Encapsulation of higher-layer control messages for local area network support into a wide area network protocol

1. A method comprising:

generating, at a protocol engine at a user equipment configured to operate in a wireless local area network and a cellular network, a message including a request for information representative of a configuration of the wireless local area network, wherein the request is used to at least wake-up a wireless local area network access point serving the wireless local area network in order to facilitate discovery; and

transmitting, via encapsulation, the message to a base station to enable the base station to forward the request via encapsulation to another protocol engine at a support node configured to provide, responsive to the request, the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network to at least one of the user equipment and the base station,

wherein the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network enables the user equipment to operate in the wireless local area network, and

wherein the base station is configured to operate in the cellular network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation comprises control plane signaling carrying the message.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control plane signaling comprises at least one of a cellular control plane signaling message or a network access stratum signaling layer message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation comprises at least one of a user plane or a control plane signaling carrying the message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving in response to the transmitted message, the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network, wherein the received information further comprises at least one of: a frequency band being used by the wireless local area network access point, a carrier frequency, a configuration of the wireless local area network access point, a frame timing of the wireless local area network access point, an operational state of the wireless local area network access point local access point, or security information of the wireless local area network access point.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at a base station configured to operate in a cellular network, a message including a request, from a user equipment configured to operate in the wireless local area network and the cellular network, for information representative of a configuration of a wireless local area network accessible by the user equipment including a protocol engine, wherein the request is received via encapsulation and used to at least wake-up a wireless local area network access point serving the wireless local area network in order to facilitate discovery; and

forwarding, by the base station, the request via encapsulation to another protocol engine at a support node configured to provide, responsive to the request, the information representative of the configuration to at least one of the user equipment and the base station, wherein the information representative of the configuration enables the user equipment to operate in the wireless local area network.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the encapsulation comprises control plane signaling carrying the message.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the control plane signaling comprises at least one of a cellular control plane signaling message or a network access stratum signaling layer message.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network comprises at least one of: a frequency band being used by the wireless local area network access point, a carrier frequency, a configuration of the wireless local area network access point, a frame timing of the wireless local area network access point; an operational state of the wireless local area network access point, or security information of the wireless local area network access point.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, working with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

generate, at a protocol engine at a user equipment configured to operate in a wireless local area network and a cellular network, a message including a request for information representative of a configuration of the wireless local area network, wherein the request is used to at least wake-up a wireless local area network access point serving the wireless local area network in order to facilitate discovery; and

transmit, via encapsulation, the message to base station to enable the base station to forward the request via encapsulation to another protocol engine at a support node configured to provide, responsive to the request, the information representative of the configuration to at least one of the user equipment and the base station, the information representative of the configuration enables the user equipment to operate in the wireless local area network,

wherein the apparatus comprises the user equipment, and wherein the base station is configured to operate in the cellular network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the encapsulation comprises control plane signaling carrying the message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control plane signaling comprises at least one of a cellular control plane signaling message or a network access stratum signaling layer message.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network comprises at least one of: a frequency band being used by the wireless local area network access point, a carrier frequency, a configuration of the wireless local area network access point, a frame timing of the wireless local area network access point, an operational state of the wireless local area network access point, or security information of the wireless local area network access point.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, working with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

receive, at a base station configured to operate in a cellular network, a message including a request, from a user equipment configured to operate in a wireless local area network and the cellular network, for information representative of a configuration of the wireless local area network accessible by the user equipment including a protocol engine, wherein the request is received via encapsulation and used to at least wake-up a wireless local area network access point serving the wireless local area network in order to facilitate discovery; and

forward, by the base station, the request via encapsulation to another protocol engine at a support node configured to provide, responsive to the request, the information representative of the configuration to at least one of the user equipment and the base station, wherein the information representative of the configuration enables the user equipment to operate in the wireless local area network, wherein the apparatus comprises the base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the encapsulation comprises control plane signaling carrying the message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control plane signaling comprises at least one of a cellular control plane signaling message or a network access stratum signaling layer message.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network comprises at least one of: a frequency band being used by the wireless local area network access point, a carrier frequency, a configuration of the wireless local area network access point, a frame timing of the wireless local area network access point, an operational state of the wireless local area network access point, or security information of the wireless local area network access point.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer program code which when executed by at least one processor causes operations comprising:

generating, at a protocol engine at a user equipment configured to operate in a wireless local area network and a cellular network, a message including a request for information representative of a configuration of the wireless local area network, wherein the request is used to at least wake-up a wireless local area network access point serving the wireless local area network in order to facilitate discovery; and

transmitting, via encapsulation, the message to a base station to enable the base station to forward the request via encapsulation to another protocol engine at a support node configured to provide, responsive to the request, the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network to at least one of the user equipment and the base station,

wherein the information representative of the configuration of the wireless local area network enables the user equipment to operate in the wireless local area network, and

wherein the base station is configured to operate in the cellular network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving, in response to the transmitted message, at least one of: a frequency band being used by the wireless local area network access point, a carrier frequency, a configuration of the wireless local area network access point, a frame timing of the wireless local area network access point, an operational state of the wireless local area network access point, or security information of the wireless local area network access point.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises presence information of an available wireless local area network detected by the user equipment.

21. The method in claim 4 , wherein the carrying message is representative of an access network discovery and selection function.