Apparatus, system and method of access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) for traffic offloading

• US 9,894,581 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Sirotkin, Alexander, Gupta, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): DIVITO, WALTER J
• Application Number:
  US14/492,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,241 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and methods of Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) for traffic offloading. For example, an ANDSF Management Object (MO) may include one or more ANDSF policies, at least one ANDSF policy including ANDSF selection criteria to offload traffic between a cellular network and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN); and a preference indicator to indicate a preference between the ANDSF selection criteria and Radio Access Network (RAN) selection criteria from the cellular network.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a transceiver to receive an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) management object (MO) from an ANDSF server via an evolved NodeB (eNB), wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise an ANDSF rule and a provisioned offload preference indicator (OPI) which is operator specific and is to indicate a preference between an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)/UTRAN access and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access; and

an offloading processor to select between using the ANDSF rule and a Radio Access Network (RAN) rule, and to route a traffic flow between the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN, at least in part based on the ANDSF rule and the OPI, wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise a WLAN threshold, and the offloading processor is to route the traffic flow through comparing a measured WLAN result with the WLAN threshold.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise at least one policy selected from the group consisting of an inter-system routing policy (ISRP), an inter system mobility policy (ISMP), and a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP).

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the offloading processor is further to use the ISRP to route the traffic flow, when the UE is capable to simultaneously route the traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

4. The UE of claim 2, wherein the offloading processor is further to use the ISMP to route the traffic flow, when the UE is not capable to simultaneously route the traffic flow to both E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a RAN parameter which is supported by the E-UTRAN/UTRAN.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the RAN parameter is further to comprise the WLAN threshold.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a preference indicator to indicate preferred selection criteria are to be either RAN selection criteria provided by a cellular network or ANDSF selection criteria provided by the ANDSF server.

8. An Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) server for use in a wireless network, comprising:

an ANDSF processor to generate an ANDSF management object (MO), wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise an ANDSF rule and a provisioned offload preference indicator (OPI) which is operator specific and is to indicate a preference, which is to be used by a User Equipment (UE) to determine on routing traffic, between an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)/UTRAN access and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access, wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise a WLAN threshold to be used by the UE to route a traffic flow through comparing a measured WLAN result with the WLAN threshold; and

a transceiver to transmit the ANDSF MO to the UE via an evolved NodeB (eNB).

9. The ANDSF server of claim 8, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise an inter-system routing policy (ISRP), when the UE is capable to simultaneously route a traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

10. The ANDSF server of claim 8, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise an inter system mobility policy (ISMP), when the UE is not capable to simultaneously route a traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

11. The ANDSF server of claim 8, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP).

12. The ANDSF server of claim 8, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a Radio Access Network (RAN) parameter which is supported by the E-UTRAN/UTRAN.

13. The ANDSF server of claim 12, wherein the RAN parameter is further to comprise the WLAN threshold.

14. The ANDSF server of claim 8, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a preference indicator to indicate preferred selection criteria are to be either RAN selection criteria provided by a cellular network or ANDSF selection criteria provided by the ANDSF server.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which when executed, cause a user equipment (UE) to:

receive an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) management object (MO) from an ANDSF server via an evolved NodeB (eNB), wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise an ANDSF rule and a pre-provisioned offload preference indicator (OPI) which is operator specific and is to indicate a preference between an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)/UTRAN access and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access; and

select between using the ANDSF rule and a Radio Access Network (RAN) rule, and route a traffic flow between the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN, at least in part based on the ANDSF rule and the OPI,

wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise a WLAN threshold, the instructions, when executed, cause the UE to route the traffic flow through comparing a measured WLAN result with the WLAN threshold.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise at least one policy selected from the group consisting of an inter-system routing policy (ISRP), an inter system mobility policy (ISMP), and a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP).

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the UE to:

use the ISRP to route the traffic flow, when the UE is capable to simultaneously route the traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the UE to:

use the ISMP to route the traffic flow, when the UE is not capable to simultaneously route the traffic flow to both E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a RAN parameter which is supported by the E-UTRAN/UTRAN.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the RAN parameter is further to comprise the WLAN threshold.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a preference indicator to indicate preferred selection criteria are to be either RAN selection criteria provided by a cellular network or ANDSF selection criteria provided by the ANDSF server.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which when executed, cause an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) server to:

generate an ANDSF management object (MO), wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise an ANDSF rule and a pre-provisioned offload preference indicator (OPI) which is operator specific and is to indicate a preference, which is to be used by a User Equipment (UE) to determine on routing traffic, between an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)/UTRAN access and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access, wherein the ANDSF MO is to comprise a WLAN threshold to be used by the UE to route a traffic flow through comparing a measured WLAN result with the WLAN threshold; and

transmit the ANDSF MO to the UE via an evolved NodeB (eNB).

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise an inter-system routing policy (ISRP), when the UE is capable to simultaneously route a traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise an inter system mobility policy (ISMP), when the UE is not capable to simultaneously route a traffic flow to both the E-UTRAN/UTRAN and the WLAN.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the ANDSF rule is further to comprise a WLAN selection policy (WLANSP).

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a Radio Access Network (RAN) parameter which is supported by the E-UTRAN/UTRAN.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the RAN parameter is further to comprise the WLAN threshold.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the ANDSF MO is further to comprise a preference indicator to indicate preferred selection criteria are to be either Radio Access Network (RAN) selection criteria provided by a cellular network or ANDSF selection criteria provided by the ANDSF server.