CACHING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20140351367A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Westberg, Lars, Eriksson, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A Network Reporting Entity (NRE) and a User Equipment (UE) as well as a respective method therein for use in a wireless communication network for enabling controlling data transfer between the UE and a network cache are provided. The NRE receives, from the UE, a request to start reporting network status and transmits, to the UE, information regarding the status of the network, the information pertaining to whether network condition is in a state where a data transfer is preferred or not, wherein the NRE obtains the information regarding the status of the network from the Network Conditions Information Entity (NCIE). In this manner, the UE is enabled to control the data transfer between the UE and the network cache.

Claims

1. A method in a Network Reporting Entity (NRE) for use in a wireless communication network for enabling controlling data transfer between a first user equipment (UE) in a cell and a network cache, the NRE operative operative to communicate with a Network Conditions Information Entity (NCIE), the method comprising:

receiving, from the first UE, a request to start reporting network status,

transmitting, to the first UE, information regarding the status of the network, the information pertaining to whether network condition is in a state where a data transfer is preferred or not, wherein the NRE obtains the information regarding the status of the network from the NCIE,

thereby enabling the first UE to control the data transfer between the UE and the network cache.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network status comprises information regarding at least one of start/stop sending, radio conditions, backhaul capacity, transport network load and traffic load within the cell in which the first UE is being served.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the NRE currently is receiving, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served when the NRE receives, from the first UE, the request to start reporting network status; and

responsive to a determination that the NRE currently is receiving said information, transmitting, to the first UE, the received information regarding the status of the network.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the NRE currently is not receiving, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served, requesting, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network and receiving, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer between the first UE and the network cache comprises uploading of information from the first UE to the network cache.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer between the first UE and the network cache comprises downloading of information from the network cache to the first UE.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first UE, a request to stop reporting network status in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served,

determining whether the NRE is currently transmitting information regarding the status of the network to any further UE being served by the same cell as said first UE; and

responsive to a determination that the NRE is not currently transmitting information regarding the status of the network to any further UE being served by the same cell as said first UE, requesting the NCIE entity to stop reporting network status.

8. A method in a user equipment (UE) for controlling data transfer between the UE and a network cache in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

requesting, from a Network Reporting Entity (NRE) a report regarding the status of the wireless communication network,

receiving, from the NRE, the report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, and

determining whether to initiate data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received status report of the wireless communication network.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the UE has initiated data transfer between the UE and the network cache, the method comprises:

receiving, from the NRE, a further report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, and

determining whether to continue or to pause the data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received further status report of the wireless communication network.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the UE has paused the data transfer between the UE and the network cache, the method comprising:

receiving, from the NRE, still a further report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, and

determining whether to resume the data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received still further status report of the wireless communication network.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

terminating the data transfer between the UE and the network cache, and

requesting the NRE to stop reporting the status of the wireless communication network.

12. A Network Reporting Entity (NRE) for use in a wireless communication network, the NRE being operative to enable control of data transfer between a first UE in a cell and a network cache, the NRE being operative to communicate with a Network Conditions Information Entity (NCIE) the NRE comprising:

a receiving unit operative to receive, from the first UE, a request to start reporting network status,

a transmitting unit adapted operative to transmit, to the first UE, information regarding the status of the network, the information pertaining to whether network condition is in a state where a data transfer is preferred or not, wherein the NRE obtains the information regarding the status of the network from the NCIE,

thereby enabling the first UE to control the data transfer between the UE and the network cache.

13. The NRE according to claim 12, wherein the network status comprises information regarding at least one of start/stop sending, radio conditions, backhaul capacity, transport network load and traffic load within the cell in which the first UE is being served.

14. The NRE according to claim 12, further comprising a checking unit operative to determine whether the NRE currently is receiving, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served when the NRE receives, from the first UE, the request to start reporting network status;

and

the transmitting unit further being operative to transmit, to the first UE, the received information regarding the status of the network, responsive to a determination that the NRE currently is receiving said information.

15. The NRE according to claim 14, further comprising a requesting unit that, responsive to determining that the NRE currently is not receiving, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served, is operative to request from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network, and wherein the receiving unit is operative to receive, from the NCIE, information regarding the status of the network.

16. The NRE according to claim 12, wherein said data transfer comprises information upload from the first UE to the network cache.

17. The NRE according to claim 12, wherein said data transfer comprises information download from the network cache to the first UE.

18. The NRE according to claim 12, wherein the receiving unit is further operative to receive, from the first UE, a request to stop reporting network status in relation to the cell in which the first UE is being served, wherein a checking unit is operative to determine whether the NRE is currently transmitting information regarding the status of the network to any further UE being served by the same cell as said first UE;

and

the requesting unit, responsive to a determination that the NRE is not currently transmitting information regarding the status of the network to any further UE being served by the same cell as said first UE, is further operative to request the NCIE entity to stop network status from being reported.

19. A User Equipment (UE) operative to control data transfer between the UE and a network cache in a wireless communication network, the UE comprising:

a requesting unit operative to request, from a Network Reporting Entity (NRE) a report regarding the status of the wireless communication network,

a receiving unit operative to receive, from the NRE, the report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, and

a determining unit adapted operative to determine whether to initiate data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received status report of the wireless communication network.

20. The UE according to claim 19, wherein the UE has initiated data transfer between the UE and the network cache, the receiving unit further is operative to receive, from the NRE, a further report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, wherein the determining unit further is operative to determine whether to continue or to pause the data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received further status report of the wireless communication network.

21. The UE according to claim 20, wherein the UE has paused the data transfer between the UE and the network cache, wherein the receiving unit further is operative to receive, from the NRE, still a further report regarding the status of the wireless communication network and wherein the determining unit further is operative to determine whether to resume the data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received still further status report of the wireless communication network.

22. The UE according to claim 19, wherein the determining unit further is operative to terminate the data transfer between the UE and the network cache, and the requesting unit further is operative to request the NRE to stop reporting the status of the wireless communication network from being reported.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed on a processing unit of a network reporting entity (NRE) used in a wireless communication network for enabling controlling data transfer between a first user equipment (UE) in a cell and a network cache, cause the NRE to perform the following:

receive, from the first UE, a request to start reporting network status; and

transmit, to the first UE, information regarding the status of the network, the information pertaining to whether network condition is in a state where a data transfer is preferred or not, wherein the NRE obtains the information regarding the status of the network from a Network Conditions Information Entity (NCIE), thereby enabling the first UE to control data transfer between the UE and the network cache.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed on a processing unit of a user equipment (UE) that controls data transfer between the UE and a network cache in a wireless communication network, cause the UE to perform the following:

request, from a Network Reporting Entity (NRE), a report regarding the status of the wireless communication network;

receive, from the NRE, the report regarding the status of the wireless communication network, and

determine whether to initiate data transfer between the UE and the network cache based on said received status report of the wireless communication network.