User terminal and access point

• US 10,631,354 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Fujishiro, Masato, Nagasaka, Yushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US16/283,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20190191475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• 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 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• 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 communication system supporting cellular communication Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication comprises a base station, a user terminal configured to establish a first data bearer between the base station and the user terminal, and a node of WLAN side. The base station sends a request of the WLAN communication to the node before establishing a second data bearer between the base station and the user terminal, the node receives the request and sends a response, the base station transmits configuration message on configuration of aggregation in which the cellular communication and the WLAN communication are used to communicate data of the user terminal to the user terminal in response to the response being an acknowledgment, the first data bearer passes through the base station without passing through the WLAN, and the second data bearer is a bearer for the aggregation and passes through the base station and the WLAN.

Claims

1. A communication system which supports cellular communication and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication, comprising:

a base station;

a user equipment configured to establish a first data bearer between the base station and the user equipment; and

a node of WLAN side, wherein

the base station sends a WLAN addition request to the WLAN node, the WLAN addition request requesting the WLAN node to prepare for LTE-WLAN aggregation with the user equipment,

the node receives the WLAN addition request,

the node sends a response to the WLAN addition request,

the base station transmits a configuration message to the user equipment in response to the response being an acknowledgment, the configuration message being a message on configuration of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer,

the first data bearer passes through the base station without passing through the WLAN, and

the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer passes through the base station and the WLAN node.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the base station transmits a bearer identifier and type information to the user equipment in a state where a predetermined data bearer being the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer between the base station and the user terminal is established, the bearer identifier indicating the already established predetermined data bearer, and the type information being associated with the bearer identifier, and

the user equipment starts control to change the predetermined data bearer from the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer to the first data bearer if the type information indicates a change from the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer to the first data bearer.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the WLAN addition request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, and

the response includes the identifier of the user equipment and the identifier of the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer.

3. A base station, comprising:

a controller; and

a transmitter, wherein

the controller is configured to;

send a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) addition request to a WLAN apparatus, the WLAN addition request requesting the WLAN apparatus to prepare for LTE-WLAN aggregation with a user equipment, and

receive a response to the WLAN addition request from the WLAN apparatus,

the transmitter is configured to transmit a configuration message to the user equipment in response to the response being an acknowledgment, the configuration message being a message on configuration of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer,

the first data bearer passes through the base station without passing through the WLAN, and

the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer passes through the base station and the WLAN.

7. The base station according to claim 3, wherein

the WLAN addition request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, and

the response includes the identifier of the user equipment and the identifier of the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer.

4. A base station, comprising:

a controller; and

a transmitter, wherein

the controller is configured to;

send a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) addition request to a WLAN apparatus, the WLAN addition request requesting the WLAN apparatus to prepare for LTE-WLAN aggregation with a user equipment, and

receive a response to the WLAN addition request from the WLAN apparatus,

the transmitter is configured to transmit a configuration message to the user equipment in response to the response being an acknowledgment, the configuration message being a message on configuration of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, and

the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer passes through the base station and the WLAN apparatus.

8. The base station according to claim 4, wherein

the WLAN addition request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, and

the response includes the identifier of the user equipment and the identifier of the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer.

5. A processor for controlling a base station, comprising:

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and including instructions, such that when executed by the processor performs the processes of;

sending a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) addition request to a WLAN apparatus, the WLAN addition request requesting the WLAN apparatus to prepare for LTE-WLAN aggregation with a user equipment;

receiving a response to the WLAN addition request from the WLAN apparatus; and

transmitting a configuration message to the user equipment in response to the response being an acknowledgment, the configuration message being a message on configuration of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, wherein

the first data bearer passes through the base station without passing through the WLAN, and

the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer passes through the base station and the WLAN apparatus.

9. The processor for controlling a base station according to claim 5, wherein

the WLAN addition request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of an LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer, and

the response includes the identifier of the user equipment and the identifier of the LTE-WLAN aggregation bearer.