PACKET DATA PROTOCOL CONTEXT MANAGEMENT FOR HANDOVER FROM CELLULAR NETWORK TO A FEMTO CELL

• US 20100128697A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Choi-Grogan, Yung Shirley
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0044 of quality context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided to manage packet data protocol (PDP) contexts upon cellular-to-femto handover, wherein femto network has disparate capabilities to support applications with distinct access point names (APNs) and quality of service (QoS) profiles. Based at least on activity factors of applications associated with PDP contexts, a QoS-based ranking of PDP contexts, and subscriber input, cellular network platform selects active PDP contexts to retain and suspend upon handover. A group of active PDP contexts is handed off in accordance with femto coverage capability, with remaining active PDP contexts suspended during handover. When a suspended PDP context, and application associated therewith, is resumed through femto coverage, a PDP context modification is conducted with a new APN and the application is routed to a corresponding femto gateway node and application server. Additionally, femto network platform performs a radio access bearer reconfiguration to meet QoS requirements of the resumed PDP context.

Claims

1. A method for managing packet data protocol (PDP) contexts during handover from cellular coverage to femto coverage, the method comprising:

comparing activity of a set of PDP contexts;

ranking a subset of active PDP contexts in the set of PDP contexts based at least in part on a quality of service profile (QoS) for each active PDP context or subscriber input; and

handing over a group of PDP contexts within the subset of active PDP contexts with the highest rankings of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the number of PDP contexts in the group dictated by femto network capability.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising suspending a group of PDP contexts without the highest ranking of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the group of suspended PDP contexts complements the groups of handed over PDP contexts.

3. The method of claim 2, handing over a group of PDP contexts within the subset of active PDP contexts with the highest rankings of QoS requirements or subscriber input includes:

conveying an indication of a selection of an active PDP context for handover and a group of active PDP contexts for suspension;

receiving an indication of a confirmation or a rejection of the selection of the active PDP contexts for handover and the group of active PDP contexts for suspension; and

when a confirmation is received, handing over the selected active PDP context and suspending the selected group of active PDP contexts.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising probing whether a selection of an active PDP context for handover and a group of active PDP contexts for suspension is received, and handing over the selected active PDP context and suspending the selected group of active PDP for suspension.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising suspending a subset of PDP contexts that are inactive in the set of compared PDP contexts.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying the ranking of the subset of active PDP contexts in the set of contexts.

7. A computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the following acts:

comparing application activity for a set of PDP contexts and suspending a subset of PDP contexts that are inactive;

ranking a subset of active PDP contexts in the set of PDP contexts based at least in part on one of a quality of service profile (QoS) for each active PDP context or a subscriber input;

suspending a group of PDP contexts without the highest ranking of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the group of suspended PDP contexts complements the groups of handed over PDP contexts; and

handing over a group of PDP contexts within the subset of active PDP contexts with the highest rankings of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the number of PDP contexts in the group dictated by femto network capability.

8. A system that facilitates management of packet data protocol (PDP) contexts upon cellular-to-femto handover, the system comprising:

a component that compares application activity of a set of PDP contexts;

a ranking component that ranks a subset of application active PDP contexts in accordance at least in part with one of quality of service (QoS) requirements or subscriber input;

a management component that hands over a group of PDP contexts within the subset of application active PDP contexts with the highest rankings of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the number of PDP contexts in the group dictated by femto network capability.

9. The system of claim 8, the management component suspends a group of PDP contexts without the highest ranking of QoS requirements or subscriber input, the group of suspended PDP contexts complements the groups of handed over PDP contexts.

10. The system of claim 8, the management component further suspends a subset of PDP contexts that are application inactive in the set of compared PDP contexts.

11. The system of claim 9, the management component acquires the femto network capability, wherein the capability measures at least in part the maximum number of PDP contexts with different access point name that are supported by a femto cell administered through the femto network.

12. The system of claim 11, the management component conveys an indication of a selection of an active PDP context for handover and a group of active PDP contexts for suspension, and receives an indication of a confirmation or a rejection of the selection.

13. The system of claim 12, the management component probes whether a selection of an active PDP context for handover and a group of active PDP contexts for suspension is received, and hands over the selected active PDP context and suspends group of active PDP contexts selected for suspension when a subscriber-injected PDP context selection is received.

14. The system of claim 8, the ranking component conveys the ranking of the subset of application active PDP contexts.

15. The system of claim 13, the ranking component aggregates subscriber-injected PDP context selection to infer future PDP context selections for PDP context handover and PDP context suspension during handover.

16. The system of claim 8, an activity factor indicates application activity, wherein the activity factor is a logic NULL value for an inactive application associated with a PDP context and a logic non-NULL value for an active application associated with a PDP context.

17. A method for managing packet data protocol (PDP) contexts during handover from cellular coverage to femto coverage, the method comprising:

receiving an active PDP context through handover; and

receiving a ranking of active PDP contexts suspended prior to handover, the ranking based at least in part on quality of service (QoS) requirements or subscriber input.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

initiating resume of highest ranking suspended PDP context when the handed over active PDP context is released;

requesting PDP context modification of the highest ranking suspended PDP context to be resumed; and

resuming the highest-ranking PDP context when PDP context modification is complete.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising reconfiguring a radio access bearer (RAB) associated with the released PDP context to meet QoS requirements for the resumed PDP context, the RAB is associated with the resumed PDP context after reconfiguration.

20. The method of claim 18, requesting PDP context modification of the highest ranking suspended PDP context to be resumed includes signaling a cellular network to modify the context.

21. A computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the following acts:

receiving one or more active PDP contexts through cellular-to-femto handover, the number of received active PDP contexts determined through femto network capability;

receiving a ranking of active PDP contexts suspended prior to handover, the ranking based at least in part on quality of service (QoS) requirements or subscriber input;

initiating resume of highest ranking suspended PDP context when one or more of the handed over active PDP context is released; and

requesting PDP context modification of the highest ranking suspended PDP context to be resumed and resuming the highest-ranking PDP context when PDP context modification is complete.

22. A system, comprising:

a packet data protocol (PDP) management component that receives a set of active PDP contexts through handover; and

a component that receives a ranking of active PDP contexts suspended prior to handover, the ranking based at least in part on quality of service (QoS) requirements or subscriber input.

23. The system of claim 22, the PDP management component initiates resume of highest ranking suspended PDP context when the handed over active PDP context is released, and requests PDP context modification of the highest ranking suspended PDP context to be resumed.

24. The system of claim 23, the PDP component resumes the highest-ranking PDP context when PDP context modification is complete.

25. The system of claim 24, the PDP management component reconfigures a radio access bearer (RAB) associated with the released PDP context to meet QoS requirements for the resumed PDP context, the RAB is associated with the resumed PDP context after reconfiguration.

26. The system of claim 23, to request for PDP context modification of the highest ranking suspended PDP context to be resumed, PDP management signals a cellular network to modify the context.