Carrier-driven bearer path selection

• US 9,107,140 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walsh, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US12/856,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20120039262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter provides for systems, devices, and methods facilitating carrier-driven bearer path selection. Carrier-driven bearer path selection enables a carrier to assert bearer path selection policies. Bearer paths available to UEs can be checked for compliance with a carrier'"'"'s policies. Preferred bearer paths can be designated to the UE for selection. Designation of preferred bearer paths can, in an aspect, be related to route cost, path requests, or path characteristics. In addition, complex bearer path schema can be determined. In an aspect, complex bearer path schema can include asymmetric routing, bonding, and multiplexing. The subject disclosure can enable a carrier to improve management of the carrier'"'"'s network resources by driving bearer path selection determination to UEs.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving, from a user equipment, bearer path information related to a bearer path of a set of bearer paths available for communication between another device and the user equipment, wherein the bearer path information comprises cost information representing a route cost related to a cost of using the bearer path, ranking information related to a rank of the bearer path, and

identification information identifying a preferred bearer path to communicate between the other device and the user equipment based on the ranking information;

determining, by the device, a compliance value based on carrier policy information representative of a carrier policy and the preferred bearer path; and

enabling, via the device, access to the compliance value by the user equipment to facilitate selection of the bearer path of the set of bearer paths by the user equipment.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bearer path of the set of bearer paths comprises a bearer path segment related to a wireless device of a wireless communications network.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the ranking information is based on other policy information representing the ranking policy received at the user equipment from a network device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the ranking information is based on determining, by the user equipment, another level of compliance between a criterion of the ranking policy and a characteristic of the bearer path.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a bearer path of the set of bearer paths comprises a bearer path segment related to a near-field communication device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a bearer path of the set of bearer paths comprises a bearer path segment related to a personal area network device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the personal area network device comprises a wireless personal area network device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a bearer path of the set of bearer paths comprises bearer path segments between the other device and the user equipment.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the bearer path segments comprise a wireless bearer path segment.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the ranking information is based on policy data representing a ranking policy received from a data store co-located with a network device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the ranking information is based on policy data representing a ranking policy received from a data store remotely located from a network device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the cost information is based on information representing a delay in accessing the bearer path relative to another delay in accessing another bearer path.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment comprising a processor, bearer path information relating to a set of bearer paths available to communicate data between a device and the user equipment, wherein the set of bearer paths comprise a wireless bearer path segment;

determining, by the user equipment, a route cost related to a cost of using the bearer path;

determining, by the user equipment, an ordering of the set of bearer paths based on the bearer path information and the route cost;

determining, by the user equipment, a first bearer path of the set of bearer paths for communication between the device and the user equipment;

receiving, at the user equipment, selection information in response to sharing preferred path information, related to the first bearer path, with a carrier device associated with an identity of a carrier; and

determining, by the user equipment, a second bearer path of the set of bearer paths, based on the preferred path information and the selection information, for communication between the user equipment and the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the ordering comprises receiving policy data representing a ranking policy pertaining to ranking a bearer path of the set of bearer paths based on the bearer path information and a ranking criterion determined by programming input received by a network device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving the bearer path information comprises receiving the bearer path information associated with a near-field communication bearer path segment related to a near-field communication device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving the bearer path information comprises receiving the bearer path information associated with a personal area network bearer path segment related to a personal area network device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a first device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving bearer path information related to a set of bearer paths available for communication between the first device and a second device, wherein the bearer path information comprises a cost of using a bearer path of the set of bearer paths;

determining a ranking policy based on a characteristic of the set of bearer paths determined from the bearer path information and the cost;

determining a rank for a bearer path of the set of bearer paths based on the ranking policy, the bearer path information, and the cost;

designating a first bearer path of the set of bearer paths for transmitting data to the second device based on the rank;

receiving selection information from a carrier device of a wireless carrier network in response to sharing preferred path information, related to the first bearer path, with the carrier device; and

designating a second bearer path of the set of bearer paths, based on the preferred path information and the selection information, for communication between the first device and the second device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the receiving the bearer path information comprises receiving the bearer path information associated with a bearer path segment related to a near-field communication device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the receiving the bearer path information comprises receiving the bearer path information associated with a bearer path segment related to a personal area network device.

20. A user equipment, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a ranking policy related to ranking a set of bearer paths between a device and the user equipment;

receiving bearer path information related to the set of bearer paths, wherein the bearer path information comprises a cost of using a bearer path of the set of bearer paths;

determining a rank for a bearer path of the set of bearer paths based on the bearer path information and the ranking policy;

determining a first bearer path of the set of bearer paths between the user equipment and the device based on the rank;

receiving selection information from a carrier device of a wireless carrier network in response to sharing preferred path information, related to the first bearer path, with the carrier device; and

determining a second bearer path of the set of bearer paths between the user equipment and the device based on the preferred path information and the selection information.

21. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein the receiving the bearer path information comprises receiving the bearer path information associated with a bearer path segment related to a wireless personal area network device.