Network load management methods and apparatus

1. A communications method comprising:

operating a service management system to receive first network performance information from a non-cellular network providing performance information relating to a first user equipment (UE) device, said step of receiving first network performance information from a non-cellular network including receiving said first network performance information via a direct wireless connection between an access point in said non-cellular network and a base station in a cellular network;

operating the service management system to initiate a cellular communications session for the first UE device; and

operating the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources following establishment of the cellular communications session for said first UE device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources includes:

operating the service management system to send an initiate release signal to the base station in the cellular network; and

wherein the method further includes operating the base station in the cellular network to send an initiate release signal via a wireless interface to the non-cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the service management system to determine from the first network performance information that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the non-cellular network; and

wherein operating the service management system to initiate a cellular communications session for the first UE device is performed in response to determining that that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the non-cellular network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources following establishment of the cellular communications session for said first UE device includes:

communicating a resource release message to a wireless local area network (LAN) controller (WLC) in said non-cellular network via the direct wireless connection between the access point in said non-cellular network and the base station in said cellular network to initiate release of resources being used by said first UE device in said non-cellular network.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

operating the WLC in said non-cellular network to respond to the resource release message by signaling the access point serving the first UE device to release communications resources being used by said first UE device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

operating the service management system to request, via the direct wireless connection between the access point in said non-cellular network and the base station in said cellular network, non-cellular network performance information relating to said first UE device prior to initiation of the cellular communications session for the first UE device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the service management system to determine from cellular network performance information that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the cellular network; and

operating the service management system to send an offload request via the base station in the cellular network to a wireless local area network (LAN) controller (WLC) in the non-cellular network.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the offload request is communicated to the WLC via the direct wireless connection between the base station in the cellular network and the access point in the non-cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

operating the WLC to send an offload response to the service management system via the direct wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the offload response indicates that the non-cellular network will accept the handover of the first UE device, the method further comprising:

operating the WLC to send a takeover command to the access point in the non-cellular network signaling to the access point in the non-cellular network that it is to take over one or more communications sessions corresponding to the first UE device that were previously being supported by base station in the cellular network.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, prior to the WLC sending the takeover command to the access point in the non-cellular network:

operating the service management system to send an initiate non-cellular session message to a mobility management entity to cause the mobility management entity to initiate a non-cellular session for the first UE device to allow the non-cellular network to take over a communications session corresponding to the first UE device from the cellular network.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

operating the mobility management entity to send a resource release command to the base station in the cellular network to signal the base station in the cellular network to release resources that were being used to support the communications session corresponding to the first UE device handed over to the non-cellular network.

13. A communications system comprising:

a service management system including:

a server including a first processor; and

a first device including a second processor; and

wherein said first processor is configured to:

operate the service management system to receive first network performance information from a non-cellular network providing performance information relating to a first user equipment (UE) device;

operate the service management system to initiate a cellular communications session for the first UE device; and

wherein said second processor is configured to:

operate the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources following establishment of a cellular communications session for said first UE device; and

wherein said first processor is configured to operate the service management system to receive said first network performance information via a direct wireless connection between an access point in said non-cellular network and a base station in a cellular network, as part of being configured to operate the service management system to receive first network performance information from a non-cellular network.

14. The communications system of claim 13 , wherein the second processor is configured to control the service management system to send an initiate release signal to the base station in the cellular network as part of operating the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources; and

wherein the base station in the cellular network is configured to send an initiate release signal via a wireless interface to the non-cellular network in response to receiving said initiate release signal from the service management system.

15. The communications system of claim 13 , wherein said first processor is further configured to:

operate the service management system to determine from the first network performance information that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the non-cellular network; and

wherein operating the service management system to initiate a cellular communications session for the first UE device is performed in response to determining that that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the non-cellular network.

16. The communications system of claim 15 , wherein said second processor is configured to:

operate the service management system to communicate a resource release message to a wireless LAN controller (WLC) in said non-cellular network via the direct wireless connection between the access point in said non-cellular network and the base station in said cellular network to initiate release of resources being used by said first UE device in said non-cellular network, as part of being configured to operate the service management system to initiate release of non-cellular network resources following establishment of the cellular communications session for said first UE device.

17. The communications system of claim 16 , wherein said non-cellular network includes said WLC, said WLC including a third processor; and

wherein said third processor is configured to:

operate the WLC in said non-cellular network to respond to the resource release message by signaling the access point serving the first UE device to release communications resources being used by said first UE device.

18. The communications system of claim 17 , wherein said first processor is further configured to:

operate the service management system to request, via the direct wireless connection between the access point in said non-cellular network and the base station in said cellular network, non-cellular network performance information relating to said first UE device prior to initiation of the cellular communications session for the first UE device.

19. The communications system of claim 13 ,

wherein said first processor is further configured to:

operate the service management system to determine from cellular network performance information that the first UE device is suffering from network congestion on the cellular network; and

wherein said second processor is further configured to:

operate the service management system to send an offload request via the base station in the cellular network to a wireless LAN controller (WLC) in the non-cellular network.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a server included in a service management system cause the server to perform the steps of:

operating the service management system to receive first network performance information from a non-cellular network providing performance information relating to a first user equipment (UE) device, wherein operating the service management system to receive first network performance information from a non-cellular network includes receiving said first network performance information via a direct wireless connection between an access point in said non-cellular network and a base station in a cellular network; and

operating the service management system to initiate a cellular communications session for the first UE device.