Client-side location aware network selection

• US 9,432,478 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• 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: Gibbon, David Crawford, Basso, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Atta
• Application Number:
  US14/092,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A mobile device that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including requesting transport characteristics of a network coupled to a server and to the device according to a trajectory of the device. Data packets are transported to the mobile device according to a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol. The operations include obtaining the current transport characteristics of the network and predicting a future transport characteristic of the network, according to the trajectory of the device. A time is scheduled for sending a request to the server for transmission over the network of a data packet. The time can be scheduled according to the current and future transport characteristics of the network, to avoid degradation in quality of media content presented by the device. The data packet received responsive to sending the request is buffered for a future presentation of the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the controller performs operations comprising;

requesting current transport characteristics of a first network communicatively coupled to a server at a fixed location and to the mobile device according to a trajectory of physical movement of the mobile device, wherein the memory comprises a buffer for data packets, wherein the data packets are transported over the first network to the mobile device according to a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol, and wherein the first network comprises an internet protocol network;

obtaining the current transport characteristics of the first network;

selecting a network element of the first network having a predicted transport characteristic predicted according to the trajectory of the physical movement of the mobile device, the current transport characteristics of the first network, and historical data regarding a time-varying transport characteristic of the first network for a location corresponding to a predicted location of the mobile device;

scheduling a time for sending a request to the server for transmission over the selected network element of a data packet having a bitrate based on a bandwidth available at the predicted location, to mitigate a potential degradation in a viewing quality of video content presented by the mobile device;

sending the request to the server via the selected network element, responsive to detecting the time to send the request;

receiving the data packet from the server via the selected network element responsive to sending the request;

buffering the data packet for a future presentation of the video content, wherein the trajectory of the physical movement of the mobile device is on a path having network elements of the first network that provide varying transmission rates to the mobile device; and

predicting availability of a second network based on information obtained from a network map server, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the first network and subsequently with the second network in accordance with availability of the second network.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the first network when at a first location and subsequently with the second network in accordance with the physical movement of the mobile device, the second network being different from the first network and having a greater bandwidth than that of the first network.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein scheduling the time for sending the request further comprises deferring transmission of the request until the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the second network or canceling a pending request responsive to the mobile device being communicatively coupled with the second network.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise re-issuing a canceled request via the second network.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the transport characteristics comprise network traffic, delays, and availability for each of a plurality of networks accessible by the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

predicting, according to the trajectory of the physical movement of the mobile device when the mobile device is at a first location, a second location of the mobile device; and

selecting, from the plurality of networks, a network having a greatest available bandwidth at the second location.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the network map server comprises traffic conditions, network delays, hotspot locations, or a combination thereof.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second network is intermittently available.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining location information and movement information for the mobile device using a location receiver and a motion sensor of the mobile device, and

monitoring the transport characteristics of the first network via a network map server remote from the mobile device.

10. A method comprising:

requesting, by a mobile device comprising a processor and a memory, current transport characteristics of a first network communicatively coupled to a server at a fixed location and to the mobile device according to a trajectory of the mobile device, wherein the memory comprises a buffer for data packets, wherein the data packets are transported over the first network to the mobile device according to a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol, and wherein the first network comprises an internet protocol network;

obtaining, by the mobile device, the current transport characteristics of the first network;

selecting, by the mobile device, a network element of the first network having a predicted transport characteristic predicted according to the trajectory of the mobile device, the current transport characteristics of the first network, and historical data regarding a time-varying transport characteristic of the first network for a location corresponding to a predicted location of the mobile device;

scheduling, by the mobile device, a time for sending a request to the server for transmission over the selected network element of a data packet having a bitrate based on a bandwidth available at the predicted location, to mitigate a potential degradation in a viewing quality of media content presented by the mobile device,

sending, by the mobile device, the request to the server via the selected network element, responsive to detecting the time for sending the request;

receiving the data packet from the server via the selected network element responsive to sending the request, the mobile device thereby receiving the data packet in accordance with the scheduling;

buffering the data packet for a future presentation of the media content, wherein the trajectory of the mobile device is on a path having network elements of the first network that provide varying transmission rates to the mobile device; and

predicting availability of a second network based on information obtained from a network map server, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the first network and subsequently with the second network in accordance with availability of the second network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data packet is buffered for a future presentation of media content associated with the data packet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second network is different from the first network and has a greater bandwidth than that of the first network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the scheduling further comprises deferring transmission of the request until the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the second network or canceling a pending request responsive to the mobile device being communicatively coupled with the second network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising re-issuing a canceled request via the second network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the transport characteristics comprise network traffic, delays, and availability for each of a plurality of networks accessible by the mobile device.

16. A computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

requesting transport characteristics of a first network communicatively coupled to a server at a fixed location and to the mobile device according to a movement of the mobile device, wherein the storage device comprises a buffer for data packets, wherein data packets are transported by the first network to the mobile device according to a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol, and wherein the first network comprises an internet protocol network;

obtaining current transport characteristics of the first network;

selecting a network element of the first network having a desirable transport characteristic of the network predicted according to the movement of the mobile device, the current transport characteristics of the network, and historical data regarding a time-varying transport characteristic of the first network for a location corresponding to a predicted location of the mobile device;

scheduling a time for sending a request to the server for transmission over the selected network element of a data packet having a bitrate based on a bandwidth available at the predicted location, to avoid a degradation in a quality of media content presented by the mobile device;

sending the request to the server via the selected network element, responsive to detecting the time for sending the request;

receiving the data packet from the server via the selected network element responsive to sending the request, the mobile device thereby receiving the data packet in accordance with the scheduling;

buffering the data packet for a future presentation of the media content; and

predicting availability of a second network based on information obtained from a network map server, wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the first network and subsequently with the second network in accordance with availability of the second network.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the transport characteristics comprise network traffic, delays, and availability for each of a plurality of networks accessible by the mobile device.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the second network is different from the first network and has a greater bandwidth than that of the first network.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the scheduling further comprises deferring transmission of the request until the mobile device is communicatively coupled with the second network or canceling a pending request responsive to the mobile device being communicatively coupled with the second network.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise re-issuing a canceled request via the second network.