CALL HANDOFF INITIATION IN HYBRID NETWORKS

摘要

A continual learning process is applied to a class of risk estimate-based algorithms and associated risk thresholds used for deciding when to initiate a handoff between different types of network connections that are available to a mobile device having telephony functionality. The process is implemented as a virtuous loop providing ongoing tuning and adjustment to improve call handoff algorithms and risk thresholds so that handoffs can be performed with the goals of minimizing dropped calls and unacceptable degradation in call quality as well as avoiding premature handoffs. Device characteristics, environmental context, connection measurements, and outcomes of call handoff decisions are crowd-sourced from a population of mobile devices into a cloud-based handoff decision enabling service. The service evaluates potentially usable handoff decision algorithms and risk thresholds against archived crowd-sourced data to determine how they would have performed in real world situations and delivers improved algorithms and risk thresholds to the mobile devices.

主权项

1. One or more hardware-based computer-readable storage devices not comprising a propagated signal and storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors disposed in a mobile device, cause the device to:
utilize a base risk of a dropped or degraded call for each of a plurality of connections to a hybrid network having two or more loosely coupled network portions comprising at least two of a mobile operator network portion, a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network portion, or a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) portion; evaluate a risk of a dropped or degraded call for a current connection to the hybrid network in view of one or more of connection measurements or call-related measurements; aggregate the base risk and the current connection risk into an aggregated risk of a dropped or degraded call; and initiate a call handoff to an alternative connection to the hybrid network if the aggregated risk of a dropped or degraded call exceeds a predetermined risk threshold.