Network selection scheme using a roaming broker (RB)

• US 8,060,084 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Alfano, Nicholas P., Allen, Andrew, Buckley, Adrian, Carpenter, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/116,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 370/310.2, 370/322, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A network selection scheme operable in a network environment having one or more radio access networks (RANs), one or more core networks (CNs), and one or more service networks (SNs). Upon obtaining identity information of a particular network combination, a wireless user equipment (UE) device is operable to register with a roaming broker (RB), whereby additional information may be provided to the device for facilitating appropriate network selection.

Claims

1. A network selection method operating at a wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

sending, to a broker node in a network that is wirelessly available, network advertisement information including identity information relating to a plurality of network combinations, each network combination comprising at least a radio access network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

responsive to said sending, receiving a redirect message comprising identity information regarding an additional network combination for providing service with respect to said wireless UE device, wherein said additional network combination comprises at least a RAN and one of a CN and an SN that is determined to be better suited to said wireless UE device than said particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device and is customized based on the wireless UE device'"'"'s location, based on querying a database having network relationship information defined for said wireless UE device; and

receiving background scan timing information for use with each wireless technology supported by said wireless UE device.

2. The network selection method as recited in claim 1, wherein said network advertisement information comprises at least one of identity information and capability information associated with said particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device.

3. A network selection system operating in a wireless user equipment device, the system comprising:

means, responsive to selecting a particular network combination, for sending network advertisement information including identity information relating to a plurality of network combinations to a broker node, each of said network combinations comprising at least a radio access network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

means for receiving, from said broker node, an additional network combination comprising at least a RAN and one of a CN and an SN for providing service to said wireless UE device, wherein said additional network combination has been selected with regard to service relationship data that is provisioned on said broker node regarding RANs, CNs and SNs that have a relationship with a home network of said UE device and customized based on said wireless UE device'"'"'s location;

means for receiving background scan timing information for use with each wireless technology supported by the UE device; and

means for choosing one of said particular network combination and said additional network combination;

wherein each of said means is embodied in a persistent storage module of said UE device.

4. The network selection system as recited in claim 3, wherein said network advertisement information comprises at least one of identity information and capability information associated with said particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device.

5. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a logic module operable to obtain identity information of a particular network combination available in a location area, said particular network combination selected from a plurality of network combinations, each combination comprising at least a radio access network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

a logic module operable to transmit said identity information to a roaming broker (RB) disposed in said network environment upon registration therewith, said registration including transmission of an indication relating to particular services that said wireless device would like to use;

a logic module operable to receive background scan timing information for use with each wireless technology supported by said UE device; and

a network selection logic module operable to select one of said particular network combination and an additional network combination provided by said RB via a redirect message, said redirect message including identity information of said additional network combination, wherein said additional network combination is determined to be better suited to said wireless UE device, based on service relationship data regarding RANs, CNs and SNs that have a relationship with a home network of said UE device, than said particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device.

6. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, wherein said identity information of said particular network combination is obtained via scanning in at least one frequency band.

7. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 6, wherein said scanning is effectuated in a frequency band compliant with at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

8. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 6, wherein said scanning is effectuated in a frequency band compliant with at least one of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard selected from:

IEEE 802.11 standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

9. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, wherein said identity information of said particular network combination is obtained by querying a network advertisement broker (NAB) associated with at least one of a RAN, a CN, an SN, and a public packet-switched Internet Protocol (IP) network.

10. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, wherein said identity information of said particular network combination is obtained via a beacon channel available in said location area.

11. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, further comprising a logic module to transmit to said RB at least one of identity information and capability information associated with each network combination discovered by said wireless UE device.

17. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, wherein said network selection logic module selects said particular network combination.

18. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 5, wherein said network selection logic module selects said additional network combination.

12. A network selection method operating on a wireless user equipment device, comprising:

obtaining identity information of a particular network combination selected from a plurality of network combinations, each comprising at least a radio network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

registering with a roaming broker (RB), said registering including transmission of an indication relating to particular services that said wireless UE device would like to use;

providing said identity information to said RB;

selecting one of said particular network combination and an additional network combination received from said RB via a redirect message, wherein said additional network combination is determined to be better suited to said wireless UE device, based on querying a database having service relationship data regarding RANs, CNs and SNs that have a relationship with a home network of said UE device, than said particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device and is customized based on said wireless UE device'"'"'s location; and

receiving background scan timing information at said wireless UE device for use with each wireless technology supported by said UE device.

13. The network selection method as recited in claim 12, wherein said identity information is obtained via scanning in at least one frequency band.

14. The network selection method as recited in claim 12, wherein said registration comprises transmitting at least one of capability information and location information associated with said wireless UE device.

15. Software, embodied in a tangible, non-transitory storage module on a wireless user equipment device, that when executed facilitates network selection, said software comprising:

logic for sending identity information relating to a plurality of network combinations discovered by said UE device, each network combination being identified as a combination of respective identification codes comprising at least a radio access network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

logic for receiving a redirect message at said wireless UE device, said redirect message including identity information of an additional network combination, wherein said additional network combination comprises a RAN and one of a CN and an SN and is determined to be better suited to said wireless UE device than a network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device based on network relationship information for said wireless UE device and is customized based on said wireless UE device'"'"'s location; and

logic for receiving background scan timing information at said wireless UE device for use with each wireless technology supported by said UE device.

16. A wireless user equipment device comprising:

means for sending network advertisement information to a roaming broker node in a network that is wirelessly accessible, said network advertisement information including identity information relating to a plurality of network combinations, each being identified as a combination of respective identification codes, said combination comprising at least a radio access network (RAN) and one of a core network (CN) and a service network (SN) disposed in an interconnected arrangement;

means for receiving a redirect message from said roaming broker node, said redirect message including identity information of an additional network combination that comprises a RAN and one of a CN and an SN, is customized based on said wireless UE device'"'"'s location and is determined to be better suited to said wireless UE device, with respect to service relationship data relating to RANs, CNs and SNs that have a service agreement with a home network associated with said wireless UE device, than a particular network combination initially selected by said wireless UE device, wherein each of said means comprises software embodied in a persistent storage module; and

means for receiving background scan timing information at said wireless UE device for use with each wireless technology supported by the UE device.