U.S. patent application number 17/745264 was filed with the patent office on 2022-09-01 for overcoming carrier aggregation signaling overhead when firstnet qos policies are enforced.
This patent application is currently assigned to AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.. The applicant listed for this patent is AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Wenge Chen, Daniel Vivanco.
Application Number | 20220279522 17/745264 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-09-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220279522 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vivanco; Daniel ; et
al. |
September 1, 2022 |
OVERCOMING CARRIER AGGREGATION SIGNALING OVERHEAD WHEN FIRSTNET QOS
POLICIES ARE ENFORCED
Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example,
initiating emergency QoS measures in a RAN cell responsive to
detecting an emergency condition applicable to the RAN cell,
identifying, among a plurality of wireless communication devices
served by the RAN cell, a set of non-emergency devices,
identifying, among the set of non-emergency devices, one or more
carrier aggregation (CA)-prone devices, and applying an updated
buffer threshold value for a CA-prone device among the one or more
CA-prone devices, to reduce a likelihood of initiation of carrier
aggregation for the CA-prone device. Other embodiments are
disclosed.
Inventors: |
Vivanco; Daniel; (Ashburn,
VA) ; Chen; Wenge; (AUSTIN, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc. |
Atlanta
Vienna |
GA
VA |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AT&T Intellectual Property I,
L.P.
Atlanta
GA
AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc.
Vienna
VA
|
Appl. No.: |
17/745264 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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17089109 |
Nov 4, 2020 |
11363611 |
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17745264 |
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16554235 |
Aug 28, 2019 |
10863525 |
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17089109 |
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International
Class: |
H04W 72/08 20060101
H04W072/08; H04L 5/00 20060101 H04L005/00; H04W 72/04 20060101
H04W072/04; H04L 47/20 20060101 H04L047/20 |
Claims
1. A device, comprising: a processing system for a radio access
network (RAN) node, the processing system including a processor;
and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when
executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of
operations, the operations comprising: identifying a first set of
one or more devices assigned to a first quality-of-service (QoS)
class, the first set of one or more devices being among a plurality
of wireless communication devices served by a Radio Access Network
(RAN) node; identifying a second set of one or more devices
assigned to a second QoS class, the second set of one or more
devices being among the plurality of wireless communication devices
served by the RAN node; and applying an updated buffer threshold
value for at least one device of the first set of one or more
devices to reduce a likelihood of initiation of carrier aggregation
for the first set of one or more devices.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the identifying the first set of
one or more devices assigned to the first QoS class comprises
identifying one or more carrier aggregation (CA)-prone devices
communicating with the RAN node.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the applying the updated buffer
threshold value is responsive to detecting an emergency condition
applicable to the RAN node, and wherein the one or more devices
assigned to the first QoS class are identified as non-emergency
devices.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying a set of carrier aggregation (CA)-capable devices from
among the plurality of wireless communication devices served by the
RAN node; and identifying the first set of one or more devices from
among the set of CA-capable devices.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise
selecting the updated buffer threshold value based on a type of
traffic being conveyed to the at least one device of the first set
of one or more devices.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise
selecting the updated buffer threshold value based on a burstiness
associated with traffic being conveyed to the at least one device
of the first set of one or more devices.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a respective buffer threshold time for each of the
first set of one or more devices; and selecting the at least one
device of the first set of one or more devices from the first set
of one or more devices based on the respective buffer threshold
time of each of the first set of one or more devices.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise
determining the respective buffer threshold time for each of the
first set of one or more devices based on a respective data
throughput estimate of each of the first set of one or more
devices.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:
monitoring respective traffic patterns of each of the first set of
one or more devices to obtain traffic monitoring data; and
determining the respective data throughput estimate of each of the
first set of one or more devices based on respective traffic
monitoring data for each of the first set of one or more devices,
according to a queuing model.
10. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise
determining the respective buffer threshold time for each of the
first set of one or more devices based on a respective data
throughput variability for each of the first set of one or more
devices.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the RAN node comprises a node of
a next generation RAN (NG-RAN).
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the RAN node comprises a next
generation node B (gNB).
13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising
executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system
for a radio access network node, the processing system including a
processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations
comprising: identifying a first set of one or more devices assigned
to a first quality-of-service (QoS) class, the first set of one or
more devices being among a plurality of wireless communication
devices served by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node; identifying a
second set of one or more devices assigned to a second QoS class,
the second set of one or more devices being among the plurality of
wireless communication devices served by the RAN node; and applying
an updated buffer threshold value for at least one device of the
first set of one or more devices to reduce a likelihood of
initiation of carrier aggregation for the first set of one or more
devices.
14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13,
wherein the identifying the first set of one or more devices
assigned to the first QoS class comprises identifying one or more
carrier aggregation (CA)-prone devices communicating with the RAN
node.
15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13,
wherein the applying the updated buffer threshold value is
responsive to detecting an emergency condition applicable to the
RAN node, and wherein the one or more devices assigned to the first
QoS class are identified as non-emergency devices.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13,
wherein the operations further comprise selecting the updated
buffer threshold value based on a burstiness associated with
traffic being conveyed to the at least one device of the first set
of one or more devices.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13,
wherein the radio access network node comprises a next generation
node B (gNB).
18. A method, comprising: identifying, by a processing system
including a processor, a first set of one or more devices assigned
to a first quality-of-service (QoS) class, the first set of one or
more devices being among a plurality of wireless communication
devices served by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node; identifying,
by the processing system, a second set of one or more devices
assigned to a second QoS class, the second set of one or more
devices being among the plurality of wireless communication devices
served by the Radio Access Network (RAN) node; and applying an
updated buffer threshold value for at least one device of the first
set of one or more devices to reduce a likelihood of initiation of
carrier aggregation for the first set of one or more devices.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the applying the updated buffer
threshold value is responsive to detecting an emergency condition
applicable to the RAN node., and wherein the CA-prone device is
identified as a non-emergency device.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the RAN node comprises a node
of a next generation RAN (NG-RAN).
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 17/089,109 filed Nov. 4, 2020, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/554,235 filed
Aug. 28, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,863,525). The disclosures of
all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The subject disclosure relates to quality-of-service
(QoS)-aware carrier aggregation procedures.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a radio access network (RAN) that supports RAN QoS
features, RAN QoS policies may be defined such that under certain
circumstances, certain types of devices and/or traffic are afforded
priority with respect to traffic scheduling and radio frequency
(RF) resource allocation. A RAN that supports RAN QoS features may
also support carrier aggregation, according to which
bandwidth/resources of multiple wireless component carriers may be
aggregated to form composite channels that can convey data at
higher rates. In such a RAN, the amount of wireless
bandwidth/resources available for data transmission to a given
device may potentially be affected by both the application of RAN
QoS policies and the implementation of carrier aggregation for that
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings,
which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary,
non-limiting embodiment of a communications network in accordance
with various aspects described herein.
[0006] FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a first operating environment.
[0007] FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a second operating environment.
[0008] FIG. 2C is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a third operating environment.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a fourth operating environment.
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in
accordance with various aspects described herein.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication network in
accordance with various aspects described herein.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a computing environment in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a mobile network platform in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a communication device in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The subject disclosure describes, among other things,
illustrative embodiments for implementing carrier aggregation in
radio access networks featuring emergency-aware RAN-QoS schemes.
Other embodiments are described in the subject disclosure. One or
more aspects of the subject disclosure include initiating emergency
QoS measures in a RAN cell responsive to detecting an emergency
condition applicable to the RAN cell. One or more aspects of the
subject disclosure include identifying a set of non-emergency
devices from among a plurality of wireless communication devices
served by the RAN cell in which emergency QoS measures are
initiated. One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include
identifying, among such an identified set of non-emergency devices,
a device for which carrier aggregation is likely to be initiated as
a result of emergency QoS measures. One or more aspects of the
subject disclosure include applying an updated buffer threshold
value for such a device, to reduce the likelihood that carrier
aggregation will be initiated for that device.
[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram is shown
illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a
communications network 100 in accordance with various aspects
described herein. For example, communications network 100 can
facilitate in whole or in part initiating emergency QoS measures in
a RAN cell responsive to detecting an emergency condition
applicable to the RAN cell, identifying a set of non-emergency
devices from among a plurality of wireless communication devices
served by a RAN cell in which emergency QoS measures are initiated,
identifying a non-emergency device for which carrier aggregation is
likely to be initiated as a result of emergency QoS measures,
and/or applying an updated buffer threshold value for such a device
to reduce the likelihood that carrier aggregation will be initiated
for that device. In particular, a communications network 125 is
presented for providing broadband access 110 to a plurality of data
terminals 114 via access terminal 112, wireless access 120 to a
plurality of mobile devices 124 and vehicle 126 via base station or
access point 122, voice access 130 to a plurality of telephony
devices 134, via switching device 132 and/or media access 140 to a
plurality of audio/video display devices 144 via media terminal
142. In addition, communication network 125 is coupled to one or
more content sources 175 of audio, video, graphics, text and/or
other media. While broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice
access 130 and media access 140 are shown separately, one or more
of these forms of access can be combined to provide multiple access
services to a single client device (e.g., mobile devices 124 can
receive media content via media terminal 142, data terminal 114 can
be provided voice access via switching device 132, and so on).
[0017] The communications network 125 includes a plurality of
network elements (NE) 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. for facilitating the
broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice access 130, media
access 140 and/or the distribution of content from content sources
175. The communications network 125 can include a circuit switched
or packet switched network, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
network, Internet protocol (IP) network, a cable network, a passive
or active optical network, a 4G, 5G, or higher generation wireless
access network, WIMAX network, UltraWideband network, personal area
network or other wireless access network, a broadcast satellite
network and/or other communications network.
[0018] In various embodiments, the access terminal 112 can include
a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), cable modem
termination system (CMTS), optical line terminal (OLT) and/or other
access terminal. The data terminals 114 can include personal
computers, laptop computers, netbook computers, tablets or other
computing devices along with digital subscriber line (DSL) modems,
data over coax service interface specification (DOCSIS) modems or
other cable modems, a wireless modem such as a 4G, 5G, or higher
generation modem, an optical modem and/or other access devices.
[0019] In various embodiments, the base station or access point 122
can include a 4G, 5G, or higher generation base station, an access
point that operates via an 802.11 standard such as 802.11n,
802.11ac or other wireless access terminal. The mobile devices 124
can include mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, phablets, wireless
modems, and/or other mobile computing devices.
[0020] In various embodiments, the switching device 132 can include
a private branch exchange or central office switch, a media
services gateway, VoIP gateway or other gateway device and/or other
switching device. The telephony devices 134 can include traditional
telephones (with or without a terminal adapter), VoIP telephones
and/or other telephony devices.
[0021] In various embodiments, the media terminal 142 can include a
cable head-end or other TV head-end, a satellite receiver, gateway
or other media terminal 142. The display devices 144 can include
televisions with or without a set top box, personal computers
and/or other display devices.
[0022] In various embodiments, the content sources 175 include
broadcast television and radio sources, video on demand platforms
and streaming video and audio services platforms, one or more
content data networks, data servers, web servers and other content
servers, and/or other sources of media.
[0023] In various embodiments, the communications network 125 can
include wired, optical and/or wireless links and the network
elements 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. can include service switching
points, signal transfer points, service control points, network
gateways, media distribution hubs, servers, firewalls, routers,
edge devices, switches and other network nodes for routing and
controlling communications traffic over wired, optical and wireless
links as part of the Internet and other public networks as well as
one or more private networks, for managing subscriber access, for
billing and network management and for supporting other network
functions.
[0024] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary operating environment 200A
such as may be representative of various embodiments. In operating
environment 200A, a radio access network (RAN) 201 comprises a RAN
node 202, which serves a RAN cell 203. A wireless carrier C.sub.1
carries wireless communications between wireless communication
devices in RAN cell 203. RAN cell 203 is a serving cell of a
wireless communication device (WCD) 204. RAN node 202 uses
bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1 to transmit data to
WCD 204. Such data may originate from a packet data network (PDN),
such as the Internet.
[0025] According to various embodiments, radio access network 201
may represent a 3GPP 5G RAN, such as an NG-RAN. In some such
embodiments, RAN node 202 may represent an NG-eNB or a gNB. In
various other embodiments, radio access network 201 may represent a
3GPP LTE RAN, such as an E-UTRAN. In some such embodiments, RAN
node 202 may represent an eNB. The embodiments are not limited to
these examples.
[0026] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary operating environment 200B.
Operating environment 200B may be representative of various
embodiments in which radio access network 201 of FIG. 2A implements
a radio access network quality-of-service (RAN-QoS) framework. Such
a RAN-QoS framework may generally constitute a set of
rules/policies defining a prioritization system that is to govern
allocation of wireless carrier bandwidth/resources and/or
scheduling of data transmissions. In conjunction with scheduling
data traffic and/or allocating wireless carrier bandwidth/resources
for data transmissions, the prioritization system may generally
differentiate on the basis of device type and/or traffic type. For
example, radio access network 201 may implement a RAN-QoS framework
according to which multiple QoS classes are defined, and differing
priorities are recognized and applied with respect to the
allocation of bandwidth/resources for wireless communications on
the part of devices of differing QoS classes and/or scheduling
transmissions of data to devices of differing QoS classes.
[0027] Operating environment 200B reflects a simple example
scenario in which a RAN-QoS framework of radio access network 201
defines two QoS classes: a standard QoS class and a priority QoS
class. In the context of this example, devices of the standard QoS
class may be referred to as "standard-QoS devices", and devices of
the priority QoS class may be referred to as "priority-QoS
devices". WCD 204 is of the standard QoS class, and is thus a
standard-QoS device. Also present within RAN cell 203 are various
priority WCDs 204P, which are assigned the priority QoS class and
are thus priority-QoS devices. In some embodiments, a QoS class
identifier (QCI) parameter value may be used to differentiate
between the various QoS classes defined by a RAN-QoS framework such
as that implemented in operating environment 200B. For instance, in
the scenario depicted in FIG. 2B, standard-QoS devices such as WCD
204 may be assigned a QCI value of 8, while priority-QoS devices
such as priority WCDs 204P may be assigned a QCI value of 6.
[0028] In various embodiments, the RAN-QoS framework of radio
access network 201 may feature RAN-QoS rules/policies designed to
ensure the availability of at least a certain amount of
bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1 for use by
priority-QoS devices. For example, RAN-QoS rules/policies of radio
access network 201 may define a cap to be applied upon the amount
of bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1 made available
for use by standard-QoS devices, reserving the remaining
bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1 for priority-QoS
devices. Additionally or alternatively, RAN-QoS rules/policies of
radio access network 201 may include QoS-aware scheduling
procedures that give higher priority to priority-QoS devices than
to standard-QoS devices for scheduling purposes, based on different
delay budgets. The embodiments are not limited to these
examples.
[0029] In some embodiments, the RAN-QoS framework of radio access
network 201 may implement a RAN-QoS scheme comprising RAN-QoS
rules/policies that take effect only under certain conditions. In
some embodiments, for example, the RAN-QoS framework of radio
access network 201 may implement a RAN-QoS scheme comprising
RAN-QoS rules/policies that take effect in the event of a public
emergency or disaster (an "emergency-aware" RAN-QoS scheme). In
such embodiments, the priority QoS class may be reserved for
wireless communication equipment of first responders such as
paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers,
firefighters, and search and rescue personnel, other public safety
officials, and associated support personnel. Measures such as
capping the bandwidth/resources available to standard-QoS devices
within RAN cell 203 and prioritized scheduling for priority-QoS
devices within RAN cell 203 may then be implemented upon the
declaration of a public emergency or disaster affecting the
geographic area/region of RAN cell 203. For example, upon the
declaration of a public emergency or disaster affecting the
geographic area/region of RAN cell 203, the radio frequency (RF)
resources made available to standard-QoS devices such as WCD 204
may be capped at a certain threshold, such as 30% of the collective
RF resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1. The remaining 70% may be
reserved for priority-QoS devices such as priority WCDs 204P, which
may optionally be afforded the additional benefit of prioritized
scheduling.
[0030] In some embodiments, the RAN-QoS framework of radio access
network 201 may implement an emergency-aware RAN-QoS scheme that
differentiates between multiple types/levels of public emergency or
disaster and applies differing measures accordingly. In some
embodiments, for example, an emergency-aware RAN-QoS scheme may be
implemented that recognizes both a "level 1" emergency/disaster
condition and a "level 2" emergency/disaster condition. According
to the emergency-aware RAN-QoS scheme, the RF resources made
available to standard-QoS devices such as WCD 204 may be capped at
one threshold (such as 50%) in the event of a level 1
emergency/disaster condition affecting the geographic area/region
of RAN cell 203, and may be capped at another, different threshold
(such as 30%) in the event of a level 2 emergency/disaster
condition. In some such embodiments, priority-QoS devices may be
afforded prioritized scheduling in the event of a level 2
emergency/disaster condition, but not in the event of a level 1
emergency/disaster condition. In other embodiments, priority-QoS
devices may be afforded prioritized scheduling in the event of
either type of emergency/disaster condition, or priority scheduling
may not be implemented.
[0031] According to various embodiments, radio access network 201
may be designated for use as a First Responder Network Authority
(FirstNet) RAN. In such embodiments, the RAN-QoS framework of radio
access network 201 may feature an emergency-aware RAN-QoS scheme
according to which the implementation of RAN-QoS measures is
contingent upon declaration of a disaster in accordance with
FirstNet mechanisms. Priority WCDs 204P may correspond to FirstNet
devices, which may be assigned the priority QoS class, while
non-FirstNet devices such as WCD 204 may be assigned the standard
QoS class.
[0032] FIG. 2C illustrates an exemplary operating environment 200C
that may be representative of various embodiments. In operating
environment 200C, radio access network 201 and WCD 204 support
carrier aggregation. Via carrier aggregation techniques, aggregated
bandwidth/resources of multiple wireless carriers may be used to
convey data transmissions to WCD 204. In the example scenario
reflected in FIG. 2C, data may be transmitted to WCD 204 using
aggregated bandwidth/resources of both the wireless carrier C.sub.1
of RAN cell 203 and a wireless carrier C.sub.2 of a second RAN cell
203S. RAN cell 203 constitutes the PCell of WCD 204 in this
example, while RAN cell 203S is an SCell of WCD 204. Aggregating
available bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.2 with
those that are allocated from wireless carrier C.sub.1 may
generally provide WCD 204 with a greater collective amount of
bandwidth/resources via which to receive data, which may generally
enable WCD 204 to receive data at a faster rate.
[0033] In some embodiments, WCD 204 may be configured to initiate
carrier aggregation responsive to detecting a need for additional
bandwidth/resources via which to receive data. In such embodiments,
as long as RAN cell 203 is able to allocate sufficient
bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.1 to convey data to
WCD 204 at least as fast as data destined for WCD 204 arrives at
RAN node 202, WCD 204 may operate in a "non-CA" mode of operation,
receiving data via only wireless carrier C.sub.1. In the event that
data begins to arrive at RAN node 202 at a rate faster than it can
be conveyed to WCD 204 using available resources of wireless
carrier C.sub.1, RAN node 202 may begin buffering that data in a UE
buffer associated with WCD 204. If the condition persists and the
amount of data stored in that UE buffer grows to exceed a
predefined threshold value CA.BUFFER.THRES, RAN cell 203 may
trigger carrier aggregation for WCD 204. An aggregated channel may
then be formed by aggregating bandwidth/resources of wireless
carrier C.sub.1 with bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier
C.sub.2, and radio access network 201 may begin conveying data to
WCD 204 via that aggregated channel.
[0034] It is worthy of note that although FIG. 2C depicts only a
single SCell (RAN cell 203S), carrier aggregation may be
implemented in operating environment 200C using greater numbers of
component carriers according to some embodiments. In some
embodiments, for example, radio access network 201 may represent an
LTE network supporting carrier aggregation using up to five
component carriers. In some other embodiments, radio access network
201 may represent a network that supports even greater number of
component carriers. For example, in some embodiments, radio access
network 201 may represent an LTE-A or 5G network that supports
carrier aggregation using up to thirty-two component carriers, or
even more.
[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary operating environment 300,
which may generally be representative of various embodiments in
which radio access network 201 implements an emergency-aware
RAN-QoS scheme. Present within RAN cell 203 in operating
environment 300 are WCD 204 and various emergency WCDs 304P, the
latter of which may be assigned to a priority QoS class such that
they benefit from reserved bandwidth and/or prioritized scheduling
during emergency/disaster conditions. According to some
embodiments, radio access network 201 may represent a RAN
designated for use as a FirstNet RAN, priority WCDs 204P may
represent FirstNet devices, and WCD 204 may represent a
non-FirstNet device.
[0036] Under normal conditions (i.e., in the absence of an
emergency/disaster condition), at a given point in time, data
destined for WCD 204 may arrive at RAN node 202 and be transmitted
to WCD 204 at a rate R.sub.1, using the bandwidth/resources of
wireless carrier C.sub.1 that are allocated to WCD 204 at that
time. If a public emergency or disaster affecting the geographic
area/region of RAN cell 203 is declared, triggering emergency
measures that involve reserving RF resources for emergency devices
such as emergency WCDs 304P, the bandwidth/resource allocation of
WCD 204 may be reduced. As a result of this reduction, it may be
possible to transmit data to WCD 204 at a rate of only R.sub.2, and
RAN node 202 may begin buffering data destined for WCD 204 at a
rate of R.sub.1- R.sub.2. As RAN node 202 continues buffering data
destined for WCD 204, the amount of data in the UE buffer for WCD
204 may increase until it exceeds a predefined threshold value, at
which point RAN cell 203 may initiate carrier aggregation for WCD
204.
[0037] Although WCD 204 is the only non-emergency WCD depicted in
FIG. 3, it may represent only one of numerous such devices served
by RAN cell 203 for which carrier aggregation is initiated as a
result of the triggering of emergency measures in RAN cell 203.
Many such devices may join WCD 204 in using RAN cell 203S as an
SCell, In itself, this development may result in a significant
increase in signaling overhead, and may cause strain upon the
resources of the wireless carrier C.sub.2 used in RAN cell 203S. If
RAN cell 203S is also within the geographic area/region affected by
the emergency/disaster, then emergency measures may also be in
effect in RAN cell 203S. In this case, the strain upon the
resources of wireless carrier C.sub.2 may be especially pronounced.
Less bandwidth/resources of wireless carrier C.sub.2 may be
available to non-emergency devices. At the same time, more devices
may now compete for those resources, as the devices that were
already being served by RAN cell 203S prior to the implementation
of emergency measures in RAN cell 203S may be joined in competition
by devices attempting to add RAN cell 203S as an SCell as a result
of the implementation of emergency measures in other cells (such as
RAN cell 203). The same effect may be observed in RAN cell 203,
where devices served prior to the implementation of emergency
measures therein may be subject to competition from devices
attempting to add RAN cell 203 as an SCell as a result of the
implementation of emergency measures in other cells (such as RAN
cell 203S).
[0038] In a typical deployment scenario, many non-emergency devices
served by radio access network 201 may use the provided data
connectivity for applications requiring relatively high data rates,
such as video streaming, for example. As a result of increased
competition for resources during an emergency/disaster condition,
it may be necessary to aggregate bandwidth/resources of a large
number of component carriers in order to fashion an aggregate
channel capable of achieving a data rate sufficient for such an
application. If a significant number of devices in the RAN are
capable of high-order carrier aggregation and attempt to implement
it in order to maintain sufficient data rates, signaling overhead
may increase dramatically, potentially becoming a significant drag
on system performance for both emergency devices and non-emergency
devices.
[0039] According to the novel techniques disclosed herein, radio
access network 201 may implement QoS-aware carrier aggregation
procedures in order to mitigate such potential effects. In various
embodiments, the QoS-aware carrier aggregation procedures may take
the existence of emergency/disaster conditions--and the effects of
QoS policies triggered by such conditions--into account in
conjunction with determining whether to initiate carrier
aggregation. According to such QoS-aware carrier aggregation
procedures, during emergency/disaster conditions, carrier
aggregation may generally be initiated less readily than it is
during normal operating conditions.
[0040] In various embodiments, in accordance with such QoS-aware
carrier aggregation procedures, radio access network 201 may
proactively detect the potential for inefficient resource
allocation arising from emergency-induced carrier aggregation and
take appropriate preventative measures. In some embodiments, during
normal operating conditions, radio access network 201 may monitor
the traffic patterns and traffic volumes of non-emergency devices,
such as WCD 204. Information gathered via such monitoring may be
used to predict the rates and/or manner in which UE buffers of the
non-emergency devices will fill following the triggering of
emergency measures.
[0041] In conjunction with QoS-aware carrier aggregation procedures
in some embodiments, upon declaration of an emergency/disaster
condition, RAN node 202 may identify a set of carrier aggregation
(CA)-capable non-emergency WCDs served by RAN cell 203. In various
embodiments, for each of the set of CA-capable non-emergency WCDs,
RAN node 202 may determine whether bandwidth/resource restrictions
applicable to non-emergency devices in RAN cell 203 are likely to
trigger the initiation of carrier aggregation with respect to that
CA-capable non-emergency WCD. A CA-capable non-emergency device
with respect to which emergency QoS measures are likely to result
in the initiation of carrier aggregation procedures may be referred
to as a "CA-prone device". In some embodiments, this determination
may be based on a comparison between the rate .beta.t of DL data
throughput to WCD 204 at the time t of the emergency/disaster
declaration and the rate .gamma. to which throughput will be
limited as a result of the subsequently imposed bandwidth/resource
restrictions. In some embodiments, RAN node 202 may estimate y
based on the value of .beta.t and the extent of the imposed
bandwidth/resource restrictions. For example, if the RF resources
made available to non-emergency devices are capped at 30%, RAN node
202 may estimate .gamma. as 0.3*.beta..sub.t.
[0042] In some embodiments, for each device for which
.beta..gtoreq..gamma., RAN node 202 may estimate a parameter T
representing an amount of time (such as a number of seconds) after
which the amount of data stored in the UE buffer for that device
will exceed a threshold value CA.BUFFER.THRESH. The parameter T may
be referred to as a "buffer threshold time". In some embodiments,
CA.BUFFER.THRESH may correspond to a predefined threshold value
that defines the point at which carrier aggregation is triggered
during normal operating conditions. In various embodiments, RAN
node 202 may estimate the parameter T according to Equation (1) as
follows:
T=CA.BUFFER.THRESH/(.beta..sub.t-.gamma.)+.epsilon. (1)
where .epsilon. is an error factor reflecting the variability of
.beta..sub.t over time. According to some embodiments, in the case
of a data traffic rate that is substantially constant, .epsilon.
may approach or equal 0. In the case of a data traffic rate that is
expected to increase over time, .epsilon. may be positive, while it
may be negative in the case of a data traffic rate expected to
decrease over time. In some embodiments, for each device for which
.beta..sub.t.gtoreq..gamma., RAN node 202 may also identify the
type of traffic that is being conveyed to that device at time t. In
some embodiments, such a traffic type identification may be
accomplished using a packet sniffer tool, such as DPI.
[0043] In various embodiments, RAN node 202 may configure updated
CA buffer threshold values for some or all devices for which
.beta..sub.t.gtoreq..gamma.. For a given device A for which
.beta..sub.t.gtoreq..gamma., RAN node 202 may configure an updated
CA buffer threshold value CA.BUFFER.THRESH.sub.A, where
CA.BUFFER.THRESH.sub.A>CA.BUFFER.THRESH. The larger the value of
CA.BUFFER.THRESH.sub.A, the lesser the likelihood that carrier
aggregation will be triggered for that device A. In some
embodiments, RAN node 202 may determine CA.BUFFER.THRESH.sub.A
according to Equation (2) as follows:
CA.BUFFER.THRESH.sub.A=CA.BUFFER.THRESH+.DELTA. (2)
where .DELTA. is selected based on the type of traffic being
conveyed to device A and the burstiness characterizing that
traffic.
[0044] In various embodiments, RAN node 202 may generally select a
larger .DELTA. value when the traffic being conveyed to device A is
associated with a low-priority application (such as a P2P
application) and a smaller .DELTA. value when that traffic is
associated with a high-priority application (such as a video
application). In some embodiments, significant degradation of the
user experience at device A may be expected if the traffic being
conveyed to device A is bursty. In some embodiments, therefore, RAN
node 202 may select an even smaller .DELTA. value if the traffic
being conveyed to device A is associated with a high-priority
application and is expected to be bursty.
[0045] FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 400 in
accordance with various aspects described herein. As shown in FIG.
4, emergency QoS measures may be initiated in a RAN cell at 402
responsive to detecting an emergency condition applicable to that
RAN cell. At 404, a set of non-emergency devices may be identified
among a plurality of wireless communication devices served by the
RAN cell. In some embodiments, the set of non-emergency devices may
be identified based on QoS class indices of the set of
non-emergency devices.
[0046] At 406, one or more CA-prone devices may be identified among
the set of non-emergency devices identified at 404. In some
embodiments, the one or more CA-prone devices may comprise devices
with respect to which the emergency QoS measures are likely to
result in initiation of carrier aggregation procedures. In some
embodiments, a set of CA-capable devices may be identified from
among the set of non-emergency devices, and the one or more
CA-prone devices may be identified from among the set of CA-capable
devices.
[0047] At 408, an updated buffer threshold value may be applied for
a CA-prone device identified at 406. In some embodiments, the
CA-prone device may be selected based on a buffer threshold time
for the CA-prone device. In some embodiments, the buffer threshold
time for the CA-prone device may be determined based on a data
throughput estimate for the CA-prone device. In some embodiments,
the data throughput estimate for the CA-prone device may be
determined based on traffic monitoring data for the CA-prone
device, according to a queuing model.
[0048] In some embodiments, application of the updated buffer
threshold value at 408 may reduce a likelihood that carrier
aggregation will be initiated for the CA-prone device. In some
embodiments, the updated buffer threshold value may be selected
based on a type of traffic being conveyed to the CA-prone device.
In some embodiments, the updated buffer threshold value may be
selected based on a burstiness associated with traffic being
conveyed to the CA-prone device.
[0049] While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the
respective processes are shown and described as a series of blocks
in FIG. 4, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed
subject matter is not limited by the order of the blocks, as some
blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other
blocks from what is depicted and described herein. Moreover, not
all illustrated blocks may be required to implement the methods
described herein.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 5, a block diagram 500 is shown
illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized
communication network in accordance with various aspects described
herein. In particular a virtualized communication network is
presented that can be used to implement some or all of the
subsystems and functions of communication network 100, the
subsystems and functions of RAN node 202, and operations of method
400 presented in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3, and 4. For example,
virtualized communication network 500 can facilitate in whole or in
part initiating emergency QoS measures in a RAN cell responsive to
detecting an emergency condition applicable to the RAN cell,
identifying a set of non-emergency devices from among a plurality
of wireless communication devices served by a RAN cell in which
emergency QoS measures are initiated, identifying a non-emergency
device for which carrier aggregation is likely to be initiated as a
result of emergency QoS measures, and/or applying an updated buffer
threshold value for such a device to reduce the likelihood that
carrier aggregation will be initiated for that device.
[0051] In particular, a cloud networking architecture is shown that
leverages cloud technologies and supports rapid innovation and
scalability via a transport layer 550, a virtualized network
function cloud 525 and/or one or more cloud computing environments
575. In various embodiments, this cloud networking architecture is
an open architecture that leverages application programming
interfaces (APIs); reduces complexity from services and operations;
supports more nimble business models; and rapidly and seamlessly
scales to meet evolving customer requirements including traffic
growth, diversity of traffic types, and diversity of performance
and reliability expectations.
[0052] In contrast to traditional network elements--which are
typically integrated to perform a single function, the virtualized
communication network employs virtual network elements (VNEs) 530,
532, 534, etc. that perform some or all of the functions of network
elements 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. For example, the network
architecture can provide a substrate of networking capability,
often called Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI)
or simply infrastructure that is capable of being directed with
software and Software Defined Networking (SDN) protocols to perform
a broad variety of network functions and services. This
infrastructure can include several types of substrates. The most
typical type of substrate being servers that support Network
Function Virtualization (NFV), followed by packet forwarding
capabilities based on generic computing resources, with specialized
network technologies brought to bear when general purpose
processors or general purpose integrated circuit devices offered by
merchants (referred to herein as merchant silicon) are not
appropriate. In this case, communication services can be
implemented as cloud-centric workloads.
[0053] As an example, a traditional network element 150 (shown in
FIG. 1), such as an edge router can be implemented via a VNE 530
composed of NFV software modules, merchant silicon, and associated
controllers. The software can be written so that increasing
workload consumes incremental resources from a common resource
pool, and moreover so that it's elastic: so the resources are only
consumed when needed. In a similar fashion, other network elements
such as other routers, switches, edge caches, and middle-boxes are
instantiated from the common resource pool. Such sharing of
infrastructure across a broad set of uses makes planning and
growing infrastructure easier to manage.
[0054] In an embodiment, the transport layer 550 includes fiber,
cable, wired and/or wireless transport elements, network elements
and interfaces to provide broadband access 110, wireless access
120, voice access 130, media access 140 and/or access to content
sources 175 for distribution of content to any or all of the access
technologies. In particular, in some cases a network element needs
to be positioned at a specific place, and this allows for less
sharing of common infrastructure. Other times, the network elements
have specific physical layer adapters that cannot be abstracted or
virtualized, and might require special DSP code and analog
front-ends (AFEs) that do not lend themselves to implementation as
VNEs 530, 532 or 534. These network elements can be included in
transport layer 550.
[0055] The virtualized network function cloud 525 interfaces with
the transport layer 550 to provide the VNEs 530, 532, 534, etc. to
provide specific NFVs. In particular, the virtualized network
function cloud 525 leverages cloud operations, applications, and
architectures to support networking workloads. The virtualized
network elements 530, 532 and 534 can employ network function
software that provides either a one-for-one mapping of traditional
network element function or alternately some combination of network
functions designed for cloud computing. For example, VNEs 530, 532
and 534 can include route reflectors, domain name system (DNS)
servers, and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) servers,
system architecture evolution (SAE) and/or mobility management
entity (MME) gateways, broadband network gateways, IP edge routers
for IP-VPN, Ethernet and other services, load balancers,
distributers and other network elements. Because these elements
don't typically need to forward large amounts of traffic, their
workload can be distributed across a number of servers--each of
which adds a portion of the capability, and overall which creates
an elastic function with higher availability than its former
monolithic version. These virtual network elements 530, 532, 534,
etc. can be instantiated and managed using an orchestration
approach similar to those used in cloud compute services.
[0056] The cloud computing environments 575 can interface with the
virtualized network function cloud 525 via APIs that expose
functional capabilities of the VNEs 530, 532, 534, etc. to provide
the flexible and expanded capabilities to the virtualized network
function cloud 525. In particular, network workloads may have
applications distributed across the virtualized network function
cloud 525 and cloud computing environment 575 and in the commercial
cloud, or might simply orchestrate workloads supported entirely in
NFV infrastructure from these third party locations.
[0057] Turning now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a block diagram
of a computing environment in accordance with various aspects
described herein. In order to provide additional context for
various embodiments of the embodiments described herein, FIG. 6 and
the following discussion are intended to provide a brief, general
description of a suitable computing environment 600 in which the
various embodiments of the subject disclosure can be implemented.
In particular, computing environment 600 can be used in the
implementation of network elements 150, 152, 154, 156, access
terminal 112, base station or access point 122, switching device
132, media terminal 142, and/or VNEs 530, 532, 534, etc. Each of
these devices can be implemented via computer-executable
instructions that can run on one or more computers, and/or in
combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of
hardware and software. For example, computing environment 600 can
facilitate in whole or in part initiating emergency QoS measures in
a RAN cell responsive to detecting an emergency condition
applicable to the RAN cell, identifying a set of non-emergency
devices from among a plurality of wireless communication devices
served by a RAN cell in which emergency QoS measures are initiated,
identifying a non-emergency device for which carrier aggregation is
likely to be initiated as a result of emergency QoS measures,
and/or applying an updated buffer threshold value for such a device
to reduce the likelihood that carrier aggregation will be initiated
for that device.
[0058] Generally, program modules comprise 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 can be practiced with
other computer system configurations, comprising single-processor
or multiprocessor computer 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.
[0059] As used herein, a processing circuit includes one or more
processors as well as other application specific circuits such as
an application specific integrated circuit, digital logic circuit,
state machine, programmable gate array or other circuit that
processes input signals or data and that produces output signals or
data in response thereto. It should be noted that while any
functions and features described herein in association with the
operation of a processor could likewise be performed by a
processing circuit.
[0060] 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.
[0061] Computing devices typically comprise a variety of media,
which can comprise computer-readable storage media and/or
communications media, which two terms are used herein differently
from one another as follows. Computer-readable storage media can be
any available storage media that can be accessed by the computer
and comprises both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and
non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation,
computer-readable storage media can be implemented in connection
with any method or technology for storage of information such as
computer-readable instructions, program modules, structured data or
unstructured data.
[0062] Computer-readable storage media can comprise, 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) or other optical disk
storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage
or other magnetic 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.
[0063] 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.
[0064] 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
comprises 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 comprise wired media, such
as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media
such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
[0065] With reference again to FIG. 6, the example environment can
comprise a computer 602, the computer 602 comprising a processing
unit 604, a system memory 606 and a system bus 608. The system bus
608 couples system components including, but not limited to, the
system memory 606 to the processing unit 604. The processing unit
604 can be any of various commercially available processors. Dual
microprocessors and other multiprocessor architectures can also be
employed as the processing unit 604.
[0066] The system bus 608 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 606 comprises ROM 610 and RAM 612. 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 602, such
as during startup. The RAM 612 can also comprise a high-speed RAM
such as static RAM for caching data.
[0067] The computer 602 further comprises an internal hard disk
drive (HDD) 614 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), which internal HDD 614 can also
be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown), a
magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 616, (e.g., to read from or write
to a removable diskette 618) and an optical disk drive 620, (e.g.,
reading a CD-ROM disk 622 or, to read from or write to other high
capacity optical media such as the DVD). The HDD 614, magnetic FDD
616 and optical disk drive 620 can be connected to the system bus
608 by a hard disk drive interface 624, a magnetic disk drive
interface 626 and an optical drive interface 628, respectively. The
hard disk drive interface 624 for external drive implementations
comprises 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.
[0068] 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
602, 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 a hard disk drive
(HDD), a removable magnetic diskette, and a removable optical media
such as a CD or DVD, it should be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that other types of storage media which are readable by a
computer, such as zip drives, magnetic cassettes, flash memory
cards, cartridges, and the like, can 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.
[0069] A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and
RAM 612, comprising an operating system 630, one or more
application programs 632, other program modules 634 and program
data 636. All or portions of the operating system, applications,
modules, and/or data can also be cached in the RAM 612. The systems
and methods described herein can be implemented utilizing various
commercially available operating systems or combinations of
operating systems.
[0070] A user can enter commands and information into the computer
602 through one or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a
keyboard 638 and a pointing device, such as a mouse 640. Other
input devices (not shown) can comprise a microphone, an infrared
(IR) remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, touch
screen or the like. These and other input devices are often
connected to the processing unit 604 through an input device
interface 642 that can be coupled to the system bus 608, but can be
connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE
1394 serial port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB) port,
an IR interface, etc.
[0071] A monitor 644 or other type of display device can be also
connected to the system bus 608 via an interface, such as a video
adapter 646. It will also be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, a monitor 644 can also be any display device (e.g.,
another computer having a display, a smart phone, a tablet
computer, etc.) for receiving display information associated with
computer 602 via any communication means, including via the
Internet and cloud-based networks. In addition to the monitor 644,
a computer typically comprises other peripheral output devices (not
shown), such as speakers, printers, etc.
[0072] The computer 602 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) 648.
The remote computer(s) 648 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 comprises many or all of
the elements described relative to the computer 602, although, for
purposes of brevity, only a remote memory/storage device 650 is
illustrated. The logical connections depicted comprise
wired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 652
and/or larger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 654. 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.
[0073] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 602
can be connected to the LAN 652 through a wired and/or wireless
communication network interface or adapter 656. The adapter 656 can
facilitate wired or wireless communication to the LAN 652, which
can also comprise a wireless AP disposed thereon for communicating
with the adapter 656.
[0074] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 602
can comprise a modem 658 or can be connected to a communications
server on the WAN 654 or has other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 654, such as by way of the Internet.
The modem 658, which can be internal or external and a wired or
wireless device, can be connected to the system bus 608 via the
input device interface 642. In a networked environment, program
modules depicted relative to the computer 602 or portions thereof,
can be stored in the remote memory/storage device 650. 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.
[0075] The computer 602 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, restroom), and
telephone. This can comprise 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.
[0076] Wi-Fi can allow 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, n, ac, ag, 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 can use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet). Wi-Fi networks operate in
the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands 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.
[0077] Turning now to FIG. 7, an embodiment 700 of a mobile network
platform 710 is shown that is an example of network elements 150,
152, 154, 156, and/or VNEs 530, 532, 534, etc. For example,
platform 710 can facilitate in whole or in part initiating
emergency QoS measures in a RAN cell responsive to detecting an
emergency condition applicable to the RAN cell, identifying a set
of non-emergency devices from among a plurality of wireless
communication devices served by a RAN cell in which emergency QoS
measures are initiated, identifying a non-emergency device for
which carrier aggregation is likely to be initiated as a result of
emergency QoS measures, and/or applying an updated buffer threshold
value for such a device to reduce the likelihood that carrier
aggregation will be initiated for that device. In one or more
embodiments, the mobile network platform 710 can generate and
receive signals transmitted and received by base stations or access
points such as base station or access point 122. Generally, mobile
network platform 710 can comprise components, e.g., nodes,
gateways, interfaces, servers, or disparate platforms, that
facilitate both packet-switched (PS) (e.g., internet protocol (IP),
frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)) and circuit-switched
(CS) traffic (e.g., voice and data), as well as control generation
for networked wireless telecommunication. As a non-limiting
example, mobile network platform 710 can be included in
telecommunications carrier networks, and can be considered
carrier-side components as discussed elsewhere herein. Mobile
network platform 710 comprises CS gateway node(s) 712 which can
interface CS traffic received from legacy networks like telephony
network(s) 740 (e.g., public switched telephone network (PSTN), or
public land mobile network (PLMN)) or a signaling system #7 (SS7)
network 760. CS gateway node(s) 712 can authorize and authenticate
traffic (e.g., voice) arising from such networks. Additionally, CS
gateway node(s) 712 can access mobility, or roaming, data generated
through SS7 network 760; for instance, mobility data stored in a
visited location register (VLR), which can reside in memory 730.
Moreover, CS gateway node(s) 712 interfaces CS-based traffic and
signaling and PS gateway node(s) 718. As an example, in a 3GPP UMTS
network, CS gateway node(s) 712 can be realized at least in part in
gateway GPRS support node(s) (GGSN). It should be appreciated that
functionality and specific operation of CS gateway node(s) 712, PS
gateway node(s) 718, and serving node(s) 716, is provided and
dictated by radio technology(ies) utilized by mobile network
platform 710 for telecommunication over a radio access network 720
with other devices, such as a radiotelephone 775.
[0078] In addition to receiving and processing CS-switched traffic
and signaling, PS gateway node(s) 718 can authorize and
authenticate PS-based data sessions with served mobile devices.
Data sessions can comprise traffic, or content(s), exchanged with
networks external to the mobile network platform 710, like wide
area network(s) (WANs) 750, enterprise network(s) 770, and service
network(s) 780, which can be embodied in local area network(s)
(LANs), can also be interfaced with mobile network platform 710
through PS gateway node(s) 718. It is to be noted that WANs 750 and
enterprise network(s) 770 can embody, at least in part, a service
network(s) like IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). Based on radio
technology layer(s) available in technology resource(s) or radio
access network 720, PS gateway node(s) 718 can generate packet data
protocol contexts when a data session is established; other data
structures that facilitate routing of packetized data also can be
generated. To that end, in an aspect, PS gateway node(s) 718 can
comprise a tunnel interface (e.g., tunnel termination gateway (TTG)
in 3GPP UMTS network(s) (not shown)) which can facilitate
packetized communication with disparate wireless network(s), such
as Wi-Fi networks.
[0079] In embodiment 700, mobile network platform 710 also
comprises serving node(s) 716 that, based upon available radio
technology layer(s) within technology resource(s) in the radio
access network 720, convey the various packetized flows of data
streams received through PS gateway node(s) 718. It is to be noted
that for technology resource(s) that rely primarily on CS
communication, server node(s) can deliver traffic without reliance
on PS gateway node(s) 718; for example, server node(s) can embody
at least in part a mobile switching center. As an example, in a
3GPP UMTS network, serving node(s) 716 can be embodied in serving
GPRS support node(s) (SGSN).
[0080] For radio technologies that exploit packetized
communication, server(s) 714 in mobile network platform 710 can
execute numerous applications that can generate multiple disparate
packetized data streams or flows, and manage (e.g., schedule,
queue, format . . . ) such flows. Such application(s) can comprise
add-on features to standard services (for example, provisioning,
billing, customer support . . . ) provided by mobile network
platform 710. Data streams (e.g., content(s) that are part of a
voice call or data session) can be conveyed to PS gateway node(s)
718 for authorization/authentication and initiation of a data
session, and to serving node(s) 716 for communication thereafter.
In addition to application server, server(s) 714 can comprise
utility server(s), a utility server can comprise a provisioning
server, an operations and maintenance server, a security server
that can implement at least in part a certificate authority and
firewalls as well as other security mechanisms, and the like. In an
aspect, security server(s) secure communication served through
mobile network platform 710 to ensure network's operation and data
integrity in addition to authorization and authentication
procedures that CS gateway node(s) 712 and PS gateway node(s) 718
can enact. Moreover, provisioning server(s) can provision services
from external network(s) like networks operated by a disparate
service provider; for instance, WAN 750 or Global Positioning
System (GPS) network(s) (not shown). Provisioning server(s) can
also provision coverage through networks associated to mobile
network platform 710 (e.g., deployed and operated by the same
service provider), such as the distributed antennas networks shown
in FIG. 1(s) that enhance wireless service coverage by providing
more network coverage.
[0081] It is to be noted that server(s) 714 can comprise one or
more processors configured to confer at least in part the
functionality of mobile network platform 710. To that end, the one
or more processor can execute code instructions stored in memory
730, for example. It is should be appreciated that server(s) 714
can comprise a content manager, which operates in substantially the
same manner as described hereinbefore.
[0082] In example embodiment 700, memory 730 can store information
related to operation of mobile network platform 710. Other
operational information can comprise provisioning information of
mobile devices served through mobile network platform 710,
subscriber databases; application intelligence, pricing schemes,
e.g., promotional rates, flat-rate programs, couponing campaigns;
technical specification(s) consistent with telecommunication
protocols for operation of disparate radio, or wireless, technology
layers; and so forth. Memory 730 can also store information from at
least one of telephony network(s) 740, WAN 750, SS7 network 760, or
enterprise network(s) 770. In an aspect, memory 730 can be, for
example, accessed as part of a data store component or as a
remotely connected memory store.
[0083] In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the
disclosed subject matter, FIG. 7, and the following discussion, are
intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable
environment in which the various aspects of the disclosed subject
matter can be implemented. While the subject matter has been
described above in the general context of computer-executable
instructions of a computer program that runs on a computer and/or
computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
disclosed subject matter also can be implemented in combination
with other program modules. Generally, program modules comprise
routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform
particular tasks and/or implement particular abstract data
types.
[0084] Turning now to FIG. 8, an illustrative embodiment of a
communication device 800 is shown. The communication device 800 can
serve as an illustrative embodiment of devices such as data
terminals 114, mobile devices 124, vehicle 126, display devices 144
or other client devices for communication via either communications
network 125. For example, computing device 800 can facilitate in
whole or in part initiating emergency QoS measures in a RAN cell
responsive to detecting an emergency condition applicable to the
RAN cell, identifying a set of non-emergency devices from among a
plurality of wireless communication devices served by a RAN cell in
which emergency QoS measures are initiated, identifying a
non-emergency device for which carrier aggregation is likely to be
initiated as a result of emergency QoS measures, and/or applying an
updated buffer threshold value for such a device to reduce the
likelihood that carrier aggregation will be initiated for that
device.
[0085] The communication device 800 can comprise a wireline and/or
wireless transceiver 802 (herein transceiver 802), a user interface
(UI) 804, a power supply 814, a location receiver 816, a motion
sensor 818, an orientation sensor 820, and a controller 806 for
managing operations thereof. The transceiver 802 can support
short-range or long-range wireless access technologies such as
Bluetooth.RTM., ZigBee.RTM., WiFi, DECT, or cellular communication
technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth.RTM. and ZigBee.RTM.
are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth.RTM. Special Interest
Group and the ZigBee.RTM. Alliance, respectively). Cellular
technologies can include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA,
GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next
generation wireless communication technologies as they arise. The
transceiver 802 can also be adapted to support circuit-switched
wireline access technologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched
wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and
combinations thereof.
[0086] The UI 804 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive
keypad 808 with a navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a
joystick, a mouse, or a navigation disk for manipulating operations
of the communication device 800. The keypad 808 can be an integral
part of a housing assembly of the communication device 800 or an
independent device operably coupled thereto by a tethered wireline
interface (such as a USB cable) or a wireless interface supporting
for example Bluetooth.RTM.. The keypad 808 can represent a numeric
keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTY keypad with
alphanumeric keys. The UI 804 can further include a display 810
such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED
(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology
for conveying images to an end user of the communication device
800. In an embodiment where the display 810 is touch-sensitive, a
portion or all of the keypad 808 can be presented by way of the
display 810 with navigation features.
[0087] The display 810 can use touch screen technology to also
serve as a user interface for detecting user input. As a touch
screen display, the communication device 800 can be adapted to
present a user interface having graphical user interface (GUI)
elements that can be selected by a user with a touch of a finger.
The display 810 can be equipped with capacitive, resistive or other
forms of sensing technology to detect how much surface area of a
user's finger has been placed on a portion of the touch screen
display. This sensing information can be used to control the
manipulation of the GUI elements or other functions of the user
interface. The display 810 can be an integral part of the housing
assembly of the communication device 800 or an independent device
communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface
(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.
[0088] The UI 804 can also include an audio system 812 that
utilizes audio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as
audio heard in proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio
(such as speakerphone for hands free operation). The audio system
812 can further include a microphone for receiving audible signals
of an end user. The audio system 812 can also be used for voice
recognition applications. The UI 804 can further include an image
sensor 813 such as a charged coupled device (CCD) camera for
capturing still or moving images.
[0089] The power supply 814 can utilize common power management
technologies such as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply
regulation technologies, and/or charging system technologies for
supplying energy to the components of the communication device 800
to facilitate long-range or short-range portable communications.
Alternatively, or in combination, the charging system can utilize
external power sources such as DC power supplied over a physical
interface such as a USB port or other suitable tethering
technologies.
[0090] The location receiver 816 can utilize location technology
such as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of
assisted GPS for identifying a location of the communication device
800 based on signals generated by a constellation of GPS
satellites, which can be used for facilitating location services
such as navigation. The motion sensor 818 can utilize motion
sensing technology such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or other
suitable motion sensing technology to detect motion of the
communication device 800 in three-dimensional space. The
orientation sensor 820 can utilize orientation sensing technology
such as a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the
communication device 800 (north, south, west, and east, as well as
combined orientations in degrees, minutes, or other suitable
orientation metrics).
[0091] The communication device 800 can use the transceiver 802 to
also determine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth.RTM., or
other wireless access points by sensing techniques such as
utilizing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal
time of arrival (TOA) or time of flight (TOF) measurements. The
controller 806 can utilize computing technologies such as a
microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), programmable gate
arrays, application specific integrated circuits, and/or a video
processor with associated storage memory such as Flash, ROM, RAM,
SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executing computer
instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by the
aforementioned components of the communication device 800.
[0092] Other components not shown in FIG. 8 can be used in one or
more embodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the
communication device 800 can include a slot for adding or removing
an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card
or Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). SIM or UICC cards can
be used for identifying subscriber services, executing programs,
storing subscriber data, and so on.
[0093] The terms "first," "second," "third," and so forth, as used
in the claims, unless otherwise clear by context, is for clarity
only and doesn't otherwise indicate or imply any order in time. For
instance, "a first determination," "a second determination," and "a
third determination," does not indicate or imply that the first
determination is to be made before the second determination, or
vice versa, etc.
[0094] In the subject specification, terms such as "store,"
"storage," "data store," data storage," "database," and
substantially any other information storage component relevant to
operation and functionality of a component, refer to "memory
components," or entities embodied in a "memory" or components
comprising the memory. It will be appreciated that the memory
components described herein can be either volatile memory or
nonvolatile memory, or can comprise both volatile and nonvolatile
memory, by way of illustration, and not limitation, volatile
memory, non-volatile memory, disk storage, and memory storage.
Further, nonvolatile memory can be included in read only memory
(ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM
(EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory.
Volatile memory can comprise random access memory (RAM), which acts
as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not
limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM
(SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data
rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM
(SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). Additionally, the
disclosed memory components of systems or methods herein are
intended to comprise, without being limited to comprising, these
and any other suitable types of memory.
[0095] Moreover, it will be noted that the disclosed subject matter
can be practiced with other computer system configurations,
comprising single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems,
mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as well as personal
computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g., PDA, phone,
smartphone, watch, tablet computers, netbook computers, etc.),
microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrial
electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects can also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are
performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network; however, some if not all aspects of the
subject disclosure can be practiced on stand-alone computers. In a
distributed computing environment, program modules can be located
in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0096] In one or more embodiments, information regarding use of
services can be generated including services being accessed, media
consumption history, user preferences, and so forth. This
information can be obtained by various methods including user
input, detecting types of communications (e.g., video content vs.
audio content), analysis of content streams, sampling, and so
forth. The generating, obtaining and/or monitoring of this
information can be responsive to an authorization provided by the
user. In one or more embodiments, an analysis of data can be
subject to authorization from user(s) associated with the data,
such as an opt-in, an opt-out, acknowledgement requirements,
notifications, selective authorization based on types of data, and
so forth.
[0097] Some of the embodiments described herein can also employ
artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate automating one or more
features described herein. The embodiments (e.g., in connection
with automatically identifying acquired cell sites that provide a
maximum value/benefit after addition to an existing communication
network) can employ various AI-based schemes for carrying out
various embodiments thereof. Moreover, the classifier can be
employed to determine a ranking or priority of each cell site of
the acquired network. A classifier is 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
determine or infer an action that a user desires to be
automatically performed. A support vector machine (SVM) is an
example of a classifier that can be employed. The SVM operates 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 comprise, e.g., 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 is inclusive of
statistical regression that is utilized to develop models of
priority.
[0098] As will be readily appreciated, one or more of the
embodiments can employ classifiers that are explicitly trained
(e.g., via a generic training data) as well as implicitly trained
(e.g., via observing UE behavior, operator preferences, historical
information, receiving extrinsic information). 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 determining
according to predetermined criteria which of the acquired cell
sites will benefit a maximum number of subscribers and/or which of
the acquired cell sites will add minimum value to the existing
communication network coverage, etc.
[0099] As used in some contexts in this application, in some
embodiments, the terms "component," "system" and the like are
intended to refer to, or comprise, a computer-related entity or an
entity related to an operational apparatus with one or more
specific functionalities, wherein the entity can be either
hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or
software in execution. As an example, a component may be, but is
not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a
processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution,
computer-executable instructions, a program, and/or a computer. By
way of illustration and not limitation, both an application running
on a server and the server can be a component. One or more
components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution
and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed
between two or more computers. In addition, these components can
execute from various computer readable media having various data
structures stored thereon. The components may 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 such as the Internet with other systems via
the signal). As another example, a component can be an apparatus
with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated
by electric or electronic circuitry, which is operated by a
software or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein
the processor can be internal or external to the apparatus and
executes 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 comprise a
processor therein to execute software or firmware that confers at
least in part the functionality of the electronic components. While
various components have been illustrated as separate components, it
will be appreciated that multiple components can be implemented as
a single component, or a single component can be implemented as
multiple components, without departing from example
embodiments.
[0100] Further, the various embodiments 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 or
computer-readable storage/communications media. For example,
computer readable storage media can include, but are not limited
to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk,
magnetic strips), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital
versatile disk (DVD)), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g.,
card, stick, key drive). Of course, those skilled in the art will
recognize many modifications can be made to this configuration
without departing from the scope or spirit of the various
embodiments.
[0101] In addition, the words "example" and "exemplary" are used
herein to mean serving as an instance or illustration. Any
embodiment or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary"
is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous
over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word example
or exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.
As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an
inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless
specified otherwise or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is
intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That
is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X
employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances.
In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application
and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one
or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be
directed to a singular form.
[0102] Moreover, terms such as "user equipment," "mobile station,"
"mobile," subscriber station," "access terminal," "terminal,"
"handset," "mobile device" (and/or terms representing similar
terminology) can refer to a wireless device utilized by a
subscriber or user of a wireless communication service to receive
or convey data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming or
substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream. The foregoing
terms are utilized interchangeably herein and with reference to the
related drawings.
[0103] Furthermore, the terms "user," "subscriber," "customer,"
"consumer" and the like are employed interchangeably throughout,
unless context warrants particular distinctions among the terms. It
should be appreciated that such terms can refer to human entities
or automated components supported through artificial intelligence
(e.g., a capacity to make inference based, at least, on complex
mathematical formalisms), which can provide simulated vision, sound
recognition and so forth.
[0104] As employed herein, the term "processor" can refer to
substantially any computing processing unit or device comprising,
but not limited to comprising, single-core processors;
single-processors with software multithread execution capability;
multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software
multithread execution capability; multi-core processors with
hardware multithread technology; parallel platforms; and parallel
platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, a processor
can refer to an integrated circuit, an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a
field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic
controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a
discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or
any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described
herein. Processors can exploit nano-scale architectures such as,
but not limited to, molecular and quantum-dot based transistors,
switches and gates, in order to optimize space usage or enhance
performance of user equipment. A processor can also be implemented
as a combination of computing processing units.
[0105] As used herein, terms such as "data storage," data storage,"
"database," and substantially any other information storage
component relevant to operation and functionality of a component,
refer to "memory components," or entities embodied in a "memory" or
components comprising the memory. It will be appreciated that the
memory components or computer-readable storage media, described
herein can be either volatile memory or nonvolatile memory or can
include both volatile and nonvolatile memory.
[0106] What has been described above includes mere examples of
various embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe
every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for
purposes of describing these examples, but one of ordinary skill in
the art can recognize that many further combinations and
permutations of the present embodiments are possible. Accordingly,
the embodiments disclosed and/or claimed herein are intended to
embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that
fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Furthermore, to the extent that the term "includes" is used in
either the detailed description or the claims, such term is
intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term
"comprising" as "comprising" is interpreted when employed as a
transitional word in a claim.
[0107] In addition, a flow diagram may include a "start" and/or
"continue" indication. The "start" and "continue" indications
reflect that the steps presented can optionally be incorporated in
or otherwise used in conjunction with other routines. In this
context, "start" indicates the beginning of the first step
presented and may be preceded by other activities not specifically
shown. Further, the "continue" indication reflects that the steps
presented may be performed multiple times and/or may be succeeded
by other activities not specifically shown. Further, while a flow
diagram indicates a particular ordering of steps, other orderings
are likewise possible provided that the principles of causality are
maintained.
[0108] As may also be used herein, the term(s) "operably coupled
to", "coupled to", and/or "coupling" includes direct coupling
between items and/or indirect coupling between items via one or
more intervening items. Such items and intervening items include,
but are not limited to, junctions, communication paths, components,
circuit elements, circuits, functional blocks, and/or devices. As
an example of indirect coupling, a signal conveyed from a first
item to a second item may be modified by one or more intervening
items by modifying the form, nature or format of information in a
signal, while one or more elements of the information in the signal
are nevertheless conveyed in a manner than can be recognized by the
second item. In a further example of indirect coupling, an action
in a first item can cause a reaction on the second item, as a
result of actions and/or reactions in one or more intervening
items.
[0109] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement
which achieves the same or similar purpose may be substituted for
the embodiments described or shown by the subject disclosure. The
subject disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or
variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above
embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described
herein, can be used in the subject disclosure. For instance, one or
more features from one or more embodiments can be combined with one
or more features of one or more other embodiments. In one or more
embodiments, features that are positively recited can also be
negatively recited and excluded from the embodiment with or without
replacement by another structural and/or functional feature. The
steps or functions described with respect to the embodiments of the
subject disclosure can be performed in any order. The steps or
functions described with respect to the embodiments of the subject
disclosure can be performed alone or in combination with other
steps or functions of the subject disclosure, as well as from other
embodiments or from other steps that have not been described in the
subject disclosure. Further, more than or less than all of the
features described with respect to an embodiment can also be
utilized.
* * * * *