecommunication system, a node (e.g., eNodeB, BSC, RNC), a procedure latency monitor unit, and a method are described herein for measuring the latency of a procedure (e.g., radio network procedure, core network procedure) where the results of the measured latency may be used for admission control of user equipment (UE) sessions and to guarantee that admitted UEs are served according to their requested Quality of Service (QoS).

Claims

1. A node located in a wireless telecommunications network and configured to administer a number of sessions with a plurality of user equipments, the node comprising:

a procedure latency monitor unit configured to establish a measurement window associated with a procedure within the wireless telecommunications network and during the measurement window is further configured to measure a predetermined number of delta times, where each measured delta time indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

the procedure latency monitor unit upon completion of the measurement window is configured to take the predetermined number of measured delta times and is further configured to calculate a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times;

the procedure latency monitor unit is configured to compare the mean delta time with a predetermined threshold which is also associated with the procedure and if the mean delta time exceeds the threshold then the procedure latency monitor unit is configured to issue a high load signal associated with the procedure; and

an admission control mechanism that is configured to receive the high load signal associated with the procedure and is further configured to activate an admission action.

2. The node of claim 1, further comprising:

a traffic measurement unit that is configured to determine a number of the sessions with the plurality of user equipments which are dropped without being requested to be released by the user equipments and then reports the number of dropped sessions to the admission control mechanism; and

the admission control mechanism upon receiving the high load signal associated with the procedure further determines if the number of dropped sessions with the plurality of user equipments exceeds a predetermined threshold and if yes then activates the admission action.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein the procedure latency monitor unit establishes the measurement window when the procedure has a delta time that exceeds a predetermined threshold where the delta time is an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure.

4. The node of claim 1, wherein the procedure latency monitor unit establishes additional measurement windows to measure additional delta times for additional different procedures and then calculates additional mean delta times for the additional different procedures where if one or more of the calculated mean delta times exceed a corresponding threshold then issues one or more high load signals associated with the corresponding one or more different procedures.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein the procedure latency monitor unit after issuing the high load signal associated with the procedure establishes another measurement window to measure multiple delta times for the procedure and then calculates the mean delta time for the procedure where if the calculated mean delta time does not exceed the threshold then issues a cease high load signal associated with the procedure.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein the procedure is one of the following:

a RRCConnectionSetup;

an InitialContextSetup;

an ERABSetup;

a HandoverPreparation; and

a procedure that interacts with another node other than the UEs.

7. The node of claim 1, wherein admission action includes one of the following:

block one or more new user equipments trying to connect to the node;

release one or more user equipments already connected based on a priority class;

block a new data radio bearer setup;

release of one or more data radio bearers; and

reduce observability monitoring.

8. The node of claim 1, wherein the procedure includes at least one of a radio network procedure or a core network procedure.

9. A method implemented by an node located in a wireless telecommunications network and configured to administer a number of sessions with a plurality of user equipments, the method comprising:

establishing, in a procedure latency monitor unit, a measurement window associated with a procedure within the wireless telecommunications network and during the measurement window measuring a predetermined number of delta times, where each measured delta time indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

taking, in the procedure latency monitor unit, the predetermined number of measured delta times upon completion of the measurement window and calculating a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times;

comparing, in the procedure latency monitor unit, the mean delta time with a predetermined threshold which is also associated with the procedure and if the mean delta time exceeds the threshold then issuing a high load signal associated with the procedure; and

receiving, at an admission control mechanism, the high load signal associated with the procedure then activating an admission action.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, in a traffic measurement unit, a number of the sessions with the plurality of user equipments which are dropped without being requested to be released by the user equipments and then reporting the number of dropped sessions to the admission control mechanism; and

determining, in the admission control mechanism, if the number of dropped sessions with the plurality of user equipments exceeds a predetermined threshold and upon receiving the high load signal associated with the procedure then activating the admission action.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing, in the procedure latency monitor unit, the measurement window when the procedure has a delta time that exceeds a predetermined threshold where the delta time is an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing, in the procedure latency monitor unit, additional measurement windows and measuring additional delta times for additional different procedures and then calculating additional mean delta times for the additional different procedures where if one or more of the calculated mean delta times exceed a corresponding threshold then issuing one or more high load signals associated with the corresponding one or more different procedures.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein after issuing the high load signal associated with the procedure the procedure latency monitor unit further operates to establish another measurement window to measure multiple delta times for the procedure and then calculate the mean delta time for the procedure where if the calculated mean delta time does not exceed the threshold then issue a cease high load signal associated with the procedure.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the procedure is one of the following:

a RRCConnectionSetup;

an InitialContextSetup;

an ERABSetup;

a HandoverPreparation; and

a procedure that interacts with another node other than the UEs.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the admission control mechanism activates the admission action to cause one of the following:

blocking one or more new user equipments trying to connect to the node;

releasing one or more user equipments already connected based on a priority class;

blocking a new data radio bearer setup;

releasing of one or more data radio bearers; and

reducing observability monitoring.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the procedure includes at least one of a radio network procedure or a core network procedure.

17. A procedure latency monitor unit which is part of a wireless telecommunication network, the procedure latency monitor unit comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions therein where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable the following;

establish a measurement window associated with a procedure within the wireless telecommunications network and during the measurement window measure a predetermined number of delta times, where each measured delta time indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

take the predetermined number of measured delta times upon completion of the measurement window and calculate a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times; and

compare the mean delta time with a predetermined threshold which is also associated with the procedure and if the mean delta time exceeds the threshold then issue a high load signal associated with the procedure.

18. A method implemented by a procedure latency monitor unit which is located in a wireless telecommunications network, the method comprising:

establishing a measurement window associated with a procedure within the wireless telecommunications network and during the measurement window measuring a predetermined number of delta times, where each measured delta time indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

taking the predetermined number of measured delta times upon completion of the measurement window and calculating a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times; and

comparing the mean delta time with a predetermined threshold which is also associated with the procedure and if the mean delta time exceeds the threshold then issuing a high load signal associated with the procedure.

19. A wireless telecommunications network comprising:

a core network;

an node connected to the core network and configured to administer a number of sessions with a plurality of user equipments, the node comprising;

a procedure latency monitor unit configured to establish a measurement window associated with a procedure within the wireless telecommunications network and during the measurement window measure a predetermined number of delta times, where each measured delta time indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

the procedure latency monitor unit upon completion of the measurement window is configured to take the predetermined number of measured delta times and calculate a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times;

the procedure latency monitor unit is configured to compare the mean delta time with a predetermined threshold which is also associated with the procedure and if the mean delta time exceeds the threshold then issue a high load signal associated with the procedure; and

an admission control mechanism configured to receive the high load signal associated with the procedure and then further configured to activate an admission action.

20. A procedure latency monitor unit which is located in a wireless telecommunications network, the procedure latency monitor unit comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions therein where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable the following;

establish a measurement window when a procedure in the wireless telecommunications network has a delta time that exceeds a predetermined threshold, where the delta time is an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

set a number of delta time measurements for the procedure that are to be completed during the measurement window;

wait for the procedure to occur;

when the procedure occurs, calculate a delta time which indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

decrement by one the number of delta time measurements that need to be completed during the measurement window;

determine if completed all of the delta time measurements that were set to be completed during the measurement window;

if the result of the determine step is no, then return and perform the wait operation;

if the result of the determine step is yes, then;

stop the delta time measurement;

calculate a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times for the procedure;

check if the mean delta time exceeds a predetermined threshold which is associated with the procedure;

if the result of the check operation is yes, then send a high load signal associated with the procedure; and

if the result of the check operation is no, then determine if there is an outstanding high load signal and if not then end otherwise send a cease high load signal associated with the procedure.

21. A method implemented by a procedure latency monitor unit which is located in a wireless telecommunications network, the method comprising:

establishing a measurement window when a procedure in the wireless telecommunications network has a delta time that exceeds a predetermined threshold, where the delta time is an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

setting a number of delta time measurements for the procedure that are to be completed during the measurement window;

waiting for the procedure to occur;

when the procedure occurs, calculating a delta time which indicates an amount of time that takes place between a start of the procedure and a stop of the procedure;

decrementing by one the number of delta time measurements that need to be completed during the measurement window;

determining if completed all of the delta time measurements that were set to be completed during the measurement window;

if the result of the determining step is no, then returning and performing the waiting step;

if the result of the determining step is yes, then;

stopping the delta time measurement;

calculating a mean delta time which is an average of the measured delta times for the procedure;

checking if the mean delta time exceeds a predetermined threshold which is associated with the procedure;

if the result of the checking step is yes, then sending a high load signal associated with the procedure; and

if the result of the checking step is no, then determining if there is an outstanding high load signal and if not then end otherwise sending a cease high load signal associated with the procedure.