Method and apparatus for offloading network traffic

• US 10,588,051 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laselva, Daniela, Hwang, Woonhee, Henttonen, Tero
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U
• Application Number:
  US15/309,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20170150398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-254, 370328-331, 455454-502
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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 of avoiding mass offloading of user devices, UE'"'"'s (14), connected to a cellular network (15, 16) such as 3GPP LTE to a second wireless network such as a WLAN (6,8), the method comprising: an ANDSF server (12) broadcasting (in a SIB message, for example) a set of parameters representing offload thresholds to be applied by UE'"'"'s in idle mode, and also additional information such as a bitmap indicating which of those parameters are also applicable to UE'"'"'s in connected mode; and a user device, UE (14), receiving the set of parameters and the additional information, and deciding whether to migrate or not to the second network in dependence of whether it is in idle or connected mode, of the parameters and of the additional information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user device, a set of parameters broadcast in a system information broadcast for determining if the user device is to use an access node of a first network or an access node of a second network, wherein the set of parameters comprise at least one radio access network assistance threshold associated with wireless local area network interworking; and

using one or more of the parameters based upon on a mode of the user device, wherein the user device is configured to determine, based upon the at least one RAN assistance threshold, whether to steer traffic to an available wireless local area network access point or a cellular access point, wherein

said mode of said user device comprises one of a connected mode and an idle mode, and

one or more parameters of said set is provided with respective information indicating whether the respective parameter is to be used in at least one of said idle and connected modes.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving with said parameters, information indicating which parameters of said set are to be used in which of said idle and connected modes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said information is provided for each of said parameters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said information comprises information indicating said set of parameters is to be used by said user device if said user device is in a respective mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said information comprises a bit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second networks are of different network types.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one of said first and second network is a cellular communication network and the other of said first and second networks is a wireless local area network.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a set of parameters broadcast in a system information broadcast, said parameters being usable to determine if a user device is to use an access node of a first network or an access node of a second network, wherein the set of parameters comprise at least one radio access network assistance threshold associated with wireless local area network interworking; and

use one or more of the parameters based upon on a mode of the user device, wherein the user device is configured to determine, based upon the at least one RAN assistance threshold, whether to steer traffic to an available wireless local area network access point or a cellular access point, wherein

said mode of said user device comprises one of a connected mode and an idle mode, and

one or more parameters of said set is provided with respective information indicating whether the respective parameter is to be used in at least one of said idle and connected modes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising receiving with said parameters, information indicating which parameters of said set are to be used in which of said idle and connected modes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said information is provided for each of said parameters.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said information comprises information indicating said set of parameters is to be used by said user device if said user device is in a respective mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said information is comprised in a bit.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one of said first and second network is a cellular communication network and the other of said first and second networks is a wireless local area network.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

cause a set of parameters to be transmitted in a system information broadcast to a user device, said parameters being usable to determine if the user device is to use an access node of a first network or an access node of a second network, wherein the set of parameters comprise at least one radio access network assistance threshold associated with wireless local area network interworking, and

wherein the set of parameters are configured to be used to determine, based upon the at least one RAN assistance threshold, whether to steer traffic to an available wireless local area network access point or a cellular access point, wherein

the plurality of different modes comprises an idle mode and a connected mode, and

the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus at least to;

causing information indicating which parameters of said set are to be used in which of said idle and connected modes, to be transmitted with said parameters.