Aggregation of carriers of a cellular radio network with carriers of an auxiliary network

• US 9,301,227 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Comeau, Adrien Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US14/629,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 370252-431
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A method and devices for integrating a cellular radio network with a WiFi network are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes selecting, at a base station having a cellular radio subsystem and a WiFi radio subsystem, at least one of a cellular radio network carrier and a WiFi carrier to carry at least one data flow from the base station to a user equipment. The method further includes transmitting, from the base station to a user equipment, a control signal to cause the user equipment to select at least one of a cellular radio subsystem of the user equipment and a WiFi radio subsystem of the user equipment to receive the selected at least one of the cellular radio network carrier and the WiFi carrier. Data from the at least one data flow is transmitted on the at least one selected carrier.

Claims

1. A method of selecting between a primary network and an auxiliary network at a base station comprising a primary radio subsystem and an auxiliary radio subsystem, the method comprising:

selecting one of a primary radio network carrier and an auxiliary radio network carrier to carry at least one data flow from the base station to a user equipment;

transmitting, to a user equipment, a control signal to cause the user equipment to select one of a primary radio subsystem of the user equipment and an auxiliary radio subsystem of the user equipment to receive the selected carrier; and

transmitting, to the user equipment, the at least one data flow on the selected carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier is based at least in part on a quality of service, QoS, associated with transmission of data on the auxiliary radio network carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier is based at least in part on a capacity of the auxiliary radio network carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier is based at least in part on a delay tolerance of data to be transmitted.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising metering, at the base station, use of the auxiliary radio network carrier when the auxiliary radio network carrier is selected.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising effectuating, at the base station, a handoff of the user equipment from the primary radio network carrier to the auxiliary radio network carrier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein effectuating the handoff of the user equipment from the primary radio network carrier to the auxiliary radio network carrier comprises:

establishing communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the auxiliary radio network carrier; and

discontinuing communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the primary radio network carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary radio subsystem is based on a licensed communication technology and the auxiliary radio subsystem is based on an unlicensed communication technology.

9. A base station comprising:

a primary radio subsystem configured to transmit data flows on primary radio network carriers;

an auxiliary radio subsystem configured to transmit data flows on auxiliary radio network carriers; and

the base station being configured to;

select one of a primary radio network carrier and an auxiliary radio network carrier to carry at least one data flow from the base station to a user equipment;

transmit a control signal to the user equipment, the control signal identifying one of a primary radio subsystem of the user equipment and an auxiliary radio subsystem of the user equipment to receive the at least one data flow on the selected carrier; and

transmit the at least one data flow to the user equipment on the selected carrier.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further configured to select one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier based at least in part on a quality of service, QoS, associated with transmission of the at least one data flow on the auxiliary radio network carrier.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further configured to select one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier based at least in part on a capacity of the auxiliary radio network carrier.

12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further configured to select one of the primary radio network carrier and the auxiliary radio network carrier based at least in part on a delay tolerance of the at least one data flow to be transmitted.

13. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further configured to meter use of the auxiliary radio network carrier when the auxiliary radio network carrier is selected.

14. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further configured to effectuate a handoff of the user equipment from the primary radio network carrier to the auxiliary radio network carrier.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the base station is further configured to:

establish communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the auxiliary radio network carrier; and

discontinue communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the primary radio network carrier.

16. The base station of claim 9, wherein the primary radio subsystem is based on a licensed communication technology and the auxiliary radio subsystem is based on an unlicensed communication technology.

17. A method of selecting between a primary network and an auxiliary network at a user equipment comprising a primary radio subsystem and an auxiliary radio subsystem, the method comprising:

receiving, from a base station, a control signal comprising an instruction to select one of the primary radio subsystem and the auxiliary radio subsystem to receive one of a primary radio network carrier and an auxiliary radio network carrier selected by the base station to carry at least one data flow;

selecting one of the primary radio subsystem and the auxiliary radio subsystem to receive the selected carrier based on the received control signal; and

receiving the at least one data flow from the base station on the selected carrier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

establishing communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the auxiliary radio network carrier; and

discontinuing communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the primary radio network carrier.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the primary radio subsystem is based on a licensed communication technology and the auxiliary radio subsystem is based on an unlicensed communication technology.

20. A user equipment comprising:

a primary radio subsystem configured to receive data flows carried by primary radio network carriers;

an auxiliary radio subsystem configured to receive data flows carried by auxiliary radio network carriers; and

the user equipment being configured to;

receive, from a base station, a control signal comprising an instruction to select one of the primary radio subsystem and the auxiliary radio subsystem to receive one of a primary radio network carrier and an auxiliary radio network carrier selected by the base station to carry at least one data flow;

select one of the primary radio subsystem and the auxiliary radio subsystem to receive the selected carrier based on the received control signal; and

receive the at least one data flow from the base station on the selected carrier.

21. The user equipment of claim 20, further configured to:

establish communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the auxiliary radio network carrier; and

discontinue communication for the at least one data flow between the base station and the user equipment on the primary radio network carrier.

22. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein the primary radio subsystem is based on a licensed communication technology and the auxiliary radio subsystem is based on an unlicensed communication technology.