UTILIZING POLICIES FOR OFFLOAD AND FLOW MOBILITY IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20120023189A1
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Giaretta, Gerardo, Stupar, Patrick, Thompson, Peter C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided that facilitate downloading and/or applying policies for a current configuration of network interfaces. Where a network interface of a device is deactivated or otherwise losses connection, the device can ensure policies for communicating without the network interface are enforced. Where such policies are not available, the policies can be downloaded to ensure the device stores policies for the network interface configuration.

Claims

1. A method for communicating over at least one of multiple network interfaces, comprising:

determining a configuration of a plurality of network interfaces;

determining whether to download one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

applying the one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to download the one or more policies comprises determining to download the one or more policies related to utilizing a subset of the plurality of network interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a modification to the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces, wherein the determining the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces is based at least in part on the detecting the modification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting the modification comprises detecting deactivation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the applying the one or more policies comprises applying the one or more policies related to communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising downloading the one or more policies, wherein the determining whether to download the one or more policies comprises determining that a set of stored policies do not include policies for communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting the modification comprises detecting activation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the applying the one or more policies comprises applying the one or more policies related to offloading communications to the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting the modification comprises detecting deactivation of an ability to utilize multiple network interfaces, and the applying the one or more policies comprises applying the one or more policies related to communicating without at least the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network interfaces includes a third generation partnership project long term evolution network interface and a wireless local area network interface.

9. An apparatus for communicating over at least one of multiple network interfaces, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

discern a configuration of a plurality of network interfaces;

determine whether to download one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

enforce the one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to download the one or more policies relating to utilizing a subset of the plurality of network interfaces, and the at least one processor determines to download the one or more policies.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor discerns the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces based at least in part on detecting a modification to the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the modification includes deactivation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to download the one or more policies, and the at least one processor determines to download the one or more policies based at least in part on determining that a set of stored policies do not include policies for communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the modification includes activation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to offloading communications to the one of the plurality of network interfaces in one or more scenarios.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the modification includes deactivation of an ability to communicate using multiple network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to communicating without at least the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of network interfaces includes a third generation partnership project long term evolution network interface and a wireless local area network interface.

17. An apparatus for communicating over at least one of multiple network interfaces, comprising:

means for determining a configuration of a plurality of network interfaces;

means for determining whether to download one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

means for applying the one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more policies relate to utilizing a subset of the plurality of network interfaces.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for determining the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces detects a modification to the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining detects the modification as a deactivation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the means for applying applies the one or more policies related to communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for determining whether to download the one or more policies determines such based at least in part on determining that a set of stored policies do not include policies for communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining detects the modification as an activation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the means for applying applies the one or more policies related to offloading communications to the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining detects the modification as a deactivation of an ability to communicate over multiple network interfaces, and the means for applying applies the one or more policies related to communicating without at least the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of network interfaces includes a third generation partnership project long term evolution network interface and a wireless local area network interface.

25. A computer program product for communicating over at least one of multiple network interfaces, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to discern a configuration of a plurality of network interfaces;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine whether to download one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

code for causing the at least one computer to enforce the one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to download the one or more policies relating to utilizing a subset of the plurality of network interfaces, and the code for causing the at least one computer to determine determines to download the one or more policies.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the code for causing the at least one computer to discern discerns the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces based at least in part on detecting a modification to the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the modification includes deactivation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer download the one or more policies, and the code for causing the at least one computer to determine determines to download the one or more policies based at least in part on determining that a set of stored policies do not include policies for communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the modification includes activation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to offloading communications to the one of the plurality of network interfaces in one or more scenarios.

31. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the modification includes deactivation of an ability to communicate using multiple network interfaces, and the one or more policies relate to communicating without at least the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the plurality of network interfaces includes a third generation partnership project long term evolution network interface and a wireless local area network interface.

33. An apparatus for communicating over at least one of multiple network interfaces, comprising:

a network interface configuration determining component for discerning a configuration of a plurality of network interfaces;

a policy downloading component for determining whether to download one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces; and

a policy enforcing component for applying the one or more policies based at least in part on the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the one or more policies relate to utilizing a subset of the plurality of network interfaces.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the network interface configuration determining component detects a modification to the configuration of the plurality of network interfaces.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the network interface configuration determining component detects the modification as a deactivation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the policy enforcing component applies the one or more policies related to communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the policy downloading component determines whether to download the one or more policies based at least in part on determining that a set of stored policies do not include policies for communicating without the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the network interface configuration determining component detects the modification as an activation of one of the plurality of network interfaces, and the policy enforcing component applies the one or more policies related to offloading communications to the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the network interface configuration determining component detects the modification as a deactivation of an ability to communicate over multiple network interfaces, and the policy enforcing component applies the one or more policies related to communicating without at least the one of the plurality of network interfaces.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the plurality of network interfaces includes a third generation partnership project long term evolution network interface and a wireless local area network interface.