National traffic steering device for a better control of a specific wireless/LTE network

• US 9,497,614 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nas, Petrus Wilhelmus Andrianus Jacobus Maria, Ridel, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/194,268
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

This technology discloses a controlling and steering device for maintaining national connection between a mobile device of a subscriber and a mobile network. The system comprises: a tracing module, a steering logic module and a communication module. The tracing module is configured to: (i) periodically sample a mobile device of a subscriber or a location of the mobile device; and (ii) check amount of data sent and received from the mobile device is below a specified threshold. The steering logic module is configured to determine if a national connection between a mobile device of a subscriber via a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a mobile network via a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) is permitted and wherein the communication module is arranged to send and receive messages from HSS to MME and from MME to HSS.

Claims

1. One or more traffic management computing devices comprising:

memory comprising programmed instructions stored in the memory;

one or more processors configured to be capable of executing the programmed instructions stored in the memory to;

determine an amount of data during a session comprising the data communicated between a terminal device and at least one of a plurality of network computing devices; and

cancel the session comprising the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the determined amount of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices during the session exceeds a predefined maximum threshold or is less than a predefined minimum threshold, wherein the terminal device is in an idle mode after the session is cancelled; and

scan a network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected when the terminal device is in the idle mode.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

verify home network coverage, network capacity, and network availability in a specific location and time, wherein the redirection of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices is performed after the verifying.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

examine network coverage, network capacity, and network availability in the network in relation to one or more predefined parameters comprising usage type, service type, or amount of data already exchanged for a service.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

periodically sample the terminal device to determine a location associated with the terminal device, wherein the periodic sampling comprises using a timer, monitoring behavior of the terminal device based on signaling messages, or by receiving input from an external monitoring system.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

register at least one tracking area comprising the location associated with the terminal device, wherein the registering comprises adding the at least one tracking area to a tracking area list;

determine, based on the periodic sampling, when the location associated with the terminal device is not in the tracking area list; and

forward an update message to the server computing device when the periodic updating determines that the terminal device is not in the tracking area list.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

determine the amount of data sent and received from the terminal device when the current location is not in the tracking area list.

7. The device of claim 1, the network comprises a Home Public Land Mobile (HPLM) network or a Visited Public Land Mobile (VPLM).

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

send a message to one of the plurality of network computing devices when the network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected is an HPLM network or a VPLM network.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

create a list of preferred networks based on the scanning for a network;

receive update location requests from the terminal device to a network that is not in the list of preferred networks, the update requests comprising a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier;

send an update message to at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the PLMN identifier is consecutively received a predetermined number of times.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

send an update message to at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the same PLMN identifier is not consecutively received, the update message comprising an indication of why the location update request was refused.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the terminal computing device comprises a mobile subscriber device, or the plurality of network computing devices comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

12. A method for maintaining a connection between a terminal device and a mobile network, executable by one or more traffic management devices with at least one processor executing the method, the method comprising steps to:

determine, by a first processor on the one or more traffic management devices, an amount of data during a session comprising the data communicated between a terminal device and at least one of a plurality of network computing devices;

cancel, by a second processor on the one or more traffic management devices, the session comprising the data communicated between the terminal device and the at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the determined amount of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices during the session exceeds a predefined maximum threshold or is less than a predefined minimum threshold, wherein the terminal device is in an idle mode after the session is cancelled; and

scan, by a third processor on the one or more traffic management devices, for a network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected when the terminal device is in the idle mode.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

verify home network coverage, network capacity, and network availability in a specific location and time, wherein the redirection of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices is performed after the verifying.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

examine network coverage, network capacity, and network availability in the network in relation to one or more predefined parameters comprising usage type, service type, or amount of data already exchanged for a service.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

periodically sample the terminal device to determine a location associated with the terminal device, wherein the periodic sampling comprises using a timer, monitoring behavior of the terminal device based on signaling messages, or by receiving input from an external monitoring system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

register at least one tracking area comprising the location associated with the terminal device, wherein the registering comprises adding the at least one tracking area to a tracking area list;

determine, based on the periodic sampling, when the location associated with the terminal device is not in the tracking area list; and

forward an update message to the server computing device when the periodic updating determines that the terminal device is not in the tracking area list.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the network comprises a Home Public Land Mobile (HPLM) network or a Visited Public Land Mobile (VPLM) network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

send a message to the network computing device when the network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected is an HPLM network or a VPLM network.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

determine the amount of data sent and received from the terminal device when the current location is not in the tracking area list.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

create a list of preferred networks based on the scanning for a network;

receive update location requests from the terminal device to a network that is not in the list of preferred networks, the update requests comprising a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier;

send an update message to the MME when the same PLMN identifier is consecutively received a predetermined number of times.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, or third processors on the one or more traffic management devices to:

send an update message to the network computing device when the same PLMN identifier is not consecutively received, the update message comprising an indication of why the location update request was refused.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the terminal computing device comprises a mobile subscriber device, or the plurality of network computing devices comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for maintaining a connection between a mobile device of a subscriber and a mobile network comprising executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining an amount of data during a session comprising data communicated between a terminal device and at least one of a plurality of network computing devices; and

cancel the session comprising the data communicated between the terminal device and the at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the determined amount of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices during the session exceeds a predefined maximum threshold or is less than a predefined minimum threshold, wherein the terminal device is in an idle mode after the session is cancelled; and

scanning for a network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected when the terminal device is in the idle mode.

24. The medium of claim 23, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

verifying home network coverage, network capacity, and network availability in a specific location and time, wherein the redirection of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices is performed after the verifying.

25. The medium of claim 24, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

examining network coverage, network capacity, or network availability in relation to one or more predefined parameters comprising usage type, service type, or amount of data already exchanged for service.

26. The medium of claim 23, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

periodically sampling the terminal device to determine a location associated with the terminal device, wherein the periodic sampling comprises using a timer, monitoring behavior of the terminal device based on signaling messages, or by receiving input from an external monitoring system.

27. The medium of claim 26, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

registering at least one tracking area comprising the location associated with the terminal device, wherein the registering comprises adding the at least one tracking area to a tracking area list;

determining, based on the periodic sampling, when the location associated with the terminal device is not in the tracking area list; and

forwarding an update message to the server computing device when the periodic updating determines that the terminal device is not in the tracking area list.

28. The medium of claim 27, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

determine the amount of data sent and received from the terminal device when the current location is not in the tracking area list.

29. The medium of claim 23, wherein the network comprises a Home Public Land Mobile (HPLM) network or a Visited Public Land Mobile (VPLM) network.

30. The medium of claim 29, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

sending a message to the network computing device when the network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected is an HPLM network a VPLM network.

31. The medium of claim 23, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

creating a list of preferred networks based on the scanning for a network;

receiving update location requests from the terminal device to a network that is not in the list of preferred networks, the update requests comprising a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier;

sending an update message to at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the same PLMN identifier is consecutively received a predetermined number of times.

32. The medium of claim 31, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps further comprising:

send an update message to at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the same PLMN identifier is not consecutively received, the update message comprising an indication of why the location update request was refused.

33. The medium of claim 23, wherein the terminal computing device comprises a mobile subscriber device, or the plurality of network computing devices comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

34. A method for maintaining a connection between a mobile device of a subscriber and a mobile network, the method comprising steps to:

determine, by a traffic management device, an amount of data during a session comprising data communicated between a terminal device and at least one of a plurality of network computing devices;

cancel, by the traffic management device, the session comprising data communicated between the terminal device and the at least one of the plurality of network computing devices when the determined amount of the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices during the session exceeds a predefined maximum threshold or is less than a predefined minimum threshold, wherein the terminal device is in an idle mode after the session is cancelled; and

scan, by the traffic management device, for a network to which the data communicated between the terminal device and at least one of the plurality of network computing devices will be redirected when the terminal device is in the idle mode.