Adaptive Congestion Indicator for Wireless Traffic Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional traffic steering mechanisms in wireless communication networks often lead to congestion issues due to the ping-pong effect, where traffic is oscillated between cells, causing inefficient load balancing and network performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an adaptive rate of congestion indicator system that facilitates the transfer of congestion data between access points, allowing for intelligent traffic steering decisions based on real-time congestion levels, enabling efficient network selection and load balancing by steering traffic away from congested cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traffic is steered to an overlapping cell to offload congestion, then the load of the source cell is reduced, but the target cell becomes congested and traffic oscillates between cells
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining the congestion status of the target cell before executing traffic steering. The source access point queries the target access point to check its congestion level, and only steers traffic if the target is not congested. This preliminary check prevents the ping-pong effect by ensuring traffic is directed to appropriate cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the target access point provides congestion status information back to the source access point. This feedback loop allows the source access point to make informed decisions about traffic steering, adjusting its behavior based on real-time network conditions to maintain stability.
2Device complexity
If conventional traffic steering is used without congestion checking, then traffic distribution is simplified, but network performance degrades due to ping-pong effect
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism where the source access point acts as a mediator that queries and receives congestion status information from the target access point. This intermediary step enables informed traffic steering decisions without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as it uses existing communication interfaces between access points.
3Productivity
If traffic is continuously steered to balance load, then load distribution improves, but congestion issues arise due to oscillation between cells
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamic principles by continuously monitoring network conditions and adjusting traffic steering decisions in real-time. The source access point determines whether to steer traffic based on current congestion status, allowing the system to adapt to changing network conditions while preventing oscillation through conditional steering rather than continuous switching.
Data Source
AI summary
Traffic associated with user equipment that are served by a first radio access network is steered to a second radio access network based on a rate of congestion criterion. Network load is monitored by an access point to determine rate of congestion data associated with the access point. As an example, the rate of congestion represents a change in network load of the access point over a defined time period. The rate of congestion data is then transmitted to one or more neighboring access points that can utilize the rate of congestion data to facilitate traffic steering, load balancing, and/or neighbor relationship management.