Cross Radio Access Technology Access with Handoff and Interference Management Using Communication Performance Data

• US 20140355566A1
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: WALLEY, John, Diab, Wael, Carmon, Rafael, Hayes, Raymond, Rath, Kamlesh, Verma, Sindhu, Chakraborty, Soumen, Nuggehalli, Pavan, Wang, Shao-Cheng, Ilyadis, Nicholas, Mese, Murat
• Granted Patent: US 9,907,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data

Abstract

Systems and methods for adaptive access and handover configuration based on historical data are provided. Access and handover decisions are optimized in a multiple radio access technology environment using historical data associated with network performance. Future needs for access and handovers are predicted using historical data associated with the user and historical data associated with network performance. Performance metrics are received periodically or continuously from nodes in one or more networks at a centralized controller. The centralized multi RAT controller correlates these performance metrics and determines predicted handovers for a user device. Preparations for the predicted handovers can then be made prior to the handover event.

Claims

1. A multi radio access controller (RAT) module coupled to a plurality of core networks that service a plurality of user equipment (UEs) and access points (APs), comprising:

a performance metric module configured to measure a first and second performance metric corresponding to communications between a UE from among the plurality of UEs and a first and second core network, respectively, from among the plurality of core networks; and

an access/handoff module configured to cause the UE to be serviced by the first or the second core network based on which of the first or second performance metric indicates better communications performance.

2. The multi RAT controller module of claim 1, wherein the performance metric module is farther configured to measure a plurality of pathway performance metrics corresponding to communications between the UE and the first and second core networks via a plurality of communication pathways.

3. The multi RAT controller module of claim 2, wherein the access/handoff module is further configured to cause the UE to communicate with the first or second core network via a communication pathway from among the plurality of communication pathways based on which pathway performance metric from among the plurality of pathway performance metrics indicates better communications performance.

4. The multi RAT controller module of claim 2, wherein the plurality of communication pathways include communications between the UE and the first core network via a plurality of respective access points (APs) utilizing a Wi-Fi protocol.

5. The multi RAT controller module of claim 3, wherein the plurality of communication pathways include communications between the UE and the second core network via a plurality of respective evolved-node Bs (eNBs) utilizing a long term evolution (LTE) protocol.

6. The multi RAT controller module of claim 1, wherein the access/handoff module is further configured to evaluate which of the first or second performance metrics indicate better communication performance utilizing a cost function.

7. The multi RAT controller module of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage module configured to store historical data representative of performance metrics associated with the UE being serviced by the first and second core networks.

8. The multi RAT controller module of claim 7, wherein the access/handoff module is further configured to cause the UE to be serviced by the first or the second core network based on a combination of:

which of the first or second performance metric indicates better communications performance; and

the historical data.

9. A user equipment (UE) module, comprising:

a plurality of radio access technology (RAT) modules configured to communicate with a plurality of network members to utilize network services;

a performance metric module configured to measure performance metrics corresponding to communications between the plurality of RAT modules and the plurality of network members;

a processor configured to determine an application profile corresponding to a running UE application, the application profile including a list of application performance metrics associated with the UE application; and

a multi RAT handoff module configured to select a network member from among the plurality of network members for utilization of network services corresponding to performance metrics that meet or exceed the application performance metrics.

10. The UE module of claim 9, wherein the application profile is from among a plurality of application profiles corresponding to a plurality of different UE applications.

11. The UE module of claim 9, wherein the multi RAT handoff module is further configured to send the performance metrics to a central management node via a RAT module from among the plurality of RAT modules.

12. The UE module of claim 10, wherein the multi RAT handoff module is further configured to send the plurality of application profiles to a central management node via a RAT module from among the plurality of RAT modules.

13. The UE module of claim 12, wherein the multi RAT handoff module is further configured to select a network member from among the plurality of network members based on a command received from the central management node via a RAT module from among the plurality of RAT modules.

14. The UE module of claim 9, wherein the performance metric include one or more of:

network latency;

available base stations within range of the UE module;

available access points within range of the UE module;

a number of connected users;

a number of communication channels;

communication frequency;

communication bandwidth;

an error rate;

or

a network load.

15. In a network member that is part of a network including a plurality of network members, a method comprising:

measuring a first communication parameter corresponding to network services provided by a first network member via a first communications band;

measuring a second communication parameter corresponding to network services provided by a second network member via a second communications band;

sending the second communication parameter to the first network member via the first communications band; and

handing off service of a user equipment (UE) between the first and second network members based on the first and second communication parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether to handoff the UE between the first and second network members based on which of the first or second communication parameter is associated with a better quality of network service.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether to handoff the UE between the first and second network members based on which of the first or second communication parameter is associated with better communications performance.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first communications band includes a licensed frequency band.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the second communications band includes an unlicensed frequency band.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending comprises:

sending the second communication parameters to the first network member via the first communications band using a direct tunneling protocol.