Radio access technology selection

1. A method of associating a radio access technology (RAT) supported by a wireless device (WD) with a first service; wherein the WD supports at least a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT; wherein the second RAT supports a first service and a second service; wherein the first RAT supports the first service but not the second service; wherein the third RAT supports at least the first service; wherein the method comprises the WD:

acquiring an indicator that the second service is to be associated with the second RAT;

acquiring an indicator that said third RAT is available for use;

acquiring channel measurements for at least one of the second RAT and the third RAT; and

associating the first service with one of the second RAT and the third RAT based on the acquired channel measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the WD does not support simultaneous use of the first RAT and the second RAT.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring channel measurements also for the other one of the second RAT and third RAT.

4. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the channel measurements represent channel state information, the channel state information being associated with at least one metric;

wherein the associating the first service is based on the at least one metric.

5. The method of claim 4 :

wherein the at least one metric is a coverage metric;

wherein the associating comprises associating the first service with the third RAT in response to the coverage metric being fulfilled for the third RAT.

6. The method of claim 5 :

further comprising acquiring channel measurements also for the other one of the second RAT and third RAT;

wherein the associating comprises associating the first service with the third RAT in response to the coverage metric being fulfilled for the third RAT and the second RAT is Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Enhanced GPRS (EDGE).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator is a circuit switched fallback (CSFB) indicator.

8. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the WD is operatively connected to a network node of the first RAT when the indicator is acquired;

wherein the indicator relates to an inter RAT (IRAT) handover caused by use of the second service being required;

further comprising performing one of:

handover of the first service from the first RAT to the second RAT; or

registration of the WD with a network node of the third RAT and performing handover of the first service from the first RAT to the third RAT.

9. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the WD is camping to a network node of the first RAT when the indicator is acquired;

wherein the indicator relates to an inter RAT (IRAT) reselection caused by use of the second service being required;

further comprising one of:

registering capability of supporting the first service with a network node of the second RAT; or

registering capability of supporting the first service with a network node of the third RAT.

10. The method claim 1 , wherein the first service is a packet switched service and the second service is a circuit switched service.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

the first RAT supports at least one of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX);

the second RAT supports at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), CDMA2000, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and Enhanced GPRS (EDGE);

the third RAT supports at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth, and Infrared Data Association (IrDA).

12. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the second service is a circuit-switched service and the first service is a packet-switched service;

wherein acquiring the CSFB indicator comprises the wireless device acquiring the CSFB indicator when the wireless device is served by the first RAT that does not support circuit-switched service; and

wherein the method comprises in response to receiving the CSFB indicator, when the wireless device associates the packet-switched service with the second RAT based on the acquired channel measurements, the wireless device performing handover to the second RAT for using the packet-switched service supported by the second RAT.

13. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the second service is a circuit-switched service and the first service is a packet-switched service;

wherein acquiring the CSFB indicator comprises the wireless device acquiring the CSFB indicator when the wireless device is served by the first RAT; and

wherein the method comprises in response to receiving the CSFB indicator, when the wireless device associates the packet-switched service with the third RAT based on the acquired channel measurements, the wireless device performing handover to the third RAT for using the packet-switched service supported by the third RAT.

14. A wireless device (WD) for associating a radio access technology (RAT) supported by the WD with a first service; wherein the WD is configured to support at least a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT; wherein the second RAT supports a first service and a second service; wherein the first RAT supports the first service but not the second service; wherein the third RAT supports at least the first service; the WD comprising:

a processing circuit configured to:

acquire an indicator that the second service is to be associated with the second RAT;

acquire an indicator that said third RAT is available for use;

acquire channel measurements for at least one of the second RAT and the third RAT; and

associate the first service with one of the second RAT and the third RAT based on the acquired channel measurements.

15. The WD of claim 14 , wherein the WD is configured not to support simultaneous use of the first RAT and the second RAT.

16. The WD of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to acquire channel measurements also for the other one of the second RAT and third RAT.

17. The WD of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to associate the first service with the third RAT in response to a coverage metric being fulfilled for the third RAT.

18. The WD of claim 17 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

acquire channel measurements also for the other one of the second RAT and third RAT;

associate the first service with the third RAT response to the coverage metric being fulfilled for the third RAT and the second RAT is Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Enhanced GPRS (EDGE).

19. The WD of claim 14 :

wherein the WD is configured to be operatively connected to a network node of the first RAT when the indicator is acquired;

wherein the indicator relates to an inter RAT (IRAT) handover caused by use of the second service being required;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

perform handover of the first service from the first RAT to the second RAT; or

perform registration of the WD with a network node of the third RAT and perform handover of the first service from the first RAT to the third RAT.

20. The WD of claim 14 :

wherein the WD is configured to be camping to a network node of the first RAT when the indicator is acquired;

wherein the indicator relates to an inter RAT (IRAT) reselection caused by use of the second service being required;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

register capability of supporting the first service with a network node of the second RAT; or

perform registration capability of supporting the first service with a network node of the third RAT.

21. A vehicle, comprising:

at least one wireless device (WD) configured to support at least a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT; wherein the second RAT supports a first service and a second service; wherein the first RAT supports the first service but not the second service; wherein the third RAT supports at least the first service, the WD comprising a processing circuit configured to:

acquire an indicator that the second service is to be associated with the second RAT;

acquire an indicator that said third RAT is available for use;

acquire channel measurements for at least one of the second RAT and the third RAT; and

associate the first service with one of the second RAT and the third RAT based on the acquired channel measurements.

22. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling the associating of a radio access technology (RAT) supported by a wireless device (WD) with a first service; wherein the WD is configured to support at least a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT; wherein the second RAT supports a first service and a second service; wherein the first RAT supports the first service but not the second service; wherein the third RAT supports at least the first service; the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on one or more processors of the WD, causes the WD to:

acquire an indicator that the second service is to be associated with the second RAT;

acquire an indicator that said third RAT is available for use;

acquire channel measurements for at least one of the second RAT and the third RAT; and

associate the first service with one of the second RAT and the third RAT based on the acquired channel measurements.