WO2013104494A1

WO2013104494A1 - Voice and data communication over wireless networks

Info

Publication number: WO2013104494A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/075871
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rijin JOHN
Original assignee: Alcatel Lucent
Priority date: 2012-01-13
Filing date: 2012-12-18
Publication date: 2013-07-18
Also published as: IN2012DE00130A

Abstract

The present subject matter discloses systems and methods for voice and data communication in wireless networks. In one implementation, the method comprises obtaining at least one network service parameter for each of the plurality of service providers, retrieving at one least network selection rule and computing a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers, based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least one network selection rule. The method further comprises allocating a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index and obtaining the services from at least one of the plurality of service providers, based on the allocation.

Description

Voice and Data Communication Over Wireless Networks FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present subject matter relates to wireless communication networks and, particularly but not exclusively, to voice and data communication in wireless networks.

BACKGROUND

[0002] User equipments, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and portable computers, provide users with a variety of wireless communications services and computer networking capabilities. These communication services allow data, for example, documents, media files, etc., to be exchanged between the users. The user equipments usually include various categories of input-output (I/O) interfaces for connecting with various categories of communication networks, such as mobile networks, Wi-Fi networks, and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks. The I/O interfaces facilitate the user equipments to connect to communication networks of various service providers through various means, such as wireless internet access, data connectivity through mobile networks, and other wireless access points.

[0003] Increasingly, the users of the user equipments are demanding access to communication services anywhere and at anytime. For example, the users always look for faster data transfer rates. This demand has caused the service providers to implement communication networks that provide enhanced communication capabilities and has resulted in rapid advancements in communication technology. Also, to ensure inter-operability of communication networks implemented by different service providers, various telecommunication standards have been devised. With time, the telecom standards have evolved resulting in higher data transfer rates.

[0004] The user equipments, adhering to Release 9 of the 3rd Generation Partnership

Project (3GPP) standards, are capable of handling data transfer rate of 84.4 megabits per second (Mbps). Moreover, standards for high-speed data transfer using user equipments, such as the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard that is based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPA) network technologies, further enhance the data transfer rates, which may reach 300Mbps in downlink and 75 Mbps in uplink.

[0005] As standards evolve, the newer standards build upon the capabilities already provided by the existing standards. For example, Release 8 of the 3GPP standards defined access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) as an entity within an evolved packet core (EPC) of the system architecture evolution (SAE) for 3GPP compliant networks. The ANDSF facilitated the user equipments to discover and connect to non-3GPP access networks, such as Wi-Fi, and WIMAX, that may be used for data transfer, in addition to 3GPP access networks, such as HSPA, and LTE; so as enhance the data transfer rates of the user equipments. However, despite the evolution of newer standards, service providers of communication networks are not able to provide the users with the data transfer rates that these standards are capable of achieving due to the large number of users, limited network resources, etc.

SUMMARY

[0006] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to voice and data communication in wireless networks. This summary is neither intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In an embodiment, a method for voice and data communication in wireless networks comprises obtaining at least one network service parameter for each of a plurality of service providers, retrieving at one least network selection rule and computing a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers, based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least one network selection rule. The method further comprises allocating a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index and obtaining services from at least one of the plurality of service providers, based on the allocation.

[0008] In accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter, a user equipment (UE) for voice and data communication in wireless networks includes a network analysis module configured to detect at least one network service parameter for each of a plurality of service providers. The UE further includes a selection rule engine configured to retrieve at least one network selection rule and compute a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least network selection rule. The UE may also include a service allocation module configured to allocate a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index.

[0009] In accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter, a computer readable medium has a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed, perform acts including obtaining at least one network service parameter for each of the plurality of service providers, retrieving at one least network selection rule and computing a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers, based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least one network selection rule. The acts further comprise allocating a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index and obtaining the services from at least one of the plurality of service providers, based on the allocation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures.

In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates a communication network environment for data transfer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0012] Figure 2 illustrates the components of a user equipment for data transfer in wireless communication networks, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0013] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary method for data transfer in wireless communication networks, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0014] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0015] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0016] Systems and methods for voice and data communication in wireless networks are described herein. The systems and methods can be implemented in a variety of user equipments, also referred to as UEs, or communication network devices or both. The user equipments that can implement the described method(s) include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, hand-held devices, laptops or other portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebooks, tablets, network access adaptors, and the like. Additionally, the method can be implemented in any of the wireless communication networks, such as Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) network. Although the description herein is with reference to certain networks, the systems and methods may be implemented in other networks and devices, albeit with a few variations, as will be understood by a person skilled in the art.

[0017] The user equipments are usually configured to provide users with a variety of wireless communications services and computer networking capabilities. These communication services allow data, for example, documents, media files, etc., to be exchanged between the users. Nowadays, the users are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of rate of data transfer, availability of communication network access, the numbers and categories of features or services offered by the service providers, and the like. As a consequence, the service providers are faced with a challenge to meet users' demands and expectations of high speed data connectivity at all places and all times.

[0018] Conventionally, a user is registered with a default service provider. Although a user has the liberty to register with a service provider of his choice, once registered, the user may avail only those communication services and at those rates that are offered by the default service provider.

[0019] For illustration, consider a communication network where two service providers

SPl and SP2 provide communication services. SPl may be providing voice calls at a cheaper rate compared to the rates of SP2. At the same time, the data usage plans provided by SPl may be expensive compared to that of SP2. A user 'X' registered with SPl can avail communication services, such as voice and data services, only from SPl . Conventionally, the user 'X' is restricted from availing services offered by SP2. For example, the user 'X' may not avail the services offered by SPl for voice calls and use the data usage plans of SP2 for data transfer. In case, the user 'X' decides to avail services provided by SP2, he would be required to register with SP2 and would thus switch from SPl to SP2. In such a scenario, the user 'X' would no longer be able to avail the services of SPl .

[0020] One typical approach that allows a user to avail services of more than one service provider involves using user equipments that can host a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIM), wherein each SIM is registered with a different service provider. While this approach allows a user to avail communication services of more than one service provider using the corresponding SIMs, the user can use the services of any one service provider at a time. Referring to the above example, using this approach, though the user 'X' may be enabled to use SPl for the voice calls and SP2 for data transfers, he needs to select and activate a SIM belonging to SPl or SP2 each time, based on the communication service he wishes to avail. The user may find it inconvenient to select the most appropriate service provider each time he wishes to avail a communication service.

[0021] In another example, the user 'X' may be located in a geographic location where the network connectivity of SP2 may be better than that of SP 1. In this location, the user 'X' may wish, for example, to avail services of SP2 for making calls while he may still want to use resources of SPl , for example, to browse the Internet. However, conventionally, there is no option available to facilitate the selection of service provider based on parameters, such as connectivity or the service to be availed. For instance, if the user 'X' has a user equipment that may connect to multiple service providers, the user X may find it difficult to manually select a service provider that will provide the best service at a particular time or geographic location. [0022] In another recent approach to allow users to avail services of more than one service provider, a universal SIM capable of coupling to more than one service provider is provided. However, in this approach also, the user is enabled to avail the services of only one service provider at a time. This approach does not allow users to simultaneously use the communication services provided by different service providers, which may be required to enhance data throughput as discussed below.

[0023] Consider an example where user 'X' may be required to download content, such as a video clip or a document from a website. The time required to download the content may be dramatically decreased in case the user 'X' is enabled to use the resources of SP1 as well as SP2 simultaneously, for example, to download different parts of the content. For instance, if the resources of SP1 are used to download first half of the video clip, while, in parallel, the resource of SP2 are used to download the remaining half of the video clip, the data throughput may be increased to twice as the time is reduced to half of the time that would otherwise be required. However, conventional solutions do not facilitate simultaneous access to communication services provided by more than one service providers.

[0024] There exist some conventional approaches that enable the user equipments to support multiple access technologies simultaneously. In one example, the approach involves providing devices with multiple interfaces, such as 3GPP, WiFi, and WiMAX. Such devices typically use standards like MAPCON (Multi Access PDN Connectivity) and IP Pipe (IP V6) to support multiple access technologies simultaneously. For example, a device may simultaneously connect to both 3GPP and non-3GPP access using MAPCON. However, again, these standards allow a user equipment to connect to different network resources of the same service provider. Thus, the conventional approaches do not facilitate user equipments to connect to more than one service provider at a time and accordingly, the user equipments are restricted from exploiting the resources of more than one service provider at a time in order to enhance the user experience of using the UE, for example, by providing increased rate of data throughput.

[0025] The present subject matter discloses methods and systems for voice and data communication in wireless networks. In one embodiment of the subject matter, the systems and methods provide high data throughput for utilizing the resources of multiple service providers simultaneously. In one implementation, the method of data transfer in communication networks includes selecting one or more service providers to avail a communication service such that not only the data throughput is increased, but also other conditions, such as user specific preferences, like using the services of the service provider providing the best connectivity available at any given time and place or availing the best tariff plan for a given communication service are fulfilled.

[0026] In one implementation, the method of data transfer in communication networks include determining various network service parameters pertaining to the communication networks provided by a plurality of service providers. The network service parameters may include the signal strength, the quality of service, the degree of congestion in the communication network, the interference level, availability of channels, and so on.

[0027] In said embodiment, various network selection rules, such as user preference rules may be defined in a user equipment (UE), used by the user to access the communication networks provided by multiple service providers. These network selection rules may be used to select a service provider based on various factors, such as user preferences that define the preference of a user while availing various communication services. For example, the user may choose to perform data transfer using a service provider that provides cheap data plans, even though it may have a low quality of service. As evident, since the user preference rules may also be based on the network service parameters, the result of the rules, i.e., the selection of a service provider to avail a service may change with time as the network service parameters vary with time. For example, a user preference rule may define that a voice call should be made through the communication network that is least congested. As a result of this rule, the service provider whose communication network is the least congested at that instance of time gets selected. In another example, the network selection rules may enable selection of only those service providers with whom a user may be registered. Accordingly, in the above example, the user preference rule may define that a voice call should be made through the communication network that is least congested, however, if the user in not registered with the service provider whose communication network is least congested, the least congested network with whom the user is registered gets selected.

[0028] Moreover, based on the network service parameters and at least one network selection rules, a priority index for each of the service provider for each category of service may be determined. The priority index may also be dependent on the category of service to be availed. For example, a service provider may have a high priority index for voice calls, but low priority index for video calls, for example, due to non-availability of 3G network at a particular time or geographic location.

[0029] Based on the priority index and network selection rules, various categories of services, such as voice calls, video calls, text messaging, multimedia messaging, downloads, web surfing, e-mail, navigation, synchronization with online accounts of the user, and updating of system software may be allocated to different service providers. In one implementation, each category of service may be catered to by an exclusive service provider, whereas in other implementations, each category of service may be distributed across various service providers. Since the network service parameters change with time and geographic location, the priority index and the result of the network selection rules may get updated at regular intervals and hence the allocation of various categories of services to the service providers may also be updated accordingly.

[0030] Further, the volume of data to be handled by each service provider, for each category of services, may be also be computed, based in part on the priority index, and network selection rules. Since the network service parameters change with time and geographic location, the priority may get updated at regular intervals as explained above. Based on the priority index, the volume of data to be handled by each service provider for each category of data may also be updated at regular intervals. For example, to download a video clip at a fast rate and yet optimize cost, 60% of the clip may be downloaded using a service provider providing high data transfer rate at a higher cost while the remaining 40% may be downloaded using another service provider who provides slower data transfer rate at a lower cost. It will be evident that network selection rules, such as the user preference rules, govern the volume of data that a service provider should be handling for a user based on whether the cost is a priority or the throughput. Thus the described methods and systems facilitate the simultaneous use of bandwidth for data transfer provided by a plurality of service providers and enhance the effective data transfer rate of the user equipment.

[0031] The above methods and system are further described in conjunction with the following figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate the principles of the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the present subject matter and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

[0032] It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the initial action and the reaction that is initiated by the initial action. Additionally, the word "connected" is used throughout for clarity of the description and can include either a direct connection or an indirect connection.

[0033] Figure 1 illustrates a communication network environment 100 for data transfer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the communication network environment 100 includes a number, say N, of radio network controllers, such as a first radio network controller 102-1 of a first service provider, a second radio network controller 102-2 of a second service provider, and a N^th radio network controller 102-N of N^th service provider. The radio network controllers 102-1 , 102-2, and 102-N are henceforth collectively referred to as the R Cs 102 and singularly referred to as the RNC 102. Each of the RNC 102 is configured to manage one or more Node Bs, such as the Node Bs 104-1 , 104-2, , and 104-N.

[0034] The RNCs 102 control and communicate with the Node Bs 104-1 and 104-2 using communication links, such as communication links 106-1 and 106-2. Further, the RNCs 102 may be implemented as a network server, a server, a workstation, a mainframe computer, and the like. The RNCs 102 may be further configured to manage resources of the communication network and coordinate data transfer through the Node Bs 104. The Node Bs 104 communicate via radio channels, such as radio channels 108-1 , 108-2, with various user equipments, such as user equipment (UE) 1 10. The UE 1 10 may include communication devices, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a notebook, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a network adapter, a data card, a radio receiver unit. [0035] In one implementation, the UE 1 10 may be connected to a plurality of communication networks provided by a plurality, say N, of service providers. For example, the UE 1 10 may be configured to connect to wireless networks conforming to different standards, such as LTE, IX, and IX Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), of multiple service providers simultaneously. In said implementation, the UE 1 10 includes a service provider selection module 1 18, henceforth referred to as the SPSM 1 18, configured to determine various parameters pertaining to the communication networks.

[0036] In one implementation, the SPSM 1 18 may be configured to detect all communication networks of all the service providers, which are available in an area where the UE 1 10 is located. In another implementation, the SPSM 1 18 may be configured to detect the communication networks of those service providers to which the UE 1 10 is subscribed to. In said implementations, the SPSM 1 18 may be configured to rank the service providers, in an order in which the UE 1 10 should connect to the communication networks of the service providers. The SPSM 1 18 may be configured to compute the ranking based on various network service parameters, such as the signal level of the communication network, and the quality of service provided by the communication network. In one implementation, the ranking is also based on network selection rules, such as user preference rules, as will be elaborated later. Based on the ranking, the UE 1 10 may be configured to avail of different services from different service providers. In another implementation, the UE 1 10 may distribute the volume of data to be transferred for availing of each service among a plurality of service providers in a ratio based on the ranking.

[0037] Further, in one implementation, the SPSM 1 18 may be configured to generate a cell individual operator set (CIOS) for each of the detected service providers. As would be known by those skilled in the art, the area covered by wireless communication networks, such as mobile networks, are usually divided into sub-areas called cells, wherein each cell is served by a base station. In said implementation, the SPSM 1 18 may be configured to detect each cell of each service provider and classify the detected cells into various pre-defined cell categories. For example, in one implementation, the cell categories may include active cells which include the cells currently serving the UE 1 10; candidate cells which comprise cells that may become active cells in the near future, for example due to movement of the UE 1 10; and monitored cells which include cells that may become candidate cells in the future, for example due to movement of the UE 1 10.

[0038] Based on the above data made available by the SPSM 118, the UE 110 may be configured to allocate various categories of services to various service providers. The SPSM 118 further facilitates the continuity of service, by configuring the UE 110 to switch to a different service provider, in case of the preferred service provider being unavailable. Further, the UE 110 may be configured to use multiple service providers for availing of the same service.

[0039] For example, consider a file 112 stored in a remote web server (not shown in figure) which the user wants to download using the UE 110. In said implementation, the file 1 12 comprises of data packets having sequence number 1 , 2, 3,... 10. The sequence numbers of the data packets indicate the order in which the data packets are chronologically arranged in the file 112. The sequence number of the data packets may be stored in the header segment of the data packet. In the above example, the UE 110, based on computations made by the SPSM 118, requests six data packets, indicated by block 1 14-1 using the first service provider, and two data packets each using the second and the N^th service providers, as indicated by blocks 1 14-2 and 1 14-N respectively. It should be understood by those skilled in the art, that the data packets may be requested and received by the UE 110, in any order, based in part on the network service parameters of each service provider. Once all the data packets have been received, the UE 110 orders the received data packets in accordance with the sequence number, as indicated by block 1 16, so as to recreate the file 1 12.

[0040] Further, in certain cases, some data packets may be lost during transmission. After waiting for a pre-defined time out period, if the UE 110 does not receive a data packet from a service provider, the UE 1 10 may request for retransmission of the data packet. The request for retransmission of the data packet may be sent using the same service provider or may be sent using a different service provider.

[0041] Thus the UE 1 10 facilitates the simultaneous use of bandwidth for data transfer provided by a plurality of service provider and enhances the data throughput. For example, if the UE 110 is connected to N service providers having data transfer rates Bi, B₂, B₃,... B_N; the maximum data transfer rate the UE 1 10 may achieve using all the service providers simultaneously may be BMAX, wherein BMAX is the summation of Bi, B₂, B₃,...and B_N. These and other features of the UE 110 are described in greater detail, in conjunction with Figure 2. [0042] Figure 2 illustrates the components of the exemplary UE 1 10, in accordance to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the UE 110 is configured to connect to a plurality of communication networks provided by different service providers for availing better services, such as fast data transfer. The UE 110 may be implemented as various computing devices, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a digital diary, a tablet, a net-book, and the like. In said embodiment, the UE 110 includes one or more processor(s) 202, hence forth referred to as processor 202, and a memory 204 connected to the processor 202. The processor 202 may include microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries and/or any other devices that manipulate signals and data based on operational instructions. The processor 202 can be a single processing unit or a number of units, all of which could also include multiple computing units. Among other capabilities, the processor 202 is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 204.

[0043] Functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including any functional blocks labeled as "processor(s)", may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term "processor" should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.

[0044] The memory 204 can include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as RAM and/or non-volatile memory, such as flash. The memory 204 further includes module(s) 206 and data 208. The module(s) 206 include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In one implementation, the module(s) 206 may include the SPSM 118, wherein the SPSM 118 further includes a network analysis module 212, and a selection rule engine 214. The module(s) 206 further include a service allocation module 216, a network subscription module 218, a scheduler and combiner module 220 and other module(s) 222. The other module(s) 222 may include programs or coded instructions that supplement applications and functions of the UE 1 10.

[0045] On the other hand, the data 208, amongst other things, serves as a repository for storing data processed, received, associated, and generated by one or more of the module(s) 206. The data 208 includes, for example, user preferences data 224, service history 226, and user data 228. The data 208 may also include other data 230.The other data 230 includes data generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules in the other module(s) 222.

[0046] Further the UE 110 includes one or more interface(s) 210. The interfaces 210 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for peripheral device(s), such as data input output devices, referred to as I/O devices, storage devices, network devices, etc. The I/O device(s) may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, Ethernet ports, host bus adaptors, etc., and their corresponding device drivers. The interface(s) 210 facilitate the communication of the UE 1 10 with various communication and computing devices and various networks, such as Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, Personal Communications Service (PCS) network, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Next Generation Network (NGN), IP -based network, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).

[0047] The UE 1 10 may also include an antenna 232 coupled to the I/O interfaces 210. In one implementation, the antenna 232 may be configured to handle multiple frequency bands of various service providers simultaneously. The antenna 232 would facilitate the transmission and reception of signals and data of multiple service providers. In one implementation, the antenna 232 may be implemented as a multi user multi input multi output active array inverted-F antenna (MU-MIMO-AA-PIFA).

[0048] As mentioned earlier, the UE 1 10 may exchange data with other UEs either directly or over a communication network. The data may be exchanged in various forms, such as voice data, text data, and multimedia data. In one implementation, the UE 1 10 is configured to connect to multiple communication networks provided by multiple service providers. In said implementation, the network subscription module 218 may be used to facilitate authentication to communication networks provided by different service providers. The network subscription module 218 may store various network subscriber identity parameters, such as the international mobile subscriber identity (EVISI) local area code (LAC), routing area code (RAC), and short message service centre (SMSC), pertaining to each service provider to which the UE 1 10 is subscribed. In one implementation, the network subscription module 218 may be interfaced to multiple subscriber identification modules (SEVIs), wherein the SEVIs pertain to multiple service providers, to access the network subscriber identity parameters. The network subscription module 218 may also have access to and/ or store various equipment identification parameters of the UE 110, which are independent of the service provider, such as the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) and integrated circuit card identity (ICCID); so as to authenticate the UE 110 to various networks provided by multiple service providers.

[0049] As would be known by those skilled in the art, any geographical area would be covered by multiple communication networks provided by various service providers. In said implementation, the network analysis module 212 of the SPSM 118 may be configured to determine various network service parameters for each of the communication networks to which the UE 1 10 is subscribed. The network service parameters may include signal power, quality of service (QoS), interference, and so on. Further, the network analysis module 212 may also be configured to obtain various other network service parameters, from the Node Bs 104 or the RNCs 102, such as load on the communication network, congestion factor, and channel availability.

[0050] In one implementation, the selection rule engine 214 may be configured to compute a priority index for each of the communication networks to which the UE 110 is subscribed. The priority index may be indicative of the preference of connecting to a particular network. For example, if communication network provided by the first service provider has higher priority index than communication network provided by the second service provider, the UE 110 would prefer using the communication network provided by the first service provider than the communication network provided by the second service provider.

[0051] In another implementation, the selection rule engine 214 may be configured to compute the priority index determined by the network analysis module 212 based on various parameters such as user preference rules, and network selection rules retrieved from user preferences data 224, in addition to the network service parameters. For example, in case both the communication networks provided by the first service provider and the second service providers are above a minimum quality threshold, the user may prefer to use the communication network provided by the second service provider having a lower priority index for availing of certain categories of services, for example, downloads, international calls, and multimedia messaging. The user may choose the second service provider over the first service provider having higher priority index, due to various reasons such as tariffs, data plans subscribed to, and personal choice.

[0052] However, in case the service provider preferred by the user is below the minimum quality threshold, the UE 1 10 may be configured to automatically switch to other service providers, which are above the minimum quality threshold for availing of said categories of services. In another implementation, the user preferences may be configured such that the UE 1 10 uses a certain category of service from a specified service provider. For example, say the UE 1 10 may be configured to prefer the first service provider over the second service provider for voice calls and e-mail downloading. In case, at a particular geographical location, the first service provider is below the minimum quality threshold, the UE may automatically switch to the second service provider for voice calls; but may continue using the first service provider for e-mail downloading.

[0053] In another implementation, the service allocation module 216 may be configured to allocate various categories of services to each service provider, based on the priority index and the user preferences determined by the selection rules engine 214. For example, the service allocation module 216 may allocate services like downloading of multimedia files, e-mail downloading to a first service provider, may assign voice calls to a second service provider, and video calls to a third service provider. In another example, the service allocation module 216 may allocate a service or a category of service to a plurality of service providers. In such a case, the service allocation module 216 may divide the volume of data under the said category of services among the service providers either equally or in a ratio determined by the priority index and user preferences. For example, the service allocation module 216 may determine to download a movie using two service providers, wherein the first service provider may be assigned 70% of the size of the movie; and the second service provider may be assigned the remaining 30% of the size of the movie. [0054] Further, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the network service parameters are dynamic in nature and change with time and/or geographical location. Based on the same, the allocation of services may also get updated. For example, the user preference rule may be configured to use the service provider having the best quality of service for voice calls and the service provider having the cheapest data plan for data transfer. Accordingly, the service allocation module 216 may be configured to allocate various categories of services to each service provider, based on the history of the service provider at certain locations and/ or time of the day. For example, based on historical data, stored as service history 226, the service allocation module 216 may determine the communication network of first service provider faces call drops due to congestion problems during a certain time of the day. Hence, the service allocation module 216 may allocate voice call related services to another service provider accordingly.

[0055] In said implementation, the UE 1 10 further includes the scheduler and combiner module 220, henceforth referred to as the S&C module 220, configured to schedule the transfer of data packets using one or more service providers and combine the data packets received from one or more service providers. For example, the user may want to download an audio file from a web server. Based on the priority index and user preference rules, the service allocation module 216 may select one service provider or may distribute the download between two or more service providers. For example, the service allocation module 216 may allocate download of 50% of the audio file to a first service provider, 30% of the audio file to a second service provider and the remaining portion to a third service provider. The S&C module 220 may be configured to schedule the requests to each of the service providers accordingly.

[0056] In one implementation, the S&C module 220 may be configured to obtain various attributes of the file to be downloaded, such as the size, the location and the number of data packets in the file. Further, in one implementation, the S&C module 220 may be configured to combine the data packets received from each of the service providers, based on various parameters, such as header information and packet ID, and save the audio file, say as the user data 228. It will be understood, by those skilled in the art, that the data packets of the audio file may not be received in sequence. Further, some data packets may also be lost during transmission. In case of a data packet not being received and deemed to be lost in transmission, the S&C module 220 may be configured to send a request for the retransmission of the lost data packet. The request for retransmission may be either sent to the same service provider or to a different service provider.

[0057] In one implementation, the S&C module 220 may be configured to maintain the volume of data received and transmitted using each service provider so that the user may be billed accordingly. Thus, the UE 110 facilitates the simultaneous use of bandwidth for data transfer provided by a plurality of service providers and enhances the effective data transfer rate of the UE 110. Further, the UE 1 10 facilitates continuity of services by shifting services from the first service provider to the second service provider, in case of degradation of network service parameters of the first service provider. It should be appreciated, by those skilled in the art, that the first service provider and the second service provider are merely distinctive service providers and the first service provider does not necessarily imply the primary or the principal service provider.

[0058] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for data transfer in a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 300 without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 300 may be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

[0059] A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that steps of the method 300 can be performed by programmed computers. Herein, some embodiments are also intended to cover program storage devices, for example, digital data storage media, which are machine or computer readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable programs of instructions, where said instructions perform some or all of the steps of the described method 300. The program storage devices may be, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. The embodiments are also intended to cover both communication network and communication devices configured to perform said steps of the exemplary method 300. Further, the method 300 may be implemented in the UE 110 or in a network entity such as the R C 102, and the Node B 104. [0060] With reference to method 300 as depicted in Figure 3, as illustrated in block 302, various network service parameters pertaining to the communication networks provided by a plurality of service providers is obtained. The network service parameters may include the signal strength, the QoS, the degree of congestion in the communication network, the interference level, availability of channels, and so on. In one implementation, the network analysis module 212, may be configured to obtain and compute the various network service parameters pertaining to the communication networks provided by a plurality of service providers.

[0061] As shown in block 304, at least one network selection rule, which may include comprising user preference rules, is retrieved. These rules may be used to implement the preference of the users, while availing various communication services, such performing a data transfer using one or more service providers. For example, the user may choose to perform data transfer using a service provider that provides cheap data plans, even though it may have a low QoS. Further, since the user preference rules may also be based on the network service parameters, the result of the rules may change with time as the network service parameters vary with time. In one implementation, the selection rule engine 214 may be configured to retrieve the at least one network selection rule from user preferences data 224.

[0062] As depicted in block 306, a priority index is computed for each of the service providers based on the network service parameters, and the network selection rules. The priority index may also be dependent on the user preferences and category of service to be availed. For example, a service provider may have a high priority index for voice calls, but low priority index for video calls.

[0063] As illustrated in block 308, various categories of services, such as voice calls, video calls, text messaging, multimedia messaging, downloads, web surfing, e-mail, navigation, synchronization with online accounts of the user, and updating of system software may be allocated to different service providers based on the priority index and use preference rules. In one implementation, each category of service may be catered to by an exclusive service provider, whereas in another implementation, each category of service may be distributed across various service providers. Since, the network service parameters change with time and geographic location, the priority index and the result of the user preference rules may get updated at regular intervals, and hence the allocation of various categories of services to the service providers may also be periodically updated. In one implementation, the service allocation module 216 may be configured to assign various categories of services to one or more service providers, based on the priority index.

[0064] As depicted in block 310, the volume of data to be handled by each service provider, for each category of services, may be determined. In one implementation, the volume of data may be determined based in part on the priority index, user preference rules and network selection rules. Further, since, the network service parameters change with time and geographic location, the priority index and the result of the user preference rules may get updated at regular intervals and hence the volume of data to be handled by each service provider for each category of data may also get updated at regular intervals. In one implementation, the service allocation module 216 may be configured to determine the volume of data to be handled by each service provider, for each category of services. Based on the same, the S&C module 220 may schedule the request for data packets from one or more service providers.

[0065] Although implementations for voice and data communication in wireless networks have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as exemplary implementations for data transfer using user equipment.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for voice and data communication, over wireless networks, using Erreur ! Reference de lien hypertexte non valide., the method comprising:

obtaining at least one network service parameter for each of the plurality of service providers;

retrieving at one least network selection rule;

computing a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers, based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least one network selection rule;

allocating a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index; and

obtaining services from at least one of the plurality of service providers, based on the allocation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining a volume of data, for at least one category of services, to be handled by each of the one or more of the plurality of service providers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one network service parameter includes at least one of a signal strength in a wireless network, quality of service, a degree of congestion in the wireless network, an interference level in the wireless network, and availability of channels in the wireless network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least network selection rule further includes at least one user preference rule.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one user preference rule is based on at least one of a tariff plan provided by each of the plurality of service providers, and a data usage plan provided by each of the plurality of service providers.

6. A user equipment (UE) (110) comprising: a network analysis module (212) configured to detect at least one network service parameter for each of a plurality of service providers;

a selection rule engine (214) configured to

retrieve at least one network selection rule; and

compute a priority index for each of the plurality of service providers based in part on the at least one network service parameter and the at least network selection rule; and

a service allocation module (216) configured to allocate a category of services to one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the priority index.

7. The user equipment (UE) (1 10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user equipment (UE) 110 further comprises a scheduler and combiner module (S&C module) (220) configured to schedule requests for data packets from the one or more of the plurality of service providers based on the allocation of the category of services.

8. The user equipment (UE) (110) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the S&C module (220) is further configured to combine the data packets received from the one or more of the plurality of service providers, based in part on header information of the data packets.

9. The user equipment (UE) (110) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the S&C module (220) is further configured to determine at least one data packet not received from a service provider; and generate a request for retransmission of the at least one data packet from at least one of the plurality of service providers.

10. The user equipment (UE) (1 10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the service allocation module (216) is further configured to determine a volume of data, for each category of services, to be handled by the one or more of the plurality of service providers.

1 1. The user equipment (UE) (110) as claimed in claim 6; wherein the service allocation module (216) is further configured to allocate the category of services based on historical data pertaining to a performance of the one or more of the plurality of service providers.

12. The user equipment (UE) (1 10) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the (UE) (1 10) further comprises a network subscription module (218) configured to authenticate the user equipment (UE) (110) with the plurality of service providers, based on at least one of a network subscriber identity parameter and an equipment identification parameter.

13. The user equipment (UE) (1 10) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the network subscription module (218) is configured to communicate with a plurality of subscriber identity modules (SIMs).

14. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method comprising:

obtaining at least one network service parameter for each of a plurality of service providers;

retrieving at one least network selection rule;

15. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises determining a volume of data, for each category of services, to be handled by each of the one or more of the plurality of service providers.