OFFLOADING AND RESELECTION POLICIES AND RULES FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20150223115A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Liang, Huarui, Tabet, Tarik, Belghoul, Farouk, Zhang, Dawei
• Granted Patent: US 9,825,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0012 Hopping in multicarrier systems for frequency hopping in spread spectrum systems H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for managing use of radio frequency channels in unlicensed radio frequency bands by a wireless communication device in communication with a cellular wireless network are disclosed. The wireless communication device obtains, from an eNodeB of the wireless network, one or more access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policies that include rules for mobility of the wireless communication device and offloading of traffic for the wireless communication device to radio frequency channels in an unlicensed radio frequency band. The wireless communication device determines when at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading traffic, for network selection, for network re-selection, or for a supplemental connection via carrier aggregation based on the ANDSF policies, measured interference levels, and/or loading information provided by the eNodeB.

Claims

1. A method for managing use of radio frequency channels in an unlicensed radio frequency band, the method comprising:

by a wireless communication device;

obtaining one or more access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policies for mobility of the wireless communication device between a licensed radio frequency band and the unlicensed radio frequency band;

obtaining one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic between radio frequency channels in the licensed radio frequency band and radio frequency channels in the unlicensed radio frequency band;

monitoring radio frequency interference levels for at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band;

obtaining loading information for the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band; and

when the radio frequency interference levels and the loading information indicate that at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading in accordance with the one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic, transferring at least a portion of data communication traffic from a radio frequency channel in the licensed radio frequency band to the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the wireless communication device;

providing the radio frequency interference levels for the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band to an enhanced NodeB of a wireless network; and

receiving a control message from the enhanced NodeB of the wireless network to offload the portion of data traffic from the radio frequency channel in the licensed radio frequency band to the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device includes at least a cellular wireless subsystem configured to operate in accordance with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) wireless communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication device includes at least a wireless local area network subsystem configured to operate in accordance with a Wi-Fi wireless communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency interference levels indicate that the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading when a measured level of radio frequency interference from one or more non-cellular wireless communication devices is below an interference threshold level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading information indicates that the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading when a loading level for the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is below a loading threshold level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF policies are communicated by an enhanced NodeB of a wireless network using radio resource control (RRC) signaling messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF policies are communicated by an enhanced NodeB of a wireless network using system information block (SIB) messages.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF policies include at least a first list of wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency channels available for managed WLAN communication in the unlicensed radio frequency band and a second list of radio frequency channels in the unlicensed radio frequency band available for unlicensed LTE (LTE-U) communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ANDSF policies include information about radio frequency interference levels for one or more of radio frequency channels specified in the first and second lists of radio frequency channels.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a cellular wireless subsystem;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) wireless subsystem; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the cellular and WLAN wireless subsystems, the processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless communication device to;

obtain one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic between radio frequency channels in a licensed radio frequency band and radio frequency channels in an unlicensed radio frequency band;

monitor radio frequency interference levels for a radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band;

obtain loading information for the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band; and

when the radio frequency interference levels and the loading information indicate that the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading in accordance with the one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic, transfer at least a portion of data communication traffic from a radio frequency channel in the licensed radio frequency band to the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

provide the radio frequency interference levels for the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band to an enhanced NodeB of a wireless network; and

receive a control message from the enhanced NodeB of the wireless network to offload the portion of data traffic from the radio frequency channel in the licensed radio frequency band to the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the cellular wireless subsystem operates in accordance with an LTE or LTE-A wireless communication protocol, and the WLAN wireless subsystem operates in accordance with a Wi-Fi wireless communication protocol.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency interference levels indicate that the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading when a measured level of radio frequency interference from one or more non-cellular wireless communication devices is below an interference threshold level.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the loading information indicates that the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading when a loading level for the radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is below a loading threshold level.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the ANDSF policies for offloading traffic are communicated by an enhanced NodeB of a wireless network using one or more of:

RRC signaling messages and SIB messages.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

obtain one or more ANDSF policies for mobility of the wireless communication device between the licensed radio frequency band and the unlicensed radio frequency band,

wherein the one or more ANDSF policies for mobility include at least a first list of wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency channels available for managed WLAN communication in the unlicensed radio frequency band and a second list of radio frequency channels in the unlicensed radio frequency band available for unlicensed LTE (LTE-U) communication.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

obtain information about radio frequency interference levels for one or more of radio frequency channels specified in the first and second lists of radio frequency channels.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a wireless communication device, cause the wireless communication device to:

obtain one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic between radio frequency channels in a licensed radio frequency band and radio frequency channels in an unlicensed radio frequency band;

obtain loading information and radio frequency interference levels for at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band; and

when the radio frequency interference levels and the loading information indicate that the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band is available for offloading in accordance with the one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic, transfer at least a portion of data communication traffic from a radio frequency channel in the licensed radio frequency band to the at least one radio frequency channel in the unlicensed radio frequency band.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more ANDSF policies for offloading traffic include one or more of:

a first list of wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency channels available for managed WLAN communication in the unlicensed radio frequency band;

a second list of radio frequency channels in the unlicensed radio frequency band available for unlicensed LTE (LTE-U) communication; and

information about radio frequency interference levels for one or more of radio frequency channels specified in the first or second lists of radio frequency channels.