Techniques for managing communication links of a plurality of radio access technologies (rats)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338133-A1
Application number	US-201615152278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A UE may receive, via a first communication link that uses a first radio access technology (RAT), information that identifies a threshold associated with a second communication link that uses a second RAT. The UE may monitor one or more communications on the second communication link. The UE may determine whether a parameter associated with the second communication link satisfies the threshold based at least in part on monitoring the one or more communications on the second communication link. The UE may provide a message via the first communication link when the parameter associated with the second communication link satisfies the threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for wireless communication, comprising:
establishing a first communication link between an user equipment (UE) and a network using a first radio access technology (RAT); receiving, by the UE and via the first communication link, an information that identifies a threshold associated with a second communication link between the UE and the network, wherein the UE is concurrently coupled with the network via the first communication link using the first RAT and the second communication link using a second RAT; monitoring, by the UE, one or more communications on the second communication link; determining, by the UE and based at least in part on the monitoring, whether a parameter associated with the second communication link satisfies the threshold; and providing, by the UE, a message via the first communication link when the parameter associated with the second communication link satisfies the threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communication link between the UE and the network using the second RAT comprises establishing communication with a serving access point;
wherein the threshold is associated with the serving access point or a neighbor access point that communicates using the second RAT; and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, via the first communication link, an instruction that permits the UE to roam from the serving access point to the neighbor access point; and
roaming to the neighbor access point based at least in part on receiving the instruction and based at least in part on determining that the parameter satisfies the threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving information that identifies one or more conditions for connecting or roaming to an access point that communicates using the second RAT; and wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether the one or more conditions are satisfied; and
connecting or roaming to the access point associated with the second communication link based at least in part on determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more conditions are associated with at least one of:
a throughput associated with the access point; a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the access point; or a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) associated with the access point.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving one or more access point identifiers corresponding to one or more access points that communicate using the second RAT; and wherein the method further comprises:
selecting an access point, of the one or more access points, to which to connect or roam;
connecting or roaming to the access point based at least in part on selecting the access point; and
providing, via the first communication link, information that identifies the access point.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more access point identifiers includes at least one of:
a service set identifier (SSID); or a basic service set identifier (BSSID).

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving one or more access point identifiers corresponding to one or more access points, that communicate using the second RAT, to which the UE is not permitted to connect; and preventing the UE from connecting or roaming to the one or more access points.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
connecting to an access point, that communicates using the second RAT, based at least in part on determining whether the parameter satisfies the threshold.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, to an access point of the network, information that identifies a base station that communicates with the UE via the first communication link.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
connecting to a neighbor access point, that communicates using the second RAT, based at least in part on determining whether the parameter satisfies the threshold, wherein connecting to the neighbor access point is based at least in part on a determination that a serving access point, that communicates with the UE using the second RAT, has finished transmitting one or more scheduled communications to the UE.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an instruction that permits the UE to select an access point to which to connect or roam; and selecting a neighbor access point to which to connect or roam based at least in part on receiving the instruction; and connecting or roaming to the neighbor access point based at least in part on selecting the neighbor access point.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE communicates with a serving access point using the second RAT;
wherein the threshold includes a first threshold, associated with the serving access point, and a second threshold associated with a neighbor access point that communicates using the second RAT; and wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a first parameter, associated with the serving access point, satisfies the first threshold;
determining that a second parameter, associated with the neighbor access point, does not satisfy the second threshold; and
preventing the UE from providing the message based at least in part on determining that the first parameter satisfies the first threshold and the second parameter does not satisfy the second threshold.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE communicates with a serving access point using the second RAT; and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a radio resource control (RRC) connection, associated with the UE, has been released; and
maintaining a connection with the serving access point for a period of time after determining that the RRC connection has been released.

14 . A method for wireless communication, comprising:
providing, by a base station and to an user equipment (UE) via a first communication link that uses a first radio access technology (RAT), an information that identifies a threshold associated with a second communication link that uses a second RAT; providing, by the base station, an instruction that permits the UE to connect to, roam to, or disconnect from an access point that communicates using the second RAT; and receiving, by the base station, an indication that the UE has connected to, roamed to, or disconnected from the access point.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the threshold is associated with a usable coverage area of the access point; and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving information that identifies a plurality of access points,
the plurality of access points including the access point;

selecting the access point based at least in part on receiving the information that identifies the plurality of access points; and
wherein providing the instruction comprises:
providing, via the first communication link, the instruction for the UE to connect to or roam to the access point based at least in part on selecting the access point.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein selecting the access point comprises:
selecting the access point based at least in part on at least one of:
a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the access point;
a throughput associated with the access point;
a load associated with the access point;
a connectivity associated with the access point; or
a radiofrequency spectrum band associated with the access point.

17 . The me

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lee Hoon Ki
• Gholmieh Aziz
• Veerepalli Sivaramakrishna
• Meylan Arnaud
• Dhamdhere Deepak
• KALIKOT VEETIL Mahesh Kumar
• Patel Umang Sureshbhai

Classifications

• H04W76/15 Primary

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W76/16 Primary

  Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer · CPC title

• H04W72/12

  Wireless traffic scheduling · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title