US 12,143,860 B1
Intelligent access traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS)
Ming Shan Kwok, Seattle, WA (US); Hsin Fu Henry Chiang, Bellevue, WA (US); Wafik Abdel Shahid, Kenmore, WA (US); Boris Antsev, Bothell, WA (US); and Suresh Thanneeru, Bothell, WA (US)
Assigned to T-Mobile USA, Inc., Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by T-Mobile USA, Inc., Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/210,376.
Int. Cl. H04W 28/08 (2023.01); H04W 24/02 (2009.01); H04W 24/08 (2009.01); H04W 28/02 (2009.01); H04W 88/16 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 28/0967 (2020.05) [H04W 24/02 (2013.01); H04W 24/08 (2013.01); H04W 28/0268 (2013.01); H04W 28/0933 (2020.05); H04W 88/16 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of access traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS), the method comprising:
receiving, from a user equipment (UE), channel performance information for:
a first channel passing from the UE, through a radio access network (RAN) and a packet routing node, to an external remote node,
a second channel passing from the UE, through a local wireless node, a routing node, and the packet routing node, to the external remote node, and
a third channel that bypasses the packet routing node by passing from the UE, through the local wireless node and an external computer network, to the external remote node, wherein the channel performance information includes at least a round trip time (RTT) for the first channel, an RTT for the second channel, and an RTT for the third channel;
selecting the third channel as an initial channel based on the RTT for the third channel being less than each of the RTT for the first channel and the RTT for the second channel; and
instructing the UE to steer a protocol data unit (PDU) session between the UE and the external remote node to at least the selected third channel.