Interaction between WAN-WLAN interworking and WAN-WLAN aggregation

• US 9,788,236 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ozturk, Ozcan, Horn, Gavin Bernard, Faccin, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butt, Wali
• Application Number:
  US14/680,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 370230, 370329, 370331, 370338, 4554261
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• 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

Abstract

Aspects generally relate to a priority mechanism for handing potentially conflicting triggers related to offloading rules and RAN aggregation. As described, a UE may receive, from a BS, configuration information for RAN aggregation of one or more data bearers and offloading rules for WLAN offloading. The UE may determine a priority for communicating using the RAN aggregation and offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information. The UE may perform the RAN aggregation or the WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules based on the determined priority. The priorities may be established in an effort to generally give priority to RAN aggregation over offloading rules and/or give priority to UE-specific instructions over broadcasted instructions.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, from a base station (BS), both configuration information for radio access network (RAN) aggregation of one or more data bearers and configuration information for offloading rules for wireless local area network (WLAN) offloading, wherein the configuration information for RAN aggregation relates to configuration for each packet of each of the one or more data bearers to be routed via the WLAN or via a wide area network (WAN) and for aggregating the packets at lower layers;

determining a first priority for communicating using the configuration information for the RAN aggregation and a second priority for communicating using the configuration information for the offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information; and

communicating according to either the configuration information for the RAN aggregation or the configuration information for the offloading rules based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information for offloading rules includes rules for steering at least one of a bearer or bearers associated with an access point name (APN) between a wide area network (WAN) and a WLAN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information for RAN aggregation and the configuration for offloading rules are received via at least one of:

dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling or broadcast signaling.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the first and second priorities comprises:

determining a higher priority for configuration information received via dedicated RRC signaling than for configuration information received via broadcast signaling.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

overriding a previous action taken to steer a bearer, based on a latest received dedicated RRC message, by steering the bearer in a different direction, by performing RAN aggregation instead of performing WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules, or by performing WLAN offloading according to the offloading rules instead of performing RAN aggregation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating according to the configuration information for the offloading rules based on the determination comprises:

steering data bearers which are part of an access point name (APN) associated with the offloading rules to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating according to the configuration information for the offloading rules based on the determination comprises:

steering particular data bearers to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second priority comprises:

ignoring the configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers received via broadcast signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second priority comprises:

ignoring the configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers whether received via radio resource control (RRC) or broadcast signaling.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discovering one or more WLAN access points (APs) capable of WLAN offloading; and

reporting identification information associated with the one or more WLAN APs to the BS.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a service set identifier (SSID) or a basic service set identification (BSSID).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein SSIDs are used for differentiating one WLAN from another.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting, to the BS, data bearers steered to a WLAN as a result of the WLAN offloading.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration information for offloading rules is received via a dedicated message,

the method further comprises performing the WLAN offloading by steering one or more data bearers from a WLAN to a RAN, and

the RAN serves the one or more data bearers via a wide area network (WAN) air interface at the RAN, a WLAN air interface, or RAN aggregation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dedicated message is received at an access point name (APN) level and the steering is performed at the APN level.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second priority is indicated via at least one of broadcast signaling, dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first priority and the second priority comprises determining a higher priority than for the configuration information for RAN aggregation for the configuration information for offloading rules.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first priority and the second priority comprises determining a higher priority for the configuration information for offloading rules based on a specific instruction from the BS to offload specific bearers than for the configuration information for offloading rules based on access network and discovery selection function (ANDSF) rules.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the priority comprises determining a different priority for different access point names (APNs) based on the configuration information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first priority and the second priority comprises determining a higher priority for the configuration information for offloading rules than for the configuration information for RAN aggregation.

21. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a base station (BS), both configuration information for radio access network (RAN) aggregation of one or more data bearers and configuration information for offloading rules for wireless local area network (WLAN) offloading, wherein the configuration information for RAN aggregation relates to configuration for each packet of each of the one or more data bearers to be routed via the WLAN or via a wide area network (WAN) and for aggregating the packets at lower layers;

determine a first priority for communicating using the configuration information for the RAN aggregation and a second priority for communicating using the configuration information for the offloading rules based, at least in part, on the received configuration information; and

communicate according to either the configuration information for the RAN aggregation or the configuration information for the offloading rules based on the determination; and

a memory coupled with the at least one processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the configuration information for offloading rules includes rules for steering at least one of a bearer or bearers associated with an access point name (APN) between a wide area network (WAN) and a WLAN.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the first and second priorities by:

determining a higher priority for configuration information received via dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling than for configuration information received via broadcast signaling.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate according to the configuration information for the offloading rules based on the determination by:

steering particular data bearers to and from a WLAN according to the offloading rules.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second priority by:

ignoring the configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers received via broadcast signaling.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second priority by:

ignoring the configuration information for offloading rules for RAN aggregation bearers whether received via radio resource control (RRC) or broadcast signaling.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

discover one or more WLAN access points (APs) capable of WLAN offloading; and

report identification information associated with the one or more WLAN APs to the BS.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, the at least one processor is configured to determine the first and second priorities by:

determining a higher priority for the configuration information for RAN aggregation for the configuration information for offloading rules.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, the at least one processor is configured to determine the first and second priorities by:

determining a higher priority for the configuration information for offloading rules based on a specific instruction from the BS to offload specific bearers than for the configuration information for offloading rules based on access network and discovery selection function (ANDSF) rules.

30. The method of claim 21, the at least one processor is configured to determine the first and second priorities by:

determining a higher priority for the configuration information for offloading rules than for the configuration information for RAN aggregation.