Network selection in a wlan

• US 20040066756A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haverinen, Henry, Ahmavaara, Kalle
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for user equipment (UE) resident in a wireless access network (WLAN) to obtain access to at least one other network is disclosed. The method includes storing the identification (SSID) of the at least one other network (visited PLMNs 1-3 and home PLMNs 4 and 5) in the user equipment; transmitting from the user equipment a request for connection to one of the at least one other network, which includes an identification of at least one of the at least one other network, to the wireless access network; and in response to the wireless access network receiving the identification, the user equipment is connected to the identified at least one other network through the wireless access network.

Claims

1. A method for user equipment resident in a wireless access network to obtain access to at least one other network comprising:

storing an identification of the at least one other network in the user equipment;

transmitting from the user equipment a request for connection to one of the at least one other network, which includes an identification of at least one of the at least one other network, to the wireless access network; and

in response to the wireless access network receiving the identification, the user equipment is connected to the identified at least one other network through the wireless access network.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the identification of the at least one other network is transmitted from the wireless access network to the user equipment prior to storage therein.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the user equipment solicitates an identification of the at least one network from the wireless access network prior to a request for connection to one of the at least one other network.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the at least one other network is a home network.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the at least one other network is a roaming network.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the identification of the at least one other network is contained in a service set identifier in accordance with IEEE 802.11(a or b) which identifies the at least one other network as a public land mobile network.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

the service set identifier includes fields comprising a field identifying a network type which identifies the network type as a public land mobile network, a field identifying a country code where the at least one public land mobile network is located and a field identifying at least one public land mobile network to which the request for connection is to be routed.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the identification of the at least one network is contained in a service set identifier in accordance with IEEE 802.11(a or b) which identifies the at least one other network as being a network type other than a public land mobile network.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein:

the service set identifier includes fields comprising a field which defines a network type of the at least one other network and a field which identifies the at least one other network.

28. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

the solicitation includes a wild card as a part of the identification of the at least one other network or network type.

10. A method for a UE to obtain access to at least one other network via an access network, the at least one other network being accessible via the access network, the method comprising:

providing the access network with at least one access network identification associated with the at least one other network; and

the UE derives an identification of the at least one other network from the at least one access network identification.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

the user equipment utilizes at least one access network identification when establishing a connection to the at least one other network.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the access network routes the connection of the UE to at least one other network associated with the at least one access network identification.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein:

at least one access network identification is transmitted from the access network to the UE prior to the connection of the UE to the access network.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein:

the UE acquires at least one access network identification utilized by the access network prior to the connection of the UE to the access network.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein:

the access network identification contains at least one field.

16. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

the at least one other network is a PLMN network.

17. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the at least one other network is a roaming PLMN network connected to a home PLMN network.

18. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

the access network is a WLAN.

19. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

the access network identification is contained in a service set identifier in accordance with parts a or b of IEEE 802.11.

20. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

the access network identification is mapped to a PLMN ID of the at least one other network.

21. A service set identifier delivered in an access network including at least one identifier of a backbone network, comprising:

an indication of the backbone network type;

a version number of the service set identifier type; and

an identification of the backbone network.

22. A service set identifier in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

when the backbone network is a public land mobile network, the identification of the backbone network includes a country code corresponding to the country in which the backbone network is located and a network code identifying the backbone network.

23. A service set identifier in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

the access network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

24. A service set identifier delivered in an access network comprising:

an embedded identification of a backbone network for connection to the access network.

25. A service set identifier in accordance with claim 24, wherein:

the service set identifier conforms to a predefined structure.

26. A service set identifier in accordance with claim 24, wherein:

in a case when the backbone network is a public land mobile network, the identification of the backbone network comprises a country code corresponding to the country in which the backbone network is located and a network code identifying the backbone network.

27. A service set identifier in accordance with claim 24, wherein:

the access network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

29. A system comprising:

a wireless access network;

at least one other network accessible via the wireless access network; and

user equipment resident in the wireless access network; and

wherein

the identification of the at least one other network is stored in the user equipment, a request for connection to one of the at least one other network, which includes an identification of at least one of the at least one other network, is transmitted from the user equipment to the wireless access network and in response to the wireless access network receiving the identification, the user equipment is connected to the identified at least one other network through the wireless access network.

30. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the identification of the at least one other network is transmitted from the wireless access network to the user equipment prior to storage therein.

31. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the user equipment solicitates an identification of the at least one network from the wireless access network prior to a request for connection to one of the at least one other network.

32. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the at least one other network is a home network.

33. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the at least one other network is a roaming network.

34. A system in accordance with claim 33 wherein:

the service set identifier includes fields comprising a field identifying a network type which identifies the network type as a public land mobile network, a field identifying a country code where the at least one public land mobile network is located and a field identifying at least one public land mobile network to which the request for connection is to be routed.

35. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein:

the identification of the at least one network is contained in a service set identifier in accordance with part a or b of IEEE 802.11 which identifies the at least one other network as being a network type other than a public land mobile network.

36. A system in accordance with claim 35 wherein:

the service set identifier includes fields comprising a field which defines a network type of the at least one other network and a field which identifies the at least one other network.

37. A system comprising:

a wireless access network;

at least one other network accessible via the wireless access network;

user equipment; and

wherein

the access network is provided with at least one access network identification associated with the at least one other network and the UE derives an identification of the at least one other network from the at least one access network identification.

38. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein;

the user equipment utilizes at least one access network identification when establishing a connection to the at least one other network.

39. A system in accordance with claim 38 wherein:

the access network routes the connection of the UE to at leas one other network associated with the at least one access network identification.

40. A system in accordance with claim 39 wherein:

at least one access network identification is transmitted from the access network to the UE prior to the connection of the UE to the access network.

41. A system in accordance with claim 40 wherein:

the access network identification contains at least one field.

42. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein:

the at least one other network is a PLMN network.

43. A system in accordance with claim 38 wherein:

the at least one other network is a roaming PLMN network connected to a home PLMN network.

44. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein:

the access network is a WLAN.

45. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein:

the access network identification is contained in a service set identifier in accordance with parts a or b of IEEE 802.11.

46. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein:

the access network identification is mapped to a PLMN ID of the at least one other network.