Methods and apparatus for providing network broadcast information to WLAN enabled wireless communication devices

• US 9,967,859 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Kezys, Vytautas Robertas
• Primary Examiner(s): MURPHY, RHONDA L
• Application Number:
  US14/941,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20160081059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

One illustrative method for a wireless device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes receiving a network interworking indicator at the wireless device, the network interworking indicator indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate information relating to a wireless network. A request for network information identifying one or more networks is transmitted from the wireless device to the WLAN. The network information is received in response to the request for network information. The network information is provided in a container field of a generic container.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:

receiving, at the wireless device, a network interworking indicator broadcasted by the WLAN, the network interworking indicator indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more wireless networks,

in response to receiving the network interworking indicator, transmitting, from the wireless device to the WLAN, a request requesting the WLAN to send the network information identifying the one or more networks to the wireless device, the network information comprising at least a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Country Code (MCC) which identify at least one of the one or more wireless networks, and

receiving the network information in response to the request for the network information, wherein the network information is provided in a container field of a generic container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generic container is formatted in accordance with at least one of a technology, a standards organization, or a protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generic container further includes a length field associated with a data length of the container field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a format of the generic container is configured according to a standard associated with a type of network, and the standard associated with the type of network is different than an IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the container field includes the network information specified in accordance with a standards organization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generic container further includes a version field which identifies a version of the generic container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.

8. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive, at the wireless device, a network interworking indicator broadcasted by a WLAN, the network interworking indicator indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more wireless networks,

in response to receiving the network interworking indicator, transmit, from the wireless device to the wireless local area network, a request requesting the WLAN to send the network information identifying the one or more networks to the wireless device, the network information comprising at least a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Country Code (MCC) which identify at least one of the one or more wireless networks, and

receive the network information in response to the request for the network information, wherein the network information is provided in a container field of a generic container.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the generic container is formatted in accordance with at least one of a technology, a standards organization, or a protocol.

10. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein a format of the generic container is configured according to a standard associated with a type of network.

11. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the container field includes the network information specified in accordance with a standards organization.

13. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the generic container further includes a version field which identifies a version of the generic container.

14. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the generic container further includes a length field associated with a data length of the container field.

15. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:

broadcasting a network interworking indicator, the network interworking indicator indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more wireless networks;

in response to broadcasting the network interworking indicator, receiving, from a wireless device, a request message requesting the WLAN to send the network information which identifies the one or more networks to the wireless device, the network information comprising at least a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Country Code (MCC) which identify at least one of the one or more wireless networks; and

in response to the request message, providing the network information in a container field of a generic container for transmission to the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generic container is formatted in accordance with at least one of a technology, a standards organization, or a protocol.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a format of the generic container is configured according to a standard associated with a type of network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the generic container further includes a length field associated with a data length of the container field.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the generic container includes a version field which identifies a version of the generic container.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the container field includes the network information specified in accordance with a standards organization.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.

22. A wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:

a processor configured to;

broadcast a network interworking indicator, the network interworking indicator indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more wireless networks,

in response to broadcasting the network interworking indicator, receive a message from a wireless device, the message requesting the WLAN to send the network information which identifies the one or more networks to the wireless device, the network information comprising at least a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Country Code (MCC) which identify at least one of the one or more wireless networks, and

provide the network information in a container field of a generic container for transmission to the wireless device in response to receiving the message.

23. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein the generic container is formatted in accordance with at least one of:

a technology, a standards organization, or a protocol.

24. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein a format of the generic container is configured according to a standard associated with a type of network.

25. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein the generic container further includes a length field associated with a data length of the container field.

26. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein the generic container further includes a version field which identifies a version of the generic container.

27. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein the container field-includes the network information specified in accordance with a standards organization.

28. The WLAN of claim 22, wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.