Method to Provide Dual Connectivity Using LTE Master eNodeB and Wi-Fi Based Secondary eNodeB

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016157293-A1
Application number	US-201514835985-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first network device may operate as a base station in a wireless wide area network (WWAN) and may establish a WWAN connection with a user device. A media access control (MAC) address of the user device may be obtained and sent to a second network device which operates an access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN). An acknowledgement containing a first service set identifier of the WLAN may be received from the second network device and sent to the user device to set up a secondary connection. An identifier for ordered data communication may used to enable in order communication through both the first and the second network devices. Data to be transmitted to the user device may be split into a first portion and a second portion, and transmitted through the WWAN connection and to the second network device for transmission to the user device via the WLAN respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
at a first network device configured to operate as a base station in a wireless wide area network:
establishing a wireless wide area network connection with a user device;
obtaining a media access control (MAC) address of the user device;
sending the MAC address of the user device to a second network device which operates an access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN);
receiving an acknowledgement from the second network device, the acknowledgement containing a first service set identifier of the WLAN;
sending the first service set identifier to the user device to configure the user device to set up a secondary connection to the first network device via the WLAN and the second network device;
sending an identifier for ordered data communication to the second network device to enable communication through both the first network device and the second network device;
splitting data to be transmitted to the user device into a first portion and a second portion;
transmitting the first portion of the data to the user device through the wireless wide area network connection; and
transmitting the second portion of the data to the second network device for transmission to the user device via the WLAN.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the first service set identifier of the WLAN to the user device is performed as part of Radio Resource Control (RRC).

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending an update to a Mobility Management Entity to add the second network device as a radio access bearer (RAB) for communication with the user device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the MAC address of the user device to a third network device which operates a second access point; receiving an acknowledgement from the third network device, the acknowledgement containing a second service set identifier; sending a release request containing the MAC address of the user device to the second network device to release the second network device from communicating with the user device on behalf of the first network device; and sending the second service set identifier to the user device to configure the user device to set up a wireless local area network connection via the third network device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving packets of data from the user device via both the wireless wide area network connection and the WLAN; and aggregating the packets of data for transmitting to a core network.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network device and the second network device belong to a same bearer and are connected via an X2 interface.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first network device is a Master evolved NodeB (MeNB) for a small cell.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network device and the second network device belong to different bearers, and the first network device is a Master evolved NodeB (MeNB) for a macro cell.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a notification from the user device that WLAN connectivity via the second network device has failed.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
a network interface unit configured to enable communications over a network; a memory; a processor coupled to the network interface unit and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
establish a wireless wide area network connection with a user device;
obtain a media access control (MAC) address of the user device;
send the MAC address of the user device to a network device which operates an access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN);
receive an acknowledgement from the network device, the acknowledgement containing a first service set identifier of the WLAN;
send the first service set identifier to the user device to configure the user device to set up a secondary connection to the apparatus via the WLAN and the network device;
send an identifier for ordered data communication to the network device to enable communication through both the apparatus and the network device;
split data to be transmitted to the user device into a first portion and a second portion;
transmit the first portion of the data to the user device through the wireless wide area network connection; and
transmit the second portion of the data to the network device for transmission to the user device via the WLAN.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein sending the first service set identifier of the WLAN to the user device is performed as part of Radio Resource Control (RRC).

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to:
send the MAC address of the user device to another network device which operates a second access point; receive an acknowledgement from the another network device, the acknowledgement containing a second service set identifier; sending a release request to the network device to release the network device from communicating with the user device on behalf of the apparatus; and send the second service set identifier to the user device to configure the user device to set up a wireless local area network connection via the another network device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus and the network device belong to a same bearer and are connected via an X2 interface, and the apparatus is a Master evolved NodeB (MeNB) for a small cell.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus and the network device belong to different bearers, and the apparatus is a Master evolved NodeB (MeNB) for a macro cell.

15 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
establish a wireless wide area network connection between a first network device configured to operate as a base station in a wireless wide area network with a user device; obtain a media access control (MAC) address of the user device; send the MAC address of the user device to a second network device which operates an access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN); receive an acknowledgement from the second network device, the acknowledgement containing a first service set identifier of the WLAN; send the first service set identifier to the user device to configure the user device to set up a secondary connection to the first network device via the WLAN and the second network device; send an identifier for ordered data communication to the second network device to enable communication through both the first network device and the second network device; split data to be transmitted to the user device into a first portion and a second portion; transmit the first portion of the data to the user device through the wireless wide area network connection; and transmit the second portion of the data to the second network device for transmission to the user device via the WLAN.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein sending the first service set identifier of the WLAN to the user device is performed as part of Radio Resource Control (RRC).

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
send the MAC address of the user device to a third network device which operates a second access point; receive an acknowledgement from the third network device, the acknowledgement containing a second service set identifier; sending a release request to the se

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pazhyannur Rajesh
• Jha Vivek

Classifications

• H04W76/34

  Selective release of ongoing connections · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W76/27 Primary

  Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W92/20

  between access points · CPC title