QoS throttling for mobile devices
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorsXiangyang Li, Yigang Cai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Communication networks and methods are disclosed for performing Quality of Service (QoS) throttling for mobile devices. One embodiment comprises a network element that serves a mobile device for data services. The network element includes a control system that monitors usage of the mobile device that is accessing the data services. The network element further includes a policy system that identifies that the usage of the mobile device reaches a usage threshold, and determines a reduced QoS responsive to reaching the usage threshold. The control system then downgrades the QoS provided to the mobile device for data services based on the reduced QoS. The policy system may further send a notification to the mobile device that the QoS is reduced.
Claims20
A network element, comprising:
- one or more processors configured to execute, and a memory having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the network element to perform at least:
- monitoring usage of a mobile device that is accessing data services;
- identifying that the usage of the mobile device reaches a first usage threshold, which is lower than a data usage cap for a predefined time period, and determining a reduced Quality of Service (QoS) responsive to reaching the first usage threshold, thereby postponing data service termination through the end of the predefined time period;
- and
- downgrading the QoS provided to the mobile device for data services based on the reduced QoS prior to reaching the data usage cap.
A method of performing Quality of Service (QoS) throttling, the method comprising:
- monitoring, by a network element, usage of a mobile device that is accessing data services;
- identifying, by the network element, that the usage of the mobile device reaches a first usage threshold, which is lower than a data usage cap for a predefined time period;
- determining, by the network element, a reduced QoS responsive to reaching the first usage threshold, thereby postponing data service termination through the end of the predefined time period;
- and
- downgrading, by the network element, the QoS provided to the mobile device for data services based on the reduced QoS prior to reaching the data usage cap.
An LTE/EPC network, comprising:
- one or more processors configured to execute, and a memory having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the network to perform at least:
- monitoring usage of a mobile device that is accessing data services at an initial QoS;
- receiving a charging request from a Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) indicating usage of the mobile device, identifying that the usage of the mobile device has reached a usage threshold, which is lower than a data usage cap for a predefined time period, to determining a reduced Quality of Service (QoS) via which data service termination is postponed through the end of the predefined time period for the mobile device, and sending a charging response to the PCEF indicating the reduced QoS;
- and
- downgrading the initial QoS for the mobile device based on the reduced QoS prior to reaching the data usage cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.