Policy controlled offloading among neighboring networks

• US 8,797,875 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Garcia Martin, Miguel Angel, Martinez De La Cruz, Pablo, Mozo Velasco, Alberto, Snchez Cantn, Patricia, Vaca Escribano, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/235,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for controlling and distributing data traffic among neighboring access networks within a geographic area. Subscribers may be given different priorities. Requests of services by subscribers may be prioritized. Data traffic within a congested access network may be offloaded to alternate access networks based on criteria such as service types and Quality of Service requirements associated with the data traffic, subscriber priorities associated with the subscribers, software and hardware capabilities associated with the user terminals of the subscribers, and resource availabilities in the alternate access networks.

Claims

1. A method of making network resources available for prioritized users in a wireless communications network, said method comprising:

identifying one or more alternate networks in a concerned area;

identifying a list of candidate packet flows associated with user terminals with packet flows established in the wireless communications network in the concerned area, said user terminals capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks;

selecting, amongst the candidate packet flows, one or more packet flows pertaining to lower priority user terminals; and

offloading the selected one or more packet flows to the one or more alternate networks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an offloading priority for each user terminal, wherein identifying user terminals with packet flows established in the wireless communications network in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks is based on the offloading priorities of the user terminals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more alternate networks in a concerned area further comprises:

sending an access network request message to an access network discovery server, said access network request message comprising a list of user terminals; and

receiving an access network response message from the access network discovery server, said access network response message including available access networks for each user terminal in the list.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying user terminals in the concerned area with established packet flows in the wireless communications network that are capable of accessing at least one of the alternate networks further comprises:

maintaining a list associating current packet flows with corresponding user terminals;

determining current locations of the user terminals with current packet flows;

determining access technologies supported by the user terminals with current packet flows; and

selecting, from the list of current packet flows, the user terminals in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the alternate networks based on the determined current locations of the user terminals and access technologies supported by the user terminals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining current locations of the user terminals with current packet flows comprises:

sending a find location request message to a positioning server where current location information of the user terminals is available, said find location request message including a list of one or more of the user terminals with current packet flows; and

receiving a find location response message from the positioning server, said find location response message including the current location information for one or more of the user terminals included in the list.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining access technologies supported by the user terminals with current packet flows comprises:

sending a get device capability request message to a user agent profile server where device capabilities of the user terminals are available, said get device capability request message comprising one or more device type identifiers corresponding to the user terminals with current packet flows; and

receiving a get device capability response message from the user agent profile server, said get device capability response message comprising a list of implemented access technologies for one or more device type identifiers included in the get device capability request message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the user terminals in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the alternate networks is further based on subscriber profiles obtained for the user terminals with current packet flows.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the offloading priority of each user terminal is included in the subscriber profile of the user terminal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the subscriber profiles includes a user class, and wherein the offloading one or more of the packet flows established by the user terminals is based on the user classes of the user terminals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of making network resources available for prioritized users is carried out in response to a failed request by a user terminal to initiate a service due to congestion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of making network resources available for prioritized users is carried out in response to a request by a user terminal to initiate a service in the concerned area.

12. A network node for making network resources available for prioritized users in a wireless communications network, said network node comprising:

a network interface unit for exchanging information between a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) node and other network devices;

a processor configured to;

identify one or more alternate networks in a concerned area;

identify a list of candidate packet flows associated with user terminals in the concerned area with packet flows established in the wireless communications network, said user terminals capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks;

select, amongst the candidate packet flows, one or more packet flows pertaining to lower priority user terminals; and

offload the selected one or more packet flows to the identified one or more alternate networks.

13. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine an offloading priority for each user terminal, and wherein the processor is further configured to offload one or more of the packet flows established by the user terminals based on the offloading priorities of the user terminals.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein in order to identify one or more alternate networks in a concerned area, the processor is further configured to:

send an access network request message to an access network discovery server, said access network request message comprising a list of user terminals; and

receive an access network response message from the access network discovery server, said access network response message including the available access networks for each user terminal in the list.

15. The network node of claim 13, wherein in order to identify user terminals in the concerned area with established packet flows that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks, the processor is further configured to:

maintain a list associating current packet flows with corresponding user terminals;

determine current locations of the user terminals with current packet flows;

determine access technologies supported by the user terminals with current packet flows; and

select, from the list of current packet flows, the user terminals in the concerned area that are capable of accessing at least one of the one or more alternate networks based on the determined current locations of the user terminals and access technologies supported by the user terminals.

16. The network node of claim 12, wherein in order to determine current locations of the user terminals, the processor is further configured to:

send a find location request message to a positioning server where current location information of the user terminals is available, said find location request message including a list of the user terminals with current packet flows; and

receive a find location response message from the positioning server, said find location response message including the current location information for one or more of the user terminals identified in the list.

17. The network node of claim 15, wherein in order to determine access technologies supported by the user terminals, the processor is further configured to:

send a get device capability request message to a user agent profile server where device capabilities of the user terminals are available, said get device capability request message comprising one or more device type identifiers corresponding to the user terminals with current packet flows; and

receive a get device capability response message from the user agent profile server, said device capability response message comprising a list of implemented access technologies for one or more device type identifiers included in the get device capability request message.

18. The network node of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain subscriber profiles for the user terminals with current packet flows; and

offload one or more of the user terminals to the one or more alternate networks based on the subscriber profiles.

19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the offloading priority of each user terminal is included in the subscriber profile of the user terminal, and wherein the offloading one or more of the user terminals to the one or more alternate networks is based on the offloading priorities of the user terminals.

20. The network node of claim 18, wherein the offloading priority of each user terminal is derived from a user class included in the subscriber profile of the user terminal.

21. The network node of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to offload the one or more of the user terminals in response to a failed request by a user terminal to initiate a service due to congestion.

22. The network node of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to offload the one or more of the user terminals in response to a request by a user terminal to initiate a service in the concerned area.