Patent ID: 8428610

Claim:
A management gateway comprising: a processing unit configured to: implement a management function for providing tracking, activation and deactivation of bearers, and mobility management for mobile devices, monitor load conditions on the management gateway in real time, periodically determine a load capacity value based on the load conditions, the load conditions including information regarding at least one of processing unit usage, memory usage, and number of sessions active, and select one or more eNodeBs and one or more core network nodes in communication with the one or more eNodeBs to which the load capacity value is to be sent for use in assigning a mobile device to a mobility management entity (MME); a memory in operative communication with the processing unit where the load capacity value is stored and updated whenever a change occurs in the load capacity value; and a network interface configured to communicate with the one or more eNodeBs and the one or more core network nodes to allow the management gateway to send a message that reflects the load capacity value to the selected one or more eNodeBs and the selected one or more core network nodes.