Abstract:
A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions operable by a processor. The set of instructions is operable to determine a metric related to connection delays in a network; determine a level of service degradation for a selected one of a plurality of mechanisms for accessing the network; and instruct a user equipment to use a further one of the plurality of mechanisms, if the level of service degradation for the selected one of the plurality of mechanisms is greater than a predetermined degradation threshold.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Users of mobile telecommunications devices may have a plurality of mechanisms by which their devices may be capable of accessing communications networks. Periodically, one of such a plurality of mechanisms may experience service degradation, such as due to high levels of traffic or equipment failures. In such a situation, it may be advantageous to direct network traffic to mechanisms other than one that is experiencing service degradation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions operable by a processor. The set of instructions is operable to determine a metric related to connection delays in a network; determine a level of service degradation for a selected one of a plurality of mechanisms for accessing the network; and instruct a user equipment to use a further one of the plurality of mechanisms, if the level of service degradation for the selected one of the plurality of mechanisms is greater than a predetermined degradation threshold. 
         [0003]    A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions operable by a processor. The set of instructions is operable to receive a metric related to connection delays in a network; determine a level of service degradation for a selected one of a plurality of mechanisms for accessing the network; and instruct a user equipment to use a further one of the plurality of mechanisms, if the level of service degradation for the selected one of the plurality of mechanisms is greater than a predetermined degradation threshold. 
         [0004]    A network device includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a metric related to connection delays in a network. The processor is further configured to determine a level of service degradation for a selected one of a plurality of mechanisms for accessing the network. The processor is further configure to instruct a user equipment to use a further one of the plurality of mechanisms, if the level of service degradation for the selected one of the plurality of mechanisms is greater than a predetermined degradation threshold. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary communications system. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary method for providing call routing using the exemplary system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments describe methods and systems for fault prediction and capacity management based on existing delays in call setup. 
         [0008]    Mobile telecommunications devices may be capable of accessing a communications network via a plurality of access methods. This may include, for example, terrestrial radio access network (“RAN”), satellite RAN, etc. When devices experience delays in connecting to a network, this may be due to delays in the network itself, or delays in the specific access method being used by the device. In situations&#39; where delays relate to a specific access method, it may be desirable to instruct devices to use another access method and thus avoid such delays. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system  100 . The system  100  includes a network  110  (e.g., a telecommunications network) that may be an IP based network. The IP network  110  is shown as including radio network controllers (RNC)  112  and  114  and Node B components  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126 . The IP network  110  also includes Quality of Service (QoS) component  128  and a Service Assurance (SA) component  136 . Those skilled in the art will understand that an IP network may include many other components generally referred to as network elements for performing the functionalities associated with the network and the network elements illustrated in  FIG. 1  are only exemplary. It should be noted that the network elements for the IP network  110  may be hardware components such as routers, etc. and may also be software components that are executed on computing devices. For example, the QoS component  128  may be a software program that is executed on a hardware server device that is within the IP network  110 . 
         [0010]    In addition, the system  100  also includes user equipment (UE)  140 ,  142  and  144 . The user terminals may include any type of hardware suitable for connection to the network  110 , such as mobile phones, smart phones, mobile computers, etc. The PSTN phone network  150  is also illustrated in  FIG. 1 . An alternate access network  130  for accessing the IP network  110  is also illustrated. Each of these components will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0011]    Initially, a connection (e.g., a phone call) between the UE  144  and the UE  142  is described. The connection is illustrated in  FIG. 1  via the dashed line. It should be noted that UE  144  or UE  142  may have initiated the connection. As shown by the dashed line, the UE  142  has a radio link with the Node B component  124  to establish a link with the IP network  110 . Within the IP network  110 , the connection includes the RNC  114  and the QoS component  128 . As described above, many other network elements, e.g., routers, network gateways, etc., may also be included within the IP network  110  and may be part of the connection. The connection then extends from the IP network  110  to the PSTN  150  and terminates at the UE  144 . 
         [0012]    Within the IP network, a signaling protocol may be used to establish the connection. One example of a signaling protocol is the Session Initiated Protocol (SIP). The exemplary embodiments are not limited to the SIP protocol, but may also implement other protocols that provide similar information as the SIP protocol. As part of setting up a connection using the SIP protocol, the QoS component  128  may determine the SIP Post Dial Delay (PDD) for the connection. Each network element (e.g., Node B  124 , RNC  114 , etc.) involved in SIP call processing will keep track of the SIP transaction messages is a SIP call is being set up. Each of these network elements may report this information to the QoS component  128 . The QoS component  128  will collect all the information from the network elements and may then report this information to the SA component  136  which may then calculate the delay in call setup, i.e., the PDD. In addition, the SA component  136  can also pinpoint each network element&#39;s contribution to the total PDD. Thus, the SA component will have knowledge of each network element&#39;s operation status and service degradation condition. 
         [0013]    The SA component  136  may then send this information to one or more of the RNCs  112  and  114  which may broadcast this data to the corresponding Node B components,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 . The RNCs  112  and  114  may then make determinations about its total capacity and the needed quality of service to handle new calls or handoff calls. The needed quality of service may be defined by a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for each customer. For example, the customer associated with the UE  142  may have a particular SLA which defines the quality of service and other parameters that have been guaranteed to that customer. The SA component  136  or the RNCs  112  and/or  114  may have this information so that they can determine the quality of service and other parameters guaranteed to the customer. If the RNC  112  or  114  determines that there is a degradation of the network elements based on the determined PDD such that the RNC cannot deliver the quality of service guaranteed the customer, the RNC may then instruct the UE (e.g., UE  142 ) to use a different access method. For example, if the UE  142  is currently using the terrestrial RAN to access the network  110 , the RNC  114  may instruct the UE  142  to access the network  110  via the alternate access  130  which may be, for example, the satellite based RAN. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary method  200  by which operation of a network may be coordinated. The method  200  will be described specifically with reference to the exemplary system  100 , but those of skill in the art will understand that it may apply equally to other types of networks that may be accessed by more than mechanism. The description of the method  200  will occur at a point when the UE  142  and other UE&#39;s (not shown) are accessing the IP network  110  via the terrestrial RAN via Node B components  124  and  126 , and the UE  140  is attempting to initiate access to the IP network  110  or attempting to handoff a call via the Node B components  124  or  126  and RNC  114 . 
         [0015]    In step  210 , the SA component  136  receives, from the QoS component  128 , records associated connections in the IP network  110 , e.g., the SIP transaction messages related to call set-ups. Records may be provided specifically for this purpose, or may be a subset of a broader set of records provided for more generalized network maintenance tasks. Again, as described above, the SIP transaction messages are used as an example, but any protocol that generates the type of information described herein may be used with the exemplary embodiments. In step  220 , the SA component  136  calculates connection delays based on the records received in step  210 . In one exemplary embodiment, this may be the PDD described above. 
         [0016]    In step  230 , SA component  136  determines, based on the connection delays calculated in step  220 , portions of delays due to each of the specific network elements in the IP network  110 . This may include delays due to equipment failures for the access paths, delays due to general congestion, etc. In step  240 , the SA component  136  provides the PDD data to the RNC  114  and any other RNCs within the IP network  110 . 
         [0017]    In step  250 , the RNC  114  determines a level of service degradation and/or its total capacity and the needed quality of service to handle new calls and/or handoff calls as a function of the delays determined in step  230 . In step  260 , the RNC  114  determines whether the levels of degradation determined in step  260  are above a predetermined degradation threshold. As described above, this threshold may be set based on the SLA of the customer. Thus, in this example, the SLA of the customer for UE  140  is relevant because the UE  140  is attempting to connect to the IP network  110 . 
         [0018]    If degradation of one network access path is above the threshold, then in step  260 , the RNC  114  instructs the UE  140  to use an access path or paths other than the path suffering from degradation above the threshold, e.g., the alternate access  130 . If no degradation above the threshold is determined to exist, then in step  280  the RNC  114  allows the UE  140  to access the IP network  110  via the Node B components  124  or  126 , e.g., the terrestrial RAN. After this determination has been made in step  260  and acted upon in step  270  or  280 , the method terminates. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the method  200  may be performed continuously within the IP network  110  and, as conditions change, the RNCs will direct the UEs to access the IP network  110  as deemed appropriate. 
         [0019]    The exemplary embodiments may thus enable traffic to be routed away from access paths that are experiencing service degradation and toward access paths that are performing at acceptable levels. As a result, a communications network overall network may be made more robust, capacity may be efficiently managed, and user experience may be enhanced as devices attempt to access networks using connection paths that are performing well rather than those that are performing poorly. 
         [0020]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.