WO2002080584A2

WO2002080584A2 - Apparatus for managing capabilities in a communications network and method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2002080584A2
Application number: PCT/EP2002/003678
Authority: WO
Inventors: William Neil Robinson
Original assignee: Motorola Inc.
Priority date: 2001-03-30
Filing date: 2002-03-27
Publication date: 2002-10-10
Also published as: EP1386498A2; WO2002080584A3; HK1048042B; GB2373965A; CN1263258C; EP1386498B1; KR20030087045A; BR0208514A; BRPI0208514B1; ATE515164T1; HUP0304090A3; HUP0304090A2; JP4359045B2; CN1511423A; JP2004523987A; AU2002310916A1; ES2365505T3; GB0108019D0; HK1048042A1; GB2373965B

Abstract

A method of managing capabilities in a telecommunications network comprises the steps of (i) receiving a request for an unspecified service having an associated set of service capabilities; (ii) determining whether at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities exists, and (iii) establishing the selected service by dynamically providing the associated set of capabilities in response to the at least one constraint not existing.

Description

APPARATUS FOR MANAGING CAPABILITIES IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK AND METHOD THEREFOR

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for managing capabilities in a communications system, for example, a system where service capabilities rather than services per se are standardised, such as a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

Background of the Invention

As described above, the UMTS standard only standardises service capabilities, for example, data rates, Bit Error Rates (BERs), Latency, Delay Variations and Basic Service Type, such as voice telephony, and does not standardise the service itself, i.e. the service capabilities for service types. This is in contrast to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), where each telecommunications service is generally standardised to bit level.

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) has specified mandatory service capabilities for a predetermined number of telecommunications services, for example, voice telephony and video telephony. However, the 3GPP specification is limited and does not cater for other services not forming part of the predetermined number of services.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of managing capabilities in a communications network comprising the steps of: receiving a request for an unspecified service having an associated set of service capabilities; determining whether at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities exists, and establishing the selected service by dynamically providing the associated set of capabilities in response to the at least one constraint not existing.

Preferably, the at least one constraint corresponds to a first ability to select a gateway from a plurality of gateways in response to at least one service capability of the associated set of service capabilities. More preferably, the at least one service capability of the associated set of service capabilities is a rule relating to the gateway. Most preferably, the rule relating to the gateway is based upon an interworking function of the gateway. Very preferably, the interworking function is transcoding.

Preferably, the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a second ability to support the unspecified service in response to analysis of traffic activity.

Preferably, the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a third ability to support the requested service in response to analysis determining the mobility of a terminal.

Preferably, the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a fourth ability to support the requested service in response to analysis of resources available to a terminal. More preferably, the method further comprises determining whether the unspecified service can be reconfigured. Most preferably, the method further comprises reconfiguring other services supported by the network.

Preferably, the method further comprises selecting at least one technical parameter that defines the at least one service capability after selecting the service capability.

Preferably, the method further comprises selecting the at least one technical parameter that defines the at least one service capability throughout the duration of a call. Preferably, the method further comprises setting up the switching and transmitting facilities of the network in order to establish the unspecified service.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program element computer program code means to make a computer execute the method as set forth hereinbefore.

Preferably, the computer program element is embodied on a computer readable medium.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for managing capabilities in a communications network, comprising a service support management unit arranged to determine whether at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities exists, and to establish the selected service by dynamically providing the associated set of capabilities in response to the at least one constraint not existing.

Preferably, the service support management unit comprises a service analyser unit connected to a switching and management infrastructure, via a service signalling interface. More preferably, the service analyser unit is connected to the service capability controller via a service capability controller interface.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an interconnect constrainer unit.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a traffic management unit.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a mobility management unit.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a resource management unit.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an interconnect gateway unit. More preferably, the interconnect gateway unit comprises a gateway executive unit and a gateway list store. Very preferably, the interconnect gateway unit further comprises a store of gateway rules.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network entity comprising the apparatus as set forth hereinbefore.

It is thus possible to provide a communications apparatus and method therefor that are flexible enough to allow the network infrastructure to autonomously and dynamically manage the level of flexibility required for communications systems where service capabilities are standardised, for example, the UMTS. Also, the present invention allows other, currently undefined, services to be supported by a communications system comprising the apparatus for managing capabilities. The present invention is capable of managing service capabilities in the light of available system resources.

Brief Description of the Drawings

At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a telecommunications network constituting an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an element of the network of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another element of the network of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a flow diagram of operation of the elements of Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a step of Figure 4 in more detail;

Figure 6 is a flow diagram of another step of Figure 4 in more detail;

Figure 7 is a flow diagram showing yet another step of Figure 4 in more detail; and

Figure 8 is a flow diagram showing a further step of Figure 4 in more detail.

Description of a Preferred Embodiment

A telecommunications network 100 (FIG. 1 ) includes a network entity comprising a switching and management infrastructure 102 connected to at least one Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) 104 capable of communication with a respective, at least one, Mobile Station (MS) 106, for example, a cellular telephone handset, via a radio frequency interface 108.

The switching and management infrastructure 102 is also connected to a service support management unit 110, both directly and indirectly via a service capability controller 112. A plurality of gateways 114 are also connected to the switching and management infrastructure 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, the service support management unit 110 comprises a service signalling interface 212 connected to the switching and management infrastructure 102 and a service analysis unit 202, the service analysis unit 202 also being connected to a service capability controller interface 214. The service capability controller interface 214 is connected to the service capability controller 112.

An interconnect constrainer unit 204, a traffic management unit 206, a mobility management unit 208 and a resource management unit 210 are each connected to the service analysis unit 202.

Referring to FIG 3, the interconnect constrainer unit 204 comprises a gateway executive unit 300 connected to the service analysis unit 202. A gateway list store 302 and a gateway rule store 304 are also each connected to the gateway executive unit 300, the gateway rule store 304 having a plurality of gateway constraint rule sets 306, 308, 310, 312 stored therein.

The gateway list store 302 comprises a list of available gateways along with information relating to the suitability of each of the available gateways for certain types of telecommunication service. For example, a gateway 'A' to an analogue Public Switched Telecommunications Service (PSTN) is not indicated in the list of available gateways as suitable for high speed packet data services, but gateway 'A' is indicated as being suitable for speech, fax and low rate data services. Each of the plurality of gateway constraint rules sets 306, 308, 310, 312 correspond, respectively, to each of the available gateways. Each set of gateway constraint rules 306, 308, 310, 312 is based upon knowledge of interworking functions that are possible for a combination of gateways or the corresponding gateway. An interworking function is a function that translates information from a first format to a second, corresponding format. For example, in order to be carried by a mobile voice telecommunications system, speech can be encoded at a data rate of 16 kbits/s using a vocoder. However, in order to deliver the 16 kbits/s encoded voice signal to a digital PSTN for connection to a landline telephone, the PSTN being coupled to a gateway 'B', the 16 kbits/s speech signal has to be transcoded into a 64 kbits/s Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) signal for the digital PSTN. Knowledge of this transcoding capability is used in specifying the gateway constraint rules for the gateway 'B', such as: only 16 kbits/s speech is to be used in support of a requested voice telephony service when using gateway "B", and 8 kbits/s speech is not to be used.

In operation (FIG. 4), a request for an unspecified service is awaited (step 400) by the service analyser unit 202 via the service signalling interface 212. Unspecified services are services that have not been predetermined by a standardisation body to have a set of mandatory service capabilities, the standardisation body being defined as any entity capable of specifying the set of mandatory service capabilities of services.

Upon receiving the request for the unspecified service, the interconnect constrainer 204 handles (step 402) the request for the service. Referring to FIG. 4, the gateway executive unit 300 accesses the gateway list 302 to determine which gateways from the list of available gateways are suitable for the requested service.

In a first embodiment of the invention, having selected one or more suitable gateways the gateway executive unit 300 extracts the appropriate gateway constraint rules and further extracts the appropriate rules for the requested service. The gateway executive 300 then informs the service analyser unit 202 of any constraints due to the use of the gateway which must be applied to the selection and dimensioning of the standard service components. Where a choice of gateways is possible, this choice is also made known to the service analyser unit 202 with the appropriate constraints associated for each possible gateway.

In a second embodiment of the invention, relevant gateways are selected (step 500) from the gateway list store 302 and a first of the relevant gateways is selected (step 502). Gateway rule sets 306, 308, 310, 312 corresponding to the first of the relevant gateways are extracted (step 504) from the gateway rule store 304 and rules pertaining to the service requested are further extracted.

The gateway executive unit 300 then informs (step 506) the service analyser unit 202 of any respective constraints associated with use of the extracted gateway. The gateway executive unit 300 then determines whether other relevant gateways remain (step 508), another relevant gateway being selected (step 510) if other relevant gateways remain. Hence, steps 504 to 508 are then repeated in relation to other relevant gateways until no more relevant gateways remain. If more than one gateway has been reported (step 512) to the sen/ice analyser unit 202, the service analyser unit 202 selects (step 514) one of the relevant gateways based upon a pertinent rule, for example, cost, gateway loading, or even at random. Once a suitable gateway has been selected (step 514) the interconnect constrainer 204 informs (step 516) the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the interconnect constrainer 204, i.e. available gateways, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested. If none, or only one suitable gateway exists, the interconnect constrainer 204 determines (step 518) whether any suitable gateways exist. If the one suitable gateway is found, the interconnect constrainer 204 informs (step 516) the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the interconnect constrainer 204, i.e. available gateways, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested. Otherwise, the interconnect constrainer 204 informs (step 520) the service analyser unit 202 that no suitable gateways exist and that.a constraint to delivering the requested service exists. Referring back to FIG. 4, whilst the service analyser unit 202 processes service requests, the traffic manager unit 206 monitors (step 404) overall traffic activity of the MS 106 and the telecommunications network 100 and, referring to FIG. 6, determines (step 600) when a new incoming call exists for the MS 106, for example, an incoming multimedia call. If the traffic manager unit 206 determines (step 602) that the MS 106 is already taking part in another multimedia call, the traffic manager unit 206 informs the service analyser unit 202 that the multimedia call should not be delivered immediately (step 604). Based on this information, the service analyser unit 202 can delay the selection of the service requested and selection of technical parameters (sometimes known as "dimensioning") that define the standard service capabilities of the service requested to allow for busy services to become free for deployment of new services, such as the incoming multimedia call. Once the busy services are free, a set of service capabilities of the unspecified service are configured (step 606) and the traffic management unit 206 informs (step 608) the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the traffic management unit 206, i.e. traffic loading information, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested.

Referring back to FIG. 4, mobility management unit 208 is arranged to provide (step 406) mobility status information regarding the MS 106 upon request from the service analyser unit 202, for example, at the same time as the request for service is being handled and traffic activity is being monitored. The service analyser unit 202 is then able to identify services that can be made available to the MS 106.

Referring to FIG. 7, the mobility management unit 208 monitors (step 700) the mobility of the MS 106 and determines (step 702) when the sen/ice analyser unit 202 requests mobility status information regarding the MS 106. The mobility management unit 208 then determines (step 704) whether a service being requested is compatible with the mobility of the MS 106. For example, a highly mobile user in a motor vehicle may not be given access to service capabilities involving difficult handovers. If the service being requested is incompatible with the mobility of the MS 106, the mobility management unit 208 determines (step 706) whether the service being requested can be reconfigured. For example, if the highly mobile user wants to receive video and text services, the service analyser unit 202 can embed text into a video image prior to transmission across the radio interface 108 instead of transmitting the text and the video image separately, thereby reducing handover complexity. The embedded text can then be extracted upon receipt using image recognition technology known in the art. If the service being requested can be reconfigured, the service is reconfigured (step 708), otherwise the mobility management unit 208 informs (step 710) the service analyser unit 202 that a constraint to the delivery of the requested service exists. Once the service has been reconfigured, or if the service is already compatible with the mobility of the MS 106, the mobility management unit 208 informs the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the mobility management unit 208, i.e. mobility of the MS 106, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested (step 712).

Contemporaneously, (FIG. 4), the resource management unit 210 can be accessed (step 408) by the service analyser 202 in order to determine available resources at a given point in time. The resource management unit 210 has access in real time to information concerning instantaneous use and availability of resources from the switching and management infrastructure 102 via the service signalling interface 212, for example internally generated information such as a number of subscribers in a cell, a number of subscribers entering the cell in a given period of time, a number of subscribers leaving the cell in a given period of time, radio-frequency performance in the cell or noise floor. The resource management unit 210 monitors trends in uses of the resources, for example changes to overall traffic levels in the mobile telecommunications network 100. Examples of resource availability information include: received Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), a remaining available capacity in the network 100 for traffic, and/or a rate of random access attempts to access the network 100.

The resource management unit 210 monitors (step 800) resource availability and trends and determines (step 802) when the service analyser unit 202 requests resource status information. If resource status information is requested by the service analyser unit 202, the resource management unit determines (step 804) if the resource required is compatible with the service requested. If the service requested is compatible with the resource, the resource management unit 210 informs (step 806) the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the resource management unit 210, i.e. resource availability and use, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested. Otherwise the resource management unit 210 determines (step 808) whether the service can be reconfigured. If the service can be reconfigured, the service is reconfigured (step 810) and the resource management unit 210 informs (step 806) the service analyser unit 202 that, from the perspective of the resource management unit 210, i.e. resource availability and use, there is no constraint to delivering the service requested. If the service can not be reconfigured, the resource management unit 210 determines (step 812) whether other services can be reconfigured so as to enable the resource management unit 210 to accommodate the requested service. If the other services can not be reconfigured, the resource management unit 210 informs (step 814) the service analyser unit 202 that a constraint to delivery of the requested service exists, otherwise, the other services are reconfigured (step 816) and the resource management unit 210 again determines (step 804) whether the resource required by the requested service is compatible with the reconfigured services, and repeats the above described analysis (steps 808 to 816, if necessary) in respect of the reconfigured other services.

In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, having taken into account the information provided by the interconnect constrainer unit, the traffic management unit, the mobility manager unit and the resource management unit, the service analyser unit will select and dimension the service capabilities, or technical parameters, to be used in support of the requested sen/ice. This selection and the associated dimensions are passed to the service capability controller unit via the service capability controller interface. Throughout the lifetime of the requested service, the service support management unit can maintain the service by modifying the selection and dimensioning of the standard service capabilities during the call according to the constraints and opportunities which occur from time to time. The service capability controller unit, having received instructions from the service support management unit, establishes the selected service capabilities in the dimensions prescribed by the service support management unit. The switching and transmission facilities of the network are set up in the normal way to provide the requested service, albeit based on the service capabilities chosen rather than being based on the requested service directly.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, and referring back to FIG. 4, if each of the interconnect constrainer 204, the traffic management unit 206, the mobility management unit 208 and the resource management unit 210 provide an indication (step 410) to the service analyser unit 202 that the requested service is not constrained from being delivered, the service analyser unit 202 permits (step 412) delivery of the service being requested. Otherwise, if the indication is not received from one of the interconnect constrainer 204, the traffic management unit 206, or the mobility management unit 208 and the resource management unit 210, the service analyser unit 202 drops (or declines) the service being requested (step 414).

Of course, the first and second embodiments of the invention may be implemented together.

The above example assumes that resources external to the telecommunications network 100 are required. However, if resources external to the telecommunication network 100 are not required, the service analyser unit 202 does not require the interconnect constrainer 204 to provide any information, from the perspective of the gateway executive unit 300, regarding any constraints to delivering the service. In a situation where resources external to the telecommunications network 100 are not required, unless the traffic management unit 206, the mobility management unit 208 or the resource management unit 210 require parameter changes, for example bit rate, from a default setting, the default setting is employed. Alternative embodiments of the invention can be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer program product being, for example, a series of computer instructions stored on a tangible data recording medium, such as a diskette, CD-ROM, ROM, or fixed disk, or embodied in a computer data signal, the signal being transmitted over a tangible medium or a wireless medium, for example microwave or infrared. The series of computer instructions can constitute all or part of the functionality described above, and can also be stored in any memory device, volatile or nonvolatile, such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical or other memory device.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of managing service capabilities in a telecommunications network in response to a service request comprising the steps of: evaluating any constraints associated with the selection of technical parameters to be used for the instantiation of the service; selecting technical parameters for the instantiation of the service consistent with those constraints; and establishing the service using service capabilities conforming to the selected technical parameters.

2. An apparatus for managing service capabilities in a telecommunications network in response to a service request comprising: means for evaluating any constraints associated with the selection of technical parameters to be used for the instantiation of the service; means for selecting technical parameters for the instantiation of the service consistent with those constraints; and means for establishing the service using service capabilities conforming to the selected technical parameters.

3. A method of managing capabilities in a communications network comprising the steps of: receiving a request for an unspecified service having an associated set of service capabilities; determining whether at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities exists, and establishing the selected service by dynamically providing the associated set of capabilities in response to the at least one constraint not existing.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of service capabilities are required to provide the service, and each service capability is evaluated to determine whether a constraint exists.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one constraint corresponds to a first ability to select a gateway from a plurality of gateways in response to at least one service capability of the associated set of service capabilities.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the at least one service capability of the associated set of service capabilities is a rule relating to the gateway.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the rule relating to the gateway is based upon an interworking function of the gateway.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the interworking function is transcoding.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a second ability to support the unspecified service in response to analysis of traffic activity.

10. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a third ability to support the requested service in response to analysis determining the mobility of a terminal.

11. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities corresponds to a fourth ability to support the requested service in response to analysis of resources available to a terminal.

12. A method as claimed in Claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the unspecified service can be reconfigured.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, further comprising reconfiguring other services supported by the network.

14. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising selecting at least one technical parameter that defines the at least one service capability after selecting the service capability.

15. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising selecting the at least one technical parameter that defines the at least one service capability throughout the duration of a call.

16. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising setting up the switching and transmitting facilities of the network in order to establish the unspecified service.

17. An apparatus for managing capabilities in a communications network, comprising a service support management unit arranged to determine whether at least one constraint to providing the unspecified service with the associated set of service capabilities exists, and establish the selected service by dynamically providing the associated set of capabilities in response to the at least one constraint not existing.

18. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the service support management unit comprises a service analyser unit connected to a switching and management infrastructure, via a service signalling interface.

19. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 118, wherein the service analyser unit is connected to the service capability controller via a service capability controller interface.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 19, further comprising an interconnect constrainer unit.

21. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 20, further comprising a traffic management unit.

22. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 21 , further comprising a mobility management unit.

23. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 22, further comprising a resource management unit.

24. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 23, further comprising an interconnect gateway unit.

25. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 24, wherein the interconnect gateway unit comprises a gateway executive unit and a gateway list store.

26. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 24, wherein the interconnect gateway unit further comprises a store of gateway rules.

27. A network entity comprising the apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 26.

28. A computer program element computer program code means to make a computer execute the method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16.

29. A computer program element as claimed in Claim 28, embodied on a computer readable medium.

30. An apparatus for managing capabilities in a telecommunications network substantially as hereinbefore described in Figures 1 to 3.

28. A method of managing capabilities in a telecommunications network substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 8.