Network Control of Terminals with Respect to Multiple Radio Access Networks

• US 20160050709A1
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bergstrm, Mattias
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 84/12 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

There is provided a method, in a terminal, for handling connections to two radio access networks, the method comprising receiving (601), from a first radio access network, one or more threshold values and/or conditions for use in determining how the terminal should handle connections to a second radio access network, wherein the one or more threshold values and/or conditions are received in a message field used to carry threshold values and wherein at least one of the threshold values and/or conditions corresponds to a reserved value and/or condition that indicates an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network; and carrying out one or more actions with respect to the second radio access network, based on the received one or more threshold values and/or conditions (603).

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method, in a terminal, for handling connections to two radio access networks, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first radio access network, one or more threshold values and/or conditions for use in determining how the terminal should handle connections to a second radio access network, wherein the one or more threshold values and/or conditions are received in a message field used to carry threshold values and wherein at least one of the threshold values and/or conditions corresponds to a reserved value and/or condition that indicates an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network; and

carrying out one or more actions with respect to the second radio access network, based on the received one or more threshold values and/or conditions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the message field is normally used to carry threshold values for regulating terminal behavior towards the first radio access network and/or the second radio access network.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more actions comprise one or more of the following:

establishing or refraining from establishing a connection to the second radio access network;

connecting to or disconnecting from the second radio access network;

sending or refraining from sending measurement reports regarding the second radio access network to the first radio access network;

steering or refraining from the steering of traffic to the second radio access network;

moving some or all traffic from the second radio access network to the first radio access network or vice versa;

turning on or refraining from turning on terminal access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network;

turning on or turning off terminal access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network;

putting mobile access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network into or out of a power saving state or mode.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more actions carried out are further based on a state of the terminal with respect to the second radio access network, such that different states can result in different actions, given the same threshold values and/or conditions.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining that a received threshold value and/or condition indicates an impossible threshold and/or condition, wherein said carrying out of the one or more actions is responsive to said determining.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said carrying out one or more actions is further conditioned on one or more other controlling mechanisms applicable to the terminal.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the first radio access network is a cellular telecommunications network and the second radio access network is a wireless local area network.

30. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising the step of:

determining whether any of the received one or more threshold values and/or conditions corresponds to a value and/or condition reserved for indicating an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network;

wherein the step of carrying out one or more actions comprises performing the action indicated by the reserved value and/or condition.

31. A method, in a network node of a first radio access network, for managing connections of a terminal to a second radio access network, the method comprising:

determining, for the terminal, one or more threshold values and/or conditions for use in determining how the terminal should handle connections to the second radio access network, wherein at least one threshold value and/or condition is a reserved value and/or condition that indicates an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network; and

sending the one or more threshold values and/or conditions to the terminal, using a message field used to carry threshold values.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the message field is normally used to carry threshold values for regulating terminal behaviour towards the first radio access network and/or the second radio access network.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more threshold values and/or conditions indicate one or more actions to be taken by the terminal with respect to the second radio access network, the one or more actions comprising one or more of the following:

establishing or refraining from establishing a connection to the second radio access network;

connecting to or disconnecting from the second radio access network;

sending or refraining from sending measurement reports regarding the second radio access network to the first radio access network;

steering or refraining from the steering of traffic to the second radio access network;

moving some or all traffic from the second radio access network to the first radio access network, or vice versa;

turning on or refraining from turning on terminal access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network;

turning on or turning off terminal access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network;

putting mobile access functionality for radio access technology of the type supported by the second radio access network into or out of a power saving state or mode.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said determining one or more threshold values and/or conditions comprises determining an impossible threshold value and/or condition.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the first radio access network is a cellular telecommunications network and the second radio access network is a wireless local area network.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining one or more actions to be taken by the terminal with respect to the second radio access network; and

determining one or more reserved threshold values and/or conditions for the determined one or more actions for sending to the terminal.

37. A terminal apparatus comprising:

radio circuitry configured to handle connections to two radio access networks; and

a processing circuit configured to;

receive, from a first radio access network, one or more threshold values and/or conditions for use in determining how the terminal should handle connections to a second radio access network, wherein the one or more threshold values and/or conditions are received in a message field used to carry threshold values and wherein at least one of the threshold values and/or conditions correspond to a reserved value and/or condition that indicates an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network;

carry out one or more actions with respect to the second radio access network, based on the received one or more threshold values and/or conditions.

38. The terminal apparatus of claim 37, wherein the message field is normally used to carry threshold values for regulating terminal behavior towards the first radio access network and/or the second radio access network.

39. The terminal apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine whether any of the received one or more threshold values and/or conditions corresponds to a value and/or condition reserved for indicating an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network;

and wherein the processing circuit is adapted to carry out the one or more actions indicated by the reserved value and/or condition.

40. A network node adapted for use in a first radio access network, for managing connections of a terminal to a second radio access network, the network node comprising a processing circuit configured to:

determine, for a terminal, one or more threshold values and/or conditions for use in determining how the terminal should handle connections to the second radio access network, wherein at least one threshold value and/or condition is a reserved value and/or condition that indicates an action for the terminal to take with respect to the second radio access network; and

send the one or more threshold values and/or conditions to the terminal, using a message field used to carry threshold values.

41. The network node of claim 40, wherein the message field is normally used to carry threshold values for regulating terminal behavior towards the first radio access network and/or the second radio access network.

42. The network node of claim 40, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine, for a terminal, one or more threshold values and/or conditions by:

determining one or more actions to be taken by the terminal with respect to the second radio access network; and

determining one or more reserved threshold values and/or conditions for the determined one or more actions for sending to the terminal.

43. The network node of claim 40, wherein the network node is a base station apparatus and the base station apparatus further comprises radio circuitry configured to handle connections to one or more mobile terminals according to the first radio access technology.