Cell Congestion Shaping Using Historical Load and UE Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cellular network traffic management systems struggle to effectively manage congestion, particularly for multimedia content like video, as they often rely on static round-trip-time thresholds that can lead to false positives or under-treatment, affecting all flows in a cell without considering individual device types or subscriber plans.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses historical load data and real-time cell mapping to identify congested cells, applying congestion shaping (CS) procedures dynamically based on subscriber plans, cell capacity, and bandwidth, ensuring accurate treatment of video content flows.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If static round-trip-time thresholds are used for congestion detection, then the system is simple to operate, but false positives occur and treatment accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecongestion detection simplicityVSAvoidcongestion detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from static round-trip-time thresholds to dynamic congestion detection using historical load data and real-time cell mapping. The system continuously updates congestion status based on current network conditions, device types, and subscriber plans, making the detection mechanism adaptive rather than fixed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameters used for congestion detection from simple round-trip-time thresholds to a multi-parameter approach including historical load data, cell capacity, bandwidth, device type, and subscriber plan. This allows for more precise and context-aware congestion identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If congestion shaping is applied to all flows in a cell, then network-wide congestion management is achieved, but individual device and subscriber plan considerations are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork-wide congestion managementVSAvoidindividual device and plan adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies congestion shaping with local quality by differentiating treatment based on device type and subscriber plan within each cell. Instead of uniform application, the system tailors shaping parameters to specific UE characteristics, allowing customized quality of service for different user segments while maintaining overall network congestion control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the network traffic into different categories based on device type and subscriber plan, applying appropriate congestion shaping policies to each segment. This segmentation enables both network-wide management and individualized treatment simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If historical load data and real-time cell mapping are used, then congestion detection accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecongestion detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-collecting and storing historical load data for each cell before congestion detection is needed. This historical data is maintained in a database, allowing the system to quickly reference past patterns without real-time computation, reducing the complexity of real-time processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary component (network processor/database system) that handles the complex tasks of storing historical load data, real-time cell mapping, and congestion determination. This intermediary absorbs the computational complexity, keeping the overall system architecture manageable while enabling sophisticated congestion detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260032088A1Congestion-aware traffic management using historical load data and real-time cell mapping

Publication Date: 2026.01.29 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system obtains information from a network element of a communication network that includes cells each associated with user equipment devices (UEs); the information includes mapping data for each of the cells and the UEs associated with the respective cells, and the network element is in communication with the processing system via the communication network. The method also includes generating a historical record of cell load data representing content distributed to the cells from the processing system; determining that a cell is congested, based on the historical record; and performing a congestion shaping (CS) procedure for each of the UEs associated with the congested cell. Other embodiments are disclosed.