System and Method for Performing Network Selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317146-A1
Application number	US-201816028772-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The system and methods of the various embodiments enable fine grained network selection decisions. This may allow a mobile network operator, a cable operator, or a Wi-Fi network operator to define network selection rules that are not only based upon network availability, time, and location, but also on network signal strength, signal to noise ratio, link speed, and cellular network radio parameters. These rules may also be complimented with local device based policies and parameters, which may possibly be based on user preferences and/or network operator preferences. The system and methods of the various embodiments also prevent inadvertent Wi-Fi network selection decisions by incorporating a time threshold parameter which defines a time period for which a wireless device must have detected a specific Wi-Fi access point prior to performing network selection.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method of causing a user equipment device to evaluate a transition condition and select a wireless communication network, comprising:
determining, via a processor of a network selection policy server, a time threshold value that identifies a minimum amount of time that the user equipment device should continuously remain in a coverage area associated with a second wireless communication network before attempting to transition from using a first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network; generating, via the processor of the network selection policy server, an enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value; and causing the user equipment device to evaluate the transition condition by sending the generated enhanced network selection rule to the user equipment device, the evaluation including:
starting a timer in response to receiving a beacon that identifies a coverage area associated with the second wireless communication network, wherein the timer increments or decrements a time value;
monitoring a continued presence of the beacon while the time value does not meet or exceed the time threshold value;
determining whether the beacon was not present during the monitoring;
stopping and resetting the timer in response to determining that the beacon was not present during the monitoring; and
transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the beacon was present during the monitoring.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein determining the time threshold value that identifies the minimum amount of time that the user equipment device should continuously remain in the coverage area associated with the second wireless communication network before attempting to transition from using the first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network comprises determining the minimum amount of time that the user equipment device should remain in a coverage area associated with a Wi-Fi network before attempting to transition from using a cellular network to using the Wi-Fi network.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the evaluation further includes determining whether a value of a radio link property of the first wireless communication network meets or exceeds a threshold value of acceptable radio link properties; and transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the beacon was present during the monitoring further comprises transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the value of the radio link property of the first wireless communication network does not meet or exceed the threshold value of acceptable radio link properties.

24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein:
the evaluation further includes determining whether a value of a radio link property of the second wireless communication network meets or exceeds a threshold value of acceptable radio link properties; and transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the beacon was present during the monitoring further comprises transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the value of the radio link property of the second wireless communication network measured in the user equipment device meets or exceeds the threshold value of acceptable radio link properties.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the evaluation further includes:
evaluating a property of the user equipment device; evaluating an application state; or evaluating contextual information.

26 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving a network selection policy request message from the user equipment device, the received network selection policy request message including information measured by the user equipment device in the first wireless communication network, wherein generating the enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value comprises generating the enhanced network selection rule in response to receiving the network selection policy request message from the user equipment device.

27 . The method of claim 21 ,
wherein generating the enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value comprises generating the enhanced network selection rule to include a network selection policy; wherein the network selection policy includes a plurality of network selection rules; and wherein the network selection rules are generated based on information obtained from at least one of:
a policy management system;
a charging system; or
a subscriber management system.

28 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
using a machine learning technique to learn network usage patterns of the user equipment device over time; and determining priorities for a plurality of wireless communication networks based on the learned network usage patterns, wherein generating the enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value further comprises generating the enhanced network selection rule to include information suitable for causing the user equipment device to select one of the plurality of wireless communication networks based on its priority.

29 . The method of claim 21 , wherein:
generating the enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value further comprises generating the enhanced network selection rule to include:
at least one active network selection rule; and
at least one inactive network selection rule; and
the method further comprises:
activating an inactive network selection rule; or
deactivating an active network selection rule.

30 . A network selection policy server, comprising:
a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
determining a time threshold value that identifies a minimum amount of time that a user equipment device should continuously remain in a coverage area associated with a second wireless communication network before attempting to transition from using a first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network;
generating an enhanced network selection rule based on the time threshold value; and
causing the user equipment device to evaluate a transition condition by sending the generated enhanced network selection rule to the user equipment device, the evaluation including:
starting a timer in response to receiving a beacon that identifies a coverage area associated with the second wireless communication network, wherein the timer increments or decrements a time value;
monitoring a continued presence of the beacon while the time value does not meet or exceed the time threshold value;
determining whether the beacon was not present during the monitoring;
stopping and resetting the timer in response to determining that the beacon was not present during the monitoring; and
transitioning from using the first wireless communication network to using the second wireless communication network in response to determining that the beacon was present during the monitoring.

31 . The network selection policy server of claim 30 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that determining the time thresh

Assignees

• Openet Telecom Ltd

Inventors

• Fitzpatrick John

Classifications

• H04W88/06

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

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W36/04 Primary

  Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title