Systems and methods for WLAN network selection

• US 9,380,444 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu, Sanh
• Application Number:
  US14/126,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140295913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/557, 455/435.3, 455/445, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2614 Peak power aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2525 Translation at a client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2539 Hiding addresses; Keeping addresses anonymous
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 : using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• 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 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 : using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 : switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 : Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 : Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 : Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 : Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for network selection are disclosed herein. User equipment (UE) includes a communication component, a rules component, and a network selection component. The communication component may be configured to communicate over a 3GPP network and a non-cellular network. The rules component may be configured to store an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) that includes wireless local area network (WLAN) selection policies for network selection on the UE. The WLAN selection policies may include interworking WLAN (I-WLAN) policies and Hotspot 2.0 (HS2.0) parameters. The network selection component is configured to select an available WLAN based on the ANDSF MO.

Claims

1. User equipment (UE) comprising:

a communication component configured to communicate over a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN);

a rules component configured to store an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) comprising WLAN selection policies providing a set of rules for WLAN network selection on the UE, the WLAN selection policies comprising interworking WLAN (I-WLAN) policies and WLAN access point (AP) automated-connection parameters, each member of the set of rules including;

a rule priority value establishing a relative priority of the member as compared to other members of the set, and

a list of one or more specified WLAN criteria under the member; and

a network selection component configured to;

determine from available WLAN access networks an available WLAN access network having attributes that fulfill a preferred list of one or more specified WLAN criteria under an applicable rule of the set of rules such that the attributes of the available WLAN access network are of a higher relative importance as compared to, based on the WLAN selection polices of the ANDSF MO, those of other available WLAN access networks, and

select the available WLAN access network from the available WLAN access networks.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein WLAN selection policies for WLAN network selection on the UE comprise policies required for WLAN network selection that are referenced by a single MO.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the network selection component is configured to select the available WLAN access network during initial network selection.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN selection policies are stored under a WLAN selection policies (WLANSP) sub-tree of the ANDSF MO.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN selection policies are stored separately from an inter-system mobility policy (ISMP) and an inter-system routing policy (ISRP).

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the available WLAN access network are defined by the WLAN access point (AP) automated-connection parameters obtained using access network query protocol (ANQP).

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WLAN selection policies comprise preferred service provider policies.

8. The UE of claim 7, wherein the preferred service provider policies comprise a policy based on a network access identifier (NAI) realm.

9. User equipment (UE) configured to:

communicate with one or more of a base station in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and a wireless local area network (WLAN);

discover a set of available WLAN access networks;

prioritize the available WLAN access networks based on WLAN selection policies within a single rule set, wherein the rule set comprises wireless local area network (WLAN) selection policies provided by the WWAN, each member of the rule set including;

a rule priority value establishing a relative priority of the member as compared to other members of the rule set, and

one or more WLAN attribute preferences under the member; and

select a WLAN access network best matching a desired priority and preference.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the WLAN selection policies comprise one or more of:

a policy based on a WLAN AP automated-connection location parameter;

a policy based on a WLAN AP automated-connection venue parameter;

a policy based on a WLAN AP automated-connection access network type parameter; and

a policy based on a WLAN AP automated-connection backhaul load parameter.

11. The UE of claim 9, wherein the WLAN selection policies comprise preferred service provider policies.

12. The UE of claim 11, further configured to determine an active WLAN selection policy, wherein the UE prioritizes the available WLAN access networks based on the active WLAN selection policy.

13. The UE of claim 9, further configured to apply one of an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) and an inter-system mobility policy (ISMP) after prioritizing the available WLAN access networks.