Apparatus, system and method of user-equipment (UE) centric traffic routing

• US 10,271,314 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Sirotkin, Alexander, Choi, Hyung-Nam, Himayat, Nageen
• Primary Examiner(s): Holland, Jenee
• Application Number:
  US14/772,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 : Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 : Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 : by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 : by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 : for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 : Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 : using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 : Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 : Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 : Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 : triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems of User Equipment (UE) centric access network selection. For example, a node B may 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.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a wireless communication unit to receive, from a node B of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) offload information including a WLAN offload threshold; and

a controller to control traffic steering from the UMTS to a WLAN at least in part based on a comparison between a measured signal strength value and the WLAN offload threshold.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) threshold of the UMTS, and the measured signal strength value is measured cellular signal strength.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a WLAN received signal strength indication (RSSI) threshold, and the measured signal strength value is a measured RSSI value with regard to the WLAN.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein if the WLAN offload information is received as a dedicated information element, then the UE is in a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state or a Dedicated Channel (CELL-DCH) state.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein if the WLAN offload information is included in a system information block (SIB), then the UE is in a Cell Paging Channel (CELL_PCH) state, a UMTS Registration Area (URA) Paging Channel (URA_PCH) state, or a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN offload threshold is at least a part of a system information block (SIB) message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN offload information is to be received from the node B via an upper layer.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a load threshold value of a WLAN load.

9. A node B of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the node B comprising:

a wireless communication unit to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) offload information including a WLAN offload threshold to be used by the UE to steer traffic from the UMTS to a WLAN based on a signal strength value; and

a controller to control the wireless communication unit to transmit the WLAN offload information to the UE.

10. The node B of claim 9, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) threshold of the UMTS.

11. The node B of claim 9, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a WLAN received signal strength indication (RSSI) threshold.

12. The node B of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the WLAN offload information when the UE is in a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state or a Dedicated Channel (CELL-DCH) state.

13. The node B of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the WLAN offload information when the UE is in a Cell Paging Channel (CELL_PCH) state, a UMTS Registration Area (URA) Paging Channel (URA_PCH) state, or a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state.

14. The node B of claim 9, wherein the WLAN offload threshold is at least a part of a system information block (SIB) message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

15. The node B of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the WLAN offload information to the UE via an upper layer.

16. The node B of claim 9, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a load threshold value of a WLAN load.

17. A user equipment (UE) to be used in a wireless network, the UE comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to;

receive, from a node B of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) offload information including a WLAN offload threshold; and

control traffic steering from the UMTS to a WLAN at least in part based on a comparison between a measured signal strength value and the WLAN offload threshold.

18. The UE of claim 17, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) threshold of the UMTS, and the measured signal strength value is measured cellular signal strength.

19. The UE of claim 17, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a WLAN received signal strength indication (RSSI) threshold, and the measured signal strength value is a measured RSSI value with regard to the WLAN.

20. The UE of claim 17, wherein the WLAN offload information is to be received when the UE is in a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state or a Dedicated Channel (CELL-DCH) state.

21. The UE of claim 17, wherein the WLAN offload information is to be received when the UE is in a Forward Access Channel (CELL-FACH) state, a Cell Paging Channel (CELL_PCH) state, or a UMTS Registration Area (URA) Paging Channel (URA_PCH) state.

22. The UE of claim 17, wherein the WLAN offload threshold is at least a part of a system information block (SIB) message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

23. A node B of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the node B comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the node B to;

transmit, to a user equipment (UE), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) offload information including a WLAN offload threshold, to be used by the UE to steer traffic from the UMTS to a WLAN based on a signal strength value.

24. The node B of claim 23, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) threshold of the UMTS.

25. The node B of claim 23, wherein the WLAN offload threshold comprises a WLAN received signal strength indication (RSSI) threshold.

26. The node B of claim 23, wherein the WLAN offload threshold is at least a part of a system information block (SIB) message or a radio resource control (RRC) message.