Throughput for inter-radio access technology handover

• US 9,414,266 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• 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: Wang, Jiansong, Redfern, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US14/146,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/332, 370/333, 370/395.21, 455/103, 455/500, 455/522, 455/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0257 the individual bearer or channel having a maximum bit rate or a bit rate guarantee
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Aspects describe renegotiation of quality of service parameters to resolve maximum bit rate mismatches and/or other quality of service parameter mismatching issues that might arise during an inter-radio access technology handover. At about the same time as a mobile device moves from a source network to a target network, the target network dynamically initiates a quality of service modification procedure. The quality of service modification procedure can help resolve the maximum bit rate mismatches and/or the other quality of service parameter mismatching issues.

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;

accessing information that indicates that the device is to register in order to connect to a target network;

based on the information, comparing first quality of service parameter information supported by a source device associated with the source network with second quality of service parameter information supported by a target device associated with the target network, wherein the device supports a first data rate, the first quality of service parameter information comprises a second data rate and the second quality of service parameter information comprises a third data rate that is greater than the second data rate;

initiating an upward quality of service negotiation from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to a second quality of service parameter information based on a determination that the second quality of service parameter information is mismatched with the first quality of service parameter information, wherein the determination is made based on the target device being determined to be configured to provide a higher level of quality of service than the first quality of service;

setting a third quality of service parameter information to a level that is greater than a first level supported by the source device and that is less than a second level supported by the target device, wherein the third quality of service comprises a fourth data rate; and

assigning the fourth data rate to the device for application to a connection to the target device, wherein the fourth data rate is a data rate that is greater than the second data rate supported by the source device and that is less than the third data rate supported by the target device, and wherein the assigning the fourth data rate is responsive to determining that the first data rate is higher than the second data rate and is responsive to determining that the third data rate is higher than the second data rate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the fourth data rate to be equal to the first data rate, and wherein the third data rate is a higher rate than the first data rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second data rate comprises a first maximum bit rate and the third data rate comprises a second maximum bit rate, and the operations further comprise determining the fourth data rate based on an analysis of the first maximum bit rate and the second maximum bit rate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise determining a third maximum bit rate for the fourth data rate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is a first device, and wherein the operations further comprise communicating to the device a maximum bit rate and an assigned value for conflict resolution in response to the first device and a second device requesting a resource of the target device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise assigning, to the device, a highest available data rate selected from a group of rates comprising the first data rate, the second data rate, and the third data rate.

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

receiving information related to a device identity, a first location of the device, and a second location of the device; and

determining the fourth data rate based on a compatibility of the device at the first location and the second location, wherein the compatibility is determined as a function of the device identity and the first data rate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise initiating transmission of the fourth data rate to the device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the target device is configured to provide a higher level of quality of service than the second quality of service via the third data rate being greater than the second data rate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating the upward quality of service negotiation from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to the third quality of service parameter information is further based on a capability of the device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating the upward quality of service negotiation from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to the third quality of service parameter information is further based on a location of the device.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

comparing first quality of service parameter information supported by a source device associated with a source network with second quality of service parameter information supported by a target device associated with a target network, wherein the comparing is performed based on information indicating that the device requests registration with the target network using a current connection with the source network, and wherein the device supports a first data rate, the first quality of service parameter information comprises a second data rate and the second quality of service parameter information comprises a third data rate that is greater than the second data rate;

initiating an increase in quality of service from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to a third quality of service parameter information based on a first determination that the second quality of service parameter information provides an opportunity for increased quality of service relative to the first quality of service parameter information, wherein the first determination is based on a second determination that the target device is configured to provide a higher level of quality of service than the first quality of service;

setting a third quality of service parameter information to a level that is between a first level supported by the source device and a second level supported by the target device, wherein a third quality of service comprises a fourth data rate; and

assigning the fourth data rate to the device for application to a connection to the target device, wherein the fourth data rate is a data rate that is greater than the second data rate supported by the source device and that is less than the third data rate supported by the target device, and wherein the assigning the fourth data rate is responsive to determining that the first data rate is higher than the second data rate and is responsive to determining that the third data rate is higher than the second data rate.

13. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the second data rate comprises a first maximum bit rate and the third data rate comprises a second maximum bit rate, the operations further comprise determining the fourth data rate based on an analysis of the first maximum bit rate and the second maximum bit rate.

14. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the device is a first device, and wherein the operations further comprise communicating to the first

device a maximum bit rate and an assigned value for conflict resolution in response to the first device and a second device requesting a resource of the target device.

15. A method, comprising:

comparing, by an apparatus comprising a processor, first quality of service parameter information supported by a source device associated with a source network with second quality of service parameter information supported by a target device associated with a target network, wherein the device supports a first data rate, the first quality of service parameter information comprises a second data rate and the second quality of service parameter information comprises a third data rate that is greater than the second data rate;

initiating, by the apparatus, a quality of service negotiation from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to a third quality of service parameter information based on a determination, based on a defined criterion being satisfied, that the second quality of service parameter information will increase quality of service relative to the first quality of service parameter information, wherein the defined criterion is satisfied based on the target device having been determined to be configured to provide a higher level of quality of service than the first quality of service;

setting, by the apparatus, the third quality of service parameter information to a level that is between a first level supported by the source device and a second level supported by the target device, wherein the third quality of service comprises a fourth data rate; and

assigning, by the apparatus, the fourth data rate to the device for application to a connection to the target device, wherein the fourth data rate is a data rate that is greater than the second data rate supported by the source device and that is less than the third data rate supported by the target device, and wherein the assigning the fourth data rate is responsive to determining that the first data rate is higher than the second data rate and is responsive to determining that the third data rate is higher than the second data rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second data rate comprises a first maximum bit rate and the third data rate comprises a second maximum bit rate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining, by the apparatus, the fourth data rate based on an analysis of the first maximum bit rate and the second maximum bit rate.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating, by the apparatus, to the device a maximum bit rate and an assigned value for conflict resolution.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communicating is in response to the device requesting a resource of the target device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the initiating the quality of service negotiation from the first quality of service parameter information associated with the second data rate to the third quality of service parameter information is further based on a first location and a second location of the device.