Performance monitoring of wireless local area network (WLAN) offloading in wireless cellular networks

• US 9,936,431 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Joey
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Ayanah
• Application Number:
  US14/128,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20150103648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0486 taking channel rank into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0053 using co-ordinated multipoint transmission/reception co-ordinated antenna or beam-forming aspects H04B7/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/304 intercepting circuit switched data communications lawful interception of wireless network communications H04W12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0222 : in packet switched networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 : compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0095 : estimated based on signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 : User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 : Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 : for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Generally, this disclosure provides devices, systems and methods for performance monitoring of WLAN data traffic offloading in wireless cellular networks. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) may include a performance measurement module to measure the number of User Equipment (UEs) connected to the WLAN AP for data traffic offload and further to measure packet throughput from the UEs to the WLAN AP; a measurement granularity timer to trigger the performance measurement module to perform the measurements; a performance report generation module to generate a WLAN report based on the measurements provided from the performance measurement module; and a performance report timer to trigger the performance report generation module to generate the WLAN report.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP), comprising:

a measurement granularity timer to trigger performance measurements, the measurement granularity timer being configured to expire based on a predetermined interval;

performance measurement circuitry to measure a number of User Equipment (UEs) connected to said WLAN AP for data traffic offload and further to measure packet throughput from said UEs to said WLAN AP through a media access control (MAC) layer or an internet protocol (IP) layer for a first duration of time in response to the measurement granularity timer expiring;

performance report generation circuitry to generate a WLAN report based on said measured packet throughput and said measured number of UEs provided from said performance measurement circuitry during at least said first duration of time; and

a performance report timer to trigger said performance report generation circuitry to generate said WLAN report.

2. The WLAN AP of claim 1, wherein said measured packet throughput is associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) class or a User Priority class.

3. The WLAN AP of claim 1, further comprising an operation status determination circuitry to determine if said WLAN AP is in an interrupted service state or a restored service state and further to generate a notification of said service state.

4. The WLAN AP of claim 1, wherein said WLAN report is provided to an integration reference point (IRP) manager.

5. The WLAN AP of claim 3, wherein said service state notification is provided to an IRP manager.

10. The WLAN AP of claim 1, wherein said generated performance report includes an indication of said measured number of User Equipment (UEs) connected to said WLAN AP.

6. A method comprising:

waiting for expiration of a performance measurement granularity timer;

measuring the number of UEs connected to a WLAN AP for data traffic offload for a first duration of time in response to the performance measurement granularity timer expiring;

measuring packet throughput from said UEs to said WLAN AP through a media access control (MAC) layer or an internet protocol (IP) layer;

storing said measured number of UEs and packet throughput during at least said first duration of time in a performance data log; and

in response to an expiration of a report timer, transmitting said performance data log to an IRP manager.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said measured packet throughput is associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) class or a User Priority class.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if said WLAN AP is in an interrupted service state or a restored service state and generating a notification of said service state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said service state notification is transmitted to said IRP manager.

11. The WLAN AP of claim 6, wherein said performance data log transmitted to said IRP manager includes an indication of said number of measured UEs.