US 11,889,345 B2
Event-based load balancing in 4G-5G multi-radio dual connectivity
Marc Nieto Aliques, Valencia (ES); David García Roger, Moncada (ES); Daniel Calabuig Soler, Valencia (ES); Pau Usach Molina, Valencia (ES); María Victoria Bausá Aragonés, Alboraya (ES); Francisco Vicente Guillén Ruiz, Valencia (ES); and Eduardo Palomero Lopez, Valencia (ES)
Assigned to EXFO Solutions SAS, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (FR)
Filed by EXFO Solutions SAS, Saint-Jacques de la Lande (FR)
Filed on May 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/319,484.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/069,820, filed on Aug. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/025,298, filed on May 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0360468 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. H04W 76/15 (2018.01); H04W 28/02 (2009.01); H04W 28/08 (2023.01); H04W 28/086 (2023.01)
CPC H04W 28/0268 (2013.01) [H04W 28/0838 (2020.05); H04W 28/0865 (2023.05); H04W 28/0983 (2020.05); H04W 76/15 (2018.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for balancing load in an area of a wireless network comprising first nodes operating according to a first Radio Access Technology and at least one second node operating according to a second Radio Access Technology, the method comprising:
establishing a connection between a user device and a first node;
subsequent to setting an entry threshold based on an expected usage requirement for the area of the wireless network during a current time period, receiving, at the user device from the first node, an indication of the entry threshold for establishing a connection between the user device and a second node during the current time period;
determining, by the user device, whether a parameter of a signal received from the second node exceeds the entry threshold; wherein the parameter and the entry threshold are one of received signal power, received signal quality, or received signal strength;
responsive to determining that the parameter of the signal received from the second node exceeds the entry threshold, establishing, by the first node, a dual connectivity session between the user device and both the first and the second nodes; and
responsive to determining that the parameter of the signal received from the second node is below an exit threshold for the second node, disconnecting, by the first node, the user device from the second node, wherein the entry threshold and the exit threshold are utilized to load balance between the first node and the second node, wherein the exit threshold is set dependent on and below the entry threshold, to control repeated connection/disconnection cycles.