Packet data protocol context management for handover from cellular network to a femto cell

• US 9,119,118 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Choi-Grogan, Yung Shirley
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, STEVE R
• Application Number:
  US14/512,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20150030002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0044 of quality context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Packet data protocol (PDP) contexts are managed upon cellular-to-femto handover, wherein femto network has disparate capabilities to support applications with distinct access point names (APNs) and quality of service (QoS) profiles. Based at least on activity factors of applications associated with PDP contexts, a QoS-based ranking of PDP contexts, and subscriber input, cellular network platform selects active PDP contexts to retain and suspend upon handover. A group of active PDP contexts is handed off in accordance with femto coverage capability, with remaining active PDP contexts suspended during handover. When a suspended PDP context, and application associated therewith, is resumed through femto coverage, a PDP context modification is conducted with a new APN and the application is routed to a corresponding femto gateway node and application server. Additionally, femto network platform performs a radio access bearer reconfiguration to meet QoS requirements of the resumed PDP context.

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;

comparing a set of activity levels corresponding to a set of active packet data protocol contexts and ranking a subset of the set of active packet data protocol contexts based on a function of input received via a mobile device user interface and a quality of service requirement of an application associated with the subset of the set of active packet data protocol contexts;

facilitating a transfer, from cellular device coverage to femtocell network device coverage, of an active packet data protocol context of the subset of active packet data protocol contexts with a defined level of the quality of service requirement in response to receiving a selection of the active packet data protocol context;

suspending another active packet data protocol context of the set of active packet data protocol contexts that was not transferred;

signaling a cellular network device to modify a highest ranking suspended packet data protocol context in response to a release of the active packet data protocol context that was transferred; and

resuming the highest ranking suspended packet data protocol context in response to a modification of the highest ranking suspended packed data protocol context.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication of a confirmation that the subset of active packet data protocol contexts has been selected, and wherein the confirmation is based on input received via a mobile device user interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

conveying a confirmation of another set of active packet data protocol contexts different from the set of active packet data protocol contexts.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

suspending the subset of packet protocol contexts in response to receiving the confirmation of the other set.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a conveyance of information representing the ranking of the subset of active packet data protocol contexts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting the subset of active packet data protocol contexts based on an inferred ranking of the subset of active packet data protocol contexts based upon historical confirmations received via a mobile device user interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

analyzing historical confirmations of selections of transferred active packet data protocol contexts to generate prediction data about future active packet data protocol context selections.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

maintaining the other active packet data protocol context as suspended until the transfer of the active packet data protocol context is determined to have completed.

9. A method, comprising:

ranking, by a system comprising a processor, quality of service requirements of active packet data protocol contexts based on a function of other quality of service requirements of an application associated with the active packet data protocol contexts and selection data received via mobile device user interface;

facilitating, by the system, transferring a set of active packet data protocol contexts selected from the active packet data protocol contexts from cellular device coverage to femtocell device coverage in response to receiving a selection of the set of active packet data protocol contexts;

suspending, by the system, a second set of packet data protocol contexts that are not in the set of active packet data protocol contexts resulting in suspended packet data protocol contexts;

in response to a release of the set of active packet data protocol contexts, requesting, by the system, packet data protocol context modification of a suspended packet data protocol context of the suspended packet data protocol contexts that is determined to satisfy a defined criterion; and

resuming, by the system, a highest ranking active packet data protocol context of the active packet data protocol contexts in response to completion of the packet data protocol context modification.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a confirmation of the selection of the set of active packet data protocol contexts from the active packet data protocol contexts, wherein the confirmation is based on input received via a mobile device user interface and wherein the selection is based on the ranking of the quality of service requirements.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining, by the system, the suspended packet data protocol contexts until the transferring of the set of active packet data protocol contexts is determined to have completed.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of active packet data protocol contexts have rankings that have been determined to satisfy a criterion with respect to a quality of service for the application, and a number of the set of active packet data protocol contexts is determined based on a determined femtocell network device capability.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the facilitating the transferring of the set of active packet data protocol contexts comprises:

conveying an indication of a second selection of the second set of packet data protocol contexts for suspension; and

suspending the second set of packet data protocol contexts in response to receiving a confirmation of the second selection.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

conveying, by the system, a ranking of the active packet data protocol contexts to a femtocell network device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection of the set of active packet data protocol contexts is based on an inferred ranking of the set of active packet data protocol contexts based upon historical confirmations received via a mobile device user interface.

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

ranking quality of service characteristics of active packet data protocol contexts based on a function of selection data received via a mobile device user interface and a quality of service requirement of an application associated with the active packet data protocol contexts;

in response to receiving a confirmation of a selection of a set of active packet data protocol contexts of the active packet data protocol contexts having a ranked quality of service characteristic that satisfies a defined ranking criterion for applications associated with the active packet data protocol contexts, facilitating transferring, from a cellular network device to a femtocell network device, the set of active packet data protocol contexts;

suspending an active packet data protocol context of the active packet data protocol contexts that was not transferred resulting in the active packet data protocol context being included in suspended packet data protocol contexts;

signaling the cellular network device to modify a highest ranking suspended packet data protocol context of the suspended packet data protocol contexts in response to a release of another active packet data protocol context of the set of active packet data protocol contexts that were transferred; and

resuming the highest ranking suspended packet data protocol context in response to a modification of the highest ranking suspended packet data protocol context.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the confirmation of the selection of the set of active packet data protocol contexts from the active packet data protocol contexts based on input received from a mobile device user interface and wherein the selection is based on the ranked quality of service characteristic.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

maintaining the packet data protocol context in suspension until the transferring of the set of active packet data protocol contexts is determined to be complete.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

conveying a ranking of the active packet data protocol contexts to a femtocell network platform device.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

conveying an indication of a second selection of a second set of packet data protocol contexts for suspension; and

suspending the second set of active packet data protocol contexts in response to receiving a second confirmation of the second selection.