WO2008147315A1 - A method of transmitting data in a radio system network - Google Patents

A method of transmitting data in a radio system network Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008147315A1
WO2008147315A1 PCT/SE2008/050608 SE2008050608W WO2008147315A1 WO 2008147315 A1 WO2008147315 A1 WO 2008147315A1 SE 2008050608 W SE2008050608 W SE 2008050608W WO 2008147315 A1 WO2008147315 A1 WO 2008147315A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
data
mobile station
content server
content
radio system
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2008/050608
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Mårten NORMAN
Jacob ÖSTERLING
Original Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) filed Critical Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Publication of WO2008147315A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008147315A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
    • H04L47/10—Flow control; Congestion control
    • H04L47/12—Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
    • H04L47/125—Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W28/00—Network traffic management; Network resource management
    • H04W28/02—Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control

Definitions

  • a radio system network has limited capabilities when transporting data. Hence if data rates exceed the maximum capacity of the radio system network, the system must be equipped with functionality to handle such a scenario.
  • Today cellular radio systems employ traffic classes offering different Quality of service (QoS). By using traffic classes peaks can be handled, avoided or reduced by delaying data, reducing bandwidth or dropping traffic. All such measures can be made in a controlled way where low QoS traffic classes will suffer most.
  • QoS Quality of service
  • Admission Control is employed to check if further traffic can be added without overloading the cell.
  • Congestion Control Another method is called Congestion Control, which is used to drop traffic in an overloaded cell in a controlled way, by removing traffic in classes with low QoS first.
  • US patent No 6, 697,738 describes a wireless network for transmitting data packets.
  • the data transmission activity is determined using a localized air interface capacity threshold. Adding additional capacity in existing networks is expensive and it is also desired to use the full capacity of the network at all times thereby reducing the cost per data unit transmitted in the radio network.
  • Walkman cellular phone e.g. a cell phone including a MP3 player.
  • the user is a subscriber to new mp3 songs supplied from a Content server, but the user is not willing to pay a lot of money for download over the cellular system.
  • Such subscriber data can be scheduled at low cost over the Radio Access Network RAN during times when the capacity of the radio system network is otherwise not fully used.
  • the invention uses the fact that some data, such as MP3 songs, podcasts on subscription etc is not very time critical. The user does not care if it arrives in a minute or an hour or maybe even tomorrow - the important thing is that fresh content is arriving at regular intervals.
  • - Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a radio system network
  • - Fig. 2 is a view of a procedure used for transmitting time insensitive data.
  • a view illustrating a radio system network 100 is shown.
  • the system is adapted to enable connection to a mobile station also termed UE (User Equipment) 101 connectable to the system.
  • UE User Equipment
  • the UE can for example in the example a combined MP3 player 103 and mobile telephone.
  • the UE further comprises a time insensitive application 105.
  • the application 105 can for example be a download application for downloading MP3 songs or a daily newspaper.
  • the radio system network 100 can for example be a cellular radio network comprising a Radio Access Network (RAN) 107 through which the UE can connect to the radio system.
  • the RAN can be any type of access network such as for example a UMTS/GSM/LTE/WLAN or similar.
  • the radio system comprises an Application server 109 adapted to provide data to the time insensitive application of the UE and all other UEs that may from time to time be connected to the radio system 100.
  • the application server 109 is connected to the IP multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 111 of the radio system 100.
  • the IMS 111 is also connected to the RAN and to a content server 113 wherein data which an application in a UE may request is stored.
  • the content server 113 is able to send files e.g. MP3 files to UEs within the radio network.
  • the content server can be connected to the network by being directly connected to the IMS or connected to the IMS over the internet.
  • the content server preferably has a relation to the application in UE. For example the UE application is contracted to receive data from the content server.
  • the application server is adapted to monitor the RAN and to spot time periods when the full capacity of a part of the RAN is not fully used. For example if the load in a cell is below a predetermined threshold for more than a predetermined time that may trigger the application server to identify UEs within that cell and initiate a download from the content server to those UEs of time insensitive data requested by the corresponding applications in the UEs of that cell.
  • FIG. 2 a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure used for delivering data from the content server to the application in the UE.
  • the content server receives new data that can or should be made available to the subscriber applications contracted to receive content from the content server.
  • the content server can send a message such as a Short Message Service (SMS) message to the application in the UE informing that new content is available in a step 203.
  • SMS Short Message Service
  • the message may also comprise a description of the new content and other information relating to the new content.
  • additional information may comprise:
  • the application in the UE Upon reception of a message from the content server the application in the UE sends a request in a step 205 to the application server, for example using an SMS or SIP message, to request a time slot for transfer of the content made available by the content server.
  • the application server In response to such a message from the UE application the application server puts the request in queue together with requests from other UEs in a step 207. Depending on the traffic load and the size of the queue there may now be a long or short delay before the application server can find a suitable time slot for transferring the requested data.
  • the application server determines that it is time for the requested data to be transferred to the UE application in a step 208. In accordance with one embodiment low load in the system is determined to exist when the load in the cell where the mobile station is located is below a pre-set threshold value.
  • the application server When a queue procedure of the application server determines that it is time for the requested data to be transferred to the UE application, the application server initiates a download session by sending information, for example using an SMS message to the UE application in a step 209.
  • the message to the UE can for example comprise an Identity (ID) and a token.
  • the UE application downloads content from content server.
  • the token can be used towards the IMS to select proper QoS and charging, for the download.
  • the Queue algorithm in the application server is preferably adapted to distribute the transfers over time to avoid congestion. In addition it may be adapted to run most of the transfers at times when network load is low. The time periods when the network load is low can for example be determined by statistical data and/or by real-time information from received from the RAN.
  • the queue procedure of the application server may also keep track of access network available to the UE, to select suitable transport network, and time of transfer. For example when the UE has a WLAN connection, as many of the pending transfers as possible are initiated by the application server.
  • the application server may also have information about the subscription. For example the information about the subscription may include the amount of data allowed to transfer per day to the application and the priority of transfers, compared to other transfers handled by the same application server, and compared to other traffic types.
  • the method and system also allows an operator to offer a limited flat-rate subscription without adding capacity in the network. This may change the behavior of the users to use more data traffic to the UE.
  • the method and system also provide an optimized utilization of access networks by introducing pending transmissions which are executed when the user connects to a high-bitrate network.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

In a method and a system for transmitting data in a radio system time periods with low load in the system are identified, and data transmission of data that is not time sensitive is initiated during such periods.

Description

A METHOD OF TRANSMITTING DATA IN A RADIO SYSTEM NETWORK
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting data in a radio system network. In particular the present invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting data subscribed to by a subscriber.
BACKGROUND
A radio system network has limited capabilities when transporting data. Hence if data rates exceed the maximum capacity of the radio system network, the system must be equipped with functionality to handle such a scenario.
Today cellular radio systems employ traffic classes offering different Quality of service (QoS). By using traffic classes peaks can be handled, avoided or reduced by delaying data, reducing bandwidth or dropping traffic. All such measures can be made in a controlled way where low QoS traffic classes will suffer most.
In addition Admission Control is employed to check if further traffic can be added without overloading the cell.
Another method is called Congestion Control, which is used to drop traffic in an overloaded cell in a controlled way, by removing traffic in classes with low QoS first.
Furthermore US patent No 6, 697,738 describes a wireless network for transmitting data packets. The data transmission activity is determined using a localized air interface capacity threshold. Adding additional capacity in existing networks is expensive and it is also desired to use the full capacity of the network at all times thereby reducing the cost per data unit transmitted in the radio network.
Hence, there exist a need for a method and a system that is able to make the use of a radio system network more efficient.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to make the use of a radio system network more efficient.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and a device that is capable of taking advantage of unused capacity in a radio system network.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and a device that is capable of providing wireless low cost data transfer to subscribers of data.
These objects and others are obtained by the method and system as set out in the appended claims. Thus, by continuously monitoring the data throughput in different parts of a radio system network and identify time periods when there is capacity left and initiating transmission of low priority subscriber data to data subscribers present in such a part where radio capacity is available at such identified time periods subscriber data can be transmitted at a low cost and with no impact on users using time sensitive services.
For example consider a user with a Walkman cellular phone e.g. a cell phone including a MP3 player. The user is a subscriber to new mp3 songs supplied from a Content server, but the user is not willing to pay a lot of money for download over the cellular system.
By using the invention such subscriber data can be scheduled at low cost over the Radio Access Network RAN during times when the capacity of the radio system network is otherwise not fully used. The invention uses the fact that some data, such as MP3 songs, podcasts on subscription etc is not very time critical. The user does not care if it arrives in a minute or an hour or maybe even tomorrow - the important thing is that fresh content is arriving at regular intervals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a radio system network, and - Fig. 2 is a view of a procedure used for transmitting time insensitive data.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In Fig.l a view illustrating a radio system network 100 is shown. The system is adapted to enable connection to a mobile station also termed UE (User Equipment) 101 connectable to the system. The UE can for example in the example a combined MP3 player 103 and mobile telephone. The UE further comprises a time insensitive application 105. The application 105 can for example be a download application for downloading MP3 songs or a daily newspaper.
The radio system network 100 can for example be a cellular radio network comprising a Radio Access Network (RAN) 107 through which the UE can connect to the radio system. The RAN can be any type of access network such as for example a UMTS/GSM/LTE/WLAN or similar. In addition the radio system comprises an Application server 109 adapted to provide data to the time insensitive application of the UE and all other UEs that may from time to time be connected to the radio system 100.
The application server 109 is connected to the IP multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 111 of the radio system 100. The IMS 111 is also connected to the RAN and to a content server 113 wherein data which an application in a UE may request is stored. The content server 113 is able to send files e.g. MP3 files to UEs within the radio network. The content server can be connected to the network by being directly connected to the IMS or connected to the IMS over the internet. The content server preferably has a relation to the application in UE. For example the UE application is contracted to receive data from the content server.
The application server is adapted to monitor the RAN and to spot time periods when the full capacity of a part of the RAN is not fully used. For example if the load in a cell is below a predetermined threshold for more than a predetermined time that may trigger the application server to identify UEs within that cell and initiate a download from the content server to those UEs of time insensitive data requested by the corresponding applications in the UEs of that cell.
In fig. 2 a flow chart illustrating an exemplary procedure used for delivering data from the content server to the application in the UE.
First in a step 201 the content server receives new data that can or should be made available to the subscriber applications contracted to receive content from the content server. When such new content arrives the content server can send a message such as a Short Message Service (SMS) message to the application in the UE informing that new content is available in a step 203. The message may also comprise a description of the new content and other information relating to the new content. Such additional information may comprise:
- Size of the content
- Best before time so that the application knows when it should give up and transfer at any cost if the subscriber needs the content.
- the location, URL, of the content
Upon reception of a message from the content server the application in the UE sends a request in a step 205 to the application server, for example using an SMS or SIP message, to request a time slot for transfer of the content made available by the content server.
In response to such a message from the UE application the application server puts the request in queue together with requests from other UEs in a step 207. Depending on the traffic load and the size of the queue there may now be a long or short delay before the application server can find a suitable time slot for transferring the requested data. When a time period with low load in the system, and in particular in the part of the system where the UE is currently located, is identified, the application server determines that it is time for the requested data to be transferred to the UE application in a step 208. In accordance with one embodiment low load in the system is determined to exist when the load in the cell where the mobile station is located is below a pre-set threshold value.
When a queue procedure of the application server determines that it is time for the requested data to be transferred to the UE application, the application server initiates a download session by sending information, for example using an SMS message to the UE application in a step 209. The message to the UE can for example comprise an Identity (ID) and a token.
Next, in a step 211, the UE application downloads content from content server. The token can be used towards the IMS to select proper QoS and charging, for the download.
The Queue algorithm in the application server is preferably adapted to distribute the transfers over time to avoid congestion. In addition it may be adapted to run most of the transfers at times when network load is low. The time periods when the network load is low can for example be determined by statistical data and/or by real-time information from received from the RAN.
The queue procedure of the application server may also keep track of access network available to the UE, to select suitable transport network, and time of transfer. For example when the UE has a WLAN connection, as many of the pending transfers as possible are initiated by the application server. Moreover, the application server may also have information about the subscription. For example the information about the subscription may include the amount of data allowed to transfer per day to the application and the priority of transfers, compared to other transfers handled by the same application server, and compared to other traffic types.
Using the method and system as described herein will accomplish a more evenly spread traffic load in a radio system, but not by reducing traffic at peak, but rather to fill the unused capacity with content. Thus using the method and system as described herein an operator can use the network more efficiently by providing services that is not contributing to peak load.
The method and system also allows an operator to offer a limited flat-rate subscription without adding capacity in the network. This may change the behavior of the users to use more data traffic to the UE. The method and system also provide an optimized utilization of access networks by introducing pending transmissions which are executed when the user connects to a high-bitrate network.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting subscriber data in a radio system from a content server to a mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:
- identifying (201) subscriber data to transmit from the content server to the mobile station - identifying (208) time periods with low load in the system, and
- initiating (209) data transmission of content server data during such periods with low load in the system.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein low load in the system is determined to exist when the load in the cell where the mobile station is located is below a pre-set threshold value.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of informing the mobile station when new content is available in the content server.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein informing the mobile station when new content is available in the content server also comprises information relating to at least one of: Size of the data, Best before time of the data and the location of the data.
5. A node (109) adapted to manage transmission of subscriber content in a radio system (100) from a content server (113) to a mobile station (101), the node comprising:
- means for identifying subscriber data to transmit from the content server to the mobile station
- means for identifying time periods with low load in the system, and - means for initiating data transmission of content server data during such periods with low load in the system.
6. The node according to claim 5, further comprising means for determining that a low load in the system exists when the load in the cell where the mobile station is located is below a pre-set threshold value.
7. The node according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising means for informing the mobile station when new content is available in the content server.
8. The node according to claim 7, further comprising means for transmitting information relating to at least one of: Size of the data, Best before time of the data and the location of the data to the mobile station.
PCT/SE2008/050608 2007-06-01 2008-05-23 A method of transmitting data in a radio system network WO2008147315A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0701338.6 2007-06-01
SE0701338 2007-06-01

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2897405A4 (en) * 2012-09-13 2015-10-14 Huawei Tech Co Ltd Content downloading method and related device and system
US10091115B2 (en) 2016-03-23 2018-10-02 Apple Inc. Handling voice and non-voice data under uplink limited conditions

Citations (4)

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US5434848A (en) * 1994-07-28 1995-07-18 International Business Machines Corporation Traffic management in packet communications networks
WO2000038348A1 (en) * 1998-12-18 2000-06-29 Nokia Networks Oy A method for traffic load control in a telecommunication network
US6697378B1 (en) * 1998-10-16 2004-02-24 Cisco Technology, Inc. Method and apparatus for class based transmission control of data connections based on real-time external feedback estimates obtained using messaging from a wireless network
US20060101168A1 (en) * 2004-10-21 2006-05-11 Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd. Apparatus and method for allocating data bursts in a broadband wireless communication system

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5434848A (en) * 1994-07-28 1995-07-18 International Business Machines Corporation Traffic management in packet communications networks
US6697378B1 (en) * 1998-10-16 2004-02-24 Cisco Technology, Inc. Method and apparatus for class based transmission control of data connections based on real-time external feedback estimates obtained using messaging from a wireless network
WO2000038348A1 (en) * 1998-12-18 2000-06-29 Nokia Networks Oy A method for traffic load control in a telecommunication network
US20060101168A1 (en) * 2004-10-21 2006-05-11 Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd. Apparatus and method for allocating data bursts in a broadband wireless communication system

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Title
JOHNSON C. AND KHALAB J.: "Load based radio resource management for UMTS picocells", 3G MOBILE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, 2003. 3G 2003. 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, 25 June 2003 (2003-06-25) - 27 June 2003 (2003-06-27), pages 88 - 92, XP003023872 *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2897405A4 (en) * 2012-09-13 2015-10-14 Huawei Tech Co Ltd Content downloading method and related device and system
US9924016B2 (en) 2012-09-13 2018-03-20 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Content download method, related device, and system
US10091115B2 (en) 2016-03-23 2018-10-02 Apple Inc. Handling voice and non-voice data under uplink limited conditions
US10397119B2 (en) 2016-03-23 2019-08-27 Apple Inc. Handling voice and non-voice data under uplink limited conditions

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