Systems and Methods for Selective Communications Network Access

• US 20120034922A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Canadian Managed Services Inc. (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Bridgewater Systems Corp. (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jones, D. Mark, Freen, Russ
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/438
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods for network congestion management thru selective network access among wireless cells and wireless hotspots are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method to transmit a connection policy decision to a wireless communications device that is connected to a cellular wireless network whether to access a wireless hotspot is provided. The method includes determining a wireless cell location of the wireless communications device, generating a connection policy decision to determine whether the wireless communication device should access a wireless hotspot based on the wireless cell location and wireless hotspot availability, and transmitting the connection policy decision to the wireless communications device. In additional embodiments, the connection policy decision is based on one or more of battery charge levels of the wireless communications device, a mobility pattern of the wireless communications device, and historical success rates accessing the wireless hotspot within the wireless cell location.

Claims

1. A method to transmit a connection policy to a wireless communications device that is connected to a cellular wireless network whether to access a wireless hotspot, comprising

determining a wireless cell location of the wireless communications device;

generating a connection policy to determine whether the wireless communication device should access a wireless hotspot based on the wireless cell location and wireless hotspot availability;

transmitting the connection policy to the wireless communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on battery charge levels of the wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on a mobility pattern of the wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on a data usage pattern of the wireless communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on historical success rates accessing the wireless hotspot within the wireless cell location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on historical success rates accessing the wireless hotspot within the wireless cell as a function of time of day and day of week.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on a capacity utilization of the wireless cell location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection policy is further based on a type of subscriber plan for a user of the wireless communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a connection policy whether the wireless communication device should access a wireless hotspot occurs when the wireless communications device enters the new wireless cell location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a connection policy whether the wireless communication device should access a wireless hotspot occurs when a time to live measure expires for the wireless communications device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the wireless hotspot connection profile to be used.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving periodic updates from a wireless communications device that indicate one or more of wireless cell locations visited, time spent in each cell, wireless association success rates and battery charge levels.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising developing a set of mobility pattern profiles for the wireless communications device, wherein a mobility pattern profile is generated for those mobility patterns whose occurrence is greater than a threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising selecting a mobility pattern profile from the set of mobility pattern profiles based on recent wireless cell locations visited, wherein generating a connection policy whether the wireless communication device should switch to a wireless hotspot is further based on the selected mobility pattern profile.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a time to live measure, wherein upon expiry of the time to live measure the wireless communications device is required to provide a mobility profile record.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobility profile record includes one or more of wireless cell locations visited, time spent in each cell, wireless association success rates and battery charge levels.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless hotspot comprises a WIFI hotspot or a WIMAX hotspot.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device comprises a laptop computer, a smartphone, a cellular phone, or a personal digital assistant.

19. A connection policy manager within a wireless network, comprising:

a connection policy controller configured to apply connection policy rules to determine whether to instruct a wireless communications device to access an alternative network;

a connection policy rules database configured to store a set of connection policy rules;

a mobility pattern analyzer configured to analyze a mobility pattern for a wireless communications device; and

a mobility pattern database configured to store one or more mobility pattern for a wireless communications device.