When device behavior meets real-time traffic control, even modest shifts in policy enforcement can reshape how mobile networks handle congestion. EP3107243B1 is one such patent, now cited in an infringement proceeding involving Headwater Research LLC and Apple Inc., along with several of its European entities.

This European patent introduces a technique for preserving network capacity by adjusting resource usage based on the states of active devices. It monitors network activity, identifies overloaded elements, like specific base stations or MAC layers, and implements targeted control policies to stabilize performance across fluctuating load conditions.

To locate related innovations, we rely on the Global Patent Search (GPS) platform. GPS supports precise feature mapping and identifies structurally similar patents that are applicable to network optimization and traffic-aware resource management.

Whether you are managing carrier infrastructure, developing congestion-aware systems, or tracking patent portfolios, this GPS-driven analysis offers a focused look into the technology behind EP3107243B1.

Understanding Patent EP3107243B1

Patent EP3107243B1 is titled Device-assisted services for protecting network capacity. It addresses the growing challenge of mobile and broadband networks facing congestion as user devices generate persistent or inefficient traffic. Its core solution introduces device-assisted traffic control that classifies application activity and enforces dynamic policies.

By monitoring whether a request stems from foreground or background usage, the system can block, delay, or allow transmissions depending on network conditions. This ensures network capacity is preserved without fully centralizing control at the operator level.

Source: Google Patents

Its Four Key Features Are

#1. Classification of traffic paths – Determines whether data should flow through a wide area (WWAN) or local area (WLAN) connection.

#2. Foreground vs. background detection – Distinguishes between user-driven application activity and background processes.

#3. Dynamic traffic control policies – Applies selective blocking, throttling, or allowance based on classifications and a policy list.

#4. User interface integration – Provides users with visibility and optional control over traffic restrictions and capacity-preserving measures.

This technology introduces smarter bandwidth management at the device level. It balances user experience with network efficiency, ensuring critical services are prioritized during congestion.

Similar Patents As EP3107243B1

To explore the innovation landscape surrounding EP3107243B1, we ran the patent through the Global Patent Search tool. This surfaced related patents that share technical similarities in adaptive traffic control, congestion management, and device-network interaction. 

Below, we highlight five of these references that reflect comparable ideas in optimizing wireless network resource usage.

#1. US8385199B1

This US patent, US8385199B1, published in 2013, introduces adaptive traffic shaping for wireless communication systems. It outlines methods for monitoring device associations with network areas and influencing data flows based on congestion levels.

Source: GPS

What This Patent Introduces To The Landscape

1. Monitoring modules: Map mobile devices to network areas using signaling messages for real-time tracking.
   
2. Loading factor metrics: Calculate congestion levels in specific wireless network areas.
   
3. Traffic shaping actions: Block, forward, or rate-limit traffic depending on thresholds and policies.
   
4. Preferential forwarding: Allow SLA-driven or premium application traffic to override restrictions.
   

How It Connects To EP3107243B1

• Both patents aim to reduce congestion through dynamic traffic management.
  
• EP3107243B1 employs device-assisted policies, whereas US8385199B1 operates at the network level.
  
• Each balances resource efficiency with maintaining user experience.
  
• Both highlight selective control of flows rather than blanket restrictions.
  

Why This Matters

This reference demonstrates how adaptive traffic shaping enables operators to sustain capacity. It demonstrates parallel strategies, device-based versus network-based, working toward the same goal of smarter bandwidth management.

#2. US2007060169A1

This US patent application, US2007060169A1, published in 2007, describes a traffic control method for multi-access communication systems. It introduces adaptive traffic control algorithms that distribute user traffic across multiple networks based on real-time performance conditions.

Source: GPS

What This Patent Introduces To The Landscape

1. Adaptive Traffic Control (ATC): Dynamically splits user traffic across several access networks to improve overall system performance.
   
2. ATC server coordination: Aggregates performance data from access networks and terminals to guide distribution decisions.
   
3. Session-based traffic control: Allocates traffic flows at the session level, balancing between cellular and WLAN networks.
   
4. Technology independence: Provides a flexible traffic control mechanism applicable across different access technologies.
   

How It Connects To EP3107243B1

• Both focus on optimizing resource usage in congested networks.
  
• EP3107243B1 applies device-assisted traffic shaping, while US2007060169A1 relies on a centralized ATC server.
  
• Each uses real-time feedback, whether device state or network metrics, to adjust traffic handling.
  
• Both highlight selective control of flows to sustain network efficiency.
  

Why This Matters

This reference emphasizes traffic distribution across multiple access networks. It complements EP3107243B1’s device-level controls by showing how centralized algorithms can manage congestion and enhance system performance.

#3. US2004032828A1

This US patent application, US2004032828A1, published in 2004, describes service management for controlling packet traffic in cellular networks. It focuses on dynamically monitoring and adjusting Quality of Service (QoS) across defined service classes to improve network stability.

Source: GPS

What This Patent Introduces To The Landscape

1. Dynamic service classes: Establishes categories of flows with defined resource priorities to maintain QoS across different applications.
   
2. Real-time monitoring: Continuously tracks blocking and dropping rates to adjust service levels on the fly.
   
3. Traffic shaping integration: Outputs can guide shaping devices, reconfigure routers, or trigger resource scaling.
   
4. Network dimensioning: Estimates additional cell resources required to handle excess demand under fluctuating loads.
   

How It Connects To EP3107243B1

• Both aim to preserve network capacity under high demand.
  
• EP3107243B1 manages device-driven traffic states, while US2004032828A1 uses service classes and QoS thresholds.
  
• Each emphasizes targeted control, selective blocking, shaping, or resource prioritization over broad restrictions.
  
• Both stress adaptability in response to real-time network conditions.
  

Why This Matters

This reference highlights how service-class-based QoS management prevents overload. It complements EP3107243B1 by offering a structured, policy-driven approach to sustaining network performance during peak usage.

Managing congestion is only half the challenge. To know how smarter discovery avoids wasted spectrum during overload, please read EP3016464B1 and 5 Patents Shaping Signal Discovery in Mobile Networks.

#4. US9100874B2

This US patent, US9100874B2, published in 2015, introduces Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning in wireless LANs through adaptable and network-regulated channel access parameters. It describes mechanisms where the network dynamically adjusts contention parameters to optimize performance across diverse traffic classes.

Source: GPS

What This Patent Introduces To The Landscape

1. Adaptable CAP values: Dynamically adjusts contention parameters (AIFS, CW) based on network load and traffic demands.
   
2. Network-regulated QoS: Shifts control of QoS enforcement from devices to network-side entities for consistency and fairness.
   
3. Supervision entities: Introduces Load Supervision Manager (LSM) and QoS Parameters Manager (QPM) to continuously monitor and regulate channel access.
   
4. Lease-time allocation: Implements Enhanced QoS-parameters Lease Time (EQLT) to stabilize QoS for real-time applications under changing conditions.
   

How It Connects To EP3107243B1

• Both aim to preserve network performance by regulating traffic under congestion.
  
• EP3107243B1 enforces device-assisted traffic policies, while US9100874B2 shifts enforcement to the network layer.
  
• Each adapts dynamically to fluctuating conditions, EP3107243B1 using device activity, US9100874B2 using load-sensitive CAP values.
  
• Both emphasize selective prioritization of critical traffic without blanket capacity expansion.
  

Why This Matters

This reference demonstrates how network-controlled QoS provisioning ensures fair access and performance stability. It complements EP3107243B1 by showing an alternative, infrastructure-driven approach to adaptive traffic management in wireless systems.

#5. TW201119460A

This Taiwan patent application, TW201119460A, published in 2011, introduces a system for allocating network resources based on device usage patterns. It emphasizes dynamic updates of allocation decisions according to application activity, performance data, and network conditions.

Source: GPS

What This Patent Introduces To The Landscape

1. Usage-based allocation: Assigns network resources according to parameters such as bandwidth usage, device performance, and service type.
   
2. Dynamic updates: Continuously refreshes allocation as device usage patterns change over time.
   
3. Management entity coordination: Central controller processes usage data from multiple devices to guide allocation.
   
4. Comprehensive parameters: Factors in GNSS positioning, signal strength, interference levels, and power consumption for fine-grained allocation.
   

How It Connects To EP3107243B1

• Both address network efficiency through adaptive allocation mechanisms.
  
• EP3107243B1 focuses on device activity states, while TW201119460A prioritizes resource assignment using detailed usage profiles.
  
• Each highlights dynamic, real-time adjustment to balance capacity and user demand.
  
• Both stress selective optimization rather than uniform resource distribution.
  

Why This Matters

This reference shows how device-level usage patterns can shape allocation strategies. It complements EP3107243B1 by extending adaptive resource control to broader system-level management.

Related Read: To know more about how signal coordination meets next-generation connectivity, please read our blog on beam selection in wireless networks.

How to Find Related Patents Using Global Patent Search

Understanding the broader patent landscape is essential when analyzing traffic-aware systems, network optimization, or congestion control strategies. The Global Patent Search tool streamlines this process, helping users identify inventions that reflect similar policies for managing load or preserving network capacity.

1. Enter the patent number into GPS: Start by entering a patent number like EP3107243B1 into the GPS tool. The platform converts it into a smart query, which can be refined using terms such as traffic management, adaptive allocation, or capacity preservation.

2. Explore conceptual snippets: Instead of line-by-line claim mapping, GPS now delivers curated text snippets. These show how other systems adapt resource use, prioritize sessions, or balance performance under busy network states.

3. Identify related inventions: The tool highlights patents that tackle congestion control, dynamic allocation, and overload prevention, revealing how different systems address similar efficiency challenges.

4. Compare systems, not legal claims: GPS focuses on functional behavior rather than legal language. This lets users trace overlapping approaches to traffic shaping, load control, and resource coordination without getting tied to claim wording. See how similar router-level traffic filtering was analyzed in our stress test of US7523497B2.

5. Accelerate cross-domain insights: Whether working in carrier infrastructure, wireless resource management, or next-generation traffic engineering, GPS helps surface related innovations across domains that are often difficult to connect.

With this approach, Global Patent Search equips researchers, engineers, and IP strategists with actionable insights into how different systems tackle network efficiency. By surfacing parallels across diverse patents, the tool not only maps the innovation landscape but also highlights evolving strategies for adaptive traffic control and capacity management around EP3107243B1.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. The related patent references mentioned are preliminary results from the Global Patent Search tool and do not guarantee legal significance. For a comprehensive related patent analysis, we recommend conducting a detailed search using GPS or consulting a patent attorney.