USING A WLAN INTERWORKING GATEWAY (WIG) FOR OFFLOADING UE TRAFFIC FROM CELLULAR NETWORK TO WLAN

• US 20180084518A1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Cattoni, Andrea, Rosa, Claudio, Laselva, Daniela
• Granted Patent: US 10,568,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• 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 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• 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 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• 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 comprising receiving, at a control node associated with a plurality of access points of a first network (e.g. a WLAN Interworking Gateway-WIG), information from an access point of a second network (e.g. an eNB of a LTE network), wherein the received information is useable by the control node to perform at least one association procedure (e.g. AP selection, local IP and MAC address assignment, admission control, authentication) with an access point of the first network (e.g. WLAN) on behalf of a user equipment, said user equipment being associated with the second network, performing said at least one association procedure and providing association procedure information to the access point of the second network.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a control node associated with a plurality of access points of a first network at least to;

receive information from an access point of a second network, wherein the received information is useable by the control node to perform at least one association procedure with an access point of the first network on behalf of a user equipment, said user equipment being associated with the second network; and

perform said at least one association procedure.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the received information comprises identity information associated with at least one of the user equipment and at least one access point of the first network.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said identity information comprises a media access control address.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the received information comprises identity information associated with several access points of the first network, each of the several access points of the first network providing coverage to the user equipment.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein performing the association procedure causes the control node at least to:

select an access point of the first network for the user equipment to associate with in dependence on load information associated with each of the several access points of the first network; and

provide association procedure information to the access point of the second network, wherein the association procedure information comprises an indication of the selected access point of the first network.

36. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the control node further to:

receive said information useable by the control node in a request message from the access point of the second network for at least one of offloading and initiating radio aggregation for the user equipment with the first network; and

provide association procedure information as a response to the request message.

37. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein performing the association procedure causes the control node further to:

determine identity information applicable in the first network for the user equipment; and

provide association procedure information to the access point of the second network, wherein the association procedure information comprises an indication of the determined identity information applicable in the first network for the user equipment.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein determining the identity information applicable in the first network for the user equipment causes the control node further to:

determine at least one of a local media access control address and a local internet protocol address to be assigned to the user equipment.

39. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein performing the association procedure causes the control node further to:

perform admission control to determine whether the user equipment is permitted to associate with the first network; and

upon deciding that the user equipment is not permitted to associate with the first network, indicate the determination to the access point of the second network.

40. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein performing the association procedure causes the control node further to:

perform an authentication procedure for the user equipment with the access point of the first network.

41. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein performing the authentication procedure causes the control node further to:

send an unsolicited authorization message to the access point of the first network, the authorization message comprising identity information associated with the user equipment.

42. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the control node further to:

receive identity information from the user equipment, said identity information being associated with the second network.

43. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the first network is a wireless local area network and the second network is a cellular network.

44. A method comprising:

receiving, at a control node associated with a plurality of access points of a first network, information from an access point of a second network, wherein the received information is useable by the control node to perform at least one association procedure with an access point of the first network on behalf of a user equipment, said user equipment being associated with the second network;

performing said at least one association procedure.

45. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to;

cause information to be sent to a control node associated with a plurality of access points of a first network from an access point of a second network, wherein the information to be sent is useable by the control node to perform at least one association procedure with an access point of the first network on behalf of a user equipment, said user equipment being associated with the second network.

46. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the information to be sent comprises identity information associated with at least one of the user equipment and at least one access point of the first network.

47. The apparatus method according to claim 45, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

determine said information to be sent in dependence on information received from the user equipment.

48. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

cause said information to be sent in a request message for at least one of offloading and initiating radio aggregation for the user equipment with the first network; and

receive association procedure information as a response to the request message.

49. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

receive association procedure information from the control node in response to sending said information useable by the control node; and

cause an indication to be sent to the user equipment to associate with the first network, the indication comprising at least a portion of association procedure information.

50. The apparatus according to any claim 49, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

cause identity information associated with the user equipment to be transmitted to the access point of the first network.