User equipment capable of attaching to multiple communication networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229072-B2
Application number	US-201916552643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A user equipment is configured to be connected to a first cellular communication network and a second cellular communication network. The user equipment comprises: a communication interface configured to transmit a first message to the second communication network, when the user equipment is connected to the first communication network and is triggered to connect additionally to the second communication network, wherein the first message comprises information about the first communication network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user equipment, comprising:
a processor configured to determine, in response to detecting a second communication network or a change of a geographical position of the user equipment, that the user equipment is to connect to the second communication network in addition to a first communication network to which the user equipment is currently connected; and
a communication interface configured to transmit, in response to the determination that the user equipment is to additionally connect to the second communication network, a first message to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to the first communication network, wherein the first message comprises timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network to inform the second communication network regarding the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network;
wherein the user equipment is further configured to establish, after transmission of the first message, the additional connection to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to the first communication network, wherein the additional connection to the second communication network is subject to the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions in the first message;
wherein the processor is further configured to manage a plurality of states of the user equipment, including a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the user equipment is connected to the first communication network but not to the second communication network, and wherein in the second state the user equipment is connected to both the first communication network and the second communication network; and
wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit a second message intermittently to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to both the first communication network and the second communication network, wherein the second message comprises one or more additional restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network.

2. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises information about an allocation of at least one of a plurality of communication resources to the user equipment by the first communication network.

3. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the first message is a connection request message.

4. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a counter corresponding to the number of communication networks the user equipment is connected to, wherein the first state is a connected state with a first value of the counter, and the second state is a connected state with a second value of the counter.

5. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the first state is a connected state and the second state is a multi-connected state.

6. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to implement a plurality of instances of a state diagram, wherein the first state of the user equipment corresponds to a connected state of a single instance of the state diagram, and wherein the second state of the user equipment corresponds to connected states of two instances of the state diagram.

7. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to temporally align communications with the first and the second communication networks in the second state.

8. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is configured to access a broadcast channel of the first communication network for connection to the first communication network and to access a broadcast channel of the second communication network for connection to the second communication network.

9. A method, comprising:
determining, by a user equipment in response to detecting a second communication network or a change of a geographical position of the user equipment, that the user equipment is to connect to the second communication network in addition to a first communication network to which the user equipment is currently connected;
transmitting, by the user equipment in response to the determination that the user equipment is to additionally connect to the second communication network, a first message to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to the first communication network, wherein the first message comprises timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network to inform the second communication network regarding the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network; and
establishing, by the user equipment, after transmission of the first message, the additional connection to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to the first communication network, wherein the additional connection to the second communication network is subject to the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions in the first message;
wherein the user equipment manages a plurality of states of the user equipment, including a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the user equipment is connected to the first communication network but not to the second communication network, and wherein in the second state the user equipment is connected to both the first communication network and the second communication network; and
wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit a second message intermittently to the second communication network while the user equipment is connected to both the first communication network and the second communication network, wherein the second message comprises one or more additional restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network.

10. A network entity of a second communication network, comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a message from a user equipment, wherein the message comprises timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions for communication between the user equipment and the second communication network due to an existing connection between the user equipment and a first communication network; and
a processor configured to allocate at least one of a plurality of communication resources to the user equipment for communicating over the second communication network based on the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions in the message;
wherein the network entity is further configured to establish, based on the allocation of the at least one of the plurality of communication resources, a connection to the user equipment, wherein the connection to the user equipment is subject to the timing restrictions and/or carrier and frequency restrictions in the message;
wherein the user equipment is configured to manage a plurality of states of the user equipment, including a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the user equipment is connected to the first communication network but not to the second communication network, and wherein in the second state the user equipment is connected to both the first communication network and the second communication network; and
wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a second message intermittently from the user equipment while the user equipment is connected

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Duesseldorf Gmbh

Inventors

• Zhou Chan
• Kaloxylos Alexandros
• Spapis Panagiotis
• Peng Chenghui

Classifications

• H04W72/21

  in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network · CPC title

• H04W68/12

  Inter-network notification · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W72/1215

  for collaboration of different radio technologies · CPC title

• H04W76/15 Primary

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title