Movik Networks

Telsima Corporation

Coriolis Networks, Inc.

Surya Kumar Kovvali

Charles W Boyle

Ramji Raghavan

Ravi Valmikam

Krishnan Ramakrishnan

Christopher Leary

Nizar K Purayil

John Hutchins

Mythili Vutukuru

Nitin Rana

Ronald Mark Parker

Rajat Ghai

Tarek Abou-Assali

Pattabhiraman Krishna

Gopal K Bonthu

Sandeep Agarwal

Yuyong Zhang

Ankush Gupta

John St Amand

Greg Alden

Thirumala Venkata Gupta Araveti

Raj Sirisikar

Keith Spinney

Ramakrishnan Krishnan

Methods for estimating Subscriber quality of experience (QOE) for mobile users accessing networks for different services from observed data in control and user planes in mobile wireless networks and then summarizing inferences per user, per service, per sector, group of sectors and other aggregate points, and exporting this information for reducing user churn, network planning and network tuning, application adaptation to improve QOE are disclosed. Methods for improving subscriber QOE metrics for certain applications, services and web-sites for improved monetization methods are also presented. The methods facilitate quantifying network goodness from the user application point of view, and exporting triggers to other network elements, such as SON Server, OSS and PCRF, when QOE anomalies are detected. Additionally, this exported information could also trigger content adaptation, delivery optimizations and other actions. Finally, client, server and intermediary enhancements to improve QOE of certain applications in delay/capacity varying networks are presented.

System and methods for estimation and improvement of user, service and network QOE metrics

A method of learning and identifying two unidirectional GTP-U tunnels corresponding to a user equipment (UE) in a device placed in a LTE network, where the device acts as a transparent proxy intercepting user plane and control plane protocols on the S1 interface, is disclosed. Methods of pairing the two unidirectional tunnels that belong to same UE, when there is no control plane information or when there is Control Plane information, but the NAS portions of the S1 Control that contain bearer IP addresses are encrypted, are disclosed. Control plane and user plane methods for associating GTP-U tunnels and the corresponding bearer plane IP addresses are identified. Additionally, methods for detecting mobility of a UE, as it moves from the coverage area of one E-NodeB to another, are disclosed. Methods for constructing an eNodeB topology map are also disclosed.

Destination learning and mobility detection in transit network device in LTE and UMTS radio access networks

Control Plane and User plane packet data are collected within the Radio Access Network using a plurality of network devices. Consolidation and summarization of this information is then performed to present a unified picture of RAN through abstract APIs to management and analytics applications. The invention identifies methods of retaining the collected network data, such as control and application protocol headers at the collection points, and consolidation and exporting this network data to management/reporting/analytics application using application driven rules for consolidation and summarization. Real-time statistical analysis tools, which may be used to predict failure and degradation trends and proactively control the underlying causes, are also disclosed.

Distributed RAN information collection, consolidation and RAN-analytics

A network device, capable of understanding communications between an end user and the core network on a RAN network is disclosed. In some embodiments, the device is able to decode the control plane and the user plane. As such, it is able to determine when the end user has requested multimedia content. Once this is known, the device can optimize the delivery of that content in several ways. In one embodiment, the device requests the content from the content server (located in the core network) and transmits this content in a just-in-time manner to the end user. In another embodiment, the device automatically changes the encoding and resolution of the content, based on overall monitored network traffic. In another embodiment, the device automatically selects or modifies the format and resolution options based on overall bandwidth limitations, independent of the end user.

Adaptive chunked and content-aware pacing of multi-media delivery over HTTP transport and network controlled bit rate selection

Methods for steering the access technology selection by a mobile device in an overlay Small-Cell and Macro Network, such as UMTS, LTE, CDMA, or WIFI are disclosed. This selection determination is based on the observed, real-time correlated and estimated network congestion, content-awareness, application/service expectations, and other criteria. Methods and procedures to influence network selection or control currently selected networks by propagating real-time correlated and consolidated information on a plurality of Radio Access Technologies to Access Points, or modifying the list of alternative Radio Access Technologies available at a location using standards defined mechanisms and parameters are identified. Additionally, steering content access and delivery through alternative access technologies, based on anticipated network usage by user's service activation, and the knowledge of the type, state and resource usage of a plurality of access networks when a mobile device connects to multiple access technologies through in-band or out-of-band mechanisms is identified.

Content and RAN aware network selection in multiple wireless access and small-cell overlay wireless access networks

A system and method to intercept traffic at standard interface points as defined by Cellular/Wireless networks (GSM/GPRS, 3G/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA, CDMA, WIMAX, LTE), emulate the respective protocols on either side of the interception point, extract user/application payloads within the intercepted packets, perform optimizations, and re-encapsulate with the same protocol, and deliver the content transparently is disclosed. The optimizations include but are not limited to Content Caching, prediction & pre-fetching of frequently used content, performance of content-aware transport optimizations (TCP, UDP, RTP etc.) for reducing back-haul bandwidth, and improvement of user experience. An additional embodiment of the current invention includes injecting opportunistic content (location based, profile based or advertisement content) based on the information derived while monitoring control plane protocols.

Content caching in the radio access network (RAN)

The present invention identifies methods and procedures for correlating control plane and user plane data, consolidating and abstracting the learned and correlated data in a form convenient for minimizing and exporting to other network devices, such as those in the Core Network and the Access Network, or the origin server, CDN devices or client device. These correlation methods may use Control Plane information from a plurality of interfaces in the RAN, and User plane information from other interfaces in the RAN or CN. IF the device is deployed as an inline proxy, this information may be exported using in-band communication, such as HTTP extension headers in HTTP Request or Response packets, or another protocol header, such as the IP or GTP-U header field. Alternatively, this information can be exported out-of-band using a separate protocol between the RAN Transit Network Device (RTND) and the receiving device.

RAN analytics, control and tuning via multi-protocol, multi-domain, and multi-RAT analysis

The current invention is applicable to a RAN-cache or proxy operating in a wireless mobile network that is functioning as a transparent inline device intercepting wireless mobile protocols such as UMTS, LTE, WIMAX, CDMA etc.), or a traffic off-load device connected to multiple interfaces towards the Core/Internet. The current invention identifies methods for pre-fetching content by emulating portions of a mobile client for gaining connectivity through the mobile-core network, or to use session contexts of other mobile clients in a way not to significantly effect charging and billing for the preloaded content. The pre-load decision of what to pre-load and when to pre-load may be locally derived within the RAN-cache/Proxy device, or in-coordination with a locally connected CDN (Content Delivery Network) device. Other embodiments of the current invention include the RAN-cache/Proxy providing interconnectivity from the locally connected CDN device to other CDN devices through the Mobile Core Network (SGSN/GGSN in UMTS, S-GW/P-GW in LTE etc.).

Content pre-fetching and CDN assist methods in a wireless mobile network

A method of generating optimal packet workload for achieving a balance between maximizing cell throughput and fairness across multiple users in UMTS/HSPA Network is disclosed. The packet scheduler of the current invention enhances the performance of other schedulers, such as Proportionally Fair Scheduler in NodeB and RNC in UMTS/HSPA Networks by monitoring recent RAN bandwidth to each mobile device, and increasing buffer occupancy of high rate data-flows in the RAN devices. The scheduler uses the desired performance goals of maximum cell throughput and fairness at various network congestion levels, and controls egress burst rate while delivering packets to the RAN (Radio Access Network).

Burst packet scheduler for improved ran efficiency in UMTS/HSPA networks

A packet scheduling method and apparatus with the knowledge of application behavior, anticipated usage/behavior based on the type of content, and underlying transport conditions during the time of delivery, is disclosed. This type of scheduling is applicable to a content server or a transit network device in wireless (e.g., 3G, WIMAX, LTE, WIFI) or wire-line networks. Methods for identifying or estimating rendering times of multi-media objects, segmenting a large media content, and automatically pausing or delaying delivery are disclosed. The scheduling reduces transit network bandwidth wastage, and facilitates optimal sharing of network resources such as in a wireless network.

Application, usage and radio link aware transport network scheduler

Content caching in the Radio Access Network (RAN)

An application mobility-management entity ('AME') in a radio-access network detects movement of a mobile device and routes application data for already-active application streams associated with the mobile device to the device's new location by establishing a connection to a second AME in the radio-access network. The second AME merges forwarded application data from/to the first AME for previously active application streams with the new application streams (e.g., new TCP connections) locally and forwards to/from the mobile device through the radio access network elements.

Session handover in mobile-network content-delivery devices

The current invention defines a device and a method of logically inserting the device between two other network devices, for example, in a 3GPP Radio Access Network. The device transparently monitors and interacts with one or more control protocol layers in the two neighboring devices. The invention defines methods by which the intercepting node selectively passes through or proxies (selectively modifying portions of the protocols content) in such as way that the neighbor nodes are un-aware of the intercepting device. The proxy operation implies that the intercepting node is capable of terminating some protocol elements, injecting some protocol elements, or modifying protocol elements before forwarding them in such a way that the operation is transparent to neighboring nodes. These selective insertion/modifications facilitate identifying signaling connections for specific mobile clients, and enhancing and modifying service features for dataplane accesses for those client devices, while transparently passing other protocol messages.

Growing community of inventors

Westborough, MA, United States of America

Surya Kumar Kovvali