Wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity option discovery

• US 10,375,705 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lalchinthang, Vanneilian
• Application Number:
  US14/485,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 : distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 : Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 : by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• 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 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 : based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 : in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 : Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• 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 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 : Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 : Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 : Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods, and storage media may be described for identifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) with which a third generation partnership project (3GPP) user equipment (UE) should connect. Specifically, the UE may receive an indication of one or more supported connectivity options of the WLAN AP. The UE may also receive an indication of one or more public land mobile networks that the WLAN AP is able to communicate with. The UE may then select whether the UE should connect to the WLAN AP based on the received indication(s) and a selection preference rule. Other embodiments may be claimed.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

receive circuitry to receive, in a public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE), an indication of a PLMN with which a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN; and

WLAN circuitry coupled with the receive circuitry, the WLAN circuitry to;

identify a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separated from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity; and

select, based on the preference indicator and the indication of the PLMN in the PLMN list IE, the WLAN AP as a target to which the UE is to communicatively couple,

wherein;

the UE further includes transmit circuitry coupled with the receive circuitry, the transmit circuitry to;

transmit an access network query protocol (ANQP) query to the WLAN AP; and

establish, based on a selection of the WLAN AP as the target, a connection with the WLAN AP;

the receive circuitry is further to receive the PLMN list IE in an ANQP response that is based on the ANQP query; and

the ANQP query or the ANQP response includes an indication related to a PLMN parameter of the WLAN AP.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule and the receive circuitry is further to receive the ISRP from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication of the PLMN includes an indication related to a service of the PLMN.

4. The UE of claim 3, wherein the receive circuitry is to receive the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE includes a baseband processor coupled with the WLAN circuitry.

6. A method comprising:

identifying, by a user equipment (UE) from a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) in a plurality of WLAN APs, a received public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE) that includes an indication related to a PLMN with which the WLAN AP is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN;

identifying a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separate from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity;

selecting, by the UE based on the preference indicator and the indication related to the PLMN, the WLAN AP as a WLAN AP to which the UE should communicatively couple;

receiving, by the UE, the PLMN list IE in an access network query protocol (ANQP) response from the WLAN AP;

establishing, by the UE based on the selecting the WLAN AP, a connection with the WLAN AP.

7. method of claim 6, wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule received from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, by the UE, the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication related to the PLMN is an indication related to a service of the PLMN.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause a user equipment (UE), upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the UE, to:

receive, from a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) in a plurality of WLAN APs, a public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE) that includes an indication related to a PLMN with which the WLAN AP is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN;

identify a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separate from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity;

select, based on the preference indicator and the indication related to the PLMN, the WLAN AP as a WLAN AP to which the UE should communicatively couple;

receive the IE in an access network query protocol (ANQP) response from the WLAN AP; and

establish, by the UE based on the selection of the WLAN AP, a connection with the WLAN AP.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule received from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further to receive the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the indication related to the PLMN is an indication related to a service of the PLMN.