Method and apparatus for configuring transmission mode and routing for tight interworking in wireless communication system

• US 10,448,279 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jaewook, Jung, Sunghoon, Lee, Youngdae
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, Mansour
• Application Number:
  US15/325,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• 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 method and apparatus for routing traffic in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) transmits information on the routing of the traffic to a network, and routes the traffic to at least one of 3rd generation partnership protocol (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) or wireless local area network (WLAN), according to the information on routing of the traffic. The information on the routing of the traffic may be a ratio of an amount of the traffic to be served by the 3GPP LTE and an amount of the traffic to be served by the WLAN, or a preferred WLAN throughput.

Claims

1. A method for routing traffic in a wireless communication system, the method performed by a user equipment (UE) and comprising:

requesting information from a network, the information related to preferred wireless local area network (WLAN) throughput for uplink (UL) transmission;

receiving the requested information from the network;

routing a portion of total UL traffic to the WLAN, the portion determined based on the preferred WLAN throughput;

routing a remaining portion of the total UL traffic to a 3rd generation partnership protocol (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) network; and

transmitting a message requesting the network to de-configure the WLAN when the routing of the portion and remaining portion of the UL traffic fails and a number of re-routings of the portion and remaining portion of the UL traffic reaches a maximum number,

wherein the transmitted message includes a cause value informing that the number or re-routings reaches the maximum number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted message further includes WLAN information.

3. The method of claim 2, the WLAN information includes at least a WLAN identifier, a WLAN channel utilization, a WLAN signal level or an available backhaul data rate.

4. A user equipment (UE) for routing traffic in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:

a memory configured to store information;

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive information; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver and configured to;

control the transceiver to request information from a network, the information related to preferred wireless local area network (WLAN) throughput for uplink (UL) transmission;

control the transceiver to receive the requested information from the network;

control the transceiver to route portion of total UL traffic to the WLAN, the amount determined based on the preferred WLAN throughput;

control the transceiver to route a remaining portion of the total UL traffic to a 3rd generation partnership protocol (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) network; and

control the transceiver to transmit a message requesting the network to de-configure the WLAN when the routing of the portion and remaining portion of the UL traffic fails and a number of re-routings of the portion and remaining portion of the UL traffic reaches a maximum number, and

wherein the transmitted message includes a cause value informing that the number or re-routings reaches the maximum number.

5. The UE of claim 4, wherein the transmitted message further includes WLAN information.

6. The UE of claim 5, the WLAN information includes at least a WLAN identifier, a WLAN channel utilization, a WLAN signal level or an available backhaul data rate.