Cross-Layer OTT Application Network Load Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of over-the-top (OTT) applications on mobile devices poses challenges for network operators and device manufacturers in analyzing their impact on network performance and battery life, as they generate significant signaling traffic and resource usage, leading to potential network disruptions and battery drain, even when not actively used.
Innovation Solution
A method using wireless communications network test equipment to simulate a network environment, monitor signaling and application data on a common time reference, and establish cross-layer measurement data to analyze the impact of OTT applications on network performance and power consumption, without requiring direct access to the device or network infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If OTT applications are installed and executed on mobile devices, then application functionality and user services are improved, but network signaling load and resource usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement approach into control plane monitoring (for signaling load) and user plane monitoring (for application data), allowing separate analysis of different traffic types. This segmentation enables the system to handle the complexity of multiple OTT applications by measuring their individual impacts on network resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces test equipment as an intermediary between the mobile device and the network. This intermediary captures and analyzes both control plane signaling and user plane application data, enabling objective measurement of OTT application impacts without requiring direct access to network infrastructure or device internals.
2Measurement precision
If control plane signaling is monitored to analyze network load, then signaling traffic analysis is improved, but user plane application data impact cannot be analyzed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control plane monitoring and user plane monitoring into a single integrated measurement system. By combining these previously separate measurement domains, the system can simultaneously analyze both signaling traffic and application data, providing comprehensive insights into OTT application impacts that neither measurement alone could provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The test equipment is designed with multi-functionality to handle both control plane and user plane traffic analysis. This universal measurement capability allows the same system to monitor signaling messages, application data, and their temporal relationships, eliminating the need for separate specialized tools.
3Measurement precision
If cross-layer measurement data is established from multiple sources, then comprehensive analysis capability is improved, but measurement complexity and synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by synchronizing multiple measurement sources to a common time reference before data collection begins. This pre-synchronization ensures that all subsequent measurements of control plane and user plane data are temporally aligned, simplifying the correlation analysis and reducing the complexity of post-processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes feedback loops that continuously monitor the temporal relationships between control plane signaling and user plane application data. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect and analyze causality patterns, such as whether signaling spikes correlate with specific application activities, thereby reducing measurement complexity through intelligent pattern recognition.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach for the analysis of the impact of over the top (OTT) applications is provided, which operate “over the top” of the network applications, with respect to network performance and power consumption on mobile devices. A wireless network for an application-carrying device separate from wireless communications network test equipment is simulated. A wireless communications interface between the simulated network and the application-carrying device is monitored. The monitoring comprises measuring signaling data on a control plane, and measuring application data on a user plane related to at least one application implemented on the application-carrying device. Cross-layer measurement data is generated based on the measured signaling data and application data. The signaling data and the application data are measured on the basis of a common time reference of the test equipment.