System and method for managing dual connectivity with dynamic anchor cell selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10368253-B2
Application number	US-201715658625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining dual connectivity values for neighbor cells of a serving cell of a wireless network. A dual connectivity capability is determined of a wireless device that engages in wireless communications coordinated by the serving cell. A target cell of the neighbor cells is determined based on a dual connectivity value. Initiation of a dual connectivity service is facilitated based on the wireless device via the target cell, wherein the target cell serves as a master cell of the dual connectivity service, and wherein the dual connectivity service includes exchanging user plane messages between the wireless device, the master cell and a secondary cell of the wireless network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
determining a plurality of dual connectivity ratings for a plurality of neighbor cells of a serving cell of a mobile cellular network, wherein the plurality of dual connectivity ratings are determined via a plurality of configuration update messages received from the plurality of neighbor cells;
identifying a dual connectivity capability of a mobile communication device that engages in wireless communications coordinated by the serving cell;
identifying a target cell of the plurality of neighbor cells based on a dual connectivity rating of the plurality of dual connectivity ratings; and
facilitating initiation of a dual connectivity service via the target cell based on the dual connectivity capability of the mobile communication device, wherein the target cell serves as a master cell of the dual connectivity service, and wherein the dual connectivity service comprises exchanging user plane messages between the mobile communication device, the master cell and a secondary cell of the mobile cellular network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
storing indications of the plurality of dual connectivity ratings in association with the plurality of neighbor cells.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile cellular network comprises a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network, and wherein the serving cell comprises an evolved Node B (eNB) communications node.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the target cell comprises the serving cell.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dual connectivity ratings are selected from a group consisting of a preferred target cell, a fallback target cell, and a non-supported target cell.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master cell comprises an eNB communications node of a 3GPP, LTE mobile network, and wherein the secondary cell comprises a 3GPP 5 th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communications node.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master cell comprises a 3GPP 5G NR communications node and wherein the secondary cell comprises an eNB communications node of a 3GPP, LTE mobile network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master cell comprises a 3GPP 5G NR communications node and wherein the secondary cell comprises a 3GPP 5G NR communications node.

9. A method, comprising:
determining, by a processing system including a processor, a plurality of dual connectivity rankings for a plurality of neighbor cells of a serving cell of a mobile cellular network, wherein the plurality of dual connectivity rankings are determined via a plurality of configuration update messages received from the plurality of neighbor cells;
determining, by the processing system, a dual connectivity capability of a mobile device that engages in wireless communications coordinated by the serving cell;
identifying, by the processing system, a target cell of the plurality of neighbor cells based on a dual connectivity ranking of the plurality of dual connectivity rankings; and
facilitating, by the processing system, initiation of a dual connectivity service via the target cell based on the dual connectivity capability of the mobile device, wherein the target cell serves as a master cell of the dual connectivity service, and wherein the dual connectivity service comprises exchanging user plane messages between the mobile device, the master cell and a secondary cell of the mobile cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
storing, by the processing system, indications of the plurality of dual connectivity rankings in association with the plurality of neighbor cells.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mobile cellular network comprises a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network, and wherein the serving cell comprises an evolved Node B (eNB) communications node.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target cell comprises the serving cell.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of dual connectivity rankings are selected from a group consisting of a preferred target cell, a fallback target cell, and a non-supported target cell.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the master cell comprises an eNB communications node of a 3GPP, LTE mobile network, and wherein the secondary cell comprises a 3GPP 5 th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communications node.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the master cell comprises a 3GPP 5G NR communications node and wherein the secondary cell comprises an eNB communications node of a 3GPP, LTE mobile network.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining a plurality of dual connectivity values for a plurality of neighbor cells of a serving cell of a wireless network, wherein the plurality of dual connectivity values are determined via a plurality of configuration update messages received from the plurality of neighbor cells;
determining a dual connectivity capability of a wireless device that engages in wireless communications coordinated by the serving cell;
determining a target cell of the plurality of neighbor cells based on a dual connectivity value of the plurality of dual connectivity values; and
facilitating initiation of a dual connectivity service via the target cell based on the dual connectivity capability of the wireless device, wherein the target cell serves as a master cell of the dual connectivity service, and wherein the dual connectivity service comprises exchanging user plane messages between the wireless device, the master cell and a secondary cell of the wireless network.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
accessing the plurality of dual connectivity values by way of a plurality of configuration update messages received by the serving cell from the plurality of neighbor cells; and
storing indications of the plurality of dual connectivity values in association with the plurality of neighbor cells.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the wireless network comprises a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network, and wherein the serving cell comprises an evolved Node B (eNB) communications node.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the target cell comprises the serving cell.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the master cell comprises an eNB communications node of a 3GPP, LTE mobile network, and wherein the secondary cell comprises a 3GPP 5 th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communications node.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Lei Hongyan
• Cui Zhi
• Tong Yonghui
• Choi-Grogan Yung

Classifications

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W76/16

  Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H04L41/082

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title

• H04W16/32 Primary

  Hierarchical cell structures · CPC title