Method and apparatus for offloading data

• US 9,532,269 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Wei, Wei, Na, Wang, Haiming, Zeng, Erlin, Bai, Wei, Sun, Pengfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jangbahadur, Lakeram
• Application Number:
  US14/391,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20150085659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for enabling efficient allocation of discovery resources for device to device communications. An example method may comprise establishing a cellular network connection to an access point. The method may further comprise establishing a local area network connection to a user equipment. Additionally, the method may comprise either receiving offloaded data for the user equipment from the access point via the cellular network connection and relaying the offloaded data to the user equipment via the local area network connection, or receiving offloaded data for the access point from the user equipment via the local area network connection and relaying the offloaded data to the access point via the cellular network connection. Similar and related example methods, example apparatuses, and example computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

establish a cellular network connection to an access point;

establish a local area network connection to at least one of a plurality of user equipments with data to be offloaded;

receive data for the at least one of the plurality of user equipments from the access point via the cellular network connection, and relay the data to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments via the local area network connection to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments; and

receive data for the access point from the at least one of the plural of user equipments via the local area network connection established with the at least one of the plurality of user equipments, and relay the data to the access point via the cellular network connection,

wherein communications to or from the at least one of the plurality of user equipments to be offloaded are prioritized by the apparatus, and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive a probe request from at least one of the plurality of user equipments, wherein the probe request comprises an indication of offloading capability of the of at least one of the plurality of user equipments;

provide for transmission of a probe response to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments; and

establish a local area network connection to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments based at least in part on the probe request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive identification information associated with at least one of the plurality of user equipments from the access point via the cellular network connection; and

establish local area network connection to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments based at least in part on the received identification information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide for transmission of a confirmation request to the access point, wherein the confirmation request comprises a request to confirm the offloading capability of at least one of the plurality of user equipments; and

receive a confirmation response from the access point wherein the confirmation response comprises an indication of the offloading capability of the at least one of the plurality of user equipments.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further arranged to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide for transmission of a beacon message, wherein the beacon message comprises an indication of offloading capability;

receive a response to the beacon message from at least one of the plurality of user equipments, wherein the response comprises an indication of offloading capability of the at least one of the plurality of user equipments; and

establish a local area network connection to the at least one of the plurality of user equipments based at least in part on the response to the beacon message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a router.

6. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

establish a cellular network connection to an access point;

establish a local area network connection to a dual mode router; and

receive, at the apparatus, first offloaded cellular network data from the dual mode router via the local area network connection and transmit, from the apparatus, second offloaded cellular network data to the dual mode router via the local area network connection,

wherein the first offloaded cellular network data is received by the dual mode router via a cellular network connection to the access point, the second offloaded cellular network data is transmitted by the dual mode router via the cellular network connection to the access point, and the first and second offloaded cellular network data are prioritized by the dual mode router over other communications, and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

provide for transmission of a probe request, wherein the probe request comprises an indication of offloading capability;

receive a probe response from a dual mode router, wherein the probe response comprises an indication of offloading capability of the dual mode router; and

establish the local area network connection to the dual mode router based at least in part on the probe response.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a request for offloading information from the access point; and

provide for transmission of a report comprising offloading information to the access point.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the offloading information comprises at least one of a media access control address, a non access stratum identifier, and local area network access capability.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive identification information associated with a dual mode router from an access point via the cellular network connection; and

establish the local area network connection to the dual mode router based at least in part on the received identification information.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide for transmission of an offloading request message to the access point;

receive identification information associated with at least one neighboring dual mode routers in response to the offloading request message; and

establish a local area network connection to one of the at least one dual mode routers based at least in part on the received identification information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein providing for transmission of the offloading request message and receiving identification information are performed via signaling, and wherein the signaling comprises at least one of radio resource control signaling and a media access control communication element.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a beacon message from a dual mode router, wherein the beacon message comprises an indication of offloading capability of the dual mode router; and

establish the local area network connection to the dual mode router in response to receiving the beacon message.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises a user equipment or a mobile terminal.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

provide for transmission to a user equipment of identification information associated with a dual mode router proximate the user equipment;

provide for transmission to the dual mode router of identification information associated with the user equipment;

receive a request from the dual mode router to offload cellular network data associated with the user equipment to the dual mode router; and

offload the cellular network data associated with the user equipment to the dual mode router via a cellular network connection with the dual mode router, and receive cellular network data from the user equipment via the cellular network connection with the dual mode router,

wherein the dual mode router prioritizes the offloaded cellular network data over other data, and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

provide for transmission of a probe request, wherein the probe request comprises an indication of offloading capability;

receive a probe response from the dual mode router, wherein the probe response comprises an indication of offloading capability of the dual mode router; and

establish the local area network connection to the dual mode router based at least in part on the probe response.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide for transmission of a request for offloading information to the user equipment; and

receive a report comprising offloading information from the user equipment.

16. The apparatus of any of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

establish a cellular network connection to the access point; and

establish a cellular network connection to the dual mode router.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the dual mode router is configured to maintain a connection to both a cellular network and a local area network at the same time.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

providing for transmission to the dual mode router of identification information associated with the user equipment occurs in response to receiving a request from the dual mode router for an indication of whether the user equipment is configured for offloading;

the identification information associated with the user equipment comprises an indication of whether the user equipment is configured for offloading; and

the apparatus comprises a base station.