APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OFFLOADING TRAFFIC AT A USER EQUIPMENT (UE) BASED ON A MOBILITY STATE OF A WLAN ACCESS POINT

• US 20170026887A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Burbidge, Richard C., Sirotkin, Alexander, Fong, Mo-Han, Himayat, Nageen
• Application Number:
  US15/300,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• 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

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and methods of offloading traffic at a User Equipment (UE) based on a mobility state of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point (AP). For example, a UE may include a WLAN transceiver to communicate with a WLAN AP; a cellular transceiver to communicate with a cellular network; and an offloading module to determine a mobility of the WLAN AP, and to route traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based at least on the mobility of the WLAN AP and a mobility state of the UE.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) transceiver to communicate with a WLAN Access Point (AP);

a cellular transceiver to communicate with a cellular network; and

an offloading module to determine a mobility of the WLAN AP, and to route traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based at least on the mobility of the WLAN AP and a mobility state of the UE.

27. The UE of claim 26, wherein said offloading module is to determine the mobility of the WLAN AP, when the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state.

28. The UE of claim 26, wherein said offloading module is to determine the WLAN AP is mobile, if an identifier of the WLAN AP is detected by the UE for a predefined period, when the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state.

29. The UE of claim 26, wherein said offloading module is to determine the mobility of the WLAN AP based on one or more WLAN signal strength metrics corresponding to the WLAN AP, when the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state.

30. The UE of claim 29, wherein said offloading module is to determine the WLAN AP is mobile, if a change of the one or more WLAN signal strength metrics during a predefined period is less than a predefined threshold.

31. The UE of claim 26, wherein said offloading module is to determine the mobility of the WLAN AP based on a comparison between an identifier of the WLAN AP and a list of mobile AP identifiers.

32. The UE of claim 26, wherein, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state, the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules using only WLAN metrics.

33. The UE of claim 26, wherein the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules, the offloading module to evaluate the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more first assistance thresholds corresponding to one or more assistance parameters, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state, the offloading module to evaluate the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more second assistance thresholds corresponding to said one or more assistance parameters, different from the first assistance thresholds, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is non-mobile.

34. The UE of claim 33, wherein a second assistance threshold corresponding to an assistance parameter is higher than a first assistance threshold corresponding to the assistance parameter.

35. The UE of claim 26, wherein the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on fulfillment of one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules during a steering timer period, the offloading module to set the steering timer period to a first period, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state, the offloading module to set the steering timer period to a second period, different from the first steering timer period, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is non-mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state.

36. The UE of claim 26 including one or more antennas, a memory and a processor.

37. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a cellular transceiver to communicate with a cellular network;

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) transceiver to detect a WLAN AP, when the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state; and

an offloading module to determine whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile, and to select whether or not to steer traffic to the WLAN AP, based at least on whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile.

38. The UE of claim 37, wherein said offloading module is to determine the WLAN AP is mobile, if an identifier of the WLAN AP is detected by the UE for a predefined period, when the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state.

39. The UE of claim 37, wherein said offloading module is to determine whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile based on one or more WLAN signal strength metrics corresponding to the WLAN AP, when the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state.

40. The UE of claim 37, wherein said offloading module is to determine whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile based on a comparison between an identifier of the WLAN AP and a list of mobile AP identifiers.

41. The UE of claim 37, wherein, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state, the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules using only WLAN metrics.

42. The UE of claim 37, wherein the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules, the offloading module to evaluate the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more first assistance thresholds corresponding to one or more assistance parameters, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state, the offloading module to evaluate the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more second assistance thresholds corresponding to said one or more assistance parameters, different from the first assistance thresholds, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is non-mobile.

43. The UE of claim 37, wherein the offloading module is to route the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on fulfillment of one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules during a steering timer period, the offloading module to set the steering timer period to a first period, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state, the offloading module to set the steering timer period to a second period, different from the first steering timer period, if the offloading module determines the WLAN AP is non-mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state.

44. A method to be performed by a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

communicating with a cellular network;

determining a mobility of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point (AP); and

routing traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based at least on the mobility of the WLAN AP and a mobility state of the UE.

45. The method of claim 44 comprising, if determining the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state, routing the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules using only WLAN metrics.

46. The method of claim 44 comprising routing the traffic flow between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules;

evaluating the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more first assistance thresholds corresponding to one or more assistance parameters, if determining the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state; and

evaluating the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more second assistance thresholds corresponding to said one or more assistance parameters, different from the first assistance thresholds, if determining the WLAN AP is non-mobile.

47. A product including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement a method at a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

detecting a Wireless Local Are Network (WLAN) Access Point (AP) of a WLAN, when the UE is at a medium mobility state or a high mobility state;

determining whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile; and

selecting whether or not to steer traffic to the WLAN AP, based at least on whether or not the WLAN AP is mobile.

48. The product of claim 47, wherein the method comprises, if determining the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state, routing the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules using only WLAN metrics.

49. The product of claim 47, wherein the method comprises routing the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules;

evaluating the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more first assistance thresholds corresponding to one or more assistance parameters, if determining the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state; and

evaluating the access network selection and traffic steering rules using one or more second assistance thresholds corresponding to said one or more assistance parameters, different from the first assistance thresholds, if determining the WLAN AP is non-mobile.

50. The product of claim 47, wherein the method comprises routing the traffic between the cellular network and the WLAN AP, based on fulfillment of one or more access network selection and traffic steering rules during a steering timer period;

setting the steering timer period to a first period, if determining the WLAN AP is mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state; and

setting the steering timer period to a second period, different from the first steering timer period, if determining the WLAN AP is non-mobile and the UE is at the medium mobility state or the high mobility state.