Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks to reduce latency

• US 9,432,258 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• 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: Van der Merwe, Jacobus, Chen, Xu, Coskun, Baris, de los Reyes, Gustavo, Lee, Seungjoon, Mathur, Suhas, Baliga, Arati, Xu, Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): ELFERVIG, TAYLOR A
• Application Number:
  US13/154,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks for latency are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes provisioning logically a virtual private mobile network within a wireless network to reduce latency of a communication associated with a latency sensitive application, determining a mobile device is communicatively coupling to the wireless network via the latency sensitive application, and coupling the mobile device to the virtual private mobile network to reduce latency of the communication associated with the latency sensitive application.

Claims

1. A method to configure a virtual private mobile network, the method comprising:

determining, at a wireless mobile network, that communications from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the wireless mobile network are latency sensitive communications by comparing the communications to a latency routing rule;

in response to determining that the communications are latency sensitive communications,

allocating a portion of a control plane of a network element to host a first virtual private mobile network by associating a portion of an Internet Protocol address space with the first virtual private mobile network, referencing the portion of the Internet Protocol address space to a first access point name, and virtualizing functionality of the network element;

allocating a portion of a data pane of the network element to host the first virtual private mobile network by configuring a second aspect of the network element, the network element being a part of the wireless mobile network; and

migrating the mobile device from a second virtual private mobile network to the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency of the latency sensitive communications of the mobile device.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a client requests the wireless mobile network to process communications associated with latency sensitive applications separate from communications that are determined to be not latency sensitive.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the latency sensitive communications include communications generated by at least one of a gaming application, a video editing application, a video streaming application, an audio streaming application, a cloud computing application, and a social network application.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the latency sensitive communications are communications with a content server which occur via the first virtual private mobile network, the content server hosted by a local packet data network gateway within the wireless mobile network and proximate to the content server.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further including at least one of:

a) performing content routing via a virtual tunnel between the mobile device and a content server;

b) implementing network in-band controls to equalize latency between mobile devices communicatively coupled together to host a network gaming application; and

c) implementing network protocols to offload mobile device processing to the network element hosting the first virtual private mobile network.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the migrating of the mobile device to the first virtual private mobile network includes using over the air programming to provision a subscriber identity module card associated with the mobile device with an access point name corresponding to the first virtual private mobile network.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further including configuring the second virtual private mobile network to reduce latency for a first type of latency sensitive communications, the first virtual private mobile network being configured to reduce latency for a second type of latency sensitive communications.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the allocating of the portion of the control plane of the network element further includes partitioning a portion of a server to store information associated with a client of the first virtual private mobile network.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the configuring of the second aspect of the network element includes at least one of:

a) allocating a portion of a wireless spectrum of one or more eNodeBs to the first virtual private mobile network;

b) partitioning a portion of a switch in the network element for network traffic associated with the first virtual private mobile network;

c) designating a first interface of the switch in the network element for the first virtual private mobile network; and

d) designating a second interface of a router in the network element for the first virtual private mobile network.

10. A wireless mobile network including:

a processor; and

a memory having computer readable instructions stored therein which, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining that communications from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the wireless mobile network are latency sensitive communications by comparing the communications to a latency routing rule;

in response to determining that the communications are latency sensitive communications,

allocating a portion of a control plane of a network element to host a first virtual private mobile network by associating a portion of an Internet Protocol address space with the first virtual private mobile network, referencing the portion of the Internet Protocol address space to a first access point name, and virtualizing functionality of the network element;

allocating a portion of a data plane of the network element to host the first virtual private mobile network by configuring a second aspect of the network element, the network element being a part of the wireless mobile network; and

migrating the mobile device from a second virtual private mobile network to the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency of the latency sensitive communications of the mobile device.

11. A network as defined in claim 10, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled to an un-virtualized portion of the wireless mobile network prior to coupling the mobile device to the first virtual private mobile network.

12. A network as defined in claim 10, wherein the operations further include accessing a notification from the network element within the wireless mobile network identifying the communications associated with the mobile device as latency sensitive.

13. A network as defined in claim 10, wherein the operations further include provisioning the virtual private mobile network by:

determining the latency sensitive communications have a destination address of a content server;

determining a local packet data network gateway that is physically close to the content server; and

provisioning the first virtual private mobile network on the local packet data network gateway.

14. A network as defined in claim 10, wherein the operations further include:

determining the latency sensitive communications have a destination address corresponding to a mobility data center;

provisioning the virtual private mobile network on the mobility data center; and

transferring processing functions of a latency sensitive, application associated with the latency sensitive communications to the mobility data center.

15. A network as defined in claim 10, wherein the operations further include implementing routing protocols and forwarding tables to reduce latency of communications.

16. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor of a wireless mobile network to perform operations including:

determining that a communication from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the wireless mobile network is a latency sensitive communication by comparing the communications to a latency routing rule;

in response to determining that the communication is a latency sensitive communication,

allocating a portion of a control plane of a network element to host a first virtual private mobile network by associating a portion of an Internet Protocol address space with the first virtual private mobile network, referencing the portion of the Internet Protocol address space to a first access point name, and virtualizing functionality of the network element;

allocating a portion of a data plane of the network element to host the first virtual private mobile network by configuring a second aspect of the network element to host the first virtual private mobile network, the network element being a part of the wireless mobile network; and

migrating the mobile device from a second virtual private mobile network to the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency of the latency sensitive communication of the mobile device.

17. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the operations further include configuring the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency by implementing network in-band controls to equalize latency between mobile devices communicatively coupled together that are hosting a network gaming application.

18. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the operations further include configuring the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency by implementing network protocols to offload mobile device processing to the network element hosting the first virtual private mobile network.

19. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the operations further include configuring the first virtual private mobile network to reduce latency by performing content routing via a network tunnel between the mobile device and a destination.