Mobile Device Handoff Mechanism for Network Congestion Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless networks face congestion due to factors like excessive traffic bursting, overbooking, and mobile devices 'camping' on networks, leading to increased bandwidth demands and potential link dropping, especially with devices requiring continuous network connections for non-telephonic functionalities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing methods to initiate handoffs from a communication network to a target network that better handles specific download requests, with restrictions limiting resource usage to prevent long-term occupancy and maintain service priority for mobile devices, allowing short-term connections for efficient data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile devices camp on wireless networks for long-term occupancy, then network coverage and service availability are improved, but network congestion and bandwidth demands increase dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network connection into two distinct phases: a camping phase on the first network for maintaining service availability and priority, and a handoff phase to a second network for actual data transfer. This segmentation allows the device to benefit from both networks' strengths without overwhelming either network's resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a handoff mechanism as an intermediary between the device and the networks. The device hands off data transfer responsibilities to a second network while maintaining its camping status on the first network, allowing the first network to manage priority and the second network to handle bandwidth-intensive operations.
2Productivity
If handoff to target network is initiated for better download handling, then download speed and task completion are improved, but network resource management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by evaluating download requests and network conditions before initiating handoff. The system determines whether a handoff is necessary based on the download request characteristics and target network availability, preventing unnecessary handoffs and simplifying resource management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality requirements to different networks based on their capabilities. The first network maintains service priority and control functions, while the second network provides high-speed data transfer. This local quality differentiation optimizes overall system performance without requiring complex centralized management.
3Reliability
If restrictions limit target network resources for download requests, then service priority for mobile devices is maintained, but download request processing capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network functions by assigning control and priority management to the first network while delegating data transfer to the second network. This segmentation allows the first network to maintain service priority through restrictions without significantly impacting overall download capability, as the second network handles the actual data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The handoff mechanism acts as an intermediary that reconciles the conflict between service priority and download capability. By transferring the data transfer function to the second network, the system maintains service priority on the first network while achieving high download speeds through the second network's unrestricted resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
Implementations and techniques for maintaining service priority for mobile devices during network handoffs are generally discussed. These implementations and techniques include the steps of: determining that a download request is better handled by a target network than the communication network based at least in part on network visibility data; initiating a handoff request with the target network, wherein the handoff request is based at least in part on a restriction that limits the resources of the target network available to process the download request from the mobile device; and maintaining a service priority for the mobile device with the communication network while the mobile device is in communication with the target network.