Finer control of WLAN association for network-controlled LTE-WLAN internetworking
Apparatus and methods are provided for finer control for WLAN association. In one novel aspect, an enhanced NCWIK capability negotiation, an UE assistance information exchange, and an enhanced steering command are performed. In one embodiment, the enhanced NCIWK capacity negotiation includes additional UE information for fine selection. In another embodiment, the UE assistance information is sent to the eNB in addition to the measurement report. The UE assistance information is configured by the eNB. In yet another embodiment, the enhanced traffic steering command includes information of a target AP and one or more target channels. In one embodiment, the enhanced traffic steering command further includes channel direction information. In another novel aspect, the UE selects different UL and DL channels based on the received enhanced traffic steering command. In one embodiment, the UL and DL channels for the UE are different channels from the same AP or from different RATs.
1. A method comprising:
establishing a connection with a long term evolving (LTE) network eNB by a user equipment (UE) in a heterogeneous wireless network, wherein one or more WLAN access points (APs) have coverage overlaps with the eNB;
performing an enhanced network-controlled internetworking (NCIWK) capability negotiation, wherein the UE reports it capability information to the eNB to assist the eNB for measurement configurations and traffic steering decisions for the UE;
sending UE assistance information for NCIWK upon detecting one or more triggering event, wherein the assistance information is configured by the network and is sent following a measurement report to the eNB;
receiving an enhanced traffic steering command from the eNB, wherein the enhanced traffic steering command includes detailed WLAN association information; and
selecting and associating a WLAN AP based on the steering command.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced NCIWK capability negotiation includes reporting at least one capability information comprising: a supported Wi-Fi version, a Wi-Fi modem MAC address, a Wi-Fi modem IP address, a clear channel assessment (CCA) capability and sensitivity, an antenna capability, a MAC buffer size at Wi-Fi modem, a number of simultaneous AP association, whether LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) is supported, whether License-Assisted Access (LAA) is supported, and a power budget of simultaneous operation on an LTE modem and a Wi-Fi modem.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE assistance information for NCIWK includes at least one UE information comprising: a UE power preference indication, an on-going Wi-Fi flow indication, an AP status information, an in-device coexistence (IDC) problem indication, an AP channel blacklist, a traffic steering direction preference indication, an UE speed information, and a CSMA/CA statistics.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a WLAN discovery and measurement configuration information from the eNB, wherein the configuration information is based on the enhanced UE NCIWK capability negotiation.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the configuration information is further based on one or more AP capability report sent from the one or more APs to the eNB.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the AP capability report comprising at least one AP capability element comprising: a supported Wi-Fi version, operating WLAN channels, an identification of AP, AP operating parameters, an AP load, and an AP CSMA/CA statistics.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command comprising information of a target AP and one or more target channels.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each target channels is identified by one channel identification comprising: a channel ID, and a frequency of the target WLAN channel.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the enhanced steering command further comprising: a traffic direction for each target channel, wherein the traffic direction is either a uplink (UL) or downlink (DL).
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a UL target channel is different from a DL target channel.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command is indicated in a SIB.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command is broadcasted in a system information message.
13. An user equipment (UE), comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver that transmits and receives radio signals with a long term evolving (LTE) network eNB in a heterogeneous wireless network, wherein one or more WLAN access points (APs) have coverage overlaps with the eNB;
a capability negotiator that performs an enhanced network-controlled internetworking (NCIWK) capability negotiation, wherein the UE reports it capability information to the eNB to assist the eNB for measurement configurations and traffic steering decisions for the UE;
an UE assistant that sends UE assistance information for NCIWK upon detecting one or more triggering event, wherein the assistance information is configured by the network and is sent following a measurement report to the eNB;
a steering command receiver that receives an enhanced traffic steering command from the eNB, wherein the enhanced traffic steering command includes detailed WLAN association information; and
a selector that selects and associates a WLAN AP based on the steering command.
14. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the enhanced NCIWK capability negotiation includes reporting at least one capability information comprising: a supported Wi-Fi version, a Wi-Fi modem MAC address, a Wi-Fi modem IP address, a clear channel assessment (CCA) capability and sensitivity, an antenna capability, a MAC buffer size at Wi-Fi modem, a number of simultaneous AP association, whether LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) is supported, whether License-Assisted Access (LAA) is supported, and a power budget of simultaneous operation on an LTE modem and a Wi-Fi modem.
15. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the UE assistance information for NCIWK includes at least one UE information comprising: a UE power preference indication, an on-going Wi-Fi flow indication, an AP status information, an in-device coexistence (IDC) problem indication, an AP channel blacklist, a traffic steering direction preference indication, an UE speed information, and a CSMA/CA statistics.
16. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command comprising information of a target AP and one or more target channels.
17. The UE of claim 16 , wherein the enhanced steering command further comprising: a traffic direction for each target channel, wherein the traffic direction is either a uplink (UL) or downlink (DL).
18. The UE of claim 17 , wherein a UL target channel is different from a DL target channel.
19. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command is indicated in a SIB.
20. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the enhanced traffic steering command is broadcasted in a system information message.