Apparatus, mobile terminal, and method to estimate quality of experience of application

Abstract

A method of notifying estimated QoEs (Quality of Experiences) for applications between a. mobile terminal and a plurality of application servers that provide services of the applications, may measure first QoEs for the applications between the apparatus and the mobile terminal, measure second QoEs for the applications between the apparatus and the application server, estimate the estimated QoEs for the applications, based on the first and second QoEs for the applications, and notify the estimated QoEs to the mobile terminal.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method to estimate a quality of experience (QoE), the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a base station with respect to at least one application, a first QoE between the base station and a mobile terminal;   obtaining, by the base station with respect to the at least one application, a second QoE between the base station and at least one application server that provides at least one service of the at least one application;   estimating, by the base station with respect to the at least one application and based on the first QoE and the second QoE, a third QoE between the mobile terminal and the at least one application server; and   communicating, by the base station, the estimated third QoE for use in connection with selection, from amongst a plurality of applications and based on a value of the estimated third QoE, of the at least one application for execution.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the first QoE includes measuring the first QoE by the base station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the first QoE includes receiving the first QoE from the mobile terminal, which measures the first QoE. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the second QoE includes measuring the second QoE by the base station. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the second QoE includes receiving the second QoE from the mobile terminal, which measures the second QoE. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selection, of the at least one application for execution, is performed by the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating the estimated third QoE includes communicating, by the base station, the third QoE to a device in a cloud computing system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating the estimated third QoE to the device in the cloud computing system includes communicating, by the base station, the estimated third QoE to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating, by the base station, either or both the first QoE and the second QoE, and data respectively related to the first QoE and the second QoE, to a device in a cloud computing system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, by the base station, one or more of the first QoE, the second QoE, and the third QoE in a storage unit of the base station to respectively enable the stored one or more of the first QoE, the second QoE, and the third QoE to be accessed and used in connection with another mobile terminal in a same coverage area as the mobile terminal, in a manner that reduces operations to measure QoE. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus to estimate a quality of experience (QoE), the apparatus comprising:
 a processor of a base station, wherein the processor is configured to perform or cause to be performed:
 obtain, by the base station with respect to at least one application, a first QoE between the base station and a mobile terminal; 
 obtain, by the base station with respect to the at least one application, a second QoE between the base station and at least one application server that provides at least one service of the at least one application; 
 estimate, by the base station with respect to the at least one application and based on the first QoE and the second QoE, a third QoE between the mobile terminal and the at least one application server; and 
   a transceiver coupled to the processor and configured to communicate the estimated third QoE for use in connection with selection, from amongst a plurality of applications and based on a value of the estimated third QoE, of the at least one application for execution.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein to obtain either of both the first QoE and the second QoE, the processor is configured to perform or cause to be performed:
 measure either or both the first QoE and the second QoE.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein to obtain either of both the first QoE and the second QoE, the processor is configured to perform or cause to be performed:
 receive, via the transceiver, either or both the first QoE and the second QoE from the mobile terminal, which measures the first QoE or the second QoE.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the selection, of the at least one application for execution, is performed by the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate the third QoE to a device in a cloud computing system. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate either or both the first QoE and the second QoE, and data respectively related to the first QoE and the second QoE, to a device in a cloud computing system. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a storage unit coupled to the processor and to the transceiver, wherein the storage unit is configured to store one or more of the first QoE, the second QoE, and the third QoE to respectively enable the stored one or more of the first QoE, the second QoE, and the third QoE to be accessed and used in connection with another mobile terminal in a same coverage area as the mobile terminal, in a manner that reduces operations to measure QoE. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which in response to execution by a processor, enable the processor to perform or cause to be performed operations that comprise:
 obtain, by a base station with respect to at least one application, a first QoE between the base station and a mobile terminal;   obtain, by the base station with respect to the at least one application, a second QoE between the base station and at least one application server that provides at least one service of the at least one application;   estimate, by the base station with respect to the at least one application and based on the first QoE and the second QoE, a third QoE between the mobile terminal and the at least one application server; and   communicate, by the base station, the estimated third QoE for use in connection with selection, from amongst a plurality of applications and based on a value of the estimated third QoE, of the at least one application for execution.