IP Library Granted Patent US 10,375,705
Granted Patent B2
US 10,375,705 · App. 14/485,002 · Granted Aug 6, 2019

Wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity option discovery

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,375,705
App. No.
14/485,002
Granted
Aug 6, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods, and storage media may be described for identifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) with which a third generation partnership project (3GPP) user equipment (UE) should connect. Specifically, the UE may receive an indication of one or more supported connectivity options of the WLAN AP. The UE may also receive an indication of one or more public land mobile networks that the WLAN AP is able to communicate with. The UE may then select whether the UE should connect to the WLAN AP based on the received indication(s) and a selection preference rule. Other embodiments may be claimed.

Claims (33)

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

receive circuitry to receive, in a public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE), an indication of a PLMN with which a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN; and

WLAN circuitry coupled with the receive circuitry, the WLAN circuitry to:

identify a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separated from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity; and

select, based on the preference indicator and the indication of the PLMN in the PLMN list IE, the WLAN AP as a target to which the UE is to communicatively couple,

wherein:

the UE further includes transmit circuitry coupled with the receive circuitry, the transmit circuitry to:

transmit an access network query protocol (ANQP) query to the WLAN AP; and

establish, based on a selection of the WLAN AP as the target, a connection with the WLAN AP;

the receive circuitry is further to receive the PLMN list IE in an ANQP response that is based on the ANQP query; and

the ANQP query or the ANQP response includes an indication related to a PLMN parameter of the WLAN AP.

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule and the receive circuitry is further to receive the ISRP from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

3. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the PLMN includes an indication related to a service of the PLMN.

4. The UE of claim 3 , wherein the receive circuitry is to receive the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE includes a baseband processor coupled with the WLAN circuitry.

6. A method comprising:

identifying, by a user equipment (UE) from a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) in a plurality of WLAN APs, a received public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE) that includes an indication related to a PLMN with which the WLAN AP is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN;

identifying a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separate from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity;

selecting, by the UE based on the preference indicator and the indication related to the PLMN, the WLAN AP as a WLAN AP to which the UE should communicatively couple;

receiving, by the UE, the PLMN list IE in an access network query protocol (ANQP) response from the WLAN AP;

establishing, by the UE based on the selecting the WLAN AP, a connection with the WLAN AP.

7. method of claim 6 , wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule received from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving, by the UE, the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the indication related to the PLMN is an indication related to a service of the PLMN.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause a user equipment (UE), upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the UE, to:

receive, from a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) in a plurality of WLAN APs, a public land mobile network (PLMN) list information element (IE) that includes an indication related to a PLMN with which the WLAN AP is to communicate via S2a connectivity over an S2a interface between the WLAN AP and the PLMN;

identify a WLAN selection policy (SP) of an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) management object (MO) and a preference indicator of the ANDSF MO, wherein the preference indicator is separate from the WLAN SP and preferences selection of WLAN with S2a connectivity;

select, based on the preference indicator and the indication related to the PLMN, the WLAN AP as a WLAN AP to which the UE should communicatively couple;

receive the IE in an access network query protocol (ANQP) response from the WLAN AP; and

establish, by the UE based on the selection of the WLAN AP, a connection with the WLAN AP.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the WLAN SP is an inter-system routing policy (ISRP) rule received from a home access network discovery and selection function (H-ANDSF) or a visited ANDSF (V-ANDSF).

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are further to receive the PLMN list IE in an advertisement beacon from the WLAN AP.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the indication related to the PLMN is an indication related to a service of the PLMN.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2020
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053062/0703 →
CONFIRMATORY ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 25, 2020
From: INTEL IP CORPORATION
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053066/0388 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2014
From: GUPTA, VIVEK
To: INTEL IP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033737/0272 →