Redirecting handovers in LTE networks

• US 9,008,664 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahman, Moshiur, Opara, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US14/147,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-445, 370328-333
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0079 in case of hand-off failure or rejection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover

Abstract

An architecture that can redirect communications upon detection of a handover failure in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network is described. The architecture can obtain information indicative of a handover failure that is available in a first portion of the LTE network (e.g., a serving gateway) that has no control over the communication path. The architecture can utilize the information to instruct a second portion of the LTE network (e.g., a mobility management entity), one that can control the communication path but conventionally has no access to the handover information, to reroute the communication path to avoid unresponsive or failing network entities.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a serving gateway device of a long term evolution network, handover data representing a set of handover procedures that switch a first communication path for a user equipment to a second communication path;

identifying a handover condition associated with a handover procedure of the set of handover procedures based on the handover data;

creating a notification in response to the identifying the handover condition; and

instructing a mobility management entity device of the long term evolution network to select an alternative communication path for the user equipment in response to the notification, wherein the alternative communication path differs from the second communication path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the handover condition is based on count data representing a count of an alarm associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the handover condition is based on an unavailability condition associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the handover condition is based on a condition associated with an air interface between the user equipment and an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the handover condition is based on a buffer overflow condition associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the handover condition is based on a packet loss condition associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative communication path is associated with an alternate radio access technology that differs from a radio access technology associated with the second communication path.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alternate radio access technology is associated with a communication standard that differs from a communication standard associated with a long term evolution network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructing the mobility management entity device comprises instructing the mobility management entity device prior to a handover failure associated with the user equipment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the handover procedure is directed to a handover initiated by an evolved nodeB device associated with the first communication path or another handover initiated by the user equipment.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a serving gateway device comprising a processor, handover data representing a set of handover operations that reroute a first communication path for a user equipment to a second communication path;

identifying, by the serving gateway device, a handover issue associated with a handover operation of the set of handover operations based on the handover data; and

instructing, by the serving gateway device, a mobility management entity device of a long term evolution network to select an alternative communication path for the user equipment in response to the identifying the handover issue, wherein the alternative communication path differs from the second communication path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying the handover issue is based on count data representing a count of an alarm associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying the handover issue is based on an unavailability failure associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying the handover issue is based on an air interface condition arising between the user equipment and an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying the handover issue is based on a buffer overflow condition associated with an evolved nodeB device of the second communication path.

16. A computer readable storage device comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a mobility management entity device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, from a serving gateway device of a long term evolution communication network, handover data representing a set of handover transactions that switch a first communication path for a mobile device to a second communication path;

identifying a handover issue associated with a handover transaction of the set of handover transactions based on the handover data; and

determining an alternative communication path for the mobile device in response to the identifying the handover issue, wherein the alternative communication path differs from the second communication path.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the alternative communication path is associated with an alternate radio access technology that differs from a radio access technology associated with the second communication path.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the alternate radio access technology is associated with a communication standard that differs from a communication standard associated with a long term evolution network.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the determining the alternative communication path comprises determining the alternative communication path prior to a handover failure associated with the second communication path.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the handover transaction is directed to a handover initiated by an evolved nodeB device associated with the first communication path or another handover initiated by the user equipment.