# US 11,909,614 B2 · Systems and methods for mobility aware multi-access edge computing device selection and relocation

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- Number: US 11,909,614 B2
- Document ID: US11909614B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/815,589
- Filed: 2022-07-28
- Published: 2022-11-17
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-26
- Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Inventors: Joseph Ho
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909614B2

## CPC

- H04L 43/0852: Delays
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04W 36/26: by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
- H04W 36/304: {due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality}
- H04W 88/18: Service support devices; Network management devices
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A user equipment may determine a latency requirement of the user equipment, and may determine a first set of latencies between the user equipment and a first multi-access edge computing (MEC) device. The user equipment may determine a second set of latencies between the user equipment and a second MEC device, and may calculate a first violation probability based on the latency requirement and the first set of latencies. The user equipment may calculate a second violation probability based on the latency requirement and the second set of latencies, and may identify the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on the first violation probability and the second violation probability. The user equipment may selectively initiate a MEC handoff of the user equipment to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on identifying the first MEC device or the second MEC device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
determining, by a device, a latency requirement of a user equipment (UE);
determining, by the device, a first set of latencies between the UE and a first multi-access edge computing (MEC) device;
determining, by the device, a second set of latencies between the UE and a second MEC device;
comparing, by the device, the latency requirement and a first latency of the first set of latencies to determine a probability that the first MEC will not be able to meet the latency requirement during handoff based on a movement of the UE to a new cell or base station;
comparing, by the device, the latency requirement and a second latency of the second set of latencies; and
selectively initiating, by the device, a MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the first latency, and the second latency.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising one of:
performing a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device fails to provide the particular latency performance; or
performing a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency; and
preventing the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a third set of latencies between the UE and the first MEC device;
determining a fourth set of latencies between the UE and the second MEC device;
comparing, by the device, the latency requirement and a third latency of the third set of latencies;
comparing, by the device, the latency requirement and a fourth latency of the fourth set of latencies; and
selectively initiating, by the device, the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein selectively initiating the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency comprises:
performing a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device of the UE provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device of the UE fails to provide the particular latency performance; or
performing a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency; and
preventing the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency and a result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency,
wherein the result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency identifies a probability that the first MEC device will not be able to meet the latency requirement if the UE moves from a serving cell to a neighbor cell, and
wherein the result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency identifies a probability that the second MEC device will not be able to meet the latency requirement if the UE moves from the serving cell to the neighbor cell.

### Claim 8

A device, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
execute an application;
determine a latency requirement based on the application;
determine a first set of latencies between a user equipment (UE) and a first multi-access edge computing (MEC) device;
determine a second set of latencies between the UE and a second MEC device;
compare the latency requirement and a first latency of the first set of latencies to determine a probability that the first MEC will not be able to meet the latency requirement during handoff based on a movement of the UE to a new cell or base station;
compare the latency requirement and a second latency of the second set of latencies; and
selectively initiate a MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the first latency, and the second latency.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform one of:
a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device fails to provide the particular latency performance; or
a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC computing device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency; and
prevent the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine a third set of latencies between the UE and the first MEC device;
determine a fourth set of latencies between the UE and the second MEC device;
compare the latency requirement and a third latency of the third set of latencies;
compare the latency requirement and a fourth latency of the fourth set of latencies; and
selectively initiate the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, to selectively initiate the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency, are configured to:
perform a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device of the UE provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device of the UE fails to provide the particular latency performance; or
perform a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency; and
prevent the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine a result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency and a result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency,
wherein the result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency identifies a probability that the first MEC device will not be able to meet the latency requirement if the UE moves from a serving cell to a neighbor cell, and
wherein the result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency identifies a probability that the second MEC device will not be able to meet the latency requirement if the UE moves from the serving cell to the neighbor cell.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:
determine a latency requirement of a user equipment (UE),
wherein the latency requirement is associated with computing resources to be used to support an application being executed by the UE;
determine a first set of latencies between the UE and a first multi-access edge computing (MEC) device to determine a probability that the first MEC will not be able to meet the latency requirement during handoff based on a movement of the UE to a new cell or base station;
determine a second set of latencies between the UE and a second MEC device;
compare the latency requirement and a first latency of the first set of latencies;
compare the latency requirement and a second latency of the second set of latencies; and
selectively initiate a MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the first latency, and the second latency.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
perform a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device fails to provide the particular latency performance; or
perform a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC computing device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
determine that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency; and
prevent the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the first latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the second latency.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
determine a third set of latencies between the UE and the first MEC device;
determine a fourth set of latencies between the UE and the second MEC device;
compare the latency requirement and a third latency of the third set of latencies;
compare the latency requirement and a fourth latency of the fourth set of latencies; and
selectively initiate the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to selectively initiate the MEC handoff of the UE to the first MEC device or the second MEC device based on comparing the latency requirement, the third latency, and the fourth latency, cause the device to:
perform a MEC proactive handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC proactive handoff is a particular MEC handoff that is initiated when a current serving MEC device of the UE provides a particular latency performance or when the current serving MEC device of the UE fails to provide particular latency performance; or
perform a MEC pre-handoff to the first MEC device or the second MEC device,
wherein the MEC pre-handoff prepares the first MEC device or the second MEC device to support the UE prior to the MEC handoff.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first MEC device is a serving MEC device, and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
determine that a result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to a result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency; and
prevent the MEC handoff from the first MEC device to the second MEC device based on determining that the result of comparing the latency requirement and the third latency is equivalent to the result of comparing the latency requirement and the fourth latency.