Systems and methods for traffic offloading in multi-radio-access-technology networks

1. An offloading controller for traffic offloading in a multi-radio-access-technology (RAT) network, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to:

determine a maximum channel utilization threshold that a contention-based access network allows based on a likelihood of packet collisions, the likelihood of packet collisions being measured by a number of stations actively transmitting on a radio channel of interest for a pre-determined duration, wherein the multi-RAT network comprises a centralized resource management network and the contention-based access network; and

determine whether to offload one or more user equipments (UEs) on the contention-based access network to the centralized resource management network by comparing a current channel utilization of the contention-based access network and the maximum channel utilization threshold.

2. The offloading controller of claim 1 , wherein the maximum channel utilization threshold provides a maximum channel utilization on the contention-based access network as a function of an averaged number of active users on the contention-based access network.

3. The offloading controller of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood of packet collisions in the contention-based access network is based on the time where collided packets occupy a radio channel.

4. The offloading controller of claim 1 , wherein one or more UEs on the contention-based access network are offloaded to the centralized resource management network when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is greater than the maximum channel utilization threshold.

5. The offloading controller of claim 1 , wherein when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is less than the maximum channel utilization threshold, the instructions are further executable to:

determine whether to offload one or more UEs on the centralized resource management network to the contention-based access network by comparing a current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network and a resource block threshold.

6. The offloading controller of claim 5 , wherein one or more UEs on the centralized resource management network are offloaded to the contention-based access network when the current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network is greater than the resource block threshold.

7. The offloading controller of claim 5 , wherein no offloading occurs when the current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network is less than the resource block threshold.

8. The offloading controller of claim 1 , wherein the centralized resource management network is a long-term evolution (LTE) network and the contention-based access network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN).

9. A method for traffic offloading in a multi-radio-access-technology (RAT) network, comprising:

determining a maximum channel utilization threshold that a contention-based access network allows based on a likelihood of packet collisions, the likelihood of packet collisions being measured by a number of stations actively transmitting on a radio channel of interest for a pre-determined duration, wherein the multi-RAT network comprises a centralized resource management network and the contention-based access network; and

determining whether to offload one or more UEs on the contention-based access network to the centralized resource management network by comparing a current channel utilization of the contention-based access network and the maximum channel utilization threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the maximum channel utilization threshold provides a maximum channel utilization on the contention-based access network as a function of an averaged number of active users on the contention-based access network.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the likelihood of packet collisions in the contention-based access network is based on the time where collided packets occupy a radio channel.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein one or more UEs on the contention-based access network are offloaded to the centralized resource management network when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is greater than the maximum channel utilization threshold.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is less than the maximum channel utilization threshold, the method further comprises:

determining whether to offload one or more UEs on the centralized resource management network to the contention-based access network by comparing a current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network and a resource block threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more UEs on the centralized resource management network are offloaded to the contention-based access network when the current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network is greater than the resource block threshold.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein no offloading occurs when the current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network is less than the resource block threshold.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the centralized resource management network is a long-term evolution (LTE) network and the contention-based access network is an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN).

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an offloading controller to determine a maximum channel utilization threshold that a contention-based access network allows based on a likelihood of packet collisions, the likelihood of packet collisions being measured by a number of stations actively transmitting on a radio channel of interest for a pre-determined duration, wherein the multi-RAT network comprises a centralized resource management network and the contention-based access network; and

code for causing the offloading controller to determine whether to offload one or more UEs on the contention-based access network to the centralized resource management network by comparing a current channel utilization of the contention-based access network and the maximum channel utilization threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the maximum channel utilization threshold provides a maximum channel utilization on the contention-based access network as a function of an averaged number of active users on the contention-based access network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein one or more UEs on the contention-based access network are offloaded to the centralized resource management network when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is greater than the maximum channel utilization threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein when the current channel utilization of the contention-based access network is less than the maximum channel utilization threshold, the instructions further comprises:

determining whether to offload one or more UEs on the centralized resource management network to the contention-based access network by comparing a current radio resource utilization on the centralized resource management network and a resource block threshold.