Control Method and Apparatus for Load Transmission

Abstract

A control method and apparatus for load transmission is provided. The control method includes: receiving a trigger event reported by a proxy server, where the trigger event includes a first transmission delay of a first member transmission path and a second transmission delay of a second member transmission path, and reporting the trigger event when one of the first and the second transmission delays is greater than a first delay threshold, The method also includes initiating a request to a packet data network gateway and obtaining network information fed back by the packet data network gateway. The method also includes controlling, according to the first transmission delay, the second transmission delay, and the network information, the proxy server to perform corresponding load distribution.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a receiver, configured to:
 when a user equipment accesses a first network, obtain a first transmission delay of a first member transmission path; and 
 when the user equipment accesses a second network, obtain a second transmission delay of a second member transmission path; 
   a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions for:
 monitoring whether the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is greater than a first delay threshold, wherein the first delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required by the user equipment to perform a load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform offloading, wherein the load transmission is transmitted based on MultiPath Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP); and 
   a transmitter, configured to:
 when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is greater than the first delay threshold, report a trigger event to a policy and charging control entity, wherein the trigger event comprises the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay, and the trigger event instructs the policy and charging control entity to control, according to the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, the processor to perform load distribution. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to:
 after reporting the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity, when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is less than a second delay threshold, re-report the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity;   wherein the second delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required for the load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform a load backflow, and the second delay threshold is less than the first delay threshold; and   wherein the load backflow occurs when a transmission performance that is on the first member transmission path or the second member transmission path and that is of the load restores to a normal level, after the policy and charging control entity controls performing of the load distribution.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the program further includes instructions for:
 performing the load distribution, wherein the load distribution is performed according to the first transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, subscription information of the user equipment, and network information, wherein the load distribution is performed under the control of the policy and charging control entity as instructed by the trigger event, and wherein the subscription information comprises tariffs for transmitting corresponding load on the first member transmission path and the second member transmission path when the user equipment accesses the first network and the second network.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the program further includes instructions for performing, under the control of the policy and charging control entity, the load distribution in a conservative, radical, or switchable manner. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first network is a wireless local area network and comprises a WiFi network, the second network is a cellular network that overlaps coverage of the first network, the cellular network comprises a 2G network, a 3G network, or a 4G network, the second member transmission path corresponds to the second network, and the second member transmission path is a default path of the load transmission. 
     
     
         6 . A method, comprising:
 when a user equipment accesses a first network, obtaining a first transmission delay of a first member transmission path;   when the user equipment accesses a second network, obtaining a second transmission delay of a second member transmission path; and   when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is greater than a first delay threshold, reporting a trigger event to a policy and charging control entity, wherein the trigger event comprises the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay, the trigger event instructs the policy and charging control entity to control, according to the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, performing of a corresponding load distribution, wherein the first delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required by the user equipment to perform a load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform offloading, and wherein the load transmission is transmitted based on the MultiPath Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP).   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 after the policy and charging control entity controls the performing of the corresponding load distribution, when a transmission performance on the first member transmission path or the second member transmission path and that is of the load restores to a normal level, load backflow occurs; and   the method further comprises:
 after the policy and charging control entity controls the performing of the corresponding load distribution, when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is less than a second delay threshold, re-reporting the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity again, wherein the second delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required for the load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform the load backflow, and the second delay threshold is less than the first delay threshold. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 after reporting the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity, instructing, using the trigger event, the policy and charging control entity to control the performing of the corresponding load distribution, wherein the load distribution is performed according to the first transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, subscription information of the user equipment, and network information, wherein the subscription information comprises tariffs for transmitting corresponding load on the first member transmission path and the second member transmission path when the user equipment accesses the first network and the second network.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein controlling the performing of corresponding load distribution comprises:
 performing the corresponding load distribution in a conservative, radical, or switchable manner.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the first network is a wireless local area network and comprises a WiFi network, the second network is a cellular network that overlaps coverage of the first network, the cellular network comprises a 2G network, a 3G network, or a 4G network, and the second member transmission path corresponding to the second network is a default path of the load transmission. 
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 a first apparatus, configured to:
 receive a trigger event reported by a proxy server, wherein the trigger event comprises a first transmission delay of a first member transmission path when a user equipment accesses a first network, and the trigger event further comprises a second transmission delay of a second member transmission path when the user equipment accesses a second network, wherein when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is greater than a first delay threshold, the proxy server reports the trigger event, wherein the first delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required by user equipment to perform a load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform offloading; and 
   controlling, according to the first transmission delay, the second transmission delay, and network information, the proxy server to perform load distribution; and   a second apparatus, configured to:
 obtain the first transmission delay of the first member transmission path when the user equipment accesses the first network; 
 obtain the second transmission delay of the second member transmission path when the user equipment accesses the second network; and 
 report the trigger event to a policy and charging control entity when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is greater than the first delay threshold, wherein the trigger event instructs the policy and charging control entity to control, according to the first transmission delay and the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, the performing of the load distribution. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the second apparatus is further configured to:
 after reporting the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity, when the first transmission delay or the second transmission delay is less than a second delay threshold, re-report the trigger event to the policy and charging control entity;   wherein the second delay threshold is a threshold value of a time required for the load transmission when the user equipment is controlled to perform a load backflow, and the second delay threshold is less than the first delay threshold; and   wherein the load backflow occurs when a transmission performance that is on the first member transmission path or the second member transmission path and that is of the load restores to a normal level, after the performing of the load distribution.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the second apparatus is further configured to:
 perform the load distribution, wherein the load distribution is performed according to the first transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, the second transmission delay comprised in the trigger event, subscription information of the user equipment, and network information, wherein the load distribution is performed under the control of the policy and charging control entity as instructed by the trigger event, and wherein the subscription information comprises tariffs for transmitting corresponding load on the first member transmission path and the second member transmission path when the user equipment accesses the first network and the second network.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the second apparatus is configured to perform, under the control of the policy and charging control entity, the load distribution in a conservative, radical, or switchable manner. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the first network is a wireless local area network and comprises a WiFi network, the second network is a cellular network that overlaps coverage of the first network, the cellular network comprises a 2G network, a 3G network, or a 4G network, the second member transmission path corresponds to the second network, and the second member transmission path is a default path of the load transmission.