Determination of a list of preferred mobile access networks

• US 8,837,306 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Vigue, Helene, Martiquet, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Blanton, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US12/439,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,611 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Telecommunications system including a network selection manager and a mobile node. The network selection manager is operable to determine a list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state and to communicate the list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node. The list of preferred mobile access networks for selection is determined in accordance with operator determined conditions (e.g. load, congestion in the access networks, subscription info, location of the mobile, changes in the list since last communication to the Mobile Station, etc.). The mobile node is operable in the inactive state to select one of the plurality of mobile access networks which is available for attachment in dependence on the list of preferred mobile access networks communicated to the mobile node from the network selection manager.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for facilitating mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, each having a gateway and a plurality of access points for communicating with the gateway and the mobile nodes, the telecommunications system comprising:

a network selection manager configured to;

receive access network evaluation messages from one or more resource managers, which are associated with the plurality of access networks via which the mobile node may communicate,

analyze the access network evaluation messages in order to determine a current loading on each of the access networks,

apply the current loading of each access network in accordance with one or more operator defined conditions, including a predetermined operator policy rule, to generate an updated list of preferred mobile access networks, and

communicate to a mobile node the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, wherein the network selection manager is configured to communicate dynamically the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since a last updated preferred list was previously communicated to the mobile node.

2. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, comprising the one or more resource managers to determine and communicate the current load conditions on the plurality of mobile access networks to the network selection manager, through the access network evaluation messages,

wherein the operator policy rule comprises a rule providing a relative load balancing between the mobile access networks, the list of preferred mobile access networks includes relative load balancing in dependence upon the current load conditions of each of the plurality of mobile access networks.

3. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the operator defined conditions include at least one of a type of the mobile access network or subscription information associated with a user of the mobile node.

4. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, comprising a location monitor to monitor and to communicate the location of the mobile node to the network selection manager as one of the one or more conditions.

5. A network connected selection manager device provided as part of a telecommunications system which enables mobile nodes to communicate via the plurality of mobile access networks, each having a gateway and a plurality of access points for communicating with the gateway and the mobile nodes, the selection manager device comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a mobile node; and

a portion configured to;

receive access network evaluation messages from one or more resource managers, which are associated with the plurality of access networks via which the mobile node may communicate,

analyze the access network evaluation messages in order to determine a current loading on each of the access networks,

apply the current loading of each access network in accordance with one or more operator defined network conditions, including a predetermined operator policy rule, to generate an updated list of preferred mobile access networks, and

communicate to the mobile node, with the communication device, the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state of the mobile node, wherein the portion is configured to communicate dynamically the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since a last updated preferred list was previously communicated to the mobile node.

6. A mobile node operable to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks within a telecommunications system, each network having a gateway and a plurality of access points for communicating with the gateway and the mobile node, the mobile node comprising:

an active state and an inactive state;

a transceiver device configured to communicate with the plurality of mobile access networks; and

a first portion configured to;

receive from a network connected selection manager device an updated list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during the inactive state, the updated list being a function of access network evaluation messages received by the network selection manager from one or more resource managers, which are associated with a current loading of the plurality of access networks via which the mobile node may communicate, and in accordance with one or more operator defined network conditions, including a predetermined operator policy rule, wherein the mobile node is configured to receive dynamically the updated list of preferred mobile access networks from the network selection manager in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since a last updated preferred list was previously communicated to the mobile node; and

a second portion configured, in the inactive state, for selecting a mobile access network to which the mobile node should attach through the transceiver device.

7. A method for facilitating mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, each having a gateway and a plurality of access points for communicating with the gateway and the mobile nodes, the method comprising acts of:

on a network connected selection manager device;

receiving access network evaluation messages from one or more resource managers, which are associated with the plurality of access networks via which the mobile node may communicate,

analyzing the access network evaluation messages to determine a current loading on each of the access networks,

applying the current loading of each access network in accordance with using one or more operator defined network conditions, including a predetermined operator policy rule, to generate an updated list of preferred mobile access networks, and

communicate to a mobile node the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, wherein the network selection manager is communicates dynamically the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since a last updated preferred list was previously communicated to the mobile node; and

in the inactive state, the mobile node selecting a network to which to attach from the updated list of preferred mobile access networks determined in accordance with the operator defined network conditions.

8. At least one computer readable non-transitory memory medium including computer executable instructions which when loaded onto at least one network connected computer cause the at least one computer to perform a method for facilitating mobile nodes to communicate via a plurality of mobile access networks, each having a gateway and a plurality of access points for communicating with the gateway and the mobile nodes, the instructions comprising:

instructions at a network connected selection manager computer, which configure the network selection manager to;

receive access network evaluation messages from one or more resource managers, which are associated with the plurality of access networks via which the mobile node may communicate,

analyze the access network evaluation messages to determine a current loading on each of the access networks,

apply the current loading of each access network in accordance with one or more operator defined network conditions, including a predetermined operator policy rule, to generate an updated list of preferred mobile access networks, and

communicate to a mobile node the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to which the mobile node may be attached during an inactive state, wherein the network selection manager communicates dynamically the updated list of preferred mobile access networks to the mobile node in response to a change in the list of preferred mobile access networks since a last updated preferred list was previously communicated to the mobile node; and

instructions on the mobile node, which configure the mobile node, when in the inactive state, to select a mobile access network to which to attach from the updated list of preferred mobile access networks determined in accordance with the operator defined network conditions.