METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK TO BE ACCESSED BY A USER EQUIPMENT WITHIN A CELL IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140211776A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Soeng-Hun, JEONG, Kyeong-In, JANG, Jae-Hyuk, KIM, Sang-Bum
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• 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 method and apparatus for selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) within a cell to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system are provided. The method includes performing, when a request for information regarding wireless LAN Access Points (APs) within the cell is received, a search for the wireless LAN APs and transmitting a report indicating a search result to a serving Evolved Node B (ENB); receiving, from the serving ENB, updated information on wireless LAN APs based on report indicating the search result; determining whether to perform a re-search for the wireless LAN APs based on the updated information on the wireless LAN APs; and performing, in response to determination to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs, the re-search and selecting APs to be accessed based on a result of the re-search.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) within a cell in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

performing, when a request for information regarding wireless LAN Access Points (APs) within the cell is received, a search for the wireless LAN APs and transmitting a report indicating a search result to a serving Evolved Node B (ENB);

receiving, from the serving ENB, updated information on wireless LAN APs based on report indicating the search result;

determining whether to perform a re-search for the wireless LAN APs based on the updated information on the wireless LAN APs; and

performing, in response to determination to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs, the re-search and selecting APs to be accessed based on a result of the re-search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes identifiers of wireless LAN APs included in a list of wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB and wireless LAN channel numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs is broadcast from the serving ENB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs comprises:

identifying, when the updated information on the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB exist within the cell, a search operation button; and

outputting, when the search operation button is deactivated, a request for a user to provide input indicating whether to activate the search operation button and performing the second search according to a result of the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs comprises determining to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs when the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that the wireless LAN APs exist within the cell and further indicating that a value of a condition of the UE is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

6. A method of selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) within a cell in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting, to the UE, a request for information regarding wireless LAN (Access Points) APs within the cell;

updating, when a result of a search for the wireless LAN APs is received from the UE, pre-stored information regarding the wireless LAN APs based on the received search result; and

transmitting the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs to the UE.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request for the information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes identifiers of wireless LAN APs included in a list of wireless LAN APs managed by a serving Evolved Node B (ENB) and wireless LAN channel numbers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs comprises transmitting the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs through a broadcasting channel.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that wireless LAN APs managed by a serving ENB exist within the cell.

10. An apparatus for selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) within a cell in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive, from a serving Evolved Node B (ENB), a request for information regarding wireless LAN Access Points (APs) within the cell;

a controller configured to control, when the transceiver receives the request for the information regarding the wireless LAN APs, the transceiver to perform a search for the wireless LAN APs, to transmit a report about a search result to the serving ENB, and to receive updated information on the wireless LAN APs based on the transmitted report from the serving ENB, determine whether to perform a re-search for the wireless LAN APs based on the updated information on the wireless LAN APs, and select, in response to a determination to perform the re-search, wireless LAN APs to be accessed based on a result of the re-search.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request for the information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes identifiers of wireless LAN APs included in a list of wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB and wireless LAN channel numbers.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs is broadcast from the serving ENB.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller identifies a search operation button when the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB exist within the cell, and outputs, when the search operation button is deactivated, a request for a user to provide input indicating whether to activate the search operation button and performs the second search according to a result of the request.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller determines to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs when the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that wireless LAN APs managed by a serving ENB exist within the cell and further indicating that a value of a condition of the UE is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

15. A serving Evolved Node B (ENB) for selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) within a cell in a mobile communication system, the serving ENB comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit, to the UE, a request for information regarding wireless LAN (Access Points) APs within the cell; and

a controller configured to update, when a result of a search for the wireless LAN APs is received from the UE, pre-stored information regarding the wireless LAN APs based on the search result, and control the transceiver to transmit the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs to the UE.

17. The serving ENB of claim 15, wherein the transceiver transmits the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs through a broadcasting channel.

18. The serving ENB of claim 15, wherein the updated information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes information indicating that wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB exist within the cell.

16. The serving ENB of claim 16, wherein the request for the information regarding the wireless LAN APs includes identifiers of wireless LAN APs included in a list of wireless LAN APs managed by the serving ENB and wireless LAN channel numbers.