System and method for offload of wireless network

• US 9,538,441 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• 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.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Gasper, Adam, Austin, Mark, Tipton, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/575,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20160183139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• 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

A method of managing network resource usage of a mobile communications device includes initiating registration of the mobile communications device with a wireless wide area communications network. The method includes receiving a region indicator from the wireless wide area communications network in response to the initiating. The method includes selectively communicating by the mobile communications device with a second communications network according to a rules profile associated with the region indicator. The region indicator may be a country code or network code. The rules profile may be one of a plurality of rules profiles identified based on the region indicator. Individual rules profiles of the plurality of rules profiles specify at least one of time of day constraints, access point identifier constraints, and performance threshold constraints.

Claims

1. A method of managing network resource usage of a mobile communications device comprising:

initiating registration of the mobile communications device with a wireless wide area communications network;

receiving a region indicator from the wireless wide area communications network in response to the initiating; and

selectively communicating by the mobile communications device with a wireless local area communications network according to a rules profile associated with the region indicator, the selectively communicating including offloading communications by the mobile communications device from the wireless wide area communications network to the wireless local area communications network in response to a country code or a network code of the region indicator being different from a country code or a network code of a service provider associated with the mobile communications device.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the rules profile is one of a plurality of rules profiles identified based on the region indicator.

3. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the offloading is further in response to at least one of time of day constraints, access point identifier constraints, and performance threshold constraints of the rules profile.

4. The method, as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

updating the plurality of rules profiles using the wide area communications network by a home network service provider associated with the mobile communications device.

5. The method, as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of rules profiles are based on user demographic information.

6. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the selectively communicating is not controllable by a user of the mobile communications device.

7. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

reporting at least one of location and performance information of the wireless local area communications network to a home network service provider associated with the mobile communications device.

8. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the rules profile is generated based on user offloading tolerance information.

9. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the rules profile is generated based on user price versus performance sensitivity information.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile communications device comprising;

a first radio configured to communicate with a wireless wide area communications network;

a second radio for communicating with a wireless local area communications network; and

a controller configured to select one of the first radio and the second radio for wireless communications of the mobile communications device based on a rules profile associated with a region indicator received by the mobile communications device from the wireless wide area communications network, the controller being configured to offload communications by the mobile communications device from the wireless wide area communications network to the wireless local area communications network in response to a country code or a network code of the region indicator being different from a country code or a network code of a service provider associated with the mobile communications device.

11. The apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a storage circuit configured to store the rules profile as one of a plurality of rules profiles accessible based on the region indicator.

12. The apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the offload is further in response to at least one of time of day constraints, access point identifier constraints, and performance threshold constraints of the rules profile.

13. The apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the mobile communications device is configured to update the plurality of rules profiles in response to information received using the wireless wide area communications network from a home network service provider associated with the mobile communications device.

14. The apparatus, as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of rules profiles are based on user demographic information.

15. The apparatus, as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a rules engine configured to provide the rules profile to the mobile communications device.

16. The apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein the rules profile is generated based on user offloading tolerance information.

17. The apparatus, as recited in claim 10, wherein the rules profile is generated based on user price versus performance sensitivity information.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a wireless wide area communications network and for receiving a region indicator from the wireless wide area communications network in response thereto; and

means for communicating with a wireless local area communications network; and

means for selecting one of the means for communicating with the wireless wide area communications network and the means for communicating with the wireless local area communications network based on a rules profile associated with a region indicator received using the means for communicating with the wireless wide area communications network, the selecting including offloading communications by the apparatus from the wireless wide area communications network to the wireless local area communications network in response to a country code or a network code of the region indicator being different from a country code or a network code of a service provider associated with the apparatus.