INTERACTION BETWEEN WAN-WLAN INTERWORKING AND WAN-WLAN AGGREGATION

• US 20150350952A1
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: OZTURK, Ozcan, HORN, Gavin Bernard, FACCIN, Stefano
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• 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

Aspects generally relate to a priority mechanism for handing potentially conflicting triggers related to offloading rules and RAN aggregation. As described, a UE may receive, from a BS, configuration information for RAN aggregation of one or more data bearers and offloading rules for WLAN offloading. The UE may determine a priority for communicating using the RAN aggregation and offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information. The UE may perform the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority. The priorities may be established in an effort to generally give priority to RAN aggregation over offloading rules and/or give priority to UE-specific instructions over broadcasted instructions.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, from a base station (BS), configuration information for radio access network (RAN) aggregation of one or more data bearers and offloading rules for wireless local area network (WLAN) offloading;

determining a priority for communicating using the RAN aggregation and offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information; and

performing the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes rules for steering at least one of a bearer or bearers associated with an access point name (APN) between a wide area network (WAN) and a WLAN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received via at least one of dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling or broadcast signaling.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the priority comprises:

giving priority to configuration information received via dedicated RRC signaling over configuration information received via broadcast signaling.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

overriding a previous action taken to steer a bearer, based on a latest received dedicated RRC message, by steering the bearer in a different direction, by performing RAN aggregation instead of performing WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules, or by performing WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules instead of performing RAN aggregation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority comprises:

steering data bearers which are part of an access point name (APN) associated with the offloading rules to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority comprises:

steering particular data bearers to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises:

ignoring configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers received via broadcast signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises:

ignoring configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers whether received via radio resource control (RRC) or broadcast signaling.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discovering one or more WLAN access points (APs) capable of WLAN offloading; and

reporting identification information associated with the one or more WLAN APs to the BS.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a service set identifier (SSID) or a basic service set identification (BSSID).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein SSIDs are used for differentiating one WLAN from another.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting, to the BS, data bearers steered to a WLAN as a result of the WLAN offloading.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the configuration information for offloading rules via a dedicated message,

performing the WLAN offloading by steering one or more data bearers from a WLAN to a RAN, wherein

the RAN serves the one or more data bearers via a wide area network (WAN) air interface at the RAN, a WLAN air interface, or RAN aggregation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dedicated message is received at an access point name (APN) level and the steering is performed at the APN level.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority is indicated via at least one of broadcast signaling, dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for RAN aggregation priority over configuration information for offloading rules.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for WLAN offloading based on a specific instruction from the BS to offload specific bearers over configuration information for offloading rules based on access network and discovery selection function (ANDSF) rules.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises determining a different priority for different access point names (APNs) based on the configuration information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for offloading rules over configuration information for RAN aggregation.

21. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a base station (BS), configuration information for radio access network (RAN) aggregation of one or more data bearers and offloading rules for wireless local area network (WLAN) offloading;

determine a priority for communicating using the RAN aggregation and offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information; and

perform the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority; and

a memory coupled with the at least one processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the configuration information includes rules for steering at least one of a bearer or bearers associated with an access point name (APN) between a wide area network (WAN) and a WLAN.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises:

giving priority to configuration information received via dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling over configuration information received via broadcast signaling.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein performing the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority comprises:

steering particular data bearers to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises:

ignoring configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers received via broadcast signaling.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises:

ignoring configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers whether received via radio resource control (RRC) or broadcast signaling.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

discover one or more WLAN access points (APs) capable of WLAN offloading; and

report identification information associated with the one or more WLAN APs to the BS.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for RAN aggregation priority over configuration information for offloading rules.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for offloading rules based on a specific instruction from the BS to offload specific bearers over configuration information for offloading rules based on access network and discovery selection function (ANDSF) rules.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the priority comprises giving priority to configuration information for offloading rules over configuration information for RAN aggregation.