AGGREGATED HANDOVER IN INTEGRATED SMALL CELL AND WIFI NETWORKS

• US 20180288670A1
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Convida Wireless LLC
• Inventors: LI, Qing, STARSINIC, Michael F., MOHAMED, IV, Ahmed, DI GIROLAMO, Rocco
• Granted Patent: US 10,624,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0009 for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Mechanisms for efficient inter-system or inter-RAT handover for the case when large numbers of devices need to perform a handover within a short time interval or even simultaneously are described. These mechanisms can include an aggregated Handover Procedure. An Aggregated Handover procedure can be enabled by a UE and can be indicated to the network entities by “Aggregated Handover Indication”. The detection of target (H)eNB or WLAN can be triggered by user, GPS location, boarding time, or a travel or eTicket application etc. The UEs requesting Aggregated Handover within a time interval, i.e. Handover Window, can be processed with aggregated messages by the core network entities.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the apparatus further including computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the apparatus which, when executed by the processor of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

receive multiple indications from multiple User Equipments (UEs) of desired handovers between a WiFi connection and a cellular connection for the UEs; and

initiate an aggregated handover for more than one of the multiple UEs within handover window periods of the more than one of the multiple UEs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus uses the handover window specified by each UE to decide the priority of grouping the UEs for aggregated handover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Network Function and the aggregate handover is a WiFi connection to cellular connection handover.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indications include the handover window period values for the UEs.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the aggregate handover is a cellular connection to WiFi connection handover.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aggregate handover is a seamless handover that uses an interface between a WiFi Access Network and a cellular base station for the aggregate handover.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aggregated handover includes multiple messages that combine information for the more than one of the multiple UEs.

8. A UE comprising a processor and a memory, the UE further including computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the apparatus which, when executed by the processor of the UE, cause the apparatus to:

send an indication of a desired handover between a WiFi connection and a cellular connection for the UE; and

undergo an aggregated handover along with another UE within a handover window period.

9. The UE of claim 8 wherein the indication is sent to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Network Function and the aggregated handover is a WiFi connection to cellular connection handover.

10. The UE of claim 8, wherein the indication includes a handover window period value for the UE.

11. The UE of claim 8, wherein the aggregate handover is a seamless handover that uses an interface between a WiFi Access Network and a cellular base station for the aggregate handover.

12. The UE of claim 8, wherein the aggregated handover includes multiple messages that combine information for the UE and the another UE.

13. A method for use by a apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a processor and memory, and wherein the apparatus further includes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by the processor, perform functions of a method comprising:

receiving multiple indications from multiple User Equipments (UEs) of desired handovers between a WiFi connection and a cellular connection for the UEs; and

initiating an aggregated handover for more than one of the multiple UEs within handover window periods of the more than one of the multiple UEs.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the apparatus is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Network Function and the aggregate handover is a WiFi connection to cellular connection handover.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the indications include handover window period values for the UEs.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the aggregate handover is a cellular connection to WiFi connection handover.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the aggregate handover is a seamless handover that uses an interface between a WiFi Access Network and a cellular base station for the aggregate handover.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the aggregated handover includes multiple messages that combine information for the more than one of the multiple UEs.

19. A method for use by User Equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a processor and memory, and wherein the UE further includes computer-executable instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by the processor, perform functions of a method comprising:

sending an indication of a desired handover between a WiFi connection and a cellular connection for the UE; and

undergoing an aggregated handover along with another UE within a handover window period.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the indication is sent to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Network Function and the aggregated handover is a WiFi connection to cellular connection handover.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication includes a handover window period value for the UE.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the aggregate handover is a seamless handover that uses an interface between a WiFi Access Network and a cellular base station for the aggregate handover.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the aggregated handover includes multiple messages that combine information for the UE and the another UE.

24. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the apparatus further including computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the apparatus which, when executed by the processor of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

receive an indications from a WiFi access point or a cellular access point who are connected to multiple User Equipments (UEs) requesting an aggregated handover for the multiple UEs along with a handover window period; and

initiate an aggregated handover for the multiple UEs within the handover window period.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the WiFi access point or the cellular access point sends the indication upon an upcoming shut down.