System and method for mapping network congestion in real-time

• US 9,060,296 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bertz, Lyle T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/857,989
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/233, 370/235, 370/329, 370/392, 370/465, 455/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• 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

Abstract

An IP endpoint comprising a processor; a memory; and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor receives from a mobile communications device a mobile device report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the mobile communications device during an interval, receives from a network element an element report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the network element during another interval, and generates a congestion model based on the mobile device report and the element report.

Claims

1. An IP endpoint comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor;

receives from a mobile communications device a mobile device report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the mobile communications device during an interval, the mobile device report being based on a Congested Byte Count Ratio for the mobile communication device CBCR_{mobile-device}), wherein the CBCR_{mobile-device} is represented by Equation 1;

2. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element is one of an eNodeB and a P-gateway, and wherein the element report is generated and sent to the IP endpoint at the Packet or Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) level (PCEF_Level).

3. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the congestion model is based on a ratio of the Congested Byte Count Ratio for the mobile communications device (CBCR_{mobile-device}) to the Congested Byte Count Ratio for the network element (CBCR_element), represented by Ratio A:

4. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IP endpoint is further configured to:

receive from another network element a second element report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the other network element during the other interval, wherein the other element report is based on a Congested Byte Count Ratio for the other network element (CBCR_element-II), wherein the CBCR_element-II is represented by Equation 3;

5. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 4, wherein the congestion model is based on a ratio of the Congested Byte Count Ratio for the mobile communications device (CBCR_{mobile-device}) to the Congested Byte Count Ratio for the network element (CBCR_element), represented by Ratio A:

6. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transmitted by the network element comprises data transmitted to the mobile communications device and data transmitted to at least one other mobile communication device.

8. The network element of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the total byte count representing a number of bytes transmitted by the network element during the interval, and

determine the congestion experienced byte count representing a number of bytes transmitted by the network element during the interval that are marked as congestion experienced.

9. The network element of claim 8, wherein the network element comprises one of a P-Gateway and an S-Gateway.

12. The network element as claimed in claim 8, wherein the report is generated and sent to the IP endpoint at the Access Point Name (APN) Level (APN_Level) or the Packet or Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) level (PCEF_Level).

7. A network element comprising:

a memory;

a processor configured to transmit data from an IP endpoint to a mobile communications device; and

at least one application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor;

counts an amount of data transmitted by the network element,

counts amount of the data marked as congestion experienced that is transmitted by the network element,

generates a report based on a total byte count and a congestion experienced byte count during an interval, wherein the report comprises a Congested Byte Count Ratio for the network element (CBCR_element) represented by Equation 2;

10. The network element of claim 7, wherein data marked as congested experienced comprise a packet header including bits in the DiffServField of IPv4 or IPv6 headers marked “

1 1”

.

11. The network element of claim 7, wherein the network element comprises an enhanced node-B.

13. A method for mapping network congestion in real-time, comprising:

receiving, by an IP endpoint, a mobile device report from a mobile communications device indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the mobile communication device during an interval, the mobile device report being based on a Congested Byte Count Ratio for the mobile communication device (CBCR_{mobile-device}), wherein the CBCR_{mobile-device} is represented by Equation 1;

14. The IP endpoint as claimed in claim 13, wherein the network element comprises one of an enhanced node-B and a gateway, and wherein the element report is generated and sent to the IP endpoint at the Packet or Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) level (PCEF_Level).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data transmitted by the network element comprises data transmitted to the mobile communication device and data transmitted to at least one other mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the IP endpoint receives the network element report at the Access Point Name (APN) Level (APN_Level) or the Packet or Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) level (PCEF_Level).