Moving access point indication

• US 9,642,063 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Westerberg, Erik, Kazmi, Muhammad, Mildh, Gunnar, Teyeb, Oumer, Vikberg, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhry, Samina
• Application Number:
  US14/238,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/34 Reselection control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A user equipment, UE, (20) determines a mobility state of a Wi-Fi access point, AP, as one of a moving mobility state and a non-moving mobility state along with control information relating to UE cell (re-)selection and/or handover behavior based on the determined mobility state of the Wi-Fi access point, AP. The UE then controls its cell (re-)selection and/or handover behavior in relation to the Wi-Fi access point, AP based on the determined control information. In a preferred embodiment, the UE can communicate with a cellular base station, BS, and with the Wi-Fi access point, AP. The UE detects the Wi-Fi AP, determines that the Wi-Fi AP is moving based on a moving AP indication, and controls cell (re-Selection and/or handover behavior of the UE based on the determination that the Wi-Fi AP is moving along with other information.

Claims

1. A user equipment, UE, comprising:

radio circuitry configured to;

communicate with a Wi-Fi access point, AP, and a cellular base station, BS; and

receive, as control information, information from the cellular BS based on a moving AP indication; and

processing circuitry configured to;

detect the Wi-Fi AP;

determine a mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP as one of a moving mobility state and a non-moving mobility state based on the moving AP indication, wherein the mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP is determined based on a beacon frame or a probe response frame received from the Wi-Fi AP that includes the moving AP indication or an Access Network Query Protocol, ANQP, signaling that includes the moving AP indication;

determine control information relating to one or more of UE cell selection, cell reselection, and handover behavior based on the determined mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP;

control one or more of UE cell selection, cell reselection, and handover behavior in relation to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined control information; and

connect to the Wi-Fi AP based on the received information and the determined mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP.

2. The UE in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate a neighbor cell report that includes a cell served by the Wi-Fi AP as a neighbor cell in the report and the moving AP indication for the Wi-Fi AP, and wherein the radio circuitry is configured to transmit the neighbor cell report to the cellular BS.

3. The UE in claim 2, wherein:

the received information comprises one or more of network-based cell selection, cell reselection, and handover control information determined based on the moving AP indication, and the processing circuitry is configured to connect to the Wi-Fi AP based on the network-based cell selection, cell reselection or handover control information.

4. The UE in claim 1, wherein the UE is configured by a user to detect and process the moving AP indication, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive from the user of the UE a user decision whether to perform one or more of a cell selection, cell reselection, and handover to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined moving AP indication, and wherein the control information includes the user'"'"'s decision or policies configured by the user.

5. The UE in claim 1, wherein the UE is configured by a network operator to detect and process moving AP indications, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decide locally at the UE whether to perform one or more of a cell selection, cell reselection, and handover to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined moving AP indication.

6. The UE in claim 5, wherein the UE is configured by a network operator with policy information to detect and process moving AP indications, and wherein the control information includes the policy information.

7. The UE in claim 1, wherein the moving AP indication includes AP venue information.

8. A method implemented in a user equipment, UE, comprising:

detecting a Wi-Fi access point, AP;

determining a mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP as one of a moving mobility state and a non-moving mobility state based on a moving AP indication, wherein the mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP is determined based on a beacon frame or a probe response frame received from the Wi-Fi AP that includes the moving AP indication or an Access Network Query Protocol, ANQP, signaling that includes the moving AP indication;

receiving, as control information, information from a cellular base station, BS based on the moving access point indication; and

determining control information relating to one or more of UE cell selection, cell reselection, and handover behavior based on the determined mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP;

controlling one or more of UE cell selection, cell reselection, and handover behavior in relation to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined control information; and

connecting to the Wi-Fi AP based on the received information and the determined mobility state of the Wi-Fi AP.

9. The method in claim 8, further comprising:

generating a neighbor cell report that includes a cell served by the Wi-Fi AP as a neighbor cell in the report and the moving AP indication for the Wi-Fi AP, and

transmitting the neighbor cell report to a cellular BS.

10. The method in claim 9, wherein:

the received information comprises one or more of network-based cell selection, cell reselection, and handover control information determined based on the moving AP indication, and the method comprises;

connecting to the Wi-Fi AP based on the network-based cell selection cell reselection, or handover control information.

11. The method in claim 8 wherein the UE is configured by a user to detect and process the moving AP indication, the method further comprising:

receiving from the user of the UE a user decision whether to perform one or more of a cell selection, cell reselection, and handover to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined moving AP indication,

wherein the control information includes the user'"'"'s decision or policies configured by the user.

12. The method in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving network operator policy information, and

deciding whether to perform one or more of a cell selection, cell reselection, and handover to the Wi-Fi AP based on the determined moving AP indication and the received policy information,

wherein the control information includes the received policy information.

13. The method in claim 8, wherein the moving AP indication includes AP venue information.

14. A computer product embodied in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, which when executed by data processing circuitry, perform the method recited in claim 8.