Apparatus, system and method of user-equipment (UE) centric access network selection

• US 10,219,281 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sirotkin, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US15/006,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems of User Equipment (UE) centric access network selection. For example, a cellular node may include a transmitter to transmit to a User Equipment (UE) a cellular communication message over a cellular communication medium, the message including a value of a predefined parameter, which is based on a cellular network load of a cellular network controlled by the cellular node.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a controller to;

identify an indication of a threshold related to a backhaul of a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a threshold related to a signal strength of the WLAN; and

compare a measurement related to the backhaul of the WLAN to the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN, or compare a measurement related to the signal strength of the WLAN to the threshold related to the signal strength of the WLAN;

a WLAN transceiver coupled with the controller, the WLAN transceiver to communicate with an access point (AP) of the WLAN based on the comparison of the measurement related to the backhaul to the threshold related to the backhaul or the comparison of the measurement related to the signal strength to the threshold related to the signal strength; and

a cellular transceiver coupled with the controller, the cellular transceiver to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN from an evolved NodeB (eNB) of a long term evolution (LTE) network.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the cellular transceiver is to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN in a system information block (SIB).

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the cellular transceiver is to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the cellular transceiver is to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN when the UE is in an idle state.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the measurement related to the signal strength of the WLAN is related to a signal strength of the WLAN AP.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN transceiver is to communicate with the AP of the WLAN substantially concurrently with a communication between the cellular transceiver and the eNB.

7. A method comprising:

identifying, by a user equipment (UE) capable of communicating with an evolved NodeB (eNB) of a long term evolution (LTE) network and an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) network, a threshold related to a backhaul of the WLAN or a threshold related to signal strength of the WLAN, the method comprising receiving, by the UE, an indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN from the eNB;

comparing, by the UE, the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN to a measurement related to the backhaul of the WLAN, or the threshold related to signal strength of the WLAN to a measurement related to signal strength of the WLAN; and

directing, by the UE based on the comparing, traffic of the UE to the WLAN AP.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising receiving, by the UE, the indication in a system information block (SIB).

9. The method of claim 7 comprising receiving, by the UE, the indication in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising receiving, by the UE, the indication when the UE is in an idle state.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the measurement related to signal strength of the WLAN is related to a signal strength of the WLAN AP.

12. The method of claim 7 comprising directing, by the UE based on the comparing, a first portion of the traffic of the UE to the WLAN AP and directing a second portion of the traffic of the UE to the eNB.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause a user equipment (UE) capable of communicating with an evolved NodeB (eNB) of a long term evolution (LTE) network and an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) network, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the UE, to:

identify a threshold related to a backhaul of the WLAN or a threshold related to signal strength of the WLAN, the instructions, when executed, cause the UE to receive an indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN from the eNB;

compare the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN to a measurement related to the backhaul of the WLAN AP, or compare the threshold related to signal strength of the WLAN to a measurement related to signal strength of the WLAN; and

direct, based on the comparison, traffic of the UE to the WLAN AP.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the IUE to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN in a system information block (SIB).

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed cause the UE to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN from the eNB in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the UE to receive the indication of the threshold related to the backhaul of the WLAN when the UE is in an idle state.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the measurement related to signal strength of the WLAN is related to a signal strength of the WLAN AP.