Mobile Client Network Transition Priority List
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication networks face challenges in transitioning between network access points while ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) sensitivity and adhering to network administrative policy controls, as QoS in wireless mediums is location-dependent and difficult to determine from the network provider's perspective, and client-initiated transitions struggle to enforce policy controls effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method that generates a network transition priority list based on measured QoS data and network administrative policies, allowing mobile clients to rank and prioritize network connections while considering current location, application needs, and policy constraints, even when certain interfaces are disabled, ensuring power efficiency and compliance with administrative regulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network provider initiates network transitions, then network administrative policy controls can be enforced, but QoS sensitivity is lost because QoS variables are not determinable from the network provider side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional network transition initiation model by enabling mobile clients to autonomously initiate network transitions based on QoS measurements, rather than requiring network provider initiation. This inversion allows QoS-sensitive transitions while the network provider maintains policy control through a different mechanism (priority list manipulation), thus resolving the contradiction between QoS sensitivity and control enforceability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a priority list as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between client-initiated QoS measurements and network provider policy control. The priority list serves as a mediator that allows the network provider to enforce administrative policies without directly initiating transitions, thus maintaining both QoS sensitivity and policy enforceability
2Reliability
If mobile client continuously monitors QoS data for all networks, then QoS-sensitive transitions can be achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having the mobile client monitor QoS data only for networks that are ranked in the priority list, rather than continuously monitoring all available networks. The client performs QoS measurements selectively based on the prioritized list, achieving QoS-sensitive transitions while reducing unnecessary power consumption from monitoring irrelevant networks
Solution Approach 2:
The network provider performs preliminary action by generating and providing the priority list in advance, which guides the mobile client's QoS monitoring efforts. This preliminary prioritization allows the client to focus measurements only on relevant networks, reducing power consumption while maintaining QoS sensitivity
3Ease of operation
If network provider generates priority list based on administrative policies, then policy control is enforced, but QoS sensitivity is reduced because the list cannot reflect real-time client-specific QoS conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics by making the priority list updateable and adaptable. The mobile client can request updates to the priority list based on changing QoS conditions, and the network provider can modify the list to reflect new administrative policies or network conditions. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to maintain both policy control and QoS sensitivity over time
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for implementing a mobile client network transition are provided. In an embodiment, a network transition priority list including measured quality-of-service data for each of a plurality of networks within communications range of a mobile client is received. Each of the plurality of networks is ranked in accordance with one or more network administrator policies. An updated network transition priority list is generated based on the ranking of the plurality of networks, and the updated network transition priority list is transmitted to the mobile client.