Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a terminal device
View Patent ↗According to one aspect there is provided a method in an apparatus in a first network operating according to a first radio access technology, RAT, the method comprising evaluating ( 101 ) parameters and/or rules for a terminal device as part of an access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure between the first network and a second network operating according to a second RAT; starting ( 103 ) a timer if the parameters and/or rules are satisfied; and adjusting ( 105 ) the operation of the timer in the event that a change or potential change to the parameters and/or rules occurs prior to expiry of the timer.
1. A method performed by a first apparatus in a first network that operates according to a first radio access technology (RAT), the method comprising:
sending an indication to a second apparatus in the first network, the indication indicating a process of adjusting operation of a timer in response to that a change or potential change to parameters and/or rules occurs prior to expiry of the timer, wherein:
the indication is used by the second apparatus to perform the process of adjusting the operation of the time; and
the parameters and/or rules are evaluated by the second apparatus for a terminal device as part of an access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure between the first network and a second network, the second network operating according to a second RAT.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises one or more of:
stopping the timer, suspending the timer, disabling the timer, restarting the timer, and resetting the timer.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
adjusting the operation of the timer in response to that the parameters and/or rules are updated prior to expiry of the timer.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
adjusting the operation of the timer in response to that:
the parameters and/or rules are updated prior to expiry of the timer, and
the updated parameters and/or rules differ from the evaluated parameters and/or rules by more than a threshold.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
adjusting the operation of the timer in response to that the terminal device changes cell prior to expiry of the timer.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
stopping or suspending the timer.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
resuming the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are identical to the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
stopping or disabling the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are not identical to the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
resuming the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are within a threshold of the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
stopping or disabling the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are not within the threshold of the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
11. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
allowing the timer to continue but preventing or aborting implementation of a result of the evaluation of the access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure upon expiry of the timer if updated parameters and/or rules have not been received.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
implementing the result of the evaluation of the access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure upon expiry of the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are identical to the evaluated parameters and/or rules; and
discarding or aborting the result of the evaluation of the access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure if the updated parameters and/or rules are not identical to the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
implementing the result of the evaluation of the access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure upon expiry of the timer if the updated parameters and/or rules are within a threshold of the evaluated parameters and/or rules; and
discarding or aborting the result of the evaluation of the access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure if the updated parameters and/or rules are not within the threshold of the evaluated parameters and/or rules.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
performing at least one of stopping the timer, suspending the timer, disabling the timer, restarting the timer, and resetting the timer, only if the terminal device is not steering traffic to the second network.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the timer is a Tsteering WLAN timer.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first apparatus is a network node in the first network.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second apparatus is the terminal device.
18. A first apparatus for use in a first network that operates according to a first radio access technology (RAT), the first apparatus comprising:
communication circuitry configured to communicate with a second apparatus in the first network; and
a processor coupled to the communication circuitry, the processor being configured to:
send, via the communication circuitry, an indication to the second apparatus, the indication indicating a process of adjusting operation of a timer in response to that a change or potential change to parameters and/or rules occurs prior to expiry of the timer, wherein:
the indication is used by the second apparatus to perform the process of adjusting the operation of the time; and
the parameters and/or rules are evaluated by the second apparatus for a terminal device as part of an access network selection, traffic steering and/or traffic aggregation procedure between the first network and a second network, the second network operating according to a second RAT.
19. The first apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises one or more of:
stopping the timer, suspending the timer, disabling the timer, restarting the timer, and resetting the timer.
20. The first apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the indication indicates that the process of adjusting the operation of the timer comprises:
adjusting the operation of the timer in response to that:
the parameters and/or rules are updated prior to expiry of the timer, and
the updated parameters and/or rules differ from the evaluated parameters and/or rules by more than a threshold.