Traffic Steering Controller for Cellular to SRW Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication technologies face challenges in flexibly steering data traffic between heterogeneous networks, such as cellular and Short Range Wireless (SRW) technologies, due to variations in bandwidth and mobility, leading to suboptimal radio signal quality and service flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A mobile communication device equipped with both cellular and SRW wireless modules, along with a controller module that receives Radio Access Network (RAN) rules and offloading requests, allowing for the offloading of data traffic from a cellular network to an SRW Access Point (AP) based on specified conditions, such as signal quality thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data traffic is handled solely through cellular network, then mobility is maintained, but bandwidth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic traffic steering that adapts network selection based on real-time conditions. The system continuously monitors signal quality, bandwidth availability, and mobility requirements to dynamically route data traffic between cellular and SRW networks, optimizing performance according to changing environmental conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments data traffic into different flows that can be independently routed. By dividing traffic into cellular-borne flows and SRW-offloaded flows, the system can allocate bandwidth resources separately across heterogeneous networks, achieving both high bandwidth utilization and maintained mobility
2Quantity of substance
If data traffic is offloaded to SRW network, then bandwidth is increased, but mobility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts traffic offloading decisions based on mobility requirements. When high mobility is detected or required, the system maintains cellular network connectivity for control plane functions and selectively offloads only appropriate data flows to SRW, preserving mobility while still achieving bandwidth enhancement when conditions permit
3Reliability
If traffic steering is implemented without RAN rules, then system complexity is reduced, but service quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RAN rules as intermediary control mechanisms that mediate between the complex requirements of heterogeneous network management and the simpler execution needs of the mobile device. These rules provide a standardized framework for making traffic steering decisions, improving service quality through consistent policy enforcement while keeping device complexity manageable through rule-based automation
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile communication device is provided with a first wireless module, a second wireless module, and a controller module. The first and second wireless modules perform wireless transmissions and receptions to and from a telecommunication network and an AP using a cellular technology and an SRW technology, respectively. The controller module receives, from the telecommunication network via the first wireless module, at least one RAN rule and information concerning an amount of the data traffic to be offloaded and a level of granularity of the data traffic to be reported for offloading. Also, the controller module receives a first traffic offloading request from the telecommunication network via the first wireless module in response to determining that one of the RAN rule is satisfied, and offloads data traffic indicated by the first traffic offloading request from the telecommunication network to the AP via the second wireless module.