WI-FI and cellular interworking for internet of things devices

• US 10,064,123 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bari, Farooq
• Primary Examiner(s): Moutaouakil, Mounir
• Application Number:
  US14/755,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Concepts and technologies described herein relate to WI-FI and cellular interworking for Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a radio access technology selection system can generate a policy for network selection. The policy can include network selection criteria for network selection to be performed by a dual-mode IoT device. The radio access technology selection system also can provision the policy for the dual-mode IoT device. The dual-mode IoT device can utilize the policy to select one or more networks over which to communicate IoT data. The radio access technology selection system can be or can include an access network discovery and selection function (“ANDSF”). The ANDSF can utilize an ANDSF management object (“MO”) tree to implement an MO defined specifically for the network selection criteria for the IoT device.

Claims

1. A radio access technology selection system comprising:

a processor; and

memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

generating a policy for network selection and traffic routing, wherein the policy comprises network selection criteria for a dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device is defined in an internet of things device specific management object of an access network discovery and selection function management object tree, wherein the access network discovery and selection function management object tree comprises a plurality of management objects, and wherein the plurality of management objects comprises the internet of things device specific management object and a mobile device specific management object, and

provisioning, based upon the internet of things device specific management object, the policy for the dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the dual-mode internet of things device utilizes the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device to select an access network.

2. The radio access technology selection system of claim 1, wherein the radio access technology selection system comprises an access network discovery and selection function.

3. The radio access technology selection system of claim 1, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is provisioned with a WI-FI network identifier that identifies a WI-FI access network.

4. The radio access technology selection system of claim 3, wherein the WI-FI network identifier identifies the WI-FI access network as an internet of things WI-FI network connected to an internet of things gateway operating in a core network.

5. The radio access technology selection system of claim 4, wherein the internet of things WI-FI network operates in accordance with IEEE 802.11ah, IEEE 802.11af, or IEEE 802.11ah and IEEE 802.11af.

6. The radio access technology selection system of claim 4, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is further provisioned with an access point name that identifies a packet data network that the dual-mode internet of things device should connect to via the WI-FI access network.

7. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a radio access technology selection system, cause the radio access technology selection system to perform operation comprising:

generating a policy for network selection and traffic routing, wherein the policy comprises network selection criteria for a dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device is defined in an internet of things device specific management object of an access network discovery and selection function management object tree, wherein the access network discovery and selection function management object tree comprises a plurality of management objects, and wherein the plurality of management objects comprises the internet of things device specific management object and a mobile device specific management object is defined specifically for a network selection criteria of internet of things devices, and

provisioning, based upon the internet of things device specific management object, the policy for the dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the dual-mode internet of things device utilizes the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device to select an access network.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the radio access technology selection system comprises an access network discovery and selection function.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is provisioned with a WI-FI network identifier that identifies a WI-FI access network.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the WI-FI network identifier identifies the WI-FI access network as an internet of things WI-FI network connected to an internet of things gateway operating in a core network.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the internet of things WI-FI network operates in accordance with IEEE 802.11ah, IEEE 802.11af, or IEEE 802.11ah and IEEE 802.11af.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is further provisioned with an access point name that identifies a packet data network that the dual-mode internet of things device should connect to via the WI-FI access network.

13. A method comprising:

generating, by a radio access technology selection system, a policy for network selection and traffic routing, wherein the policy comprises network selection criteria for a dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device is defined in an internet of things device specific management object of an access network discovery and selection function management object tree, wherein the access network discovery and selection function management object tree comprises a plurality of management objects, and wherein the plurality of management objects comprises the internet of things device specific management object and a mobile device specific management object; and

provisioning, by the radio access technology selection system, based upon the internet of things specific management object, the policy for the dual-mode internet of things device, wherein the dual-mode internet of things device utilizes the network selection criteria for the dual-mode internet of things device to select an access network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the radio access technology selection system comprises an access network discovery and selection function.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is provisioned with a WI-FI network identifier that identifies a WI-FI access network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the WI-FI network identifier identifies the WI-FI access network as an internet of things WI-FI network connected to an internet of things gateway operating in a core network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the internet of things WI-FI network operates in accordance with IEEE 802.11ah, IEEE 802.11af, or IEEE 802.11ah and IEEE 802.11af.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the internet of things device specific management object of the access network discovery and selection function management object tree is further provisioned with an access point name that identifies a packet data network that the dual-mode internet of things device should connect to via the WI-FI access network.