Resource management in multiple radio access networks

• US 9,258,734 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/122,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20150043336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations for resource management associated with communications in multiple radio access networks. In one example, a method of resource management may include obtaining quality of experience (QoE) information from a network server running deep packet inspection or an application executing on a computing device and configured to provide content to the computing device for user access, and determining whether to adjust the content delivery via at least one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the quality experience information. The adjustment may include increasing or reducing the content delivery via one of the radio access networks. The content may be delivered to the computing device via at least two radio access networks substantially simultaneously. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a multi-radio technology resource manager for managing resources in multiple radio access networks executable on the processor, wherein the resource manager includes;

logic to obtain, from an application layer of the computing device associated with the resource manager or a network server that is capable of deep packet inspection, quality of experience (QoE) information associated with a provision of content being delivered to the computing device for user access, wherein the QoE information includes;

a value indicating a status of the content provision for user access, the status including;

unstarted, ended, being provided, paused, buffered, or queued;

a value indicating a portion of content that is buffered by the computing device;

a value indicating a time period elapsed since the content provision started;

or a value indicating a duration of the content provision for user access wherein the content is delivered via at least two radio access networks;

logic to initiate adjustment of the content delivery via at least one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the QoE information;

logic to generate a target buffer threshold associated with the content based on the QoE information, the target buffer threshold indicating a target time period during which the buffered portion of the content is to be provided for user access; and

logic to determine whether to increase end-to-end (E2E) content delivery throughput via the two radio access networks or to increase a volume of content delivery via one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the generated target buffer threshold and the status of the content provision for user access.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one of the two radio access networks includes a cellular network, and wherein the other one of the two radio access networks includes a local area network.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the local area network includes Wi-Fi, and the cellular network includes a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the multi-radio technology resource manager further comprises:

logic to calculate the target buffer threshold based on the value indicating a portion of content that is buffered by the computing device, the value indicating a time period elapsed since the content provision started; and

the value indicating a duration of the content provision for user access.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the multi-radio technology resource manager further comprises:

logic to reset the buffer threshold to a determined value, based at least in part on the status of the content provision for user access.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a wireless device.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the wireless device includes at least one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, an ultrabook, a desktop, or a laptop.

8. A computer-implemented method for managing resources in multiple radio access networks, comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device, quality of experience (QoE) information from a network server running deep packet inspection or an application executing on the computing device and configured to provide content to the computing device for user access, wherein the content is delivered to the computing device via at least two radio access networks;

determining, by the computing device, whether to adjust the content delivery via at least one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the quality experience information, the adjustment including increasing the content delivery via one of the radio access networks;

generating, by the computing device, a target buffer threshold associated with the content based on the QoE information, the target buffer threshold indicating a target time period during which a buffered portion of the content is to be provided for user access; and

determining, by the computing device, whether to increase end-to-end (E2E) content delivery throughput via the two radio access networks or to increase a volume of content delivery via one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on a result of the generating.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the determining is further based on a status of the application.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the status of the application is included in the QoE, the status including:

unstarted, ended, being provided, paused, buffered, or queued;

a value indicating a portion of content that is buffered by the computing device;

a value indicating a time period elapsed since the content provision started;

or a value indicating a duration of the content provision for user access.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the application includes a content streaming application.

12. At least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium having executable instructions for managing resources in multiple radio access networks stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

obtain, from a network server running deep packet inspection or an application executing on the computing device, quality of experience (QoE) information associated with provision of content by the application to the computing device for user access, wherein the content is delivered for provision via at least two radio access networks;

increase a volume of the content delivery via at least one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the quality experience information;

generate a target buffer threshold associated with the content based on the QoE information, the target buffer threshold indicating a target time period during which a buffered portion of the content is to be provided for user access; and

determine whether to increase end-to-end (E2E) content delivery throughput via the two radio access networks or to increase a volume of content delivery via one of the two radio access networks, based at least in part on the target buffer threshold.

13. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing device to buffer the portion of the content on the computing device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one of the two radio access networks includes a cellular network, and wherein the one of the two radio access networks includes a local area network.

15. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the local area network includes Wi-Fi, and the cellular network includes a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

16. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the application includes a video, audio, or other content streaming application.

17. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the QoE information is obtained from a network server or an application programming interface (API) associated with the application.

18. The at least one non-transitory computing device-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the computing device-readable storage medium is included in an apparatus, the apparatus including one or more processors coupled with the one or more computing device-readable medium and configured to execute the instructions stored on the computing device-readable medium.