Method and Apparatus for Access Network Selection

• US 20150282058A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Forssell, Mika
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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 includes using a set of information for a plurality of different access networks, said plurality of networks including at least one cellular network and at least one local wireless network and a current priority associated with a user equipment to provide access network selection information to said user equipment for one or more of said a plurality of said network and causing said access network selection information to be provided to said user equipment. The set of information may include a set of priority information and/or a set of network access information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a set of information for a plurality of different access networks, said plurality of networks comprising at least one cellular network and at least one local wireless network and a current priority associated with a user equipment to provide access network selection information to said user equipment for one or more of said a plurality of said networks; and

causing said access network selection information to be provided to said user equipment.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set of information comprises at least one of a set of priority information and a set of network access policy information

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein causing said access network selection information to be provided to said user equipment comprises causing said access network information to be sent to said user equipment in a message in accordance with a message protocol associated with at least one cellular network.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said current priority indicates that a local wireless local area network is to be used, said causing comprises causing said user equipment to use a network additionally in dependence on a further set of priority information associated with said local wireless network, or on a subset of a further set of priority information associated with said local wireless network.

15. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions which when run cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

3-5. -5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A method comprising:

receiving network access selection information for a user equipment for a plurality of networks comprising at least one cellular network and at least one local wireless network, said network access selection information provided in dependence on a current priority associated with a user equipment; and

using said network access selection information to select one of said plurality of networks.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said receiving information comprises receiving information in a message in accordance with a message protocol associated with at least one cellular network.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein said selecting comprises selecting a type of network and if a local wireless local area network type is selected, said method comprises causing said user equipment to use a set of priority information associated with said local wireless network type to select a network.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said selecting comprises selecting a type of network and if a local wireless local area network type is selected, said method comprises causing said user equipment to use a subset of a set of priority information associated with said local wireless network type to select a network.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said set of priority information comprises access network discovery and selection information or access network query protocol information.

16. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

use a set of information for a plurality of different access networks, said plurality of networks comprising at least one cellular network and at least one local wireless network, and a current priority associated with a user equipment to provide access network selection information to said user equipment for one or more of said a plurality of said networks; and

causing said access network selection information to be provided to said user equipment.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to cause said access network information to be sent to said user equipment in a message in accordance with a message protocol associated with at least one cellular network.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said information comprises one or more of a set of priority information and a set of network access policy information.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to, when said current priority indicates that a local wireless local area network is to be used, cause said user equipment to use a network additionally in dependence on a further set of priority information associated with said local wireless network or, on a subset of a further set of priority information associated with said local wireless network.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive network access selection information for a user equipment for a plurality of networks comprising at least one cellular network and at least one local wireless network, said network access selection information provided in dependence on a current priority associated with a user equipment; and

use said network access selection information to select one of said plurality of networks.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to receive information in a message in accordance with a message protocol associated with at least one cellular network.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 or 26, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to select a type of network and if a local wireless local area network type is selected, to cause said user equipment to use a set of priority information associated with said local wireless network type to select a network.

28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to select a type of network and if a local wireless local area network type is selected, to cause said user equipment to use a subset of a set of priority information associated with said local wireless network type to select a network.

29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said set of priority information comprises access network discovery and selection information or access network query protocol information.

30. (canceled)