Sharing network feedback information using a device-to-device link

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10555246-B2
Application number	US-201614991343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for sharing network feedback information. The method may include establishing, at a first access terminal, a wireless link with an access point, receiving network configuration data from the access point, composing a network feedback expression that indicates a status or availability of at least one network service associated with the access point, and transmitting the network feedback expression to a second access terminal via a D2D link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of sharing network feedback information comprising:
establishing, at a first access terminal, a wireless link with an access point, and a device-to-device (D2D) link with a second access terminal;
receiving, at the first access terminal, network configuration data from the access point;
receiving, at the first access terminal, a request for network feedback from the second access terminal over the established D2D link;
composing, at the first access terminal, based on the received network configuration data, a network feedback expression that indicates a status or availability of at least one network service associated with the access point; and
transmitting, at the first access terminal, the network feedback expression to the second access terminal via the established D2D link in response to the receiving of the request for network feedback.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating access point identifier information based on an access point identifier included in the network configuration data;
wherein the network feedback expression includes the access point identifier information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the access point identifier includes one or more of a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) code, a physical cell identifier (PCI), or an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Access Network Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN).

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating radio link failure (RLF) information based on whether the network configuration data indicates that the access point is barred or not barred;
wherein the network feedback expression includes the RLF information.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
monitoring the network configuration data over time; and
determining if an amount of time over which the access point is barred exceeds a cell bar threshold;
wherein the RLF information further indicates that the access point is barred in the short term if the amount of time in which the access point is barred does not exceed the cell bar threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating voice feedback information based on one or more of:
whether the network configuration data indicates that the access point supports voice service;
a voice service type indicated by the network configuration data; and
whether the network configuration data indicates that the access point supports Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC);

wherein the network feedback expression includes the voice feedback information.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the voice service type includes one or more of Voice over IP (VOIP), 1× Circuit-Switch Fallback (1×CSFB), enhanced 1×CSFB (e1×CSFB), and Third Generation Partnership Project Circuit-Switch Fallback (3GPP CSFB).

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
monitoring a number of call failures associated with a voice service of the access point over a period of time; and
determining if the number of call failures exceeds a call failure threshold;
wherein the voice feedback information further includes voice service quality information based on whether the number of call failures exceeds the call failure threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating data feedback information based on whether the network configuration data indicates that the access point supports data service;
wherein the network feedback expression includes the data feedback information.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
monitoring a channel quality indicator (CQI) and a physical layer throughput associated with the access point; and
generating data service quality information based on one or more of a comparison of an average of the monitored CQI to a CQI sufficiency threshold and a comparison of an actual physical layer throughput to an expected physical layer throughput;
wherein the data feedback information further includes the data service quality information.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating short message service (SMS) feedback information based on one or more of:
whether the network configuration data indicates that the access point supports SMS service; and
a SMS service type indicated by the network configuration data;

wherein the network feedback expression includes the SMS feedback information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the SMS service type includes one or more of SMS over Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), SMS or S 102 , and SMS Gateway (GW).

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a network feedback expression request from the second access terminal via the D2D link; and
transmitting the network feedback expression to the second access terminal in response to the receiving of the network feedback expression request.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network feedback expression includes:
a first network feedback expression segment that indicates the status or availability of at least one network service associated with the access point; and
a second network feedback expression segment that indicates a status or availability of at least one network service associated with a different access point.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second access terminal does not have an established wireless link to the access point.

16. A method of locating network services comprising:
identifying one or more desired network services;
establishing, at a first access terminal, a device-to-device (D2D) link with a second access terminal;
transmitting, at the first access terminal, a request for network feedback to the second access terminal over the established D2D link;
receiving, at the first access terminal, a network feedback expression from the second access terminal via the D2D link, wherein the network feedback expression indicates a status or availability of one or more network services associated with an access point; and
determining, at the first access terminal, based on the network feedback expression received from the second access terminal, whether the access point provides the one or more desired network services.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the access point provides the one or more desired network services, identifying the access point based on an access point identifier indicated by the received network feedback expression; and
establishing a wireless link with the identified access point.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
establishing, at the first access terminal, a D2D link with a third access terminal; and
in response to a determination that the access point does not provide the one or more desired network services, transmitting another network feedback expression request to the third access terminal.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the status or availability of the one or more network services associated with the access point comprise:
a radio link failure (RLF) status of the access point;
a voice service support status of the access point;
a voice service quality status of the access point;
a voice service type of the access point;
a Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) support status of the access point;
a data quality status of the access point;
a short message service (SMS) availability status;
a SMS support type of the access point; or
any combination of the foregoing.

20. An apparatus for sharing netw

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Krishnamoorthy Parthasarathy
• Mohan Prashanth
• Vasanthasenan Krishnakumar
• Kitabi Ammar
• Kaivaram Pavan
• Appani Praveen Kumar
• Bathija Jayesh
• Esteves Eduardo
• Gupta Vikas
• Tsirtsis Georgios

Classifications

• H04W76/23 Primary

  Manipulation of direct-mode connections · CPC title

• H04W48/14

  using user query {or user detection} · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/14

  Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] · CPC title

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title