US 10,764,336 B1Granted

Controlling timing of dedicated-bearer setup based on base station load

AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.

InventorsSathyanarayanan Raghunathan, Muthukumaraswamy Sekar, Maheswaran Vijayakumar, Suresh Majjara

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Abstract

In a wireless communication system where a wireless access network includes a base station providing coverage in which to serve devices and where the wireless access network provides connectivity with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a method and system to help manage network resources by dynamically controlling when setup of a dedicated bearer will be invoked for a packet-based call placed by a device served by the base station. If the base station is lightly loaded, then setup of dedicated bearer could be invoked before the called party answers the call. Whereas, if the base station is heavily loaded, then setup of the dedicated bearer could be invoked if and when the called party has answered.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for resource management in a wireless access network, wherein the wireless access network includes a base station that provides coverage in which to serve user equipment devices (UEs) and the wireless access network provides connectivity with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the method comprising:

determining load of the base station;
and
based on the determined load, controlling whether, when a packet-based call is placed from a UE served by the base station to a called party, setup for the UE of a dedicated bearer to carry content of the call through the wireless access network will be invoked (i) before the called party answers the call or rather (ii) if and when the called party has answered the call,
wherein controlling based on the determined load whether setup of the dedicated bearer will be invoked before the called party answers the call or rather if and when the called party has answered the call comprises (i) if the determined load is lower than a predefined threshold level, then causing setup of the dedicated bearer to be invoked before the called party answers the call and (ii) if the determined load is not lower than the predefined threshold level, then causing setup of the dedicated bearer to be invoked if and when the called party has answered the call.

1 more element

A method for resource management in a wireless communication system, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a base station and a gateway system, the base station providing coverage in which to serve user equipment devices (UEs) and having an interface with the gateway system, and the gateway system providing for communication with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the method comprising:

evaluating load of the base station;
based on the evaluating of the load of the base station, making a decision of whether, when a packet-based call to a called party is placed through the wireless communication system from a UE served by the base station, setup of a dedicated bearer between the UE and the gateway system for carrying bearer data of the call should be invoked (i) before the called party answers the call or rather (ii) once the called party has answered the call, wherein making the decision based on the evaluating of load of the base station comprises (i) if the load of the base station is lower than a predefined threshold, then deciding that the setup of the dedicated bearer should be invoked before the called party answers the call and (ii) if the load of the base station is not lower than a predefined threshold, then deciding that the setup of the dedicated bearer should be invoked once the called party has answered the call;
and
causing the wireless communication system to operate in accordance with the decision.

1 more element

A wireless access network comprising a base station, a gateway system, and a control system, wherein the base station provides coverage in which to serve user equipment devices (UEs), wherein the gateway system provides connectivity with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and wherein the control system controls setup of dedicated bearers within the wireless access network to carry bearer data of communication sessions,

the control system being configured to make a decision, based on load of the base station, of whether, when a packet-based call to a called party is placed through the wireless access network from a UE served by the base station, setup of a dedicated bearer for the call should be invoked (i) before the called party answers the call or rather (ii) if and when the called party has answered the call, wherein making the decision, based on load of the base station, of whether setup of the dedicated bearer for the call should be invoked before the called party answers the call or rather if and when the called party has answered the call comprises (i) if the load is lower than a predefined threshold level, then deciding that setup of the dedicated bearer should be invoked before the called party answers the call and (ii) if the load is not lower than the predefined threshold level, then deciding that setup of the dedicated bearer should be invoked if and when the called party has answered the call, and
the control system being configured to operate in accordance with the decision.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.