Role-based attachment to optimal wireless network cores in a multi-role wireless communication network

A wireless access point is linked to multiple wireless network cores. The wireless access point wirelessly transmits a multi-role wireless network identifier for a multi-role network. The wireless access point wirelessly receives device attachment signaling indicating a device role from the wireless user device responsive to the multi-role wireless network identifier. The wireless access point processes the device role to select the optimal one of the wireless network cores from the multiple wireless network cores. The wireless access point transfers network attachment signaling for the wireless user device to the selected and optimal wireless network core.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Data communication networks serve user communication devices with user data services like internet access, media conferencing, machine communications, social networking, and the like. To extend the range and mobility of these user data services, the data communication networks deploy wireless access networks. The wireless access networks have wireless access points that communicate over the air with wireless communication devices. The wireless communication devices could be computers, phones, media players, machine transceivers, and the like.

The wireless access networks also have wireless network cores with mobility controllers, data gateways, user databases, and other network elements. Current wireless access networks attach wireless communication devices to the wireless network cores based on the user device identity and load-balancing algorithms like round-robin. Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks typically attach User Equipment (UE) to LTE Evolved Packet Cores (EPCs) based on the UE's International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI) and geographic location.

In some examples, a specific wireless network core is selected based on a user-defined mode. For example, a user work mode directs the attachment of the UE to an employer network core. A user home mode directs the attachment of the UE to the user's home network core. Unfortunately, the user mode approach does not work as well with machine-to-machine communications sometimes called the Internet of Things (IoT). The multitude of IoT applications have a far more diverse set of communication modes than human users. Current wireless access points do not efficiently and effectively select wireless network cores in the rapidly expanding IoT environments.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

A wireless access point is linked to multiple wireless network cores. The wireless access point wirelessly transmits a multi-role wireless network identifier for a multi-role wireless communication network. The wireless access point wirelessly receives device attachment signaling indicating a device role from the wireless user device responsive to the multi-role wireless network identifier. The wireless access point processes the device role to select the optimal one of the wireless network cores from the multiple wireless network cores. The wireless access point transfers network attachment signaling for the wireless user device to the selected and optimal wireless network core.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-2illustrate multi-role wireless communication network100to attach wireless communication device101to optimal wireless network core113based on the specific device role for wireless communication device101. Referring toFIG. 1, multi-role wireless communication network100comprises wireless communication device101, wireless access point110, and wireless network cores111-115. Wireless communication network100delivers wireless data services to wireless communication device101. Examples of wireless communication device101include computers, phones, media players, and machine transceivers. Exemplary wireless data services include Internet access, media conferencing, machine-to-machine IoT communications, and social networking.

Wireless access point110is made of computer systems and software. The computer systems have Central Processing Units (CPUs), Random Access Memory (RAM), data storage, Input/Output (I/O) transceivers, and bus interfaces. The CPUs retrieve the software from the memories and execute the software to direct the operation of the user devices. The software comprises modules for operating system, user device control, user data handling, network control, core selection, and the like.

Wireless network cores111-115comprise network elements like data gateways, mobility controllers, and user databases. Wireless communication device101and wireless access point110communicate using protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE 802.3, Internet Protocol (IP), and/or some other format. Wireless access point110and wireless network cores111-115communicate using protocols such as Time Division Multiplex (TDM), IEEE 802.3, Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM), LTE, Internet Protocol (IP), and/or some other format.

The user of wireless communication device101may manipulate the user interface to input a device role into wireless communication device101. Exemplary device roles include: non-human machine with critical communication requirements, non-human machine with non-critical communication requirements, human internet access without an independent voice calling service, human media conferencing, human media downloading, human social networking, non-human environmental sensor, non-human utility meter, non-human vehicle, and non-human wireless relay.

In a first operation, wireless access point110wirelessly transmits a wireless network identifier for multi-role wireless communication network100, such as a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier. Wireless communication device101receives the multi-role wireless network identifier, and in response to the multi-role network, wireless communication device101inserts its device role into its wireless attachment signaling. Wireless communication device101may alternatively skip wireless attachment or omit the device role for different wireless network identifiers.

In a second operation, wireless communication device101wirelessly transmits attachment signaling to wireless access point that indicates its device role. The attachment signaling could be Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. The device role might be human social networking, non-human and non-critical IoT, or some other device role.

In a third operation, wireless access point110processes the device role from the attachment signaling to select an optimal one of wireless network cores111-115. Wireless network cores111-115serve different types of user devices based on their device role. Some network cores may only serve devices having one specific role like content delivery, while other cores might serve many different devices having many different roles like a smartphone.

In one of many exemplary service architectures, wireless network core111could serve wireless communication devices that have the role of a non-human machine with critical communication requirements, while wireless network core112serves wireless communication devices with the role of a non-human machine with non-critical communication requirements. Environmental sensors, utility meters, wireless relays, and vehicles comprise a few examples of these non-human machines. The critical communication requirements have better network access, quality-of service, data latency, and other data communication metrics than do the non-critical communication requirements. In an exemplary service architecture, wireless network core113may serve wireless communication devices that have the device role of internet access without an independent voice calling service, while wireless network cores114-115serve respective wireless communication devices having the respective device roles of media conferencing and media downloading. Media conferencing network core114might comprise an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and media downloading network core115might comprise a downstream Content Delivery Network (dCDN). Other service architectures could be used.

To select the optimal one of wireless network cores111-115for wireless communication device101, wireless access point110matches the device role to the optimal core for that device role. In this specific example, the device role is internet access without an independent voice calling service, so wireless access point selects wireless network core113that serves user devices having that device role. Examples of independent voice calling services include Voice over LTE, (VoLTE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the like. Examples of dependent voice calling services include Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications and social networking applications.

In a fourth operation, wireless access point110generates and transfers network attachment signaling for wireless user device101to the selected and optimal wireless network core. In this example, wireless access point110transfers network attachment signaling for wireless user device101to optimal wireless network core113. The network attachment signaling could be an LTE S1-MME Initial UE message.

Referring toFIG. 2, the operation of wireless access point110is described. Wireless access point110wirelessly transmits a multi-role wireless network identifier for a role-based wireless access network (201). Wireless access point110receives wireless attachment signaling from a wireless communication device (202). The wireless attachment signaling indicates a device role for the wireless communication device responsive to the multi-role wireless network identifier. Wireless access point110processes the device role from the attachment signaling to select an optimal wireless network core for the device role (203).

To select the optimal wireless network core, wireless access point enters a data structure with the device role to yield the optimal network core. The data structure associates individual device roles with prioritized lists of wireless network cores. The data structure can be remotely configured and modified and may be customized for wireless access point110. To customize the data structure, any wireless network cores that are available to wireless access point110are identified. The device roles supported by these identified wireless network cores are then scored and prioritized by score. The device roles are then mapped to the wireless network cores with the best scores for their device role in the prioritized order.

Wireless access point110generates and transfers network attachment signaling for wireless user device101to the selected and optimal wireless network core (204). Wireless access point110then exchanges data between the wireless communication device and the optimal wireless network core to serve the device role (205). For example, wireless access point110may exchange data between a vehicle communication device and a wireless network core that is optimized to serve vehicles. In another example, wireless access point110may exchange data between a utility meter and a wireless network core that is optimized to serve non-critical IoT communications. In yet another example, wireless access point110may exchange data between a wireless social networking device and a wireless network core that is optimized to serve the social network.

FIG. 3illustrates Long Term Evolution (LTE) network300to attach User Equipment (UE)301-303to optimal LTE Evolved Packet Cores (EPCs)321-323based UE roles. LTE network300comprises UEs301-303, eNodeBs (ENBs)311-313, and Evolved Packet Cores (EPCs)321-323. Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) EPC321serves media conferencing UEs with IMS services. Content Delivery Network (CDN) EPC322serves media downloading UEs with content delivery services. Internet (INET) EPC323serves internet UEs with internet access services. IMS EPC321comprises Mobility Management Entity (MME)331, Serving Gateway (S-GW)334, Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW)337, and IMS servers340. CDN EPC322comprises MME332, S-GW335, P-GW338, and CDN servers341. INET EPC323comprises MME333, S-GW336, P-GW339, and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) servers342.

UEs301-303are each configured with a role-based Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID) and a device role. The device roles for this specific PLMN ID are IMS, CDN, and INET—although other roles could be used. ENBs311-313each host data a structure that associates the IMS device role with IMS EPC321, the CDN device role with CDN EPC322, and the INET device role with INET EPC323. ENBs311-313broadcast the role-based PLMN ID. UEs301-303respond to this specific PLMN ID by transferring LTE Radio Resource Control (RRC) attachment signaling to ENBs311-313that indicates their individual device role.

ENBs311-313process the device roles from the RRC attachment signaling to select the optimal EPCs321-323. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates a media conferencing device role, then ENBs311-313transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME331in IMS EPC321. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates a media downloading device role, then ENBs311-313transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME332in CDN EPC322. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates an internet device role, then ENBs311-313transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME333in INET EPC323. Additional device cores and device roles could be used. For example, an optimized social networking EPC with social networking servers could be added to serve social networking wireless user devices.

UEs401-403are each configured with a role-based PLMN ID and a device role. The device roles for this specific PLMN ID are vehicle, critical IoT, and non-critical IoT—although other roles could be used. ENBs411-413each host data a structure that associates the vehicle device role with vehicle EPC421, the critical IoT device role with critical IoT EPC422, and the non-critical IoT device role with non-critical IoT EPC423. ENBs411-413broadcast the role-based PLMN ID. UEs401-403respond to the multi-role PLMN ID by transferring LTE RRC attachment signaling to ENBs411-413that indicates their individual device role.

ENBs411-413process the device roles from the RRC attachment signaling to select the optimal EPCs421-423. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates a vehicle device role, then ENBs411-413transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME431in vehicle EPC421. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates a critical IoT device role, then ENBs411-413transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME432critical IoT EPC422. If the RRC attachment signaling indicates a non-critical IoT device role, then ENBs411-413transmit the S1-MME initial UE attachment signaling to MME433non-critical IoT EPC423. Additional device cores and device roles could be used. For example, a wireless relay EPC could be added to serve wireless relays.

FIG. 5illustrates wireless access point500to attach wireless communication devices to optimal wireless network cores based wireless communication device roles. Wireless access point500comprises wireless communication interface501and data processing system502. Wireless communication interface501comprises transceivers (XCVRs)503-506. Wireless XCVRs503-504comprise communication components such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, digital-to-analog interfaces, bus interfaces, memory, software, digital signal processors, and the like. Network XCVRs505-506comprise communication components such as digital-to-analog interfaces, bus interfaces, memory, software, digital signal processors, and the like.

Data processing system502comprises processing circuitry507and storage system508. Storage system508stores software509. Software509includes respective software modules510-514. Processing circuitry507comprises CPUs and RAM. Storage system508comprises non-transitory, machine-readable, data storage media, such as RAM, flash drives, memory circuitry, and the like. Software509comprises machine-readable instructions that control the operation of processing circuitry507when executed.

When executed by processing circuitry507, software modules510-514direct circuitry507to perform the following operations. Operating system510interfaces between software modules511-514and wireless access point500hardware. User control and signaling (CNT/SIG) modules511interact with wireless communication devices to identify wireless communication device roles and to control wireless data services. User data modules512perform the wireless data services for the wireless communication devices over transceivers503-506. Network control and signaling modules513interact with multiple wireless network cores to control the wireless data services for the wireless communication devices. Core selection modules514select the optimal wireless network cores for the wireless communication devices based on their wireless communication device roles.