ACCESS NETWORK DISCOVERY

• US 20110264780A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuominen, Petri Antero, Reunamäki, Jukka Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, access network discovery information is received from an access network discovery and selection function server, access network discovery assistance information is received from a separate server, and the received access network discovery and access network discovery assistance information is used in network discovery.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive

access network discovery information from an access network discovery and selection function server and

access network discovery assistance information from a second server separate from the access network discovery and selection function server; and

a processor configured to use the received access network discovery and access network discovery assistance information in network discovery.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, the access network discovery information comprising information on available networks.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, the information on available networks comprising a list of one or more networks and their mutual priority.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, the access network discovery information comprising one or more parameters to be used in network discovery.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus being configured to request the access network discovery assistance information from the second server based on the access network discovery information received from the access network discovery and selection function server.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, the access network discovery assistance information being position assistance data received from a location server, said second server forming said location server.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, the access network discovery assistance information being selected from the group consisting of:

cell identifier(s), coordinates of one or more access points in the area, and received signal strength indicator of specified cell(s) as identified by the cell identifier(s).

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, the access network discovery assistance information comprising information about a plurality of access points located close to the same geographical location as the apparatus.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving access network discovery information in an apparatus from an access network discovery and selection function server;

receiving access network discovery assistance information in said apparatus from a second server separate from the access network discovery and selection function server; and

using by said apparatus the received access network discovery and access network discovery assistance information in network discovery.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising:

requesting the access network discovery assistance information from the second server based on the access network discovery information received from the access network discovery and selection function server.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store access network discovery assistance information; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the access network discovery assistance information to a mobile communication device to assist in network discovery, the apparatus being separate from an access network discovery and selection function server that sends access network discovery information to said mobile communication device.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, the access network discovery assistance information being information that is gathered from other mobile communication devices.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus being configured to transmit the access network discovery assistance information in response to receiving a request from the mobile communication device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, the access network discovery assistance information being position assistance data.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, the access network discovery assistance information being selected from the group consisting of:

cell identifier(s), coordinates of one or more access points in the area, and received signal strength indicator of specified cell(s) as identified by the cell identifier(s).

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, the access network discovery assistance information comprising information about a plurality of access points located close to the same geographical location as the mobile communication device.

17. A method, comprising:

storing access network discovery assistance information in an apparatus; and

transmitting the access network discovery assistance information to a mobile communication device to assist in network discovery, the apparatus being separate from an access network discovery and selection function server that sends access network discovery information to said mobile communication device.

18. A method according to claim 17, comprising:

gathering said discovery assistance information from other mobile communication devices.

19. A method according to claim 17, comprising:

transmitting the access network discovery assistance information in response to receiving a request from the mobile communication device.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer executable program code stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform:

receiving access network discovery information from an access network discovery and selection function server;

receiving access network discovery assistance information from a second server separate from the access network discovery and selection function server; and

using the received access network discovery and access network discovery assistance information in network discovery.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer executable program code stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform:

storing access network discovery assistance information; and

transmitting the access network discovery assistance information to a mobile communication device to assist in network discovery, the apparatus being separate from an access network discovery and selection function server that sends access network discovery information to said mobile communication device.