Techniques for provisioning configuration information based on cell characteristics

• US 10,321,392 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Griot, Miguel, Horn, Gavin Bernard, Malladi, Durga Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Ted M
• Application Number:
  US15/915,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20180199280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0967 Quality of Service [QoS] parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00698 using different RATs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Techniques are described for configuring wireless service for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network in which the UE may be served over one or more of multiple available cells. Wireless service for the UE may be configured based on parameters associated with each of the multiple cells, such as, for example, a primary/secondary cell designation of a cell, whether the cell operates using a licensed or an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, a radio access technology associated with a cell, and/or an operating frequency band of a cell. Based on the parameters for each cell, one or more cell configurations for serving the UE may be provided. The cell configurations may identify, for example, a set of rules that control how much and/or what type of traffic is sent on different cells.

Claims

1. A method for configuring wireless service for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network, comprising:

identifying a first set of parameters associated with a first cell of a first access node;

identifying a second set of parameters associated with a second cell of a second access node;

determining, as part of an activation procedure or a modification procedure for at least one bearer associated with the UE, one or more cell configurations for serving the UE over the first cell and the second cell, wherein the one or more cell configurations are based at least in part on at least one of the first set of parameters or the second set of parameters; and

transmitting the one or more cell configurations to the first access node based at least in part on the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters comprise one or more of the following cell characteristics:

a primary cell designation or secondary cell designation of a cell;

a licensed radio frequency spectrum band or an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band associated with a cell;

a radio access technology associated with a cell;

or

an operating frequency band of a cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify which of the first cell and the second cell is allowed to serve the UE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify one or more of:

a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the first cell and a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the second cell;

a maximum amount of traffic volume to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a maximum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a minimum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

an application type to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more bearers to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more service data flows to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more prioritization rules associated with the first cell or the second cell;

a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of traffic volume to be served by the first cell or the second cell;

or

an amount of air interface resources available to the first cell or the second cell.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cell configurations are identified based at least in part on:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);

or

subscription information associated with the UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting occurs during one or more of:

a connection establishment procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a default bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE

a dedicated bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

or

a packet data protocol (PDP) context activation procedure between the first access node and the UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided to the first access node via control plane signaling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided:

for the UE;

for a bearer of the UE;

for a service data flow (SDP);

for a class of UE;

or

for all UEs to be served using one or more of the first cell or the second cell.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cell is associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second cell is associated with a second RAT different from the first RAT.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cell is provided via a licensed radio frequency spectrum band and the second cell is provided via an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.

11. An apparatus for configuring wireless service for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network, comprising:

means for identifying a first set of parameters associated with a first cell of a first access node;

means for identifying a second set of parameters associated with a second cell of a second access node;

means for determining, as part of an activation procedure or a modification procedure for at least one bearer associated with the UE, one or more cell configurations for serving the UE over the first cell and the second cell, wherein the one or more cell configurations are based at least in part on at least one of the first set of parameters or the second set of parameters; and

means for transmitting the one or more cell configurations to the first access node based at least in part on the determining.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters comprise one or more of the following cell characteristics:

a primary cell designation or secondary cell designation of a cell;

a licensed radio frequency spectrum band or an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band associated with a cell;

a radio access technology associated with a cell;

or

an operating frequency band of a cell.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify which of the first cell and the second cell is allowed to serve the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify one or more of:

a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the first cell and a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the second cell;

a maximum amount of traffic volume to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a maximum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a minimum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

an application type to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more bearers to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more service data flows to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more prioritization rules associated with the first cell or the second cell;

a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of traffic volume to be served by the first cell or the second cell;

or

an amount of air interface resources available to the first cell or the second cell.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more cell configurations are identified based at least in part on:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);

or

subscription information associated with the UE.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmission occurs during one or more of:

a connection establishment procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a default bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a dedicated bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

or

a packet data protocol (PDP) context activation procedure between the first access node and the UE.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided to the first access node via control plane signaling.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided:

for the UE;

for a bearer of the UE;

for a service data flow (SDF);

for a class of UE;

or

for all UEs to be served using one or more of the first cell or the second cell.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first cell is associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second cell is associated with a second RAT different from the first RAT.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first cell is provided via a licensed radio frequency spectrum band and the second cell is provided via an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.

21. An apparatus for configuring wireless service for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to;

identify a first set of parameters associated with a first cell of a first access node;

identify a second set of parameters associated with a second cell of a second access node;

determine, as part of an activation procedure or a modification procedure for at least one bearer associated with the UE, one or more cell configurations for serving the UE over the first cell and the second cell, wherein the one or more cell configurations are based at least in part on at least one of the first set of parameters or the second set of parameters; and

transmit the one or more cell configurations to the first access node based at least in part on the determining.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters comprise one or more of the following cell characteristics:

a primary cell designation or secondary cell designation of a cell;

a licensed radio frequency spectrum band or an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band associated with a cell;

a radio access technology associated with a cell;

or

an operating frequency band of a cell.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify which of the first cell and the second cell is allowed to serve the UE.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify one or more of:

a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the first cell and a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the second cell;

a maximum amount of traffic volume to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a maximum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a minimum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

an application type to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more bearers to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more service data flows to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more prioritization rules associated with the first cell or the second cell;

a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of traffic volume to be served by the first cell or the second cell;

or

an amount of air interface resources available to the first cell or the second cell.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more cell configurations are identified based at least in part on:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);

or

subscription information associated with the UE.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transmission occurs during one or more of:

a connection establishment procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a default bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a dedicated bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

or

a packet data protocol (PDP) context activation procedure between the first access node and the UE.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided to the first access node and the second access node via control plane signaling.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided:

for the UE;

for a bearer of the UE;

for a service data flow (SDF);

for a class of UE;

or

for all UEs to be served using one or more of the first cell or the second cell.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first cell is associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second cell is associated with a second RAT different from the first RAT.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first cell is provided via a licensed radio frequency spectrum band and the second cell is provided via an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for configuring wireless service for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network, the code executable by a processor to:

identify a first set of parameters associated with a first cell of a first access node;

identify a second set of parameters associated with a second cell of a second access node;

determine, as part of an activation procedure or a modification procedure for at least one bearer associated with the UE, one or more cell configurations for serving the UE over the first cell and the second cell, wherein the one or more cell configurations are based at least in part on at least one of the first set of parameters or the second set of parameters; and

transmit the one or more cell configurations to the first access node based at least in part on the determining.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein each of the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters comprise one or more of the following cell characteristics:

a primary cell designation or secondary cell designation of a cell;

a licensed radio frequency spectrum band or an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band associated with a cell;

a radio access technology associated with a cell;

or

an operating frequency band of a cell.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify which of the first cell and the second cell is allowed to serve the UE.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the one or more cell configurations identify one or more of:

a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the first cell and a percentage of traffic volume to be served over the second cell;

a maximum amount of traffic volume to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a maximum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

a minimum bit rate to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

an application type to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more bearers to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more service data flows to be served over the first cell or the second cell;

one or more prioritization rules associated with the first cell or the second cell;

a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of traffic volume to be served by the first cell or the second cell;

or

an amount of air interface resources available to the first cell or the second cell.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more cell configurations are identified based at least in part on:

a policy and charging rules function (PCRF);

or

subscription information associated with the UE.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the transmission occurs during one or more of:

a connection establishment procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a default bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

a dedicated bearer activation procedure between the first access node and the UE;

or

a packet data protocol (PDP) context activation procedure the first access node and the UE.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided to the first access node via control plane signaling.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more cell configurations are provided:

for the UE;

for a bearer of the UE;

for a service data flow (SDF);

for a class of UE;

or

for all UEs to be served using one or more of the first cell or the second cell.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first cell is associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second cell is associated with a second RAT different from the first RAT.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first cell is provided via a licensed radio frequency spectrum band and the second cell is provided via an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.