Quick recovery of RF sessions after backhaul link failure

• US 9,078,157 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiang, David, Rados, Steven R., Polehn, Donna L., Haynes, Thomas W., Draznin, Sagiv, Chang, Patricia R., Kotecha, Lalit R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/731,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/422, 455/436, 455/450
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

Communication sessions with mobile devices may be suspended, in a wireless communications network, after failure of one or more backhaul network links In one implementation, a device may detect failure of a backhaul network connecting a cell site to a core portion of a wireless network; and suspend, based on the detected failure, communication sessions with mobile devices connected to the cell site through radio interfaces, the suspending of the communication sessions including preventing loss of the communication sessions despite the failure of the backhaul network. The device may further detect cessation of the failure of the backhaul network; and resume, based on the detected cessation of the failure of the backhaul network, the communication sessions with the mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more devices, failure of a backhaul network connecting a cell site to a core portion of a wireless network;

suspending, by the one or more devices and based on the detected failure, a communication session with a mobile device connected to the cell site through radio interfaces, the suspending of the communication session including preventing loss of the communication session despite the failure of the backhaul network;

detecting, by the one or more devices, cessation of the failure of the backhaul network; and

resuming, by the one or more devices and based on the detected cessation of the failure of the backhaul network, the communication sessions with the mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein suspending the communication session further comprises:

transmitting one or more messages to the mobile device to cause the mobile devices to enter a pause state with respect to the communication sessions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein suspending the communication sessions further comprises one or more of:

buffering messages or packets received during the failure of the backhaul network;

reserving resources beyond a period in which the resources would be reserved for normal operation when there is no failure of the backhaul network;

or

extending thresholds associated with one or more timers used to terminate communication sessions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing the suspension of the communication sessions when the failure of the backhaul network continues for at least a threshold time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the failure of the backhaul network further comprises:

maintaining a watchdog timer to detect activity in the backhaul network; and

indicating detection of the failure of the backhaul network when the watchdog timer does not detect activity in the backhaul network for more than a predetermined time interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the failure of the backhaul network further comprises:

detecting a power failure in the backhaul network; and

outputting an indication of the detected power failure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices include a base station in a cellular wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more devices include a cell site router and wherein the detection of the failure of the backhaul network is performed by the cell site router.

9. A device comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

detect failure of a backhaul network connecting a cell site to a core portion of a wireless network;

suspend, based on the detected failure, communication sessions with mobile devices connected to the cell site through radio interfaces, the suspending of the communication sessions including preventing loss of the communication sessions despite the failure of the backhaul network;

detect cessation of the failure of the backhaul network; and

resume, based on the detected cessation of the failure of the backhaul network, the communication sessions with the mobile devices.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor, when suspending the communication sessions, is further to execute the instructions in the memory to:

transmit one or more messages to the mobile devices to cause the mobile devices to enter a pause state with respect to the communication sessions.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor, when suspending the communication sessions, is further to execute the instructions in the memory to:

buffer messages or packets received during the failure of the backhaul network;

reserve resources beyond a period in which the resources would be reserved for normal operation when there is no failure of the backhaul network;

or

extend thresholds associated with one or more timers used to terminate communication sessions.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further to execute the instructions in the memory to:

cease the suspension of the communication sessions when the failure of the backhaul network continues for at least a threshold time period.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor, when detecting the failure of the backhaul network, is further to:

maintain a watchdog timer to detect activity in the backhaul network; and

indicate detection of the failure of the backhaul network when the watchdog timer does not detect activity the backhaul network for more than a predetermined time interval.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor, when detecting the failure of the backhaul network, is further to:

detect a power failure in the backhaul network; and

output an indication of the detected power failure.

15. A system comprising:

a cell site in a wireless network, the cell site coupled to a backhaul network and the cell site including;

a failure detection component to detect a failure in the backhaul network, and

a session suspension component to suspend, based on the detected failure in the backhaul network, communication sessions with mobile devices that are connected to the cell site in the wireless network; and

a core portion of the wireless network, the core portion of the wireless network being coupled to the backhaul network and the core portion of the wireless network including;

logic to detect the failure in the backhaul network; and

logic to suspend, based on the detected failure in the backhaul network, communication sessions in the core portion of the wireless network that are associated with the mobile devices.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the session suspension component, in the cell site, is further to detect cessation of the failure of the backhaul network;

and resume, based on the detected cessation of the failure of the backhaul network, the suspended communication sessions with the mobile devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic to suspend, in the core portion of the wireless network, is further to detect cessation of the failure of the backhaul network;

and resume, based on the detected cessation of the failure of the backhaul network, the suspended communication sessions.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the cell site includes a small cell in a wireless cellular network.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the session suspension component, in the cell site, is further to transmit one or more messages to the mobile devices to cause the mobile devices to enter a pause state with respect to the communication sessions.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the session suspension component, in the cell site, is further to:

buffer messages or packets received during the failure of the backhaul network;

reserve resources beyond a period in which the resources would be reserved for normal operation when there is no failure of the backhaul network;

or

extend thresholds associated with one or more timers used to terminate communication sessions.