Connectivity scheduler for nb-iot devices
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorVenson Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method performed by one or more network nodes of a wireless telecommunications network to schedule intermittent connectivity of multiple narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) devices with the network. The network node(s) can maintain a connectivity schedule that includes profiles for NB-IoT devices and cause the multiple NB-IoT devices to connect to the network in accordance with the schedule at different times based on priority levels associated with the NB-IoT devices. The network node(s) can adjust the connectivity schedule in response to detection of a condition of the network or the NB-IoT device.
Claims20
A method performed by one or more network nodes for managing connectivity between multiple narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) devices and a 5G network, the method comprising:
- maintaining a connectivity schedule that includes a device profile for each of multiple NB-IoT devices,
- wherein each device profile indicates a capability or a service of a respective NB-IoT device, and
- wherein the connectivity schedule categorizes each of the multiple NB-IoT devices into one of multiple priority levels based on the capability or the service of the NB-IoT device;
- causing the multiple NB-IoT devices to connect to the 5G network in accordance with the connectivity schedule,
- wherein the multiple NB-IoT devices are caused to connect to the 5G network at different time patterns based on the multiple priority levels of the multiple NB-IoT devices, and
- wherein the different time patterns include a particular time pattern for a particular NB-IoT device;
- detecting a change in a condition of the 5G network based on network activity;
- and
- in response to the detected change in the condition of the 5G network, adjusting the connectivity schedule for the particular NB-IoT device to connect to the 5G network in accordance with a new time pattern different from the particular time pattern.
At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing connectivity data for a narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) device of a wireless network and storing instructions to be executed by at least one processor, wherein execution of the instructions cause NB-IoT of a wireless network to:
- associate the multiple NB-IoT device with a priority level of a hierarchy of priority levels;
- cause the NB-IoT device to intermittently connect to the wireless network in accordance with a connectivity schedule,
- wherein the NB-IoT device is caused to connect to the wireless network at unique times among multiple NB-IoT devices of the wireless network in accordance with the priority level;
- and
- dynamically adjust the connectivity schedule based on a current condition of the wireless network.
A system of a wireless telecommunications network, the system comprising:
- a policy control function (PCF) node configured to:
- store multiple network access policies as a connectivity schedule for multiple narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) devices,
- wherein the connectivity schedule categorizes the multiple NB-IoT devices into one of multiple risk levels associated with time patterns in which the multiple NB-IoT devices are scheduled to connect to the wireless telecommunications network;
- and
- a unified data management (UDM) node configured to:
- enable the multiple NB-IoT devices to connect to the wireless telecommunications network in accordance with the connectivity schedule;
- receive an indication of a condition of the wireless telecommunications network based on network activity;
- and
- cause the PCF node to adjust the connectivity schedule based on the condition of the wireless telecommunications network and the multiple risk levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.