Methods and systems for admission control and resource availability prediction considering user equipment (UE) mobility

• US 9,392,508 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Senarath, Nimal Gamini, Cheng, Ho Ting, Zhang, Hang, Stephenne, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chandrahas
• Application Number:
  US14/106,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20140185581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00838 Resource reservation for handover

Abstract

Predicting mobile station migration between geographical locations of a wireless network can be achieved using a migration probability database. The database can be generated based on statistical information relating to the wireless network, such as historical migration patterns and associated mobility information (e.g., velocities, bin location, etc.). The migration probability database consolidates the statistical information into mobility prediction functions for estimating migration probabilities/trajectories based on dynamically reported mobility parameters. By example, mobility prediction functions can compute a likelihood that a mobile station will migrate between geographic regions based on a velocity of the mobile station. Accurate mobility prediction may improve resource provisioning efficiency during admission control and path selection, and can also be used to dynamically adjust handover margins.

Claims

1. A method for mobility prediction, the method comprising:

gathering statistical information for mobile station migration in a wireless network, the wireless network including at least a first geographic region and a second geographic region;

building, by a device, a migration probability table for the wireless network in accordance with the statistical information, the migration probability table specifying probabilities that mobile stations will migrate from the first geographic region to the second geographic region over one or more fixed periods in accordance with mobility parameters of the mobile stations;

obtaining mobility parameters corresponding to mobile stations accessing the wireless network during a first time interval;

determining, in accordance with the migration probability table, probabilities that the mobile stations will access the wireless network from the second geographic region during a second time interval;

estimating resource availability in the second geographic region during the second time interval in accordance with the determined probabilities; and

provisioning resources in accordance with the estimated resource availability, wherein provisioning resources in accordance with the estimated resource availability comprises receiving a service request requesting establishment of a new service session in the second geographic region during the second time interval, determining an amount of required resources needed to establish the new service session during the second time interval in accordance with the migration probability table, and approving the service request when the estimated resource availability exceeds the amount of required resources by at least a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the probabilities include at least a first probability indicating a likelihood that a mobile station associated with a specified velocity will migrate from the first geographic region to the second geographic region over the course of a predefined period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the statistical information for mobile station migration in the wireless network comprises:

receiving, by the device, the statistical information from one or more radio access networks, the statistical information including historical bin-based mobility probabilities and historical assignment probabilities of the one or more radio access networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining mobility parameters corresponding to a mobile station accessing the wireless network from the first geographic region during a first time interval; and

identifying, in accordance with the migration probability table, a first probability associated with the mobility parameters of the mobile station, the first probability indicating a likelihood that the mobile station will migrate from the first geographic region to the second geographic region during an interim period between the first time interval and a second time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a second probability that a service session of the mobile station will remain established until at least the second time interval; and

estimating resource availability in the wireless network during the second time interval in accordance with the first probability and the second probability.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein estimating resource availability during the second time interval comprises:

identifying a second probability that a service session of the mobile station will remain established until at least the second time interval;

identifying assignment probabilities for two or more access points configured to provide wireless access to users in the second geographic region, wherein each of the assignment probabilities indicate a likelihood that a respective one of the two or more access points will be assigned a service session in the second geographic region; and

estimating resource availability in the wireless network during the second time interval in accordance with the first probability, the second probability, and the assignment probabilities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the migration probability table specifies a user profile of an individual mobile station, and wherein the user profile indicates historical migration information that is unique to the individual mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic region comprises a first neighboring bin, and wherein the second geographic region comprises a second neighboring bin.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first neighboring bin and the second neighboring bin are serviced by different access points.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first neighboring bin and the second neighboring bin are serviced by a same access point.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

obtain mobility parameters corresponding to a mobile station during an initial time interval, the mobile station being located outside of a coverage area of the wireless network during the initial time interval;

estimate a migration probability information in accordance with the mobility parameter and a migration probability table, wherein the migration probability information specifies a likelihood that the mobile station will migrate into the coverage area during a sequence of one or more time intervals following the initial time interval; and

adjust a handover margin for the coverage area in accordance with the migration probability information, wherein the instructions to estimate the number of resource units required to support the service session of the mobile station during the sequence of one or more time intervals includes instructions to estimate a usage rate associated with a traffic type corresponding to the service session, to estimate a location of the mobile station within the coverage area at a first time interval in the sequence of one or more time intervals, to estimate a spectral efficiency of the location using a prediction function in accordance with instantaneous load conditions of the wireless network, and to estimate the number of resource units required to support the service session in accordance with the estimated usage rate and the estimated spectral efficiency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the handover margin corresponds to a number of resource units reserved for handover traffic during the sequence of one or more time intervals.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

gather statistical information for mobile station migration in a wireless network, the wireless network including at least a first geographic region and a second geographic region;

build a migration probability table for the wireless network in accordance with the statistical information, the migration probability table specifying probabilities that mobile stations will migrate from the first geographic region to the second geographic region over one or more fixed periods in accordance with mobility parameters of the mobile stations;

obtain mobility parameters corresponding to mobile stations accessing the wireless network during a first time interval;

determine, in accordance with the migration probability table, probabilities that the mobile stations will access the wireless network from the second geographic region during a second time interval;

estimate resource availability in the second geographic region during the second time interval in accordance with the determined probabilities; and

provision resources in accordance with the estimated resource availability, wherein the instructions to provision resources in accordance with the estimated resource availability include instructions to receive a service request requesting establishment of a new service session in the second geographic region during the second time interval, to determine an amount of required resources needed to establish the new service session during the second time interval in accordance with the migration probability table, and to approve the service request when the estimated resource availability exceeds the amount of required resources by at least a threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the probabilities include at least a first probability indicating a likelihood that a mobile station associated with a first velocity parameter will migrate from the first geographic region to the second geographic over the course of a first fixed period.

15. A method for projecting handovers in a wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining mobility parameters corresponding to a mobile station during an initial time interval, the mobile station being located outside of a coverage area of the wireless network during the initial time interval;

estimating migration probability information in accordance with the mobility parameter and a migration probability table, wherein the migration probability information specifies a likelihood that the mobile station will migrate into the coverage area during a sequence of one or more time intervals following the initial time interval; and

adjusting a handover margin for the coverage area in accordance with the migration probability information,

wherein estimating the number of resource units required to support the service session of the mobile station during the sequence of one or more time intervals comprises estimating a usage rate associated with a traffic type corresponding to the service session, estimating a location of the mobile station within the coverage area at a first time interval in the sequence of one or more time intervals, estimating a spectral efficiency of the location using a prediction function in accordance with instantaneous load conditions of the wireless network, and estimating the number of resource units required to support the service session in accordance with the estimated usage rate and the estimated spectral efficiency.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the handover margin corresponds to a number of resource units reserved for handover traffic during the sequence of one or more time intervals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the handover margin for the coverage area in accordance with the migration probability information comprises:

estimating a number of resource units required to support a service session of the mobile station during the sequence of one or more time intervals; and

adjusting the handover margin in accordance with the migration probability information and the estimated number of resource units.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting that the mobile station migrated to the estimated position in the coverage area;

determining an actual spectral efficiency of the location in accordance with session data corresponding to the service session of the mobile station; and

adjusting a parameter of the prediction function when a difference between the actual spectral efficiency and the estimated spectral efficiency exceeds a threshold.