Network congestion management service

• US 11,252,622 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Issued: 02/15/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Lily, Youtz, Andrew E., Schmidt, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cehic, Kenan
• Application Number:
  US14/582,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium having instructions to attach to a user device, wherein the network device provides wireless access coverage in a cell area or a sector area of a first network; detect whether the network device is in a congested state; generate a message that indicates that the network device is in the congested state when the network device is in the congested state; and transmit the message on a control or signaling channel for receipt by user devices attached to the network device in the cell area or the sector area. The user device scans the control or signaling channel before initiating a session and determines whether the network device is in the congested state. When the network device is in the congested state, the user device performs a switchover to a second network. The user device has multimode capabilities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

attaching, by a wireless node of a first network, to a user device, wherein the wireless node provides wireless access coverage in a cell area or a sector area;

detecting, by the wireless node subsequent to the attaching, whether the wireless node is in a congested state, wherein the congested state is a state that prevents any access to a type of service in the cell area or the sector area, and wherein the detecting comprises;

evaluating current load measurements relative to available resources, wherein the load measurements are application-specific;

generating, by the wireless node, a message that indicates that the wireless node is in the congested state based on detecting that the wireless node is in the congested state;

transmitting, by the wireless node based on the generating, the message on a control channel or a signaling channel of the first network for receipt by one or more user devices attached to the wireless node in the cell area or the sector area;

detecting, by the wireless node subsequent to the transmitting, that the wireless node is no longer in the congested state; and

omitting, by the wireless node in response to detecting that the wireless node is no longer in the congested state, to retransmit the message and omitting to transmit any other message, via the control channel or the signaling channel, indicating that the wireless node is in a lesser degree of congestion relative to the congested state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the user device, an indication to initiate a session with another device via the wireless node of the first network, wherein the user device is a multimode device capable of accessing, via a first communication interface, the first network of a first communicative standard and accessing, via a second communication interface, a second network of a second communicative standard that is different from the first communicative standard;

receiving, by the user device via the first communication interface, the message on the control channel or the signaling channel;

determining, by the user device, whether the wireless node is in the congested state based on receiving the message; and

invoking, by the user device, a switchover, wherein the switchover includes establishing a same session via the second communication interface and another wireless node of the second network, in response to determining that the wireless node of the first network is in the congested state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the session and the same session are one of a voice session, a data session, a web session, or a streaming session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and the wireless node is an evolved Node B, and the method further comprising:

receiving, by the user device and subsequent to a receipt of the message, an indication to initiate a session with another device via the wireless node of the first network, wherein the user device is a multimode device capable of accessing, via a first communication interface, the first network of a first communicative standard and accessing, via a second communication interface, a second network of a second communicative standard that is different from the first communicative standard;

scanning, by the user device, the control channel or the signaling channel based on receiving the indication;

determining, by the user device, whether the wireless node is in the congested state based on the scanning; and

omitting to invoke, by the user device, a switchover, wherein the switchover includes establishing a same session via the second communication interface and another wireless node of the second network, in response to determining that the wireless node of the first network is not in the congested state, wherein a determination that the wireless node is not in the congested state is based on not receiving the message on the control channel or the signaling channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message includes a system information block message that includes a service-specific access class (SSAC) barring parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

periodically transmitting the message during a time period that the wireless node is in the congested state, wherein the transmitting includes broadcasting the message in the cell area or the sector area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the wireless node subsequent to the attaching, a session of the type of service with the user device, and wherein the detecting further comprises;

detecting, by the wireless node during the performing, whether the wireless node is in the congested state.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing, by the wireless node, a handover with another wireless node of a second network and the user device based on detecting that the wireless node is in the congested state.

9. A system comprising:

a network device, wherein the network device comprises;

a communication interface;

a first memory, wherein the first memory stores first instructions; and

a first processor, wherein the first processor executes the first instructions to;

attach to a user device, wherein the network device provides wireless access coverage in a cell area or a sector area of a first network;

detect, subsequent to the attachment, whether the network device is in a congested state, wherein the congested state is a state that prevents any access to a type of service in the cell area or the sector area, and wherein, when detecting, the first processor executes the first instructions to;

evaluate current load measurements relative to available resources, wherein the load measurements are application-specific;

generate a message that indicates that the network device is in the congested state based on a detection that the network device is in the congested state;

transmit, via the communication interface based on the generation of the message, the message on a control channel or a signaling channel for receipt by one or more user devices attached to the network device in the cell area or the sector area;

detect, subsequent to the transmission, that the network device is no longer in the congested state; and

omit, in response to the detection that the network device is no longer in the congested state, to retransmit the message and omit to transmit any other message, via the control channel or the signaling channel, indicating that the network device is in a lesser degree of congestion relative to the congested state.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

the user device, wherein the user device comprises;

a first communication interface of a first communicative standard pertaining to the first network, wherein the first network includes a Long Term Evolution network;

a second communication interface of a second communicative standard pertaining to a second network, wherein the first communicative standard is different from the second communicative standard;

a second memory, wherein the second memory stores second instructions; and

a second processor, wherein the second processor executes the second instructions to;

receive an indication to initiate a session with another device via the network device of the first network, wherein the user device is a multimode device that can use, via the first communication interface, the first network of a first communicative standard and use, via a second communication interface, a second network of a second communicative standard that is different from the first communicative standard;

receive, via the first communication interface, the message on the control channel or the signaling channel;

determine whether the network device is in the congested state based on a receipt of the message; and

invoke a switchover, wherein the switchover includes establishing a same session via the second communication interface and another network device of the second network, in response to a determination that the network device of the first network is in the congested state.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the session and the same session are one of a voice session, a data session, a web session, or a streaming session.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the network device is one of a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B, a microcell wireless node, a picocell wireless node, or a femtocell wireless node.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first network is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and wherein the message includes a system information block message that includes a service-specific access class (SSAC) barring parameter.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the congested state is application-specific, and wherein, when transmitting, the first processor further executes the first instructions to:

periodically transmit the message during a time period that the network device is in the congested state, wherein the message is broadcasted in the cell area or the sector area.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first processor further executes the first instructions to:

perform, subsequent to the attachment, a session of the type of service with the user device, and wherein, when detecting, the first processor further executes the first instructions to;

detect, during the performance, whether the network device is in the congested state.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor of a network device to:

attach to a user device, wherein the network device provides wireless access coverage in a cell area or a sector area of a first network;

detect, subsequent to the attachment, whether the network device is in a congested state, wherein the congested state is a state that prevents any access to a type of service in the cell area or the sector area, and wherein the instructions to detect comprise instructions to;

evaluate current load measurements relative to available resources, wherein the load measurements are application-specific;

generate a message that indicates that the network device is in the congested state based on a detection that the network device is in the congested state;

transmit, based on the generation of the message, the message on a control channel or a signaling channel in the cell area of the sector area for receipt by one or more user devices attached to the network device in the cell area or the sector area;

detect, subsequent to the transmission, that the network device is no longer in the congested state; and

omit, in response to the detection that the network device is no longer in the congested state, to retransmit the message and omit to transmit any other message, via the control channel or the signaling channel, indicating that the network device is in a lesser degree of congestion relative to the congested state.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein the message includes a system information block message that includes a service-specific access class (SSAC) barring parameter.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further storing instructions executable by the processor of the network device to:

periodically transmit the message during a time period that the network device is in the congested state, wherein the message is broadcasted in the cell area or the sector area.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first network is a Long Term Evolution network and the network device is an evolved Node B.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further storing instructions executable by the processor of the network device to:

perform, subsequent to the attachment, a session of the type of service with the user device, and wherein the instructions to detect further comprise instructions executable by the processor of the network device to;

detect, during the performance, whether the network device is in the congested state; and

perform a handover with another wireless node of a second network and the user device based on the detection that the network device is in the congested state.