Method and apparatus for indicating and using radio access technology preferences in a wireless communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224010-B2
Application number	US-201715541847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses exemplified in this disclosure provide mechanisms for a wireless communication device to indicate its Radio Access Technology (RAT) preferences to a wireless communication network, and for a wireless communication network to consider the RAT preferences of a given device when deciding which RAT the device will use. As a non-limiting example of the advantages flowing from these mechanisms, devices operating within a network that includes or is associated with multiple RATs can indicate their preferences for which RAT they use, while still allowing the network to retain control of the RAT selection decisions. Such flexibility offers significant advantages in 5G networks that provide tight integration between multiple RATS—e.g., between LTE and NR air interfaces. However, the methods and apparatuses disclosed herein are not limited to 5G networks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operation in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
performing signal quality measurements for two or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs) that are associated with a wireless communication network and are candidates for use in serving the wireless communication device;
determining RAT preferences with respect to the two or more RATs, based on evaluating the signal quality measurements and further based on evaluating one or more operational attributes associated with operating the wireless communication device according to respective ones of the two or more RATs; and
indicating the RAT preferences to the wireless communication network, to influence a RAT selection decision made by the wireless communication network for the wireless communication device,
wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises explicitly or implicitly indicating the RAT preferences in a signal quality measurement report sent by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication network for the two or more RATs, wherein explicitly indicating the RAT preferences comprises including one or more explicit indicators in the signal quality measurement report and wherein implicitly indicating the RAT preferences comprises biasing one or more signal quality measurements indicated in the signal quality measurement report, said biasing reflecting the RAT preferences.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises indicating at least one of: a preferred RAT indication to bias the RAT selection decision towards a preferred RAT, a non-preferred RAT indication to bias the RAT selection decision away from a non-preferred RAT, and an infeasible RAT indication to prevent selection of an infeasible RAT.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises explicitly indicating the RAT preferences to the wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises implicitly indicating the RAT preferences to the wireless communication network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises indicating a degree of preference or non-preference for one or more of the two or more RATs.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating the RAT preferences comprises sending one or more flags, each flag corresponding to one of the two or more RATs, and each flag signifying that the corresponding RAT is one of: preferred, non-preferred, and infeasible.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational attributes correspond to relative costs or benefits for the wireless communication device when operating according to respective ones of the two or more RATs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational attributes comprise a power consumption of the wireless communication device when operating according to respective ones of the two or more RATs.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational attributes comprise at least one of:
a level of activity or computational complexity required of the wireless communication device when operating according to respective ones of the two or more RATs,
radio configurations or capabilities of the wireless communication device when operating according to respective ones of the two or more RATs,
quality-of-service requirements associated with any ongoing or planned communications by the wireless communication device, and
a state of charge of a battery used to power the wireless communication device.

10. A method of operation by a network node in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of Radio Access Technology (RAT) preferences of a wireless communication device, the RAT preferences relating to two or more RATs that are associated with the wireless communication network and are candidates for use in serving the wireless communication device; and
making a RAT selection decision for the wireless communication device, wherein the RAT selection decision comprises selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, wherein selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, comprises:
receiving a measurement report from the wireless communication device that indicates measured signal levels or qualities for respective ones of the two or more RATs;
obtaining adjusted signal levels or qualities by adjusting one or more of the measured signal levels or qualities, according to the RAT preferences; and
making the RAT selection decision based on the adjusted signal levels or qualities;

wherein the RAT preferences comprise one or more signal level or signal quality offset values, each such offset value being used to adjust a corresponding one of the measured signal levels or qualities.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the indication of the RAT preferences comprises receiving one or more explicit indicators and determining the RAT preferences from the one or more explicit indicators.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the RAT preferences indicates a degree of preference or non-preference for one or more of the two or more RATs, and wherein the method includes controlling an extent to which the RAT preferences influence the RAT selection decision in dependence on the indicated degree of preference or non-preference.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the indication of RAT preferences comprises receiving at least one of the following indications for at least one of the two or more RATs: an indication of preference, an indication of non-preference, and an indication of infeasibility.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising excluding from consideration in the RAT selection decision any RAT for which an indication of infeasibility is received.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, comprises making an initial RAT selection and conditionally adjusting the initial RAT selection in dependence on the RAT preferences.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, comprises adjusting one or more values used to make the RAT selection decision, as a function of the RAT preferences, and evaluating the one or more values after the adjusting.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the indication of the RAT preferences comprises receiving the indication of the RAT preferences in a measurement report sent by the wireless communication device for the two or more RATs.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, comprises performing a biased evaluation by biasing, based on the RAT preferences, an evaluation of relative costs or benefits for the wireless communication network regarding use by the wireless communication device of respective ones of the two or more RATs, and making the RAT selection decision in dependence on the biased evaluation.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting one of the two or more RATs for use by the wireless communication device, based at least in part on the RAT preferences, comprises performing an

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Reial Andres
• Lindoff Bengt
• Nilsson Johan
• Semaan Eliane

Classifications

• H04B17/309

  Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title