System and method for network detection and selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9100852-B2
Application number	US-201313735627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2013
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	Aug 4, 2015
Grant date	Aug 4, 2015

Abstract

An embodiment method for network detection and selection includes receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a network detection and selection policy including a load threshold element, the UE further receiving load information element from an access network (AN), and applying the network detection and selection policy to the AN.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for network selection comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a network detection and selection policy comprising a load threshold element, wherein the load threshold element comprises a wide area network (WAN) backhaul load threshold;
receiving, by the UE, a load information element associated with an access network (AN), wherein the load information element comprises WAN backhaul load information; and
applying the network detection and selection policy to the AN, wherein applying the network detection and selection policy comprises:
comparing a load level indicated by the load information element with the load threshold element; and
determining whether the load level is higher than a load threshold set by the load threshold element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the UE, the traffic load information element comprises using an access network query protocol of the AN to obtain the traffic load information element.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating the load level, by the UE, using the traffic load information element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic load information element includes WAN backhaul uplink load information, backhaul downlink load information, backhaul uplink speed information, backhaul downlink speed information, backhaul uplink bandwidth information, backhaul downlink bandwidth information, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load threshold element further comprises an air-interface load threshold element and the load information element further comprises an air-interface load information element.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the air-interface load threshold element is a basic service set (BSS) load threshold element and the air-interface load information element is a basic service set (BSS) load information element.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the air-interface threshold element is an air-interface quality of service (QoS) threshold element and wherein the load level indicated by the air-interface load information element is an expected air-interface QoS to the UE at the AN calculated from the air-interface load information element.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the air-interface load information element comprises information on a number of UEs associated with the AN, a channel utilization percentage of the AN, a remaining admission control time available to the UE, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein receiving, by the UE, the air-interface load information element comprises using a beacon or probe response frame of the AN to obtain the air-interface load information element.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network detection and selection policy further comprises an air-interface load threshold evaluation period, and wherein applying the network detection and selection policy to the AN comprises applying the network detection and selection policy during the air-interface load threshold evaluation period.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network detection and selection policy is an access network discovery and selection function policy.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load threshold element sets a minimum load threshold, a maximum load threshold, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the network detection and selection policy further comprises selecting the AN when the load level indicated by the load information element meets the load threshold element.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the network detection and selection policy further comprises adding the AN to a list of candidate ANs suitable for selection when the load level indicated by the load information element meets the load threshold element.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the network detection and selection policy further comprises not selecting the AN when the load level indicated by the load information element does not meet the load threshold element.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the AN is an AN the UE is currently connected to, and applying the network detection and selection policy further comprises the UE disconnecting from the AN and connecting to a different AN when the load level indicated by the load information element does not meet the load threshold element.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access network is an access point, a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), or an evolved UTRAN.

18. A user equipment (UE) comprising:
a processor; and
a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
receive a network detection and selection policy comprising a load threshold element, wherein the load threshold element comprises a wide area network (WAN) backhaul load threshold;
receive a load information element associated with an access network (AN), wherein the load information element comprises WAN backhaul load information; and
apply the network detection and selection policy to the AN, wherein the instructions to apply the network detection and selection policy includes further instructions to:
compare a load level indicated by the load information element with the load threshold element; and
determine whether the load level is higher than a load threshold set by the load threshold element.

19. The UE of claim 18 , wherein the instructions to apply the network detection and selection policy includes further instructions to connect to the AN if the load level indicated by the load information element meets the load threshold element.

20. The UE of claim 18 , wherein the instructions to apply the network detection and selection policy includes further instructions to add the AN to a list of candidate ANs suitable for connection when the load level indicated by the load information element meets the load threshold element.

21. The UE of claim 18 , wherein the instructions to apply the network detection and selection policy includes further instructions to not connect to the AN if the load level indicated by the load information element does not meet the load threshold element.

22. The UE of claim 18 , wherein the AN is an AN the UE is currently connected to, and the instructions to apply the network detection and selection policy includes further instructions to disconnect from the AN and connect to a different AN when the load level indicated by the load information element does not meet the load threshold element.

23. The UE of claim 18 wherein the load level indicated by the traffic load information element is the load level calculated, by the UE, using the traffic load information element.

24. The UE of claim 18 wherein the traffic load information element comprises WAN backhaul uplink load information, backhaul downlink load information, backhaul uplink speed information, backhaul downlink speed information, backhaul uplink bandwidth information, backhaul downlink bandwidth information, or a combination thereof.

25. The UE of claim 18 , wherein the load threshold element further comprises an air-interface load threshold element and the load information element further comprises an air-interface load information element.

26. The UE of claim 25 , wherein the air-interface load threshold element is a basic service set (BSS) load threshold element and the air

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Xiang Zhixian
• Kaippallimalil John
• Chan Hinghung Anthony
• Saboorian Khosrow Tony
• Huang Kaidi

Classifications

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W28/0231 Primary

  based on communication conditions (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54) · CPC title

• H04W28/0942

  based on measured or predicted load of entities- or links · CPC title

• H04W28/08

  Load balancing or load distribution (transferring a connection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title