Call handoff initiation in hybrid networks
First Claim
1. A method for improving decision making for handoff of calls between different connection types, the calls carried on a hybrid network comprising loosely coupled network portions, the network portions including at least a mobile operator network and a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network, the method comprising the steps of:
- implementing a virtuous learning loop between a handoff decision enabling service and each of a plurality of mobile devices, the virtuous learning loop being configured to provide feedback from the mobile devices to the handoff decision enabling service;
receiving crowd-sourced data from the mobile devices, the crowd-sourced data comprising outcomes for past attempts at handoffs for calls and parameters associated with each handoff outcome, the parameters including at least one of environmental context of a mobile device in which a handoff was attempted or measured characteristics of network connections available to the mobile device prior to the attempted handoff;
evaluating a call handoff algorithm to determine the call handoff algorithm'"'"'s performance under conditions described by the crowd-sourced data;
evaluating a risk threshold to determine the risk threshold'"'"'s performance under conditions described by the crowd-sourced data; and
delivering the handoff algorithm or risk threshold to the mobile devices over the virtuous learning loop.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A continual learning process is applied to a class of risk estimate-based algorithms and associated risk thresholds used for deciding when to initiate a handoff between different types of network connections that are available to a mobile device having telephony functionality. The process is implemented as a virtuous loop providing ongoing tuning and adjustment to improve call handoff algorithms and risk thresholds so that handoffs can be performed with the goals of minimizing dropped calls and unacceptable degradation in call quality as well as avoiding premature handoffs. Device characteristics, environmental context, connection measurements, and outcomes of call handoff decisions are crowd-sourced from a population of mobile devices into a cloud-based handoff decision enabling service. The service evaluates potentially usable handoff decision algorithms and risk thresholds against archived crowd-sourced data to determine how they would have performed in real world situations and delivers improved algorithms and risk thresholds to the mobile devices.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for improving decision making for handoff of calls between different connection types, the calls carried on a hybrid network comprising loosely coupled network portions, the network portions including at least a mobile operator network and a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network, the method comprising the steps of:
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implementing a virtuous learning loop between a handoff decision enabling service and each of a plurality of mobile devices, the virtuous learning loop being configured to provide feedback from the mobile devices to the handoff decision enabling service; receiving crowd-sourced data from the mobile devices, the crowd-sourced data comprising outcomes for past attempts at handoffs for calls and parameters associated with each handoff outcome, the parameters including at least one of environmental context of a mobile device in which a handoff was attempted or measured characteristics of network connections available to the mobile device prior to the attempted handoff; evaluating a call handoff algorithm to determine the call handoff algorithm'"'"'s performance under conditions described by the crowd-sourced data; evaluating a risk threshold to determine the risk threshold'"'"'s performance under conditions described by the crowd-sourced data; and delivering the handoff algorithm or risk threshold to the mobile devices over the virtuous learning loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A mobile device, comprising:
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at least one processor; and memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, implement call handoff initiation components that perform a method comprising the steps of; measuring characteristics of each of multiple connections to a hybrid network having loosely coupled network portions including a mobile operator network, and a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network, each of the multiple connections being of a different type, collecting data describing an environmental context in which a call handoff between the multiple connections is attempted, sending measured connection characteristics and environmental context data to a handoff decision enabling service as a part of data crowd-sourced from a population of mobile devices having access to the hybrid network to make calls; receiving a handoff decision algorithm or a risk threshold from the handoff decision enabling service, the handoff decision algorithm and risk threshold being generated in view of the crowd-sourced data, and running the received handoff decision algorithm or applying the received risk threshold when attempting a call handoff. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification