Cell broadcast for signaling resource load from radio access networks

• US 9,398,518 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Brisebois, Arthur Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SIU M
• Application Number:
  US14/520,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/436, 455/438, 455/443, 455/453
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for cell broadcast for signaling resource load from one or more radio access networks (“RANs”). According to one aspect disclosed herein, a base station can collect signaling load information of the base station. The base station can also generate a cell broadcast message that includes the signaling load information. The base station can also send the cell broadcast message to a target mobile device. The target mobile device can be configured to determine, based at least in part upon the signaling load information, to which radio access network of a plurality of radio access networks to connect.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting, by a base station, signaling load information of the base station, wherein the signaling load information is representative of a signaling load associated with the base station;

generating, by the base station, a cell broadcast message comprising the signaling load information; and

sending, by the base station, the cell broadcast message to a target mobile device that determines, based at least in part upon the signaling load information, to which radio access network of a plurality of radio access networks to connect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a system information block.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a short messaging service message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by the base station, a composite signaling load level condition of the base station based upon the signaling load information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising learning, by the base station, further signaling load information of a neighbor base station, wherein the further signaling load information is representative of a further signaling load associated with the neighbor base station;

and wherein generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message comprises generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein learning the further signaling load information of the neighbor base station comprises learning the further signaling load information of the neighbor base station via a self-optimizing network feature.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising learning, by the base station, further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different radio access technology from a radio access technology utilized by the base station, and wherein generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message comprises generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising learning, by the base station, further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different frequency from a frequency utilized by the base station, and wherein generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message comprises generating, by the base station, the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the base station, the signaling load information to a network signaling load management server configured to provide the signaling load information to the target mobile device in response to a signaling load query received from the target mobile device.

10. A base station comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the base station to perform operations comprising;

collecting signaling load information of the base station, wherein the signaling load information is representative of a signaling load associated with the base station,

generating a cell broadcast message comprising the signaling load information, and

sending the cell broadcast message to a target mobile device that determines, based at least in part upon the signaling load information, to which radio access network of a plurality of radio access networks to connect.

11. The base station of claim 10, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a system information block.

12. The base station of claim 10, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a short messaging service message.

13. The base station of claim 10, wherein the cell broadcast message further comprises a priority order in which the target mobile device should select the plurality of radio access networks.

14. The base station of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise learning further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different radio access technology from a radio access technology utilized by the base station, and wherein generating the cell broadcast message comprises generating the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.

15. The base station of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise learning further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different frequency from a frequency utilized by the base station, and wherein generating the cell broadcast message comprises generating the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.

16. A computer storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a base station, cause the base station to perform operations comprising:

collecting signaling load information of the base station, wherein the signaling load information is representative of a signaling load associated with the base station;

generating a cell broadcast message comprising the signaling load information; and

sending the cell broadcast message to a target mobile device that determines, based at least in part upon the signaling load information, to which radio access network of a plurality of radio access networks to connect.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a system information block.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the cell broadcast message comprises a short messaging service message.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise learning further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different radio access technology from a radio access technology utilized by the base station, and wherein generating the cell broadcast message comprises generating the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise learning further signaling load information of an overlapping cell associated with a different frequency from a frequency utilized by the base station, and wherein generating the cell broadcast message comprises generating the cell broadcast message further comprising the further signaling load information of the overlapping cell.