Dynamic control of cell reselection parameters

• US 9,699,700 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohana, Alain, Gohel, Kaushik, Saska, David, Ficarra, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/179,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20160295484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Dynamic cell resource management in wireless networking. By way of example, user terminal access parameters can be dynamically modified based on changing load conditions at one or more cells of a wireless network. For instance, resource capacity of a wireless network cell can be monitored over time to identify a potential resource overload condition. If such a condition occurs, a load management algorithm can be executed that progressively restricts or de-restricts user terminal access parameters based on changing load conditions. In particular aspects, the load management algorithm can analyze relative cell load of neighboring cells to implement coordinated load sharing. By dynamically modifying user access parameters, traffic can be directed toward or away from cells operating at low or high capacity, respectively.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

based on overload data that represents a level of overloading associated with resource consumption of a network device of a wireless network, determining first parameter data indicative of a first cell access parameter for the network device, wherein the first parameter data is employable to restrict access to the network device resulting in a first access restriction;

directing, to a user equipment associated with the network device, first instruction data that is employable to update an access parameter of the user equipment according to the first parameter data resulting in a first updated access parameter that is employable by the user equipment to facilitate a first cell selection;

receiving, via a network operator interface device, update data that modifies an increment value by which the first parameter data is to be adjusted resulting in an updated increment value, wherein the update data is determined in accordance with event data that represents an event that is determined to occur at a location associated with network device; and

in response to determining that the overload data has changed,

determining second parameter data indicative of a second cell access parameter for the network device based on a change in the level of overloading, wherein the second parameter data is employable to restrict the access to the network device resulting in a second access restriction, and wherein the determining the second parameter data comprises determining the second parameter data by applying the updated increment value to the first parameter data; and

directing, to the user equipment, second instruction data that is employable to update the first updated access parameter according to the second parameter data resulting in a second updated access parameter that is employable by the user equipment to facilitate a second cell selection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the overload data has changed comprises determining that the level of overloading has increased and wherein the second access restriction is greater than the first access restriction by the updated increment value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the overload data has changed comprises determining that the level of overloading has decreased and wherein the second access restriction is less than the first access restriction by the updated increment value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the resource consumption is first resource consumption, the network device is a first network device, and the overload data is determined based on a comparison of the first resource consumption of the first network device with a second resource consumption of a second network device of the wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the overload data based on a number of devices served by the network device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the overload data based on interference data representing a degree of interference monitored within a cell of the network device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the access parameter comprises a minimum quality parameter that establishes a minimum signal quality below which the user equipment refrains from attempting the access to the network device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the access parameter comprises a minimum signal strength parameter that establishes a minimum signal strength below which the user equipment refrains from attempting the access to the network device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the access parameter comprises an offset parameter that biases the user equipment with respect to attempting the access to the network device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the access parameter comprises an inter radio access technology offset parameter that biases the user equipment with respect to attempting the access to the network device based on a wireless technology utilized by the network device.

11. A method, comprising:

in response to determining that overload data representing a level of overloading associated with resource consumption of a network device of a wireless network satisfies an overload criterion, determining, by a system comprising a processor, first parameter data indicative of a first cell access parameter that is employable to restrict access to the network device resulting in a first access restriction; and

directing, by the system, the first parameter data to a mobile device associated with the network device, wherein the directing facilitates a first update of an access parameter of the mobile device based on the first parameter data resulting in a first updated access parameter that is employable by the mobile device to facilitate a first cell selection;

receiving, by the system, update data from a network operator interface device, wherein the update data is employable to generate an updated increment value based on adjusting an increment value by which the first parameter data is to be modified, and wherein the update data is determined based on event data that represents an event that is determined to occur at a location associated with network device; and

in response to determining that the overload data has changed,

determining, by the system, second parameter data indicative of a second cell access parameter for the network device based on a change in the level of overloading, wherein the second parameter data is employable to restrict the access to the network device resulting in a second access restriction, and wherein the determining the second parameter data comprises determining the second parameter data based on modifying the first parameter data according to the updated increment value; and

directing, by the system, the second parameter data to the mobile device, wherein the directing the second parameter data facilitates a second update of the first updated access parameter based on the second parameter data resulting in a second updated access parameter that is employable by the mobile device to facilitate a second cell selection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing the first parameter data comprises facilitating a broadcast of the first parameter data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the facilitating the broadcast comprises facilitating a broadcast of system information message that comprises the first parameter data.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the system, location data indicative of a geographical location of the mobile device; and

based on the location data, facilitating, by the system, a unicast transmission of the first parameter data to the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing the first parameter data comprises directing the first parameter data to facilitate the first update of an offset parameter that biases the mobile device with respect to attempting the access to the network device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing the first parameter data comprises directing the first parameter data to facilitate the first update of a quality parameter that defines a minimum signal quality below which the mobile device refrains from attempting the access to the network device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the directing the first parameter data comprises directing the first parameter data to facilitate the first update of a signal strength parameter that defines a minimum signal strength below which the mobile device refrains from attempting the access to the network device.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

in response to determining that overload data representing a level of overloading of resource usage associated with an access point device of a wireless network satisfies an overload criterion, determining first parameter data indicative of a first cell access parameter that is employable to restrict access to the access point device resulting in a first access restriction; and

directing the first parameter data to a mobile device associated with the access point device, wherein the first parameter data is employable to modify an access parameter of the mobile device resulting in a first modified access parameter that is employable by the mobile device to facilitate a first cell selection;

receiving, via a network operator interface device, update data that is employable to generate an updated increment value based on adjusting an increment value by which the first parameter data is to be modified, and wherein the update data is determined based on event data that represents an event that is determined to occur at a location associated with network device; and

in response to determining that the overload data has changed,

determining second parameter data indicative of a second cell access parameter for the access point device based on a change in the level of overloading, wherein the second parameter data is employable to restrict the access to the access point device resulting in a second access restriction, and wherein the second parameter data is determined based on modifying the first parameter data according to the updated increment value; and

directing the second parameter data to the mobile device, wherein the second parameter data is employable to modify the first modified access parameter resulting in a second modified access parameter that is employable by the mobile device to facilitate a second cell selection.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the determining that the overload data has changed comprises determining that the level of overloading has increased and wherein the second access restriction is greater than the first access restriction.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the determining that the overload data has changed comprises determining that the level of overloading has decreased and wherein the second access restriction is less than the first access restriction.