Smart radio area network for wireless distributed cloud computing

• US 9,474,018 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Akhtar, Haseeb, Mildh, Gunnar, Rimbark, Mattias
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Guang
• Application Number:
  US13/571,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20130044705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A smart RAN for wireless distributed cloud computing with a UE, the RAN in communication with a Wi-Fi network, an LTE network and a 3G network. The RAN includes a network interface unit that communicates with the Wi-Fi, LTE in 3G networks. The RAN includes a processing unit which chooses which of the Wi-Fi, LTE and 3G networks to use to send and receive data at a given time based on loading condition of each radio access network technology, user'"'"'s application/service requirements and user'"'"'s policy. A method for sending and receiving data of a smart RAN for wireless distributed cloud computing with an UE and the RAN that is simultaneously in communication with a Wi-Fi network, an LTE network and a 3G network.

Claims

1. A smart Radio Access Network (RAN) node for wireless distributed cloud computing with a User Equipment (UE), the smart RAN node in communication with at least a Wi-Fi network and an LTE network, the smart RAN node comprising:

a network interface unit of the smart RAN node that communicates with at least the Wi-Fi and LTE networks; and

a processing unit of the smart RAN node configured to perform packet inspection on data sent and received as packets between an access point and core network components through the smart RAN node,

the processing unit being further configured to choose which of the Wi-Fi and LTE networks to use to send and receive the data to and from the access point at a given time based on loading condition of each radio access network technology, user'"'"'s application/service requirements and user'"'"'s policy.

2. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit enforces filtering/quality of service in regard to the packets.

3. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit performs Serving Gateway (SGW) function, PDN Gateway (PGW) function and Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) function.

4. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit performs AD (advertisement) insertion, multiservice proxy, firewall and security and Selected IP Traffic Offload/Local IP Access (SIPTO/LIPA) functions.

5. The smart RAN node of claim 4 wherein the processing unit causes the AD Insertion function to interact with an operator'"'"'s Mobile Marketing and Advertising components to receive an advertisement impression that needs to be sent to the UE.

6. The smart RAN node of claim 5 wherein the processing unit causes the DPI function to inform the AD Selection and Campaign Management function about specific user behaviors in order to assist an operator to develop target advertisements for the UE.

7. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit performs multiservice proxy to identify services and then map these services down on different QoS bearers based on policies.

8. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit performs setup or modification of radio bearers as triggered via Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Web Services AS (Application Server), API Gateway or any other Application Function (AF) servers.

9. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit establishes QoS granularity by performing packet inspection with either SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) or DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

10. The smart RAN node of claim 1 wherein the processing unit provides feedback to a video coder through the network interface for the video coder to adapt the video coder'"'"'s service rate to radio/transport loading condition at any given instance.

11. The smart RAN node of claim 1, wherein the network interface unit communicates with a 3G network and wherein the processing unit of the RAN node is further configured to control base station nodes in the 3G network.

12. A method for sending and receiving data of a smart Radio Access Network (RAN) node for wireless distributed cloud computing with a User Equipment (UE), the smart RAN node in communication with a Wi-Fi network and an LTE network, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating with at least the Wi-Fi and LTE networks through a network interface unit of the smart RAN node;

performing packet inspection with a processing unit of the smart RAN node on data sent and received as packets between an access point and core network components through the smart RAN node; and

choosing with the processing unit of the smart RAN node which of the Wi-Fi and LTE networks to use to send and receive the data to and from the access point at a given time based on loading condition of each radio access network technology, user'"'"'s application/service requirements and user'"'"'s policy.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of the processing unit performing packet inspection and enforcing filtering/quality of service in regard to the packets.

14. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit performing Serving Gateway (SGW) function, PDN Gateway (PGW) function and Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) function.

15. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit performing AD (advertisement) insertion, multiservice proxy, firewall and security and Selected IP Traffic Offload/Local IP Access (SIPTO/LIPA).

16. The method of claim 15 including the step of the processing unit causing the AD Insertion function to interact with an operator'"'"'s Mobile Marketing and Advertising components to receive an advertisement impression that needs to be sent to the UE.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of the processing unit causing the DPI function to inform the AD Selection and Campaign Management function about specific user behaviors in order to assist an operator to develop target advertisements for the UE.

18. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit performing multiservice proxy to identify services and then map these services down on different QoS bearers based on policies.

19. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit performing setup or modification of radio bearers as triggered via Policy and Charging Rules Function(PCRF), Web Services AS (Application Server), API Gateway or any other Application Function (AF) servers.

20. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit establishing QoS granularity by performing packet inspection with either SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) or DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

21. The method of claim 12 including the step of the processing unit providing feedback to a video coder through the network interface for the video coder to adapt the video coder'"'"'s service rate to accommodate the radio/transport loading condition at any given instance.