METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE NETWORK SELECTION BY THE HOME OPERATOR OF DUAL USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20110058541A1
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fok, Ah Chuen Frederic, Roger, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US12/991,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058541A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for controlling the network selection by the home operator of dual user equipment (6) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps: —defining a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE (6) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator, —storing said configuration parameter HOC in the UE (6), and at initial network selection, —selecting a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value.

Claims

1. Method for controlling the network selection by the home operator of dual user equipment (6) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said method comprising:

defining a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE (6) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,

storing said configuration parameter HOC in the UE (6), and at initial network selection,

selecting a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value.

2. Method according to claim 1 comprising:

storing network selection information applicable for both mobile home operator and fixed-wireless home operator in the UE (6),

storing fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator case in the UE (6);

defining fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator, and storing said fixed-wireless network selection information in the UE (6),

setting a preferred default network access mechanism in the UE (6) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC,

setting a preferred default network in the UE (6) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC.

3. Method according to claim 2 wherein the default network access mechanism is set to mobile networks if the configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter, or to fixed-wireless networks if the configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.

4. Method according to claim 2 wherein the preferred default network is set to the HPLMN if the configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter or to a list of H-WSID(s) if the configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.

5. Method according to claim 2 wherein said network selection information comprise:

a user preferred PLMNs list,

an operator preferred PLMNs list,

a user preferred WSIDs list for identifying a list of user preferred fixed-wireless access points

an operator preferred WSIDs list for identifying a list of preferred access points owned by fixed-operator roaming partners of the home operator.

6. Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information comprise:

a home operator access points list (H-WSIDs) for identifying the list of access points owned by the fixed-wireless home operator.

7. Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information further comprise a preferred roaming access indicator, indicating whether the UE should prioritize the mobile network access or the fixed-wireless network access at alternative network selection after a default network selection where no network can be selected.

8. Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information further comprise a preferred mobile network indicator indicating whether the fixed-wireless network operator has a preferred mobile network operator or not.

9. Method according to claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the configuration parameter HOC value and network selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists, and retrieving the fixed-wireless network selection information if the HOC value indicates a fixed-wireless home operator, and, at initial network selection,

performing a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter

or

performing a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.

10. Method according to claim 9 wherein the UE (6) selects either the HPLMN if a PLMN selection is performed or the home operator Access Points H-WSID(s) if a fixed-wireless network selection is performed.

11. Method according to claim 10 wherein if no network can be selected using the initial network selection, the UE (6) proceeds with an alternative network selection as follows:

If PLMN initial network selection failed, a fixed-wireless network selection is performed during which the UE (6) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s), and,

If fixed-wireless initial network selection failed;

a PLMN selection is performed if the default network access mechanism is set to fixed wireless networks and if the preferred roaming access mechanism is set to a mobile network access mechanism, and if said PLMN selection fails, a fixed-wireless network selection is then performed during which the UE (6) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s),

a fixed-wireless network selection is performed if the default network access mechanism is set to ‘

fixed wireless networks’ and

the preferred roaming access mechanism is ‘

fixed-wireless networks’

, and if said fixed-wireless network selection fails, a PLMN selection is then performed during which the UE (6) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s).

12. Method according to claim 1 wherein, if an alternative network selection for fixed-wireless network home operator is chosen, said alternative network selection is:

a legacy PLMN selection with HPLMN as highest priority PLMN when the preferred mobile network indicator information indicates that the fixed-wireless home operator has a commercial agreement with said HPLMN as a preferred mobile network operator

or

a PLMN selection procedure without the HPLMN when the preferred mobile network indicator information indicates that the fixed-wireless home operator has direct commercial agreements with a plurality of mobile networks.

13. Method According to claim 1 wherein, the access points owned by the fixed-wireless home operator are stored in a separate list (H-WSID(s)) than the access points owned by other fixed-wireless networks enabling thereby the selection of home operator'"'"'s Access Points may be initiated separately from the selection of fixed-wireless roaming partners'"'"'s Access Points.

14. Method according to claim 13 wherein the home operator class HOC and fixed-wireless network selection information (H-WSID(s), preferred roaming access mechanism, preferred mobile network indicator) is set by the home operator and can be factory configured or dynamically provisioned, whether in the USIM of said UE (6) or in a NVM of said UE (6).

15. Method according to claim 14 wherein said home operator class HOC and fixed-wireless network selection information is updatable by the home operator after the UE (6) power-on using over the air mechanism such as OMA DM, SMS, or US SD.

21. System according to claim 20 wherein said units consist of software applications controlled by the Home operator and adapted for configuring the UE (6) for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

22. System according to claim 21 wherein said software applications comprise instructions executable in the UE (6) for storing in said UE (6) network selection information applicable for both mobile home operator and fixed-wireless home operator, fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator and instructions for setting a preferred default network access mechanism and preferred default network in the UE (6) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC.

23. System according to claim 22 wherein said software applications allow said UE (6) to retrieve the configuration parameter HOC value and the selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists, and the fixed-wireless network selection information for allowing the UE (6) to perform:

a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter

or

a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter,

HOC is a fixed-wireless home parameter.

24. System according to claim 22 wherein the network selection is controlled by the Home operator.

16. A user Equipment (6) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said user Equipment comprising:

an analyzing unit that analyzes a configuration parameter HOC indicating whether the home operator of the UE (6) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,

a storing unit that stores said configuration parameter HOC, and

a selecting unit that selects a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value at initial network selection.

17. User Equipment (6) according to claim 16 further comprising:

a first retrieving unit that retrieves the configuration parameter HOC value,

a second retrieving unit that retrieves network selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists,

a third retrieving unit that retrieves fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator

a performing unit that performs;

a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter

or

a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.

18. User Equipment (6) according to claim 17 wherein said second retrieving unit comprises:

a user preferred PLMNs list,

an operator preferred PLMNs list,

a user preferred WSIDs list,

an operator preferred WSIDs list.

19. User Equipment (6) according to claim 17 wherein said third retrieving unit comprises:

a home operator access points list (H-WSIDs),

a preferred roaming access mechanism,

a preferred mobile network indicator.

20. System for controlling the network selection by a user equipment (6) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said system comprising the home operator of the UE (6) being whether a mobile network HPLMN or a fixed-wireless network HWSID, at least a mobile network roaming partner PLMN, and at least a fixed-wireless network roaming partner WSID, said system comprising:

an unit that defines a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE (6) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,

an unit that sets said configuration parameter HOC in the UE (6) to allow said UE to select a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value at initial network selection.