Transport path-aware quality of service for mobile communications

A method for managing streaming media service to a plurality of user devices disposed within a plurality of transport craft traveling through a multi-carrier communications system, the method comprising:

• determining that a user device is presently consuming a first media content portion in transit aboard a transport craft traveling along a craft transport path through a multi-carrier communications system;
• associating the craft transport path as a device transport path for the user device responsive to the determining;
• computing a congestion map to indicate congestion conditions for a plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path, the congestion map indicating a first carrier as uncongested with respect to servicing the user device during a first service timeframe, and the congestion map indicating a second carrier as congested with respect to servicing the user device during a second service timeframe subsequent to the first service timeframe;
• identifying a second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the user device presently consuming the first media content portion;
• and
• scheduling transmission of at least some of the second media content portion to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device responsive to the identifying.

A mobility management system for managing streaming media service to a plurality of user devices disposed within a plurality of transport craft traveling through a multi-carrier communications system, the mobility management system comprising:

• a transport path modeler system to associate the craft transport path as a device transport path for the user device responsive to determining that a user device is presently consuming a first media content portion in transit aboard a transport craft traveling along a craft transport path through a multi-carrier communications system;
• a congestion modeler system to compute a congestion map to indicate congestion conditions for a plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path, the congestion map indicating a first carrier as uncongested with respect to servicing the user device during a first service timeframe, and the congestion map indicating a second carrier as congested with respect to servicing the user device during a second service timeframe subsequent to the first service timeframe;
• a terminal usage modeler system to identify a second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the user device presently consuming the first media content portion;
• and
• a mobility-aware scheduler system to schedule transmission of at least some of the second media content portion to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device responsive to the identifying.