Network congestion prevention and/or mitigation

• US 9,143,978 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• 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: Daly, Brian Kevin, Musgrove, Charles Peter, Sennett, DeWayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/708,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/521, 455/515
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Cell site congestion may result in dropped calls, time-outs on data sessions, web access problems, or the like. A network congestion status may be used to minimize network congestion. In an example embodiment, messages which are distributed via a network may be formatted based on the network'"'"'s congestions status and a device'"'"'s connection mechanism. Further, a network access may be based on the network'"'"'s congestion status and on a device'"'"'s connection mechanism.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an emergency via a network;

in response to the indication, generating an emergency alert message;

determining a congestion status of the network;

comparing the congestion status of the network to a predetermined threshold;

formatting the emergency alert message based at least on the congestion status;

determining a connection mechanism of a device that is an intended recipient of the formatted emergency alert message;

determining whether the connection mechanism supports a message formatted according to a first format that uses more network resources than a message formatted according to a second format;

if the congestion status of the network exceeds the predetermined threshold and the

the connection mechanism does not supports a message formatted according to a first format, formatting the emergency alert message according to the second format; and

distributing the formatted emergency alert message.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

if the congestion status does not exceed the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format;

if the congestion status exceeds the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the second format that uses less resources of the network than the first format.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

if the connection mechanism supports the first format, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection mechanism comprise at least one of a 3G connection or a 4G connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatted emergency alert message is distributed by an emergency call center.

6. A device comprising:

a memory comprising executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving an indication of an emergency via a network;

in response to the indication, generating an emergency alert message;

determining a congestion status of the network;

comparing the congestion status of the network to a predetermined threshold;

formatting the emergency alert message based at least on the congestion status;

determining a connection mechanism of a device that is an intended recipient of the formatted emergency alert message;

determining whether the connection mechanism supports a message formatted according to a first format that uses more network resources than a message formatted according to a second format;

if the congestion status of the network exceeds the predetermined threshold and the

the connection mechanism does not supports a message formatted according to a first format, formatting the emergency alert message according to the second format; and

distributing the formatted emergency alert message.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

if the congestion status does not exceed the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format;

if the congestion status exceeds the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the second format that uses less resources of the network than the first format.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

if the connection mechanism supports the first format, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the connection mechanism comprise at least one of a 3G connection or a 4G connection.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the formatted emergency alert message is distributed by an emergency call center.

11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving an indication of an emergency via a network;

in response to the indication, generating an emergency alert message;

determining a congestion status of the network;

comparing the congestion status of the network to a predetermined threshold;

formatting the emergency alert message based at least on the congestion status;

determining a connection mechanism of a device that is an intended recipient of the formatted emergency alert message;

determining whether the connection mechanism supports a message formatted according to a first format that uses more network resources than a message formatted according to a second format;

if the congestion status of the network exceeds the predetermined threshold and the

the connection mechanism does not supports a message formatted according to a first format, formatting the emergency alert message according to the second format; and

distributing the formatted emergency alert message.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

if the congestion status does not exceed the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format;

if the congestion status exceeds the predetermined threshold, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the second format that uses less resources of the network than the first format.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

if the connection mechanism supports the first format, formatting the emergency alert message in accordance with the first format.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the connection mechanism comprise at least one of a 3G connection or a 4G connection.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the formatted emergency alert message is distributed by an emergency call center.