Identifying communication paths based on packet data network gateway status reports
AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.
InventorsSaravana Velusamy, Sreekar Marupaduga, Ryan P. Dreiling
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Abstract
Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software to manage communication paths for wireless communication devices. In one example, a method of operating a mobility management entity includes receiving a plurality of status reports from a plurality of packet data network gateways, and identifying a communication request for a wireless communication device. The method further includes determining a communication path for the wireless communication device based on the plurality of status reports, and initiating a communication for the wireless communication device via the communication path.
Claims17
A method of operating a mobility management entity to route communications based on service capacity, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of status reports indicating subscriber capacity information from a plurality of packet data network gateways;
- identifying a communication request for a wireless communication device;
- determining a communication path for the wireless communication device based on the plurality of status reports from the plurality of packet data network gateways by identifying an available packet data network gateway for the communication path with enough capacity to handle the communication request based on the subscriber capacity information;
- and
- initiating a communication for the wireless communication device via the communication path;
- wherein determining the communication path for the wireless communication device based on the plurality of status reports from the plurality of packet data network gateways comprises:
- performing a domain name system procedure to identify a default packet data network gateway for the communication request;
- determining whether the default packet data network gateway meets a capacity criteria based on a status report for the default packet data network gateway;
- if the default packet data network gateway meets the capacity criteria, identifying the default packet data network gateway as the available packet data network gateway for the communication path;
- and
- if the default packet data network gateway does not meet the capacity criteria, identifying an alternative packet data network gateway that meets the capacity criteria as the available packet data network gateway for the communication path.
A computer apparatus to route communications based on service capacity, the computer apparatus comprising:
- processing instructions that direct a mobility management entity (MME), when executed by the MME, to:
- receive a plurality of status reports indicating subscriber capacity information from a plurality of packet data network gateways;
- identify a communication request for a wireless communication device;
- determine a communication path for the wireless communication device based on the plurality of status reports from the plurality of packet data network gateways by identifying an available packet data network gateway for the communication path with enough capacity to handle the communication request based on the subscriber capacity information;
- and initiate a communication for the wireless communication device via the communication path;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer readable media that store the processing instructions;
- wherein determining determine the communication path for the wireless communication device based on the plurality of status reports from the plurality of packet data network gateways direct the MME to:
- perform a domain name system procedure to identify a default packet data network gateway for the communication request;
- determine whether the default packet data network gateway meets a capacity criteria based on a status report for the default packet data network gateway;
- if the default packet data network gateway meets the capacity criteria, identify the default packet data network gateway as the available packet data network gateway for the communication path;
- and
- if the default packet data network gateway does not meet the capacity criteria, identify an alternative packet data network gateway that meets the capacity criteria as the available packet data network gateway for the communication path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.