Alleviating and overriding throttled conditions in LTE

• US 8,774,824 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mohan, David, Uddin, Munawar, Velusamy, Saravana Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/569,334
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/453
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for alleviating and overriding throttled conditions in Long Term Evolution networks are provided. In embodiments, indications that throttled conditions have been reached are received at Mobile Management Entities. Cause codes are communicated, in embodiments, to mobile devices directing the mobile devices to refrain from further attach attempts. In embodiments, attach attempts associated with unique identifiers are received by the Mobile Management Entities that override throttled conditions. In embodiments, authentication failure conditions from the Mobile Management Entities are detected. Algorithms are invoked, in embodiments, to initiate cell barring modes for base stations and detect failure percentages.

Claims

1. Computer hardware storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of preventing a registration storm in an LTE network, the method comprising:

receiving, at an MME, an indication that a throttling threshold has been reached, the throttling threshold preventing network elements from being overloaded;

receiving, at the MME, an attach attempt initiated by a mobile device;

communicating a cause code to the mobile device directing the mobile device to refrain from further attach attempts,

wherein the cause code expires once the mobile device enter an idle mode.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the cause code further redirects the mobile device to connect to an available service.

3. The media of claim 2, wherein the available service is EVDO.

4. The media of claim 2, wherein the available service is Wi-Fi.

5. The media of claim 2, wherein the available service is a backup MME.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the cause code protects network elements associated with the MME.

7. Computer hardware storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of overriding throttled conditions in an LTE network, the method comprising:

receiving, at an MME, an indication that a throttling threshold has been reached;

receiving, at the MME, an attach attempt initiated by a mobile device;

communicating a rejection to the mobile device;

receiving a second attach attempt associated with a unique identifier initiated by the mobile device; and

overriding the throttling threshold.

8. The media of claim 7, further comprising providing LTE access to the mobile device.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is associated with a high profile user.

10. The media of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is associated with a high paying user.

11. The media of claim 7, further comprising receiving, at the MME, an indication that an upper throttling threshold has been reached.

12. The media of claim 11, further comprising preventing LTE access for the mobile device.

13. Computer hardware storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of preventing a registration storm in an LTE network, the method comprising:

detecting an authentication failure condition;

invoking an algorithm to initiate a cell barring mode for a base station; and

invoking the algorithm to detect an authentication failure percentage.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the authentication failure conditions indicates the authentication failure percentage is one-hundred percent.

15. The media of claim 13, wherein the authentication failure condition is received from the MME.

16. The media of claim 13, further comprising invoking the algorithm to exit the cell barring mode once the authentication failure percentage decreases to a predetermined level.

17. The media of claim 13, further comprising invoking the algorithm to exit the cell barring mode when an exit cell barring code is received from the MME.

18. The media of claim 13, wherein the cell barring mode prevents new user access.

19. The media of claim 13, wherein the cell barring mode allows already authenticated devices to maintain network access.