U.S. patent application number 16/699999 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-03 for intelligent policy control engine for 5g or other next generation network.
The applicant listed for this patent is AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., AT&T Mobility II LLC. Invention is credited to Zhi Cui, Sangar Dowlatkhah, Paul Smith, JR..
Application Number | 20210168035 16/699999 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004523246 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210168035 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cui; Zhi ; et al. |
June 3, 2021 |
INTELLIGENT POLICY CONTROL ENGINE FOR 5G OR OTHER NEXT GENERATION
NETWORK
Abstract
An intelligent network policy engine can be utilized to apply
dynamic policy changes for microservices. For example, based on
outlined service provider policies, user equipment state data,
and/or network state data, the intelligent network policy engine
can determine which microservices to use and/or what order to use
the microservices to increase a performance of the network. The
intelligent network policy engine can perform conflict resolution
based on how network traffic should be treated in certain
scenarios.
Inventors: |
Cui; Zhi; (Sugar Hill,
GA) ; Smith, JR.; Paul; (Heath, TX) ;
Dowlatkhah; Sangar; (Cedar Hill, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
AT&T Mobility II LLC |
Atlanta
Atlanta |
GA
GA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004523246 |
Appl. No.: |
16/699999 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 41/0893 20130101;
H04W 24/02 20130101; H04L 41/0873 20130101; H04L 47/14 20130101;
H04L 47/14 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/24 20060101
H04L012/24; H04W 24/02 20060101 H04W024/02 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: facilitating, by first network equipment
comprising a processor, receiving state data representative of a
state of a first user equipment; in response to receiving the state
data, generating, by the first network equipment, policy data
representative of a policy associated with a network comprising the
first network equipment and second network equipment; as a function
of the policy data and the state data, generating, by the first
network equipment, a trigger condition to trigger functionality
associated with a microservice; and in response to generating the
trigger condition, facilitating, by the first network equipment,
sending, to the second network equipment, the trigger condition; in
response to the trigger condition being determined to have been
satisfied, prioritizing, by the first network equipment, the first
user equipment, wherein the prioritizing is based on an emergency
services resource request of the first user equipment being
prioritized over an entertainment resource request of a second user
equipment, and wherein the prioritizing results in an allocation of
a resource of the second user equipment to the first user
equipment.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is a
function of a type of service to be applied to the first user
equipment.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: establishing, by the
first network equipment, a priority associated with the type of the
service.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state data comprises network
load data associated with a network load experienced by the
network.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is a
function of a location of the first user equipment in relation to
the first network equipment.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is
associated with a network load to be experienced by the
network.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: facilitating, by the
first network equipment, applying, by the first network equipment,
the trigger condition to a network slice of the network to mitigate
network traffic congestion.
8. A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores
executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,
facilitate performance of operations, comprising: generating policy
data, representative of a policy, to be sent to network equipment;
in response to generating the policy data, sending the policy data
to the network equipment; receiving, from a first user equipment,
state data representative of a state of the first user equipment;
based on the policy data and the state data, determining a trigger
condition to trigger an action associated with applying a
microservice to the first user equipment; in response to
determining the trigger condition, sending the trigger condition to
the network equipment; and in response to the trigger condition
being determined to have been satisfied, prioritizing the first
user equipment, wherein the prioritizing is based on an emergency
services resource request of the first user equipment being
prioritized over an entertainment resource request of a second user
equipment, and wherein the prioritizing comprises allocating a
resource from the second user equipment to the first user
equipment.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a sequence for the microservice to be applied to the
first user equipment.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein a network comprises the network
equipment, wherein the first user equipment and the second user
equipment communicate via the network, and wherein the operations
further comprise: receiving load data representative of a load
associated with the network.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further
comprise: in response to receiving the load data, facilitating
applying the microservice to the first user equipment to reduce the
load associated with the network.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to the sending the trigger condition, modifying the
action associated with applying the microservice, resulting in a
modified action.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further
comprise: in response to modifying the action, receiving
performance data representative of a performance associated with
the modified action.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein a network comprises the network
equipment, and wherein the performance data indicates that the
modified action has been determined to have increased an efficiency
associated with the network according to a defined efficiency
criterion.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable
instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate
performance of operations, comprising: generating policy data
representative of a network service level agreement associated with
a network; receiving state data representative of a current state
of a first mobile device enabled for communication via the network;
in response to receiving the state data, generating threshold data
representative of a threshold associated with a distribution of a
microservice; in response to generating the threshold data, sending
the threshold data to a network equipment; in response to sending
the threshold data, receiving response data comprising an
indication that the threshold has been satisfied; in response to
receiving the response data comprising the indication that the
threshold has been satisfied, modifying the policy data, resulting
in modified policy data representative of a modified service level
agreement; and in response to the threshold being determined to
have been satisfied, prioritizing the first mobile device, wherein
the prioritizing is based on an emergency services resource request
of the first mobile being prioritized over an entertainment
resource request of a second mobile device, and wherein the
prioritizing allocates a resource from the second mobile device to
the first mobile device.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the operations further comprise: based on a location of the first
mobile device, facilitating distributing the microservice to the
second mobile device.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the operations further comprise: generating feedback data
representative of an efficacy of the modified policy data in
relation to the policy data according to a defined efficacy
metric.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein
the operations further comprise: in response to generating the
feedback data, transmitting the feedback data to the network
equipment.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein
the indication is a first indication, and wherein the feedback data
comprises a second indication that the efficacy of the modified
policy data has decreased from a first efficacy related to the
policy data to a second efficacy less than the first efficacy.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein
the indication is a first indication, and wherein the feedback data
comprises a second indication that the efficacy of the modified
policy data has increased from a first efficacy related to the
policy data to a second efficacy more than the first efficacy.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to facilitating an
intelligent policy control engine. For example, this disclosure
relates to facilitating a dynamic real-time intelligent policy
control engine for a 5G, or other next generation network, air
interface.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 5th generation (5G) wireless systems represent a next major
phase of mobile telecommunications standards beyond the current
telecommunications standards of 4.sup.th generation (4G). Rather
than faster peak Internet connection speeds, 5G planning aims at
higher capacity than current 4G, allowing a higher number of mobile
broadband users per area unit, and allowing consumption of higher
or unlimited data quantities. This would enable a large portion of
the population to stream high-definition media many hours per day
with their mobile devices, when out of reach of wireless fidelity
hotspots. 5G research and development also aims at improved support
of machine-to-machine communication, also known as the Internet of
things, aiming at lower cost, lower battery consumption, and lower
latency than 4G equipment.
[0003] The above-described background relating to an intelligent
policy control engine is merely intended to provide a contextual
overview of some current issues, and is not intended to be
exhaustive. Other contextual information may become further
apparent upon review of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the subject
disclosure are described with reference to the following figures,
wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
various views unless otherwise specified.
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication system
in which a network node device (e.g., network node) and user
equipment (UE) can implement various aspects and embodiments of the
subject disclosure.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates an example schematic system block diagram
of a mobile edge computing platform according to one or more
embodiments.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates an example schematic system block diagram
of an intelligent network policy engine according to one or more
embodiments.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates an example schematic system flow diagram
of intelligent network policy engine coordination according to one
or more embodiments.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram of a closed loop
control system according to one or more embodiments.
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates an example flow diagram for a method for
facilitating an intelligent policy control engine for a 5G network
according to one or more embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 7 illustrates an example flow diagram for a
machine-readable medium for facilitating an intelligent policy
control engine for a 5G network according to one or more
embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 8 illustrates an example flow diagram for a system for
facilitating an intelligent policy control engine for a 5G network
according to one or more embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 9 illustrates an example block diagram of an example
mobile handset operable to engage in a system architecture that
facilitates secure wireless communication according to one or more
embodiments described herein.
[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates an example block diagram of an example
computer operable to engage in a system architecture that
facilitates secure wireless communication according to one or more
embodiments described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various
embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize,
however, that the techniques described herein can be practiced
without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods,
components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known
structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in
detail to avoid obscuring certain aspects.
[0016] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment,"
or "an embodiment," means that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the
phrase "in one embodiment," "in one aspect," or "in an embodiment,"
in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily
all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular
features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any
suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0017] As utilized herein, terms "component," "system,"
"interface," and the like are intended to refer to a
computer-related entity, hardware, software (e.g., in execution),
and/or firmware. For example, a component can be a processor, a
process running on a processor, an object, an executable, a
program, a storage device, and/or a computer. By way of
illustration, an application running on a server and the server can
be a component. One or more components can reside within a process,
and a component can be localized on one computer and/or distributed
between two or more computers.
[0018] Further, these components can execute from various
machine-readable media having various data structures stored
thereon. The components can communicate via local and/or remote
processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more
data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with
another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or
across a network, e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide
area network, etc. with other systems via the signal).
[0019] As another example, a component can be an apparatus with
specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated by
electric or electronic circuitry; the electric or electronic
circuitry can be operated by a software application or a firmware
application executed by one or more processors; the one or more
processors can be internal or external to the apparatus and can
execute at least a part of the software or firmware application. As
yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides
specific functionality through electronic components without
mechanical parts; the electronic components can include one or more
processors therein to execute software and/or firmware that
confer(s), at least in part, the functionality of the electronic
components. In an aspect, a component can emulate an electronic
component via a virtual machine, e.g., within a cloud computing
system.
[0020] The words "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" are used herein
to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the
avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not
limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design
described herein as "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other
aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent
exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms
"includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in
either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are
intended to be inclusive--in a manner similar to the term
"comprising" as an open transition word--without precluding any
additional or other elements.
[0021] As used herein, the term "infer" or "inference" refers
generally to the process of reasoning about, or inferring states
of, the system, environment, user, and/or intent from a set of
observations as captured via events and/or data. Captured data and
events can include user data, device data, environment data, data
from sensors, sensor data, application data, implicit data,
explicit data, etc. Inference can be employed to identify a
specific context or action, or can generate a probability
distribution over states of interest based on a consideration of
data and events, for example.
[0022] Inference can also refer to techniques employed for
composing higher-level events from a set of events and/or data.
Such inference results in the construction of new events or actions
from a set of observed events and/or stored event data, whether the
events are correlated in close temporal proximity, and whether the
events and data come from one or several event and data sources.
Various classification schemes and/or systems (e.g., support vector
machines, neural networks, expert systems, Bayesian belief
networks, fuzzy logic, and data fusion engines) can be employed in
connection with performing automatic and/or inferred action in
connection with the disclosed subject matter.
[0023] In addition, the disclosed subject matter can be implemented
as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard
programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software,
firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a
computer to implement the disclosed subject matter. The term
"article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a
computer program accessible from any computer-readable device,
machine-readable device, computer-readable carrier,
computer-readable media, or machine-readable media. For example,
computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, a
magnetic storage device, e.g., hard disk; floppy disk; magnetic
strip(s); an optical disk (e.g., compact disk (CD), a digital video
disc (DVD), a Blu-ray Disc.TM. (BD)); a smart card; a flash memory
device (e.g., card, stick, key drive); and/or a virtual device that
emulates a storage device and/or any of the above computer-readable
media.
[0024] As an overview, various embodiments are described herein to
facilitate an intelligent policy control engine for a 5G air
interface or other next generation networks. For simplicity of
explanation, the methods (or algorithms) are depicted and described
as a series of acts. It is to be understood and appreciated that
the various embodiments are not limited by the acts illustrated
and/or by the order of acts. For example, acts can occur in various
orders and/or concurrently, and with other acts not presented or
described herein. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts may be
required to implement the methods. In addition, the methods could
alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states via
a state diagram or events. Additionally, the methods described
hereafter are capable of being stored on an article of manufacture
(e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) to facilitate
transporting and transferring such methodologies to computers. The
term article of manufacture, as used herein, is intended to
encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable
device, carrier, or media, including a non-transitory
machine-readable storage medium.
[0025] It should be noted that although various aspects and
embodiments have been described herein in the context of 5G,
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and/or Long Term
Evolution (LTE), or other next generation networks, the disclosed
aspects are not limited to 5G, a UMTS implementation, and/or an LTE
implementation as the techniques can also be applied in 3G, 4G or
LTE systems. For example, aspects or features of the disclosed
embodiments can be exploited in substantially any wireless
communication technology. Such wireless communication technologies
can include UMTS, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wi-Fi,
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced GPRS, Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP), LTE, Third Generation Partnership
Project 2 (3GPP2) Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), High Speed Packet
Access (HSPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), High-Speed
Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access
(HSUPA), Zigbee, or another IEEE 802.12 technology. Additionally,
substantially all aspects disclosed herein can be exploited in
legacy telecommunication technologies.
[0026] Described herein are systems, methods, articles of
manufacture, and other embodiments or implementations that can
facilitate an intelligent policy control engine for a 5G network.
Facilitating an intelligent policy control engine for a 5G network
can be implemented in connection with any type of device with a
connection to the communications network (e.g., a mobile handset, a
computer, a handheld device, etc.) any Internet of things (TOT)
device (e.g., toaster, coffee maker, blinds, music players,
speakers, etc.), and/or any connected vehicles (cars, airplanes,
space rockets, and/or other at least partially automated vehicles
(e.g., drones)). In some embodiments the non-limiting term user
equipment (UE) is used. It can refer to any type of wireless device
that communicates with a radio network node in a cellular or mobile
communication system. Examples of UE are target device, device to
device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine to
machine (M2M) communication, PDA, Tablet, mobile terminals, smart
phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mounted equipment
(LME), USB dongles etc. Note that the terms element, elements and
antenna ports can be interchangeably used but carry the same
meaning in this disclosure. The embodiments are applicable to
single carrier as well as to multicarrier (MC) or carrier
aggregation (CA) operation of the UE. The term carrier aggregation
(CA) is also called (e.g. interchangeably called) "multi-carrier
system", "multi-cell operation", "multi-carrier operation",
"multi-carrier" transmission and/or reception.
[0027] In some embodiments the non-limiting term radio network node
or simply network node is used. It can refer to any type of network
node that serves UE is connected to other network nodes or network
elements or any radio node from where UE receives a signal.
Examples of radio network nodes are Node B, base station (BS),
multi-standard radio (MSR) node such as MSR BS, eNode B, network
controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller
(BSC), relay, donor node controlling relay, base transceiver
station (BTS), access point (AP), transmission points, transmission
nodes, RRU, RRH, nodes in distributed antenna system (DAS) etc.
[0028] Cloud radio access networks (RAN) can enable the
implementation of concepts such as software-defined network (SDN)
and network function virtualization (NFV) in 5G networks. This
disclosure can facilitate a generic channel state information
framework design for a 5G network. Certain embodiments of this
disclosure can comprise an SDN controller that can control routing
of traffic within the network and between the network and traffic
destinations. The SDN controller can be merged with the 5G network
architecture to enable service deliveries via open application
programming interfaces ("APIs") and move the network core towards
an all internet protocol ("IP"), cloud based, and software driven
telecommunications network. The SDN controller can work with, or
take the place of policy and charging rules function ("PCRF")
network elements so that policies such as quality of service and
traffic management and routing can be synchronized and managed end
to end.
[0029] To meet the huge demand for data centric applications, 4G
standards can be applied 5G, also called new radio (NR) access. 5G
networks can comprise the following: data rates of several tens of
megabits per second supported for tens of thousands of users; 1
gigabit per second can be offered simultaneously to tens of workers
on the same office floor; several hundreds of thousands of
simultaneous connections can be supported for massive sensor
deployments; spectral efficiency can be enhanced compared to 4G;
improved coverage; enhanced signaling efficiency; and reduced
latency compared to LTE. In multicarrier system such as OFDM, each
subcarrier can occupy bandwidth (e.g., subcarrier spacing). If the
carriers use the same bandwidth spacing, then it can be considered
a single numerology. However, if the carriers occupy different
bandwidth and/or spacing, then it can be considered a multiple
numerology.
[0030] An SDN enabled open eco-system with high modularity and
flexibility can support an entirely new generation of applications.
An open eco-system and platform can allow a broader community to
contribute and innovate. An open radio access network (O-RAN) can
define the architecture and the standards including a radio access
network intelligent controller (RIC) to provide an extensible
platform to support various radio access network (RAN) control
functions, coupled with operator (e.g., service provider) intent
policies, and real time data from the network and users to enable
more granular RAN control. These RAN control functions aim to solve
different problems, (e.g., load balancing to balance the load
amongst cells, antenna tile to change the coverage of a cell to
improve the cell edge user experience, etc.). Currently, control
features are based on pre-defined rules/policies at a cell or group
of cell level. However, an intelligent dynamic RAN policy system
can allow an operator (e.g., service provider) to dynamically
establish the composition of the RAN control functions based on the
real time network data and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine
learning (ML) result. This dynamic policy system can be supported
as, a) part of the RIC platform to provide the control to the RAN
or b) north bound of the RIC to provide the instruction to the RIC,
depending on the time scale requirements. The policy can comprise
the composition of the RAN control functions/micro-services and
also comprise the sequence of events based on the service and
business needs. The proposed solution can place more intelligent
and real-time data in the policy engine to empower operators with
more control in optimizing the network and providing differentiated
service delivery using open source RAN control
functions/micro-services.
[0031] An intelligent dynamic RAN policy engine can allow the
operator to dynamically establish the composition of the RAN
control functions based on the real time network data and AI/ML
results. The dynamic policy engine can be supported as part of the
RIC platform or north bound of the RIC depending on the time scale
requirements. The policy engine can: subscribe to the network and
UE state/condition database to receive real-time information or
changes of the conditions, and/or propose the composition of RAN
control functions (micro-services) to trigger, and the sequence and
time factors for the RAN control functions needed, based on the
network/UE real-time condition and the business logic (e.g., types
of services, network conditions, radio frequency, and/or physical
locations, UE conditions and capabilities, etc.). The dynamic
policy engine can send the composition of the RAN control
functions/micro-services and/or the sequence guidance to the RAN.
The policy engine can be trained based on the feedback results of
the policy action and resulting RAN behavior. For example, a policy
procedure can allow the policy engine to maintain the business
logic on how traffic should be treated (e.g., for different types
of services, UEs, etc.) based on traffic types (e.g., first
respondent user, vs. voice, high speed data, video traffic, large
download. A slice profile of ultra-reliable low-latency
communications (URLLC) can comprise a desired amount of network
resource (e.g., RAN number of physical resource blocks).
[0032] The policy engine can also have access to the network and UE
conditions (e.g., through a subscription to the network/UE
real-time state database) to get notifications when specified
trigger conditions are met. It should be noted that the policy
engine may not be notified for every change of the network/UE
state. However, it can be notified when the network/UE conditions
undergo a change that requires the RAN to do something differently.
Upon detecting the trigger conditions, the policy engine can
dynamically compose and trigger the RAN control
functions/microservices with the correct sequence of microservice
features to optimize network performance for a given service,
location, group of cells, a slice, group of UEs, or even a single
UE. For instance, when a load condition is detected, some non
real-time traffic can be buffered to prioritize real time video
traffic, and when the load continues to rise above another
threshold, a bit rate cap can be applied. The trigger condition
categories can comprise: network efficiency improvement versus cost
savings, issue remediation (e.g., the SLA is predicted to be
violated). A root cause can be one or more of a combination of:
coverage (e.g., outage, coverage hole, uplink (UL)/downlink (DL)
imbalance), interference (e.g., overlapping, overshooting, external
interference, chronical site issue), traffic distribution (e.g.,
imbalanced layers, UE high or low mobility), and/or congestion
(e.g., high utilization of user plane or control plane resources).
The actions can comprise what signature (e.g., UL/DL power control,
tilting, full dimension (FD)-MIMO/beam forming, mobility as a
service (MaaS), traffic steering/load balancing, carrier
aggregation optimization (e.g., combining carriers to allocate
resources across a device), dynamic QoS, throughput capping,
scheduler priority adjustment, etc. The policy engine can then
communicate with the RIC platform or the RAN engine directly for
the guidance to instruct the RIC/RAN for the execution of the
corresponding microservices. Meanwhile, a data analytics and/or ML
engine van continue to monitor the network performance and provide
the feedback to the policy engine regarding how effective the
proposed actions are. The policy engine can dynamically refine the
decision algorithm based on the feedback from the DA/ML.
[0033] It should also be noted that an artificial intelligence (AI)
component can facilitate automating one or more features in
accordance with the disclosed aspects. A memory and a processor as
well as other components can include functionality with regard to
the figures. The disclosed aspects in connection with the
microservices coordinator can employ various AI-based schemes for
carrying out various aspects thereof. For example, a process for
generating one or more trigger events, modifying a sequence as a
result of the one or more trigger events, and allocating one or
more microservices, and so forth, can be facilitated with an
example automatic classifier system and process. In another
example, a process for penalizing one microservice while preferring
another microservice can be facilitated with the example automatic
classifier system and process.
[0034] An example classifier can be a function that maps an input
attribute vector, x=(x1, x2, x3, x4, xn), to a confidence that the
input belongs to a class, that is, f(x)=confidence(class). Such
classification can employ a probabilistic and/or statistical-based
analysis (e.g., factoring into the analysis utilities and costs) to
prognose or infer an action that can be automatically performed. In
the case of communication systems, for example, attributes can be a
frequency band and a wireless technology, and the classes can be an
output power reduction value. In another example, the attributes
can be a frequency band, a wireless technology, and the presence of
an object and the classes can be an output power reduction
value.
[0035] A support vector machine (SVM) is an example of a classifier
that can be employed. The SVM can operate by finding a hypersurface
in the space of possible inputs, which the hypersurface attempts to
split the triggering criteria from the non-triggering events.
Intuitively, this makes the classification correct for testing data
that is near, but not identical to training data. Other directed
and undirected model classification approaches include, for
example, naive Bayes, Bayesian networks, decision trees, neural
networks, fuzzy logic models, and probabilistic classification
models providing different patterns of independence can be
employed. Classification as used herein also may be inclusive of
statistical regression that is utilized to develop models of
priority.
[0036] The disclosed aspects can employ classifiers that are
explicitly trained (e.g., via a generic training data) as well as
implicitly trained (e.g., via observing mobile device usage as it
relates to triggering events, observing network
frequency/technology, receiving extrinsic information, and so on).
For example, SVMs can be configured via a learning or training
phase within a classifier constructor and feature selection module.
Thus, the classifier(s) can be used to automatically learn and
perform a number of functions, including but not limited to
modifying a microservice sequence, modifying one or more triggers,
and so forth. The criteria can include, but is not limited to,
predefined values, frequency attenuation tables or other
parameters, service provider preferences and/or policies, and so
on.
[0037] In one embodiment, described herein is a method comprising
facilitating, by a first wireless network device comprising a
processor, receiving state data representative of a state of a
mobile device. In response to the receiving the state data, the
method can comprise generating, by the first wireless network
device, policy data representative of a policy associated with a
wireless network comprising the first network device. As a function
of the policy data and the state data, the method can comprise
generating, by the first wireless network device, a trigger
condition to trigger functionality associated with a microservice.
Furthermore, in response to the generating the trigger condition,
the method can comprise facilitating, by the first wireless network
device, sending, to a second wireless network device of the
wireless network, the trigger condition.
[0038] According to another embodiment, a system can facilitate,
generating policy data, representative of a policy, to be sent to a
wireless network device of a wireless network. In response to the
generating the policy data, the system can facilitate sending the
policy data to the wireless network device. The system operations
can comprise receiving, from a mobile device of the wireless
network, state data representative of a state of the mobile device.
Additionally, based on the policy data and the state data, the
system can comprise determining a trigger condition to trigger an
action associated with applying a microservice to the mobile
device. Furthermore, in response to the determining the trigger
condition, the system can comprise sending the trigger condition to
the wireless network device.
[0039] According to yet another embodiment, described herein is a
machine-readable storage medium that can perform the operations
comprising generating policy data representative of a service level
agreement associated with a wireless network. The machine-readable
storage medium can perform the operations comprising receiving
state data representative of a current state of a mobile device of
the wireless network. In response to the receiving the state data,
the machine-readable storage medium can perform the operations
comprising generating threshold data representative of a threshold
associated with a distribution of a microservice. In response to
the generating the threshold data, the machine-readable storage
medium can perform the operations comprising sending the threshold
data to a wireless network device of the wireless network.
Additionally, in response to the sending the threshold data, the
machine-readable storage medium can perform the operations
comprising receiving response data comprising an indication that
the threshold has been satisfied. Furthermore, in response to the
receiving the response data comprising the indication that the
threshold has been satisfied, the machine-readable storage medium
can perform the operations comprising modifying the policy data,
resulting in modified policy data representative of a modified
service level agreement.
[0040] These and other embodiments or implementations are described
in more detail below with reference to the drawings.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrated is an example wireless
communication system 100 in accordance with various aspects and
embodiments of the subject disclosure. In one or more embodiments,
system 100 can comprise one or more user equipment UEs 102. The
non-limiting term user equipment can refer to any type of device
that can communicate with a network node in a cellular or mobile
communication system. A UE can have one or more antenna panels
having vertical and horizontal elements. Examples of a UE comprise
a target device, device to device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE
capable of machine to machine (M2M) communications, personal
digital assistant (PDA), tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone,
laptop mounted equipment (LME), universal serial bus (USB) dongles
enabled for mobile communications, a computer having mobile
capabilities, a mobile device such as cellular phone, a laptop
having laptop embedded equipment (LEE, such as a mobile broadband
adapter), a tablet computer having a mobile broadband adapter, a
wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, a heads-up display
(HUD) device, a smart car, a machine-type communication (MTC)
device, and the like. User equipment UE 102 can also comprise IOT
devices that communicate wirelessly.
[0042] In various embodiments, system 100 is or comprises a
wireless communication network serviced by one or more wireless
communication network providers. In example embodiments, a UE 102
can be communicatively coupled to the wireless communication
network via a network node 104. The network node (e.g., network
node device) can communicate with user equipment (UE), thus
providing connectivity between the UE and the wider cellular
network. The UE 102 can send transmission type recommendation data
to the network node 104. The transmission type recommendation data
can comprise a recommendation to transmit data via a closed loop
MIMO mode and/or a rank-1 precoder mode.
[0043] A network node can have a cabinet and other protected
enclosures, an antenna mast, and multiple antennas for performing
various transmission operations (e.g., MIMO operations). Network
nodes can serve several cells, also called sectors, depending on
the configuration and type of antenna. In example embodiments, the
UE 102 can send and/or receive communication data via a wireless
link to the network node 104. The dashed arrow lines from the
network node 104 to the UE 102 represent downlink (DL)
communications and the solid arrow lines from the UE 102 to the
network nodes 104 represents an uplink (UL) communication.
[0044] System 100 can further include one or more communication
service provider networks 106 that facilitate providing wireless
communication services to various UEs, including UE 102, via the
network node 104 and/or various additional network devices (not
shown) included in the one or more communication service provider
networks 106. The one or more communication service provider
networks 106 can include various types of disparate networks,
including but not limited to: cellular networks, femto networks,
picocell networks, microcell networks, internet protocol (IP)
networks Wi-Fi service networks, broadband service network,
enterprise networks, cloud-based networks, and the like. For
example, in at least one implementation, system 100 can be or
include a large-scale wireless communication network that spans
various geographic areas. According to this implementation, the one
or more communication service provider networks 106 can be or
include the wireless communication network and/or various
additional devices and components of the wireless communication
network (e.g., additional network devices and cell, additional UEs,
network server devices, etc.). The network node 104 can be
connected to the one or more communication service provider
networks 106 via one or more backhaul links 108. For example, the
one or more backhaul links 108 can comprise wired link components,
such as a T1/E1 phone line, a digital subscriber line (DSL) (e.g.,
either synchronous or asynchronous), an asymmetric DSL (ADSL), an
optical fiber backbone, a coaxial cable, and the like. The one or
more backhaul links 108 can also include wireless link components,
such as but not limited to, line-of-sight (LOS) or non-LOS links
which can include terrestrial air-interfaces or deep space links
(e.g., satellite communication links for navigation).
[0045] Wireless communication system 100 can employ various
cellular systems, technologies, and modulation modes to facilitate
wireless radio communications between devices (e.g., the UE 102 and
the network node 104). While example embodiments might be described
for 5G new radio (NR) systems, the embodiments can be applicable to
any radio access technology (RAT) or multi-RAT system where the UE
operates using multiple carriers e.g. LTE FDD/TDD, GSM/GERAN,
CDMA2000 etc.
[0046] For example, system 100 can operate in accordance with
global system for mobile communications (GSM), universal mobile
telecommunications service (UMTS), long term evolution (LTE), LTE
frequency division duplexing (LTE FDD, LTE time division duplexing
(TDD), high speed packet access (HSPA), code division multiple
access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCMDA), CDMA2000, time division
multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA),
multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA),
single-carrier code division multiple access (SC-CDMA),
single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM
(DFT-spread OFDM) single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Filter bank based
multi-carrier (FBMC), zero tail DFT-spread-OFDM (ZT DFT-s-OFDM),
generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), fixed mobile
convergence (FMC), universal fixed mobile convergence (UFMC),
unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), unique word DFT-spread OFDM (UW
DFT-Spread-OFDM), cyclic prefix OFDM CP-OFDM,
resource-block-filtered OFDM, Wi Fi, WLAN, WiMax, and the like.
However, various features and functionalities of system 100 are
particularly described wherein the devices (e.g., the UEs 102 and
the network device 104) of system 100 are configured to communicate
wireless signals using one or more multi carrier modulation
schemes, wherein data symbols can be transmitted simultaneously
over multiple frequency subcarriers (e.g., OFDM, CP-OFDM,
DFT-spread OFMD, UFMC, FMBC, etc.). The embodiments are applicable
to single carrier as well as to multicarrier (MC) or carrier
aggregation (CA) operation of the UE. The term carrier aggregation
(CA) is also called (e.g. interchangeably called) "multi-carrier
system", "multi-cell operation", "multi-carrier operation",
"multi-carrier" transmission and/or reception. Note that some
embodiments are also applicable for Multi RAB (radio bearers) on
some carriers (that is data plus speech is simultaneously
scheduled).
[0047] In various embodiments, system 100 can be configured to
provide and employ 5G wireless networking features and
functionalities. 5G wireless communication networks are expected to
fulfill the demand of exponentially increasing data traffic and to
allow people and machines to enjoy gigabit data rates with
virtually zero latency. Compared to 4G, 5G supports more diverse
traffic scenarios. For example, in addition to the various types of
data communication between conventional UEs (e.g., phones,
smartphones, tablets, PCs, televisions, Internet enabled
televisions, etc.) supported by 4G networks, 5G networks can be
employed to support data communication between smart cars in
association with driverless car environments, as well as machine
type communications (MTCs). Considering the drastic different
communication needs of these different traffic scenarios, the
ability to dynamically configure waveform parameters based on
traffic scenarios while retaining the benefits of multi carrier
modulation schemes (e.g., OFDM and related schemes) can provide a
significant contribution to the high speed/capacity and low latency
demands of 5G networks. With waveforms that split the bandwidth
into several sub-bands, different types of services can be
accommodated in different sub-bands with the most suitable waveform
and numerology, leading to an improved spectrum utilization for 5G
networks.
[0048] To meet the demand for data centric applications, features
of proposed 5G networks may comprise: increased peak bit rate
(e.g., 20 Gbps), larger data volume per unit area (e.g., high
system spectral efficiency--for example about 3.5 times that of
spectral efficiency of long term evolution (LTE) systems), high
capacity that allows more device connectivity both concurrently and
instantaneously, lower battery/power consumption (which reduces
energy and consumption costs), better connectivity regardless of
the geographic region in which a user is located, a larger numbers
of devices, lower infrastructural development costs, and higher
reliability of the communications. Thus, 5G networks may allow for:
data rates of several tens of megabits per second should be
supported for tens of thousands of users, 1 gigabit per second to
be offered simultaneously to tens of workers on the same office
floor, for example; several hundreds of thousands of simultaneous
connections to be supported for massive sensor deployments;
improved coverage, enhanced signaling efficiency; reduced latency
compared to LTE.
[0049] The upcoming 5G access network may utilize higher
frequencies (e.g., >6 GHz) to aid in increasing capacity.
Currently, much of the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum, the band
of spectrum between 30 gigahertz (Ghz) and 300 Ghz is
underutilized. The millimeter waves have shorter wavelengths that
range from 10 millimeters to 1 millimeter, and these mmWave signals
experience severe path loss, penetration loss, and fading. However,
the shorter wavelength at mmWave frequencies also allows more
antennas to be packed in the same physical dimension, which allows
for large-scale spatial multiplexing and highly directional
beamforming.
[0050] Performance can be improved if both the transmitter and the
receiver are equipped with multiple antennas. Multi-antenna
techniques can significantly increase the data rates and
reliability of a wireless communication system. The use of multiple
input multiple output (MIMO) techniques, which was introduced in
the third-generation partnership project (3GPP) and has been in use
(including with LTE), is a multi-antenna technique that can improve
the spectral efficiency of transmissions, thereby significantly
boosting the overall data carrying capacity of wireless systems.
The use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques can
improve mmWave communications and has been widely recognized a
potentially important component for access networks operating in
higher frequencies. MIMO can be used for achieving diversity gain,
spatial multiplexing gain and beamforming gain. For these reasons,
MIMO systems are an important part of the 3rd and 4th generation
wireless systems, and are planned for use in 5G systems.
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated is an example schematic
system block diagram of a mobile edge computing platform 200. A
radio access network intelligent controller (RIC) 202, found within
a mobile edge computing (MEC) platform 200, can comprise several
microservices to increase system efficiencies. For example, the
mobility as a service (MaaS) function 204 can determine how to
treat traffic based on a mobility state (i.e., moving, non-moving)
of a UE 102. The session management function 206 can maintain
session continuity regardless of where the UE 102 is located within
the network. For example, if a user is talking, then the session
management function 206 can ensure that the session is not dropped.
However, if the user is checking an email, then session continuity
does not need to be maintained to receive the email. The session IP
assignment function 208, can be used to maintain session continuity
as well. Although a physical IP address can be changed, the session
layer of the IP address cannot be changed. Thus, the RIC 202 can
comprise a microservice that provides the session IP address
assignment. A radio access technology (RAT) IP assignment function
210 is for a physical layer IP that can be used for mobility
management. If the UE 102 connects to Wi-Fi (e.g., RAT IP Assign
WiFi 212) and/or satellite (e.g., RAT IP Assign Sat 214, then there
can be a corresponding IP address assigned to the UE 102. However,
no matter which technology or the mobility status of the UE 102,
the packet data will still have to be routed (e.g., tunnel-based
routing, IP connection-based routing, etc.) via the routing
function 216. The network information base 224 can maintain the
state of the RAN (whether the network is congested or not) and the
state for each device (e.g., the radio link conditions of each UE
102). A wireless network device 218 operated by the service provide
can comprise a policy that can determine which microservices should
be utilized under certain conditions and in what order (e.g.,
sequence) the microservices should be executed. Within the MEC
platform 200, local content 220 can be hosted to improve the
performance, reduce latency, and reduce the transport time.
[0052] The wireless network device 218 can receive inputs from the
policy function 222 to provide guidance on what policies the
wireless network device 218 should allocate based on certain
triggers. The wireless network device 218 can have access to the
network state, the UE 102 state, and an inventory of microservices.
There are various network resource management functions that can
address specific aspects of the network (e.g., load balancing
functions, handover functions, antenna function, power control
functions, etc.). The wireless network device 218 can provide
dynamic allocation of microservices instead of predefined
decisions. Thus, the wireless network device 218 can dynamically
take an output a policy to the policy function 222, based on the
network state, and/or the UE 102 state and determine which trigger
conditions to apply to allocation of microservices and in what
order the microservices should be allocated. This data can then be
communicated to the RIC 202.
[0053] The policy received from the wireless network device 218 can
have intelligence and can make decisions about what microservices
to use and in what order. The policy can also reside on multiple
layers of the system: open network automation process (ONAP), RIC,
core, and other areas. The policy from the SLA can also affect user
configuration on their devices. Thus, the dynamic policy can decide
which services and what level to be exercised. The ML can reside
within the policy and/or at the wireless network device 218. The ML
can review the outcomes from previously applied policies as a
feedback and make a decision at any time based on network
congestion, SLA, premium customers, services with additional
features etc. In an alternative embodiment, the ML can also be
hosted on the ONAP platform and then ONAP platform can communicate
with the RIC and the policy.
[0054] Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is an example schematic
system block diagram of an intelligent network policy engine
according to one or more embodiments. As depicted in FIG. 3, the
wireless network device 218 can comprise sub-components (e.g.,
resource allocation component 302, triggering component 304, AI
component 306, and prioritization component 308), processor 310 and
memory 312 can bi-directionally communicate with each other. It
should also be noted that in alternative embodiments that other
components including, but not limited to the sub-components,
processor 310, and/or memory 312, can be external to the wireless
network device 218. Aspects of the processor 310 can constitute
machine-executable component(s) embodied within machine(s), e.g.,
embodied in one or more computer readable mediums (or media)
associated with one or more machines. Such component(s), when
executed by the one or more machines, e.g., computer(s), computing
device(s), virtual machine(s), etc. can cause the machine(s) to
perform the operations described by the wireless network device
218. In an aspect, the wireless network device 218 can also include
memory 312 that stores computer executable components and
instructions.
[0055] The triggering component 304 can receive data associated
with triggers for specific microservices to address specific
network-based scenarios. For example, if a network load exceeds a
certain threshold, then that threshold can be the trigger to invoke
a load balancing microservice. Based on dynamic criteria, the
triggering component 304 can trigger additional operations by the
RIC 202. Consequently, the triggering component 304 can initiate
resource allocation by the resource allocation component 302. The
resource allocation component 302 can pull resources from other
mobile devices and/or instantiate new resources in response to a
triggering event. Network resources such as bandwidth, network
capacity, beam patterns, beam pattern functions, workload
assignments, etc., can be divided between UEs based on a priority
associated with the UE in relation to triggering event. For
example, if the UE 102 is requesting emergency services and a
second mobile device is requesting entertainment services, then the
UE 102 can receive the highest priority (based on the state of the
UE) via the prioritization component 308 because the UE 102 is
requesting resources to facilitate mitigation of an emergency
situation.
[0056] Priority assignments can be based on the type of UE 102,
type of microservice, geographic location, UE 102 power, time, a
type of emergency (e.g., a fire versus a car accident, etc.),
number of concurrent emergencies, location, etc. Thus, based on the
priority assigned by the prioritization component 308, the network
resources can be allocated to the UE 102, by the resource
allocation component 302, accordingly. Additionally, the AI
component 306 can learn from previous patterns associated with
microservice coordination, priorities assigned to specific
microservices, and/or scenarios and modify microservice allocation
based on the aforementioned factors and/or historical patterns
analyzed by the AI component 306.
[0057] Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrated is an example schematic
system flow diagram of intelligent network policy engine
coordination according to one or more embodiments. At block 402,
the wireless network device 218 can receive network data from the
network node 104 and/or UE data from the UE 102. The wireless
network device 218 can then generate policy data to allocate
microservices for specific network-based scenarios. At block 404
the wireless network device 218 can send the policy data to the
policy function 222. At decision point 406, the wireless network
device 218 can determine if there is a match found between any
policy data that it has received from the policy function 222 and
the UE and/or network states. If there is a match found, then the
wireless network device 218 can generate a trigger condition to be
applied to the microservices and distribution thereof. However, if
there is no match found at decision point 406, then the wireless
network device 218 can recursively check for matches at the
decision point 406 until a match is found. After the trigger is
generated and satisfied, then a microservice and/or sequence
modification can be applied at block 412. Based on the outcome
(e.g., increase, static, or decrease of efficiency) of this
application, the artificial intelligence component 306 can refine
the data at block 414 to modify the trigger condition at block
408.
[0058] Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is an example flow
diagram of a closed loop control system 500. A network management
platform database 502 can send and receive data, associated with
UEs 102, 104, to block 504 where the UE data can be collected
and/or correlated by a collection and correlation component. For
example, location data can be correlated to time data associated
with a specific UE (e.g., UE 102 is in/near macro-cell at 8 am most
mornings). The UE data can comprise UE state data (collection data,
correlation data, usage data, device type data, etc.). The UE data
can be sent to the UE data collection and correlation component at
block 504 from a network conditions and UE measurement component
within the RIC at block 508. Once the UE data collection and
correlation component receives the UE data and correlates the UE
data, the UE data collection and correlation component can send the
UE data and correlation data to a learning component at block 506.
The learning component can utilize AI or machine learning (ML) to
detect UE mobility and network patterns and modify application of a
microservice at block 510.
[0059] The network conditions and UE measurement component of
centralized units (CUs) and/or distributed units (DUs) at block 512
can send the network condition and measurement data to the network
conditions and UE measurement component within the RIC at block
508. The wireless network device 218 can then use the network
measurements to determine which microservices are candidate
microservices and then send the candidate microservices to the CUs
and/or DUs at block 510. Microservices of neighboring cells of the
UE 102 can be received by the CUs and/or DUs at block 514.
[0060] Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrated is an example flow
diagram for a method for facilitating an intelligent policy control
engine for a 5G network according to one or more embodiments. At
element 600, the method can comprise facilitating, by a first
wireless network device comprising a processor, receiving state
data (e.g., via the network device 218) representative of a state
of a mobile device. In response to the receiving the state data,
the method can comprise generating, by the first wireless network
device (e.g., via the network device 218), policy data
representative of a policy associated with a wireless network
comprising the first network device at element 602. At element 604,
as a function of the policy data and the state data, the method can
comprise generating, by the first wireless network device (e.g.,
via the network device 218), a trigger condition to trigger
functionality associated with a microservice. Furthermore, at
element 606, in response to the generating the trigger condition,
the method can comprise facilitating, by the first wireless network
device (e.g., via the network device 218), sending, to a second
wireless network device (e.g., RIC 202) of the wireless network,
the trigger condition.
[0061] Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrated is an example flow
diagram for a system for facilitating an intelligent policy control
engine for a 5G network according to one or more embodiments. At
element 700, the system can facilitate generating (e.g., via the
network device 218) policy data, representative of a policy, to be
sent to a wireless network device (e.g., RIC 202) of a wireless
network. In response to the generating the policy data, at element
702, the system can facilitate sending (e.g., via the network
device 218) the policy data to the wireless network device (e.g.,
RIC 202). The system operations can comprise receiving, from a
mobile device (e.g., UE 102) of the wireless network, state data
representative of a state of the mobile device at element 704.
Additionally, based on the policy data and the state data, the
system can comprise determining a trigger condition (e.g., via the
network device 218) to trigger an action associated with applying a
microservice to the mobile device (e.g., UE 102) at element 706.
Furthermore, at element 708, in response to the determining the
trigger condition, the system can comprise sending (e.g., via the
network device 218) the trigger condition to the wireless network
device (e.g., RIC 202).
[0062] Referring now to FIG. 8, illustrated is an example flow
diagram for a machine-readable medium for facilitating an
intelligent policy control engine for a 5G network according to one
or more embodiments. At element 800, the machine-readable storage
medium can perform the operations comprising generating (e.g., via
the network device 218) policy data representative of a service
level agreement associated with a wireless network. The
machine-readable storage medium can perform the operations
comprising receiving (e.g., via the network device 218) state data
representative of a current state of a mobile device (e.g., UE 102)
of the wireless network at element 802. In response to the
receiving the state data (e.g., via the network device 218), at
element 804, the machine-readable storage medium can perform the
operations comprising generating (e.g., via the network device 218)
threshold data representative of a threshold associated with a
distribution of a microservice. In response to the generating the
threshold data, at element 806, the machine-readable storage medium
can perform the operations comprising sending (e.g., via the
network device 218) the threshold data to a wireless network device
(e.g., RIC 202) of the wireless network. Additionally, at element
808, in response to the sending the threshold data, the
machine-readable storage medium can perform the operations
comprising receiving (e.g., via the network device 218) response
data comprising an indication that the threshold has been
satisfied. Furthermore, in response to the receiving the response
data comprising the indication that the threshold has been
satisfied, at element 810, the machine-readable storage medium can
perform the operations comprising modifying (e.g., via the network
device 218) the policy data, resulting in modified policy data
representative of a modified service level agreement.
[0063] Referring now to FIG. 9, illustrated is a schematic block
diagram of an exemplary end-user device such as a mobile device 900
capable of connecting to a network in accordance with some
embodiments described herein. Although a mobile handset 900 is
illustrated herein, it will be understood that other devices can be
a mobile device, and that the mobile handset 900 is merely
illustrated to provide context for the embodiments of the various
embodiments described herein. The following discussion is intended
to provide a brief, general description of an example of a suitable
environment 900 in which the various embodiments can be
implemented. While the description includes a general context of
computer-executable instructions embodied on a machine-readable
storage medium, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
innovation also can be implemented in combination with other
program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and
software.
[0064] Generally, applications (e.g., program modules) can include
routines, programs, components, data structures, etc., that perform
particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods
described herein can be practiced with other system configurations,
including single-processor or multiprocessor systems,
minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personal computers,
hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable
consumer electronics, and the like, each of which can be
operatively coupled to one or more associated devices.
[0065] A computing device can typically include a variety of
machine-readable media. Machine-readable media can be any available
media that can be accessed by the computer and includes both
volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.
By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media can
comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer
storage media can include volatile and/or non-volatile media,
removable and/or non-removable media implemented in any method or
technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.
Computer storage media can include, but is not limited to, RAM,
ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD ROM,
digital video disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic
cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic
storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the
desired information and which can be accessed by the computer.
[0066] Communication media typically embodies computer-readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a
modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport
mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term
"modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its
characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,
communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or
direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,
infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the
above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable
media.
[0067] The handset 900 includes a processor 902 for controlling and
processing all onboard operations and functions. A memory 904
interfaces to the processor 902 for storage of data and one or more
applications 906 (e.g., a video player software, user feedback
component software, etc.). Other applications can include voice
recognition of predetermined voice commands that facilitate
initiation of the user feedback signals. The applications 906 can
be stored in the memory 904 and/or in a firmware 908, and executed
by the processor 902 from either or both the memory 904 or/and the
firmware 908. The firmware 908 can also store startup code for
execution in initializing the handset 900. A communications
component 910 interfaces to the processor 902 to facilitate
wired/wireless communication with external systems, e.g., cellular
networks, VoIP networks, and so on. Here, the communications
component 910 can also include a suitable cellular transceiver 911
(e.g., a GSM transceiver) and/or an unlicensed transceiver 913
(e.g., Wi-Fi, WiMax) for corresponding signal communications. The
handset 900 can be a device such as a cellular telephone, a PDA
with mobile communications capabilities, and messaging-centric
devices. The communications component 910 also facilitates
communications reception from terrestrial radio networks (e.g.,
broadcast), digital satellite radio networks, and Internet-based
radio services networks.
[0068] The handset 900 includes a display 912 for displaying text,
images, video, telephony functions (e.g., a Caller ID function),
setup functions, and for user input. For example, the display 912
can also be referred to as a "screen" that can accommodate the
presentation of multimedia content (e.g., music metadata, messages,
wallpaper, graphics, etc.). The display 912 can also display videos
and can facilitate the generation, editing and sharing of video
quotes. A serial I/O interface 914 is provided in communication
with the processor 902 to facilitate wired and/or wireless serial
communications (e.g., USB, and/or IEEE 1394) through a hardwire
connection, and other serial input devices (e.g., a keyboard,
keypad, and mouse). This supports updating and troubleshooting the
handset 900, for example. Audio capabilities are provided with an
audio I/O component 916, which can include a speaker for the output
of audio signals related to, for example, indication that the user
pressed the proper key or key combination to initiate the user
feedback signal. The audio I/O component 916 also facilitates the
input of audio signals through a microphone to record data and/or
telephony voice data, and for inputting voice signals for telephone
conversations.
[0069] The handset 900 can include a slot interface 918 for
accommodating a SIC (Subscriber Identity Component) in the form
factor of a card Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or universal SIM
920, and interfacing the SIM card 920 with the processor 902.
However, it is to be appreciated that the SIM card 920 can be
manufactured into the handset 900, and updated by downloading data
and software.
[0070] The handset 900 can process IP data traffic through the
communication component 910 to accommodate IP traffic from an IP
network such as, for example, the Internet, a corporate intranet, a
home network, a person area network, etc., through an ISP or
broadband cable provider. Thus, VoIP traffic can be utilized by the
handset 900 and IP-based multimedia content can be received in
either an encoded or decoded format.
[0071] A video processing component 922 (e.g., a camera) can be
provided for decoding encoded multimedia content. The video
processing component 922 can aid in facilitating the generation,
editing and sharing of video quotes. The handset 900 also includes
a power source 924 in the form of batteries and/or an AC power
subsystem, which power source 924 can interface to an external
power system or charging equipment (not shown) by a power I/O
component 926.
[0072] The handset 900 can also include a video component 930 for
processing video content received and, for recording and
transmitting video content. For example, the video component 930
can facilitate the generation, editing and sharing of video quotes.
A location tracking component 932 facilitates geographically
locating the handset 900. As described hereinabove, this can occur
when the user initiates the feedback signal automatically or
manually. A user input component 934 facilitates the user
initiating the quality feedback signal. The user input component
934 can also facilitate the generation, editing and sharing of
video quotes. The user input component 934 can include such
conventional input device technologies such as a keypad, keyboard,
mouse, stylus pen, and/or touch screen, for example.
[0073] Referring again to the applications 906, a hysteresis
component 936 facilitates the analysis and processing of hysteresis
data, which is utilized to determine when to associate with the
access point. A software trigger component 938 can be provided that
facilitates triggering of the hysteresis component 938 when the
Wi-Fi transceiver 913 detects the beacon of the access point. A SIP
client 940 enables the handset 900 to support SIP protocols and
register the subscriber with the SIP registrar server. The
applications 906 can also include a client 942 that provides at
least the capability of discovery, play and store of multimedia
content, for example, music.
[0074] The handset 900, as indicated above related to the
communications component 910, includes an indoor network radio
transceiver 913 (e.g., Wi-Fi transceiver). This function supports
the indoor radio link, such as IEEE 802.11, for the dual-mode GSM
handset 900. The handset 900 can accommodate at least satellite
radio services through a handset that can combine wireless voice
and digital radio chipsets into a single handheld device.
[0075] In order to provide additional context for various
embodiments described herein, FIG. 10 and the following discussion
are intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable
computing environment 1000 in which the various embodiments of the
embodiment described herein can be implemented. While the
embodiments have been described above in the general context of
computer-executable instructions that can run on one or more
computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
embodiments can be also implemented in combination with other
program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and
software.
[0076] Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or
implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled
in the art will appreciate that the disclosed methods can be
practiced with other computer system configurations, including
single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, minicomputers,
mainframe computers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, distributed
computing systems, as well as personal computers, hand-held
computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer
electronics, and the like, each of which can be operatively coupled
to one or more associated devices.
[0077] The illustrated embodiments of the embodiments herein can be
also practiced in distributed computing environments where certain
tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked
through a communications network. In a distributed computing
environment, program modules can be located in both local and
remote memory storage devices.
[0078] Computing devices typically include a variety of media,
which can include computer-readable storage media, machine-readable
storage media, and/or communications media, which two terms are
used herein differently from one another as follows.
Computer-readable storage media or machine-readable storage media
can be any available storage media that can be accessed by the
computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media,
removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not
limitation, computer-readable storage media or machine-readable
storage media can be implemented in connection with any method or
technology for storage of information such as computer-readable or
machine-readable instructions, program modules, structured data or
unstructured data.
[0079] Computer-readable storage media can include, but are not
limited to, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),
electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash
memory or other memory technology, compact disk read only memory
(CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disc (BD) or other
optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic
disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, solid state drives
or other solid state storage devices, or other tangible and/or
non-transitory media which can be used to store desired
information. In this regard, the terms "tangible" or
"non-transitory" herein as applied to storage, memory or
computer-readable media, are to be understood to exclude only
propagating transitory signals per se as modifiers and do not
relinquish rights to all standard storage, memory or
computer-readable media that are not only propagating transitory
signals per se.
[0080] Computer-readable storage media can be accessed by one or
more local or remote computing devices, e.g., via access requests,
queries or other data retrieval protocols, for a variety of
operations with respect to the information stored by the
medium.
[0081] Communications media typically embody computer-readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other structured
or unstructured data in a data signal such as a modulated data
signal, e.g., a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and
includes any information delivery or transport media. The term
"modulated data signal" or signals refers to a signal that has one
or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as
to encode information in one or more signals. By way of example,
and not limitation, communication media include wired media, such
as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media
such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
[0082] With reference again to FIG. 10, the example environment
1000 for implementing various embodiments of the aspects described
herein includes a computer 1002, the computer 1002 including a
processing unit 1004, a system memory 1006 and a system bus 1008.
The system bus 1008 couples system components including, but not
limited to, the system memory 1006 to the processing unit 1004. The
processing unit 1004 can be any of various commercially available
processors. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor
architectures can also be employed as the processing unit 1004.
[0083] The system bus 1008 can be any of several types of bus
structure that can further interconnect to a memory bus (with or
without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus
using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures.
The system memory 1006 includes ROM 1010 and RAM 1012. A basic
input/output system (BIOS) can be stored in a non-volatile memory
such as ROM, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM),
EEPROM, which BIOS contains the basic routines that help to
transfer information between elements within the computer 1002,
such as during startup. The RAM 1012 can also include a high-speed
RAM such as static RAM for caching data.
[0084] The computer 1002 further includes an internal hard disk
drive (HDD) 1014 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), one or more external storage
devices 1016 (e.g., a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 1016, a
memory stick or flash drive reader, a memory card reader, etc.) and
an optical disk drive 1020 (e.g., which can read or write from a
CD-ROM disc, a DVD, a BD, etc.). While the internal HDD 1014 is
illustrated as located within the computer 1002, the internal HDD
1014 can also be configured for external use in a suitable chassis
(not shown). Additionally, while not shown in environment 1000, a
solid state drive (SSD) could be used in addition to, or in place
of, an HDD 1014. The HDD 1014, external storage device(s) 1016 and
optical disk drive 1020 can be connected to the system bus 1008 by
an HDD interface 1024, an external storage interface 1026 and an
optical drive interface 1028, respectively. The interface 1024 for
external drive implementations can include at least one or both of
Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 interface technologies. Other
external drive connection technologies are within contemplation of
the embodiments described herein.
[0085] The drives and their associated computer-readable storage
media provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures,
computer-executable instructions, and so forth. For the computer
1002, the drives and storage media accommodate the storage of any
data in a suitable digital format. Although the description of
computer-readable storage media above refers to respective types of
storage devices, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the
art that other types of storage media which are readable by a
computer, whether presently existing or developed in the future,
could also be used in the example operating environment, and
further, that any such storage media can contain
computer-executable instructions for performing the methods
described herein.
[0086] A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and
RAM 1012, including an operating system 1030, one or more
application programs 1032, other program modules 1034 and program
data 1036. All or portions of the operating system, applications,
modules, and/or data can also be cached in the RAM 1012. The
systems and methods described herein can be implemented utilizing
various commercially available operating systems or combinations of
operating systems.
[0087] Computer 1002 can optionally comprise emulation
technologies. For example, a hypervisor (not shown) or other
intermediary can emulate a hardware environment for operating
system 1030, and the emulated hardware can optionally be different
from the hardware illustrated in FIG. 10. In such an embodiment,
operating system 1030 can comprise one virtual machine (VM) of
multiple VMs hosted at computer 1002. Furthermore, operating system
1030 can provide runtime environments, such as the Java runtime
environment or the .NET framework, for applications 1032. Runtime
environments are consistent execution environments that allow
applications 1032 to run on any operating system that includes the
runtime environment. Similarly, operating system 1030 can support
containers, and applications 1032 can be in the form of containers,
which are lightweight, standalone, executable packages of software
that include, e.g., code, runtime, system tools, system libraries
and settings for an application.
[0088] Further, computer 1002 can be enable with a security module,
such as a trusted processing module (TPM). For instance with a TPM,
boot components hash next in time boot components, and wait for a
match of results to secured values, before loading a next boot
component. This process can take place at any layer in the code
execution stack of computer 1002, e.g., applied at the application
execution level or at the operating system (OS) kernel level,
thereby enabling security at any level of code execution.
[0089] A user can enter commands and information into the computer
1002 through one or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a
keyboard 1038, a touch screen 1040, and a pointing device, such as
a mouse 1042. Other input devices (not shown) can include a
microphone, an infrared (IR) remote control, a radio frequency (RF)
remote control, or other remote control, a joystick, a virtual
reality controller and/or virtual reality headset, a game pad, a
stylus pen, an image input device, e.g., camera(s), a gesture
sensor input device, a vision movement sensor input device, an
emotion or facial detection device, a biometric input device, e.g.,
fingerprint or iris scanner, or the like. These and other input
devices are often connected to the processing unit 1004 through an
input device interface 1044 that can be coupled to the system bus
1008, but can be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel
port, an IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR
interface, a BLUETOOTH.RTM. interface, etc.
[0090] A monitor 1046 or other type of display device can be also
connected to the system bus 1008 via an interface, such as a video
adapter 1048. In addition to the monitor 1046, a computer typically
includes other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as
speakers, printers, etc.
[0091] The computer 1002 can operate in a networked environment
using logical connections via wired and/or wireless communications
to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer(s) 1050.
The remote computer(s) 1050 can be a workstation, a server
computer, a router, a personal computer, portable computer,
microprocessor-based entertainment appliance, a peer device or
other common network node, and typically includes many or all of
the elements described relative to the computer 1002, although, for
purposes of brevity, only a memory/storage device 1052 is
illustrated. The logical connections depicted include
wired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 1054
and/or larger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 1056. Such
LAN and WAN networking environments are commonplace in offices and
companies, and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such
as intranets, all of which can connect to a global communications
network, e.g., the Internet.
[0092] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1002
can be connected to the local network 1054 through a wired and/or
wireless communication network interface or adapter 1058. The
adapter 1058 can facilitate wired or wireless communication to the
LAN 1054, which can also include a wireless access point (AP)
disposed thereon for communicating with the adapter 1058 in a
wireless mode.
[0093] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1002
can include a modem 1060 or can be connected to a communications
server on the WAN 1056 via other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 1056, such as by way of the Internet.
The modem 1060, which can be internal or external and a wired or
wireless device, can be connected to the system bus 1008 via the
input device interface 1044. In a networked environment, program
modules depicted relative to the computer 1002 or portions thereof,
can be stored in the remote memory/storage device 1052. It will be
appreciated that the network connections shown are example and
other means of establishing a communications link between the
computers can be used.
[0094] When used in either a LAN or WAN networking environment, the
computer 1002 can access cloud storage systems or other
network-based storage systems in addition to, or in place of,
external storage devices 1016 as described above. Generally, a
connection between the computer 1002 and a cloud storage system can
be established over a LAN 1054 or WAN 1056 e.g., by the adapter
1058 or modem 1060, respectively. Upon connecting the computer 1002
to an associated cloud storage system, the external storage
interface 1026 can, with the aid of the adapter 1058 and/or modem
1060, manage storage provided by the cloud storage system as it
would other types of external storage. For instance, the external
storage interface 1026 can be configured to provide access to cloud
storage sources as if those sources were physically connected to
the computer 1002.
[0095] The computer 1002 can be operable to communicate with any
wireless devices or entities operatively disposed in wireless
communication, e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and/or portable
computer, portable data assistant, communications satellite, any
piece of equipment or location associated with a wirelessly
detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, news stand, store shelf, etc.), and
telephone. This can include Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and
BLUETOOTH.RTM. wireless technologies. Thus, the communication can
be a predefined structure as with a conventional network or simply
an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.
[0096] The computer is operable to communicate with any wireless
devices or entities operatively disposed in wireless communication,
e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and/or portable computer,
portable data assistant, communications satellite, any piece of
equipment or location associated with a wirelessly detectable tag
(e.g., a kiosk, news stand, restroom), and telephone. This includes
at least Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.TM. wireless technologies. Thus, the
communication can be a predefined structure as with a conventional
network or simply an ad hoc communication between at least two
devices.
[0097] Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, allows connection to the
Internet from a couch at home, a bed in a hotel room, or a
conference room at work, without wires. Wi-Fi is a wireless
technology similar to that used in a cell phone that enables such
devices, e.g., computers, to send and receive data indoors and out;
anywhere within the range of a base station. Wi-Fi networks use
radio technologies called IEEE 802.11 (a, b, g, etc.) to provide
secure, reliable, fast wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can
be used to connect computers to each other, to the Internet, and to
wired networks (which use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet). Wi-Fi networks
operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands, at an 11 Mbps
(802.11a) or 54 Mbps (802.11b) data rate, for example, or with
products that contain both bands (dual band), so the networks can
provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired
Ethernet networks used in many offices.
[0098] The above description of illustrated embodiments of the
subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is
not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments
to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and
examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various
modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of
such embodiments and examples, as those skilled in the relevant art
can recognize.
[0099] In this regard, while the subject matter has been described
herein in connection with various embodiments and corresponding
FIGS., where applicable, it is to be understood that other similar
embodiments can be used or modifications and additions can be made
to the described embodiments for performing the same, similar,
alternative, or substitute function of the disclosed subject matter
without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed subject
matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described
herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in
accordance with the appended claims below.
* * * * *