# US 10,484,918 B2 · Load balancing in wireless networks for improved user equipment throughput

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- Number: US 10,484,918 B2
- Document ID: US10484918B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/623,289
- Filed: 2017-06-14
- Published: 2018-12-20
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-14
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Applicants: At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Huahui Wang; Tae Won Cho; Gopalakrishnan Meempat; Henry Kafka; Ravi Raina; Xiaoyu Wang; Laurie Bigler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484918B2

## CPC

- H04W 36/06: Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
- H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
- H04L 43/0888: Throughput
- H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic
- H04W 28/0205: {at the air interface (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12)}
- H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- H04L 47/125: by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
- H04W 28/0247: {based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network (central resource management H04W28/16)}
- H04W 36/00838: {Resource reservation for handover}
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Distribution of traffic to cells in a communication network can be controlled. A distribution management component (DMC) can determine overall device traffic throughput for cells of a sector that satisfy a defined traffic throughput criterion relating to a harmonic mean of the device traffic throughput for the cells to desirably enhance or maximize the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput. Based on the overall device traffic throughput for the cells, the DMC can determine whether to adjust a characteristic associated with a cell of the cells to facilitate adjusting distribution of device traffic among the cells of the sector to achieve desirable load balancing of traffic by the sector and in the network. Load balancing can be achieved by controlling respective parameters with regard to communication devices that are in idle mode or connected mode to facilitate directing communication devices and associated traffic to desired cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
determining, by a system comprising a processor, an overall device traffic throughput, for cells of a sector associated with a base station device, that satisfies a defined traffic throughput criterion relating to a harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput for the cells of the sector, wherein the defined traffic throughput criterion is determined to be satisfied based on the harmonic mean being determined to satisfy a defined threshold value relating to the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput; and
based on the overall device traffic throughput for the cells, determining, by the system, whether to adjust an operational characteristic associated with a cell of the cells to facilitate adjusting a distribution of device traffic among the cells of the sector.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the defined threshold value relating to the harmonic mean is determined based on a maximization of the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
for a cycle, determining, by the system, a utilization of resources of the cells of the sector; and
for the cycle, determining, by the system, a target utilization of the resources of the cells that satisfies the defined traffic throughput criterion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the determining whether to adjust the operational characteristic associated with the cell comprises determining whether to adjust the operational characteristic associated with the cell based on the utilization of the resources of the cells and the target utilization of the resources of the cells, to facilitate the adjusting of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the sector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining, by the system, a differential value based on a difference between the target utilization of the resources and the utilization of the resources; and
determining, by the system, whether a version of the differential value exceeds a first threshold value relating to a first differential resource utilization value that is a first indicator that facilitates determining whether a target action is to be performed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the version of the differential value is a first version of the differential value, and wherein the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the first version of the differential value exceeds the first threshold value, determining, by the system, whether a first potential target action associated with the cycle is same as a second potential target action associated with a previous cycle; and
in response to determining that the first potential target action associated with the cycle is the same as the second potential target action associated with the previous cycle, determining, by the system, whether a value is less than a second threshold value relating to a second differential resource utilization value that is a second indicator that facilitates determining whether the target action is to be performed, wherein the value is determined based on a difference between a second version of the previous differential value and the first version of the differential value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
in response to determining that the value is less than the second threshold value, determining, by the system, that the first potential target action is the target action that is to be performed to facilitate the adjusting of the distribution of the traffic among the cells of the sector; and
performing, by the system, the target action.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristic associated with the cell is an idle mode parameter associated with the cell in connection with a device in an idle mode of operation, and wherein the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the idle mode parameter associated with the cell is to be adjusted, performing, by the system, a target action that comprises adjusting the idle mode parameter to facilitate the adjusting of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the sector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristic associated with the cell relates to an inter-frequency handover parameter associated with the cell in connection with a device that is in a connected mode of operation, and wherein the method further comprises:
in response to determining that the inter-frequency handover parameter associated with the cell is to be adjusted, performing, by the system, a target action to adjust the inter-frequency handover parameter to facilitate the adjusting of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the sector.

### Claim 10

A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining an overall device traffic throughput, of cells of a region associated with a base station device, that satisfies a defined traffic throughput criterion relating to a harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput of the cells of the region that satisfies a defined threshold value relating to the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput; and
based on the overall device traffic throughput of the cells, determining whether to modify an operational parameter associated with a cell of the cells to facilitate modifying a distribution of device traffic among the cells of the region to facilitate traffic load balancing among the cells.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the defined threshold value relating to the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput is determined as a function of a maximum harmonic mean associated with the overall device traffic throughput.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the operations comprise:
with regard to a cycle, determining a utilization of radio resources of the cells of the region; and
with regard to the cycle, determining a target utilization of the radio resources of the cells that satisfies the defined traffic throughput criterion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the determining whether to modify the operational parameter associated with the cell comprises determining whether to modify the operational parameter associated with the cell based on the utilization of the radio resources of the cells and the target utilization of the radio resources of the cells, to facilitate the modifying of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the operations comprise:
determining a net value based on a difference between the target utilization of the radio resources and the utilization of the radio resources; and
determining whether a version of the net value exceeds a first threshold value relating to a first differential radio resource utilization value that is a first indicator that facilitates a determination regarding whether a target action is to be executed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the version of the net value is a first version of the net value, and wherein the operations comprise:
based on determining that the first version of the net value exceeds the first threshold value, determining whether a first potential target action associated with the cycle is same as a second potential target action associated with a previous cycle; and
based on determining that the first potential target action associated with the cycle is the same as the second potential target action associated with the previous cycle, determining whether a value is less than a second threshold value relating to a second differential radio resource utilization value that is a second indicator that facilitates the determination regarding whether the target action is to be executed, wherein the value is determined based on a difference between a second version of the previous net value and the first version of the net value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:
in response to determining that the value is less than the second threshold value, determining that the first potential target action is the target action that is to be executed to facilitate the modifying of the distribution of the traffic among the cells of the region; and
executing the target action to facilitate the traffic load balancing among the cells.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the operational parameter associated with the cell is an idle mode parameter associated with the cell in connection with a device operating in an idle mode, and wherein the operations comprise:
in response to determining that the idle mode parameter associated with the cell is to be modified, executing a target action that modifies the idle mode parameter associated with the cell to facilitate the modifying of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the operational parameter associated with the cell relates to an inter-frequency handover parameter associated with the cell in connection with a device that is in a connected mode of operation, and wherein the operations comprise:
in response to determining that the inter-frequency handover parameter associated with the cell is to be modified, executing a target action that modifies the inter-frequency handover parameter to facilitate the modifying of the distribution of the device traffic among the cells of the region.

### Claim 19

A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining an overall device traffic throughput, of cells of a sector associated with a base station device, that satisfies a defined traffic throughput criterion relating to a harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput of the cells of the sector that satisfies a defined threshold value relating to the harmonic mean of the overall device traffic throughput; and
based on the overall device traffic throughput of the cells, determining whether to adjust an operating parameter associated with a cell of the cells to facilitate adjusting an apportionment of device traffic among the cells of the sector.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:
with regard to a cycle, determining a utilization of resources of the cells of the sector; and
with regard to the cycle, determining a target utilization of the resources of the cells that satisfies the defined traffic throughput criterion, wherein the determining whether to adjust the operating parameter associated with the cell comprises determining whether to adjust the operating parameter associated with the cell as a function of the utilization of the resources of the cells and the target utilization of the resources of the cells, to facilitate the adjusting of the apportionment of the device traffic among the cells of the sector.