US 12,445,926 B2
SON assisted optimized RAT selection for UE in a virtualized RAN environment
Ketan Supanekar, Nashua, NH (US)
Assigned to Parallel Wireless, Inc., Nashua, NH (US)
Filed by Parallel Wireless, Inc., Nashua, NH (US)
Filed on Oct. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/495,284.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/088,012, filed on Oct. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0110040 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 36/22 (2009.01); H04W 36/14 (2009.01); H04W 60/04 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 36/22 (2013.01) [H04W 60/04 (2013.01); H04W 36/1443 (2023.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of providing Self Organizing Network (SON) assisted optimized Radio Access Technology (RAT) selection for a User Equipment (UE) in a virtualized Radio Access Network (RAN) environment, comprising:
establishing, by a UE, a Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) and a Data Radio Bearer (DRB) with a virtualized node (VENB);
determining, within a SON module located at a RAN virtualization environment, whether the VENB has reached a data saturation limit for uplink/downlink throughput with at least one UE, wherein the SON module has global visibility of a plurality of virtual cells and their KPIs;
when the VENB has reached the data saturation limit, then determining, at the SON module, if a virtualized 3G function (VRNC) has reached the data saturation limit; and
when the VRNC is determined not to have reached the data saturation limit, then initiating a Long Term Evolution (LTE) to 3G handover procedure for the UE and specifying a target 3G cell.