Methods and devices for fast downlink radio access technology selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10212631-B2
Application number	US-201514938144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2015
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A radio access network element includes a cellular interface and a processor. The cellular interface is configured to communicate with the user equipment via a cellular link. The processor is configured execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to: transmit a plurality of probe packets to the user equipment via an IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment through a wireless local area network access point; receive a probe packet response from the user equipment, the probe packet response being indicative of a connection quality of the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment; and determine whether to switch from a first traffic routing mode to a second traffic routing mode based on the probe packet response from the user equipment.

First claim

We claim:

1. A radio access network element configured to route traffic between an application server and user equipment, the radio access network element comprising:
a cellular interface configured to communicate with the user equipment via a cellular link; and
a processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
transmit a plurality of probe packets to the user equipment via an IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment through a wireless local area network access point;
receive a probe packet response from the user equipment, the probe packet response being indicative of a connection quality of the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment; and
determine whether to switch from a first traffic routing mode to a second traffic routing mode based on the probe packet response from the user equipment; wherein
in the first traffic routing mode, downlink traffic from the application server is delivered to the user equipment via a first data path through the wireless local area network access point, and
in the second traffic routing mode, the downlink traffic from the application server is delivered to the user equipment via a second data path including the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the wireless local area network access point.

2. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the first data path does not traverse the radio access network element.

3. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein, in the second traffic routing mode, uplink traffic from the user equipment is delivered to the application server via a third data path including the radio access network element and the cellular link.

4. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the probe packet response includes a set of the plurality of probe packets echoed back from the user equipment to the radio access network element, an estimated available bandwidth for the user equipment at the wireless local area network access point, and a number of transmitted probe packets not received at the user equipment.

5. The radio access network element of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
measure a round trip delay time for the plurality of probe packets based on the set of the plurality of probe packets echoed back from the user equipment; and
switch from the first traffic routing mode to the second traffic routing mode if (i) the number of transmitted probe packets not received at the user equipment is less than a probe packet loss threshold, (ii) the measured round trip delay time is less than a round trip delay time threshold, and (iii) the estimated available bandwidth is greater than a minimum throughput threshold.

6. The radio access network element of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
monitor the connection quality of the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment; and
switch from the second traffic routing mode to a third traffic routing mode if the connection quality of the IP tunnel falls below a minimum threshold quality; wherein
in the third traffic routing mode, downlink traffic from the application server is delivered to the user equipment via a third data path including the cellular link between the radio access network element and the user equipment.

7. The radio access network element of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
determine whether the connection quality of the IP tunnel has fallen below the minimum threshold quality based on (i) an average traffic activity for the user equipment and (ii) a difference between the estimated available bandwidth and the average traffic activity for the user equipment.

8. The radio access network element of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
determine whether the user equipment has become inactive; and
switch from the second traffic routing mode to a third traffic routing mode if the user equipment is determined to be inactive; wherein
in the third traffic routing mode, the downlink traffic from the application server is delivered to the user equipment via the second data path including the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the wireless local area network access point, and uplink traffic from the user equipment is delivered to the application server via the second data path including the IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the wireless local area network access point.

9. The radio access network element of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
determine whether the user equipment has become active; and
switch from the third traffic routing mode to the second traffic routing mode if the user equipment is determined to be active.

10. A radio access network element, comprising:
a cellular interface configured to receive, from a user equipment via a cellular link, wireless local area network access point parameters for a plurality of wireless local area network access points; and
a processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
select, from among the plurality of wireless local area network access points, a wireless local area network access point for the user equipment based on the received wireless local area network access point parameters,
instruct the user equipment to establish a wireless local area network connection with the selected wireless local area network access point,
establish an IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment through the selected wireless local area network access point, and
determine whether to switch from a first traffic routing mode to a second traffic routing mode based on a probe packet response from the user equipment; wherein
in the first traffic routing mode, downlink traffic from an application server is delivered to the user equipment via a first data path through the selected wireless local area network access point, and
in the second traffic routing mode, the downlink traffic from the application server is delivered to the user equipment via a second data path including the established IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment through the selected wireless local area network access point.

11. The radio access network element of claim 10 , wherein the wireless local area network access point parameters include service set identifiers, received signal strength indications and an estimated available bandwidth for the wireless local area network access points.

12. The radio access network element of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured execute computer readable instructions to cause the radio access network element to
transmit a plurality of probe packets to the user equipment via the established IP tunnel; and wherein
the probe packet response is indicative of a connection quality of the established IP tunnel between the radio access network element and the user equipment.

13. The radio access network element of claim 12 , wherein the probe packet response includes a set of the plurality of

Assignees

• Ling Jonathan
• Lopez Perez David
• Kim Bong Ho
• Calin Doru
• Subramanian Vasudevan
• Nokia America Corp

Inventors

• Ling Jonathan
• Lopez-Perez David
• Kim Bong Ho
• Calin Doru
• Subramanian Vasudevan

Classifications

• H04L45/26

  Route discovery packet · CPC title

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L43/12

  Network monitoring probes · CPC title

• H04W36/12 Primary

  Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node · CPC title

• H04L1/0023

  characterised by the signalling · CPC title