Device and method of aggregating LTE System and WLAN

• US 10,154,523 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chih-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US15/176,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication device for handling long-term evolution (LTE)-wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation is configured to execute instructions comprising connecting to a base station (BS) via LTE communication; detecting a radio link failure on the LTE communication; stopping transmission/reception of at least one first LTE protocol data unit (PDU) via a WLAN in response to the radio link failure, if the WLAN is configured by the BS for the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU with the BS via the WLAN; and keeping transmission/reception of at least one non-LTE PDU via the WLAN in response to the radio link failure, if the WLAN is not configured by the BS for the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU with the BS via the WLAN.

Claims

1. A communication device for handling long-term evolution (LTE)-wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

a processing circuit, coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein the non-transitory memory stores, and the processing circuit is configured to execute instructions of;

connecting to a base station (BS) via LTE communication;

detecting a radio link failure on the LTE communication;

stopping transmission/reception of at least one first LTE protocol data unit (PDU) via a WLAN in response to the radio link failure, if the WLAN is configured by the BS for the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU with the BS via the WLAN;

keeping transmission/reception of at least one non-LTE PDU via the WLAN in response to the radio link failure, if the WLAN is not configured by the BS for the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU with the BS via the WLAN;

transmitting a message indicating support of LTE-WLAN aggregation to the BS via the LTE communication;

receiving a first configuration message configuring the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU via the WLAN and a WLAN configuration;

communicating the at least one first LTE PDU from the BS via the WLAN according to the WLAN configuration; and

transmitting a first status report indicating which of the at least one first LTE PDU is received or not to the BS via the LTE communication, when the communication device detects a disconnection of the WLAN.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

performing a radio resource control (RRC) connection reestablishment procedure in response to the radio link failure.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein a LTE modem side of the communication device sends an indication to an application side of the communication device in response to the radio link failure, and the application side determines whether to stop or keep the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU via the WLAN in response to the indication and according to whether the WLAN is configured by the BS or not.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein a LTE modem side of the communication device indicates a WLAN modem side of the communication device in response to the radio link failure to stop the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU via the WLAN.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

transmitting a second message indicating the disconnection of the WLAN to the BS via the LTE communication, when the communication device detects the disconnection.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

transmitting a third message indicating that a connection of the WLAN is recovered to the BS via the LTE communication, when the communication device reconnects to the WLAN or another WLAN having an identification the same as an identification of the WLAN.

7. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

stopping the transmission/reception of the at least one first LTE PDU via the WLAN, when the communication detects the disconnection.

8. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

receiving a second configuration message for releasing the WLAN configuration, wherein the other configuration message is transmitted from the BS via the LTE communication in response to the second message.

9. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

receiving a second status report from the BS via the LTE communication, wherein the second status report is transmitted in response to the second message and indicates which of the at least one first LTE PDU is received or not by the BS.

10. A communication device for handling long-term evolution (LTE)-wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

a processing circuit, coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein the non-transitory memory stores, and the processing circuit is configured to execute instructions of;

entering a connected mode with a LTE network;

receiving a first radio resource control (RRC) message configuring a communication of at least one LTE protocol data unit (PDU) with a WLAN from the LTE network in the connected mode;

connecting to the WLAN;

performing a communication of at least one WLAN media access control (MAC) PDU comprising the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN;

performing a RRC connection reestablishment or a handover with the LTE network in the connected mode;

suspending the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN in response to the RRC connection reestablishment or the handover;

deriving a first pairwise master key (PMK) according to the RRC message;

deriving a first encryption key according to the first PMK;

encrypting a first WLAN MAC service data unit (SDU) which comprises a first LTE PDU using the first encryption key into a first encrypted WLAN MAC SDU, and transmitting a first WLAN MAC PDU comprising the first encrypted WLAN MAC SDU to the WLAN; and

/or

receiving a second WLAN MAC PDU comprising a second encrypted WLAN MAC SDU which comprises a second LTE PDU from the WLAN, and decrypting the second encrypted WLAN MAC SDU using the first encryption key;

deriving a second PMK according to a second RRC message of the handover or the first RRC message after the RRC connection reestablishment;

deriving a second encryption key according to the second PMK;

encrypting a third WLAN MAC SDU into a third encrypted WLAN MAC SDU which comprises a third LTE PDU according to the second encryption key, and transmitting a third WLAN MAC PDU which comprises the third encrypted WLAN MAC SDU to the WLAN, after resuming the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN; and

receiving a fourth WLAN MAC PDU comprising a fourth encrypted WLAN MAC SDU which comprises a fourth LTE PDU from the WLAN, and decrypting the fourth encrypted WLAN MAC SDU according to the second encryption key, after resuming the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the instruction of suspending the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN comprises:

disconnecting from the WLAN.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

resuming the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN, after performing the RRC connection reestablishment or the handover successfully.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores an instruction of:

performing an association procedure or a re-association procedure to the WLAN or another WLAN, after performing the RRC connection reestablishment or the handover successfully and before resuming the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN.

14. A communication device for handling long-term evolution (LTE)-wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

a processing circuit, coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein the non-transitory memory stores, and the processing circuit is configured to execute instructions of;

establishing a LTE connection to a LTE network;

receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message configuring a communication of at least one LTE protocol data unit (PDU) with a WLAN via the LTE connection from the LTE network;

establishing a WLAN connection to the WLAN;

generating a first encryption key in response to a first handshake procedure with the WLAN;

detecting a disconnection of the WLAN connection;

generating a first LTE PDU which comprises a first LTE service data unit (SDU) according to a first LTE PDU format;

encrypting a first WLAN media access control (MAC) SDU which comprises the first LTE PDU according to the first encryption key, to obtain an encrypted first WLAN MAC SDU;

failing to transmit a first WLAN MAC PDU which comprises the encrypted first WLAN MAC SDU to the WLAN via the WLAN connection due to the disconnection of the WLAN connection; and

transmitting a second LTE PDU which comprises the first LTE SDU via the LTE connection according to a second LTE PDU format, wherein the first LTE PDU format is different from the second LTE PDU format.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores instructions of:

detecting the WLAN after detecting the disconnection of the WLAN connection; and

resuming the communication of the at least one LTE PDU with the WLAN, after detecting the WLAN.

16. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory memory further stores instructions of:

detecting the WLAN after detecting the disconnection of the WLAN;

performing an association procedure or a re-association procedure to the WLAN, after detecting the WLAN;

performing a second handshake procedure to generate a second encryption key, after performing the association procedure or the re-association procedure;

generating a third LTE PDU comprising a third LTE SDU according to the first PDU format;

encrypting a third WLAN MAC SDU which comprises the third LTE PDU using the second encryption key, to obtain an encrypted third WLAN MAC SDU, and transmitting a third WLAN MAC PDU which comprises the encrypted third WLAN MAC SDU; and

/or

receiving a fourth WLAN MAC PDU, and decrypting an encrypted fourth WLAN MAC SDU in the fourth WLAN MAC PDU using the second encryption key.