Mechanisms for roaming between 3GPP operators and WLAN service providers

• US 9,723,547 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US15/189,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20160302138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/34 Reselection control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments describe methods, apparatuses and logic for a user equipment (UE) to connect to an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on credentials from a UE'"'"'s home third generation partnership project (3GPP) network. In some embodiments, the UE may receive selection policy parameters from the WLAN including a network access identifier (NAI) realm. The UE may also receive selection policy parameters from the 3GPP network. The UE may compare the selection policy parameters of the WLAN with the selection policy parameters of the 3GPP network and discover roaming relationships between service providers and the relative priorities of different networks, and create a network list based on the comparison. The UE may then associate with an AP of the WLAN based on the prioritized network list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a user equipment (UE), an indication of a network access identifier (NAI) realm; and

identifying, by the WLAN AP in a communication received from the UE, an indication of an association of the UE with the AP based on a comparison of the NAI realm to one or more selection policy parameters of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the WLAN AP in a communication received from the UE, a query that includes an identifier of the AP; and

transmitting, by the WLAN AP, the indication of the NAI realm based on the query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the query is an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) Generic Advertisement Service (GAS) query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the association is further based on a comparison of WLAN roaming consortium data or an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the WLAN with the one or more selection policy parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selection policy parameters of the 3GPP network are 3GPP network roaming consortium data or organizationally unique identifier (OUI) data of the 3GPP network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAI realm identifies the WLAN as associated with a service provider of the 3GPP network.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause one or more processors of an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN), upon execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, to:

transmit, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of a network access identifier (NAI) realm; and

identify, in a communication received from the UE, an indication of an association of the UE with the AP based on a comparison of the NAI realm to one or more selection policy parameters of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further to:

identify, in a communication received from the UE, a query that includes an identifier of the AP; and

transmit the indication of the NAI realm based on the query.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the query is an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) Generic Advertisement Service (GAS) query.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the indication of the association is further based on a comparison of WLAN roaming consortium data or an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the WLAN with the one or more selection policy parameters.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the one or more selection policy parameters of the 3GPP network are 3GPP network roaming consortium data or organizationally unique identifier (OUI) data of the 3GPP network.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the NAI realm identifies the WLAN as associated with a service provider of the 3GPP network.

13. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media includes instructions to cause the one or more processors, upon execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, to;

transmit, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of a network access identifier (NAI) realm; and

identify, in a communication received from the UE, an indication of an association of the UE with the AP based on a comparison of the NAI realm to one or more selection policy parameters of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network.

14. The WLAN AP of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further to:

identify, in a communication received from the UE, a query that includes an identifier of the AP; and

transmit the indication of the NAI realm based on the query.

15. The WLAN AP of claim 14, wherein the query is an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) Generic Advertisement Service (GAS) query.

16. The WLAN AP of claim 13, wherein the indication of the association is further based on a comparison of WLAN roaming consortium data or an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the WLAN with the one or more selection policy parameters.

17. The WLAN AP of claim 13, wherein the one or more selection policy parameters of the 3GPP network are 3GPP network roaming consortium data or organizationally unique identifier (OUI) data of the 3GPP network.

18. The WLAN AP of claim 13, wherein the NAI realm identifies the WLAN as associated with a service provider of the 3GPP network.