System and method for wireless network offloading
Patent No. US10791471 (titled "System and method for wireless network offloading") on Feb 11, 2019. The application was issued on Sep 29, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’471 is related to the field of wireless network management and data offloading. Specifically, it addresses the technical challenges of transitioning mobile devices from a primary wide-area network, such as a cellular network, to alternative local networks like Wi-Fi to optimize bandwidth, cost, and overall network capacity.
The underlying idea behind ’471 is to transform the device from a passive receiver of network signals into an active participant in a crowdsourced network characterization system. By having individual devices report real-time performance metrics and device-specific context to a central controller, the system can generate a highly customized and intelligent network map that predicts the best connection for a specific user at a specific time.
The claims of ’471 focus on a closed-loop method where a wireless device identifies alternative networks, gathers current performance data, and transmits a characterization report containing both network info and device-specific details to a network element. The device then receives a customized data set back from the network element, which it uses to apply local rules to decide whether to execute a hand-off from its current network to a specific alternative.
In practice, the invention works by evaluating more than just raw signal strength. It incorporates a cost function that weighs factors such as throughput jitter, latency, and even economic incentives like service credits. The device-specific information, such as a motion trace, allows the system to ignore high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots if the user is moving too fast to maintain a stable connection, thereby preventing the 'ping-pong' effect of frequent, low-quality hand-offs.
This approach differs from prior solutions that relied solely on basic radio metrics like RSSI or static priority lists. By utilizing device-assisted services (DAS), the invention enables the service provider to load-balance traffic across different network types in real-time. It ensures that offloading only occurs when the alternative network meets a specific reliability threshold, providing a seamless user experience that balances network health with individual performance needs.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the late 2000s when ’471 was filed, wireless network selection was typically implemented using static, client-side logic or manual user intervention at a time when systems commonly relied on local signal strength indicators rather than centralized network intelligence. During this era, hardware and software constraints made the real-time coordination of traffic across heterogeneous network types non-trivial, as mobile devices generally operated as autonomous agents with limited visibility into the broader congestion or performance states of alternative access points. Consequently, the transition between cellular and local area networks was often reactive, leading to suboptimal resource utilization and inconsistent service quality when moving between overlapping coverage zones.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a meaningful technical advancement through the integration of device-assisted network telemetry with a centralized service provider control plane to enable dynamic wireless offloading. By shifting from static selection to a managed architectural model, the system enables a capability where service providers can generate prioritized network lists based on aggregated connection data, such as authentication success probabilities, access delays, and time-stamped location traces. This architectural shift overcomes the technical constraint of limited local visibility by utilizing a distributed fleet of devices as active sensors to map network performance. The resulting technical effect is a more efficient distribution of network load and improved connection reliability achieved through incentive-based steering and predictive network mapping.
Claims
The patent contains a total of 14 claims, with claim 1 serving as the sole independent claim. This independent claim focuses on a method for managing wireless device connectivity by identifying alternative networks, reporting device-specific and network performance data to a network element, and receiving customized data to determine whether to switch networks based on specific rules. The dependent claims serve to further define the technical parameters of the process, specifying the types of performance data collected, the nature of the device-specific information such as location and motion traces, and the format of the received data, including multi-dimensional maps and instruction sets for network switching.
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US10791471
- Application Number
- US16272098A
- Filing Date
- Feb 11, 2019
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2020
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents