Methods and apparatus for providing network broadcast information to WLAN enabled wireless communication devices
One illustrative method of providing network broadcast information to a wireless device from a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes the steps of receiving, from one or more available cellular networks or a network database, cellular network broadcast information associated with the one or more available cellular networks; providing the cellular network broadcast information in a generic container message which varies in content and format according to one or more cellular standards associated with the one or more available cellular networks; and causing the generic container message to be regularly broadcasted for receipt and use by a wireless device. In an alternative approach, the steps include regularly broadcasting a network interworking indicator which is indicative of whether cellular network broadcast information is available for receipt from the WLAN; receiving a probe request from a wireless device; and causing the cellular network broadcast information to be sent to the wireless device in the generic container message in response to the probe request from the wireless device. The generic container message may alternatively or additionally include wireless network broadcast information from different types of wireless networks (e.g. Wi-MAX) which are available to the WLAN.
1. A method for a wireless device, the method comprising:
receiving, at the wireless device, a network interworking indicator bit broadcasted by a wireless local area network (WLAN), the network interworking indicator bit indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more networks;
in response to receiving the network interworking indicator bit, transmitting, from the wireless device, a request for network information;
in response to the request for network information, receiving, at the wireless device, a network information message comprising at least one of a network identifier or an organizational identifier which identifies a particular network from the one or more networks, wherein the network interworking indicator bit is different from the network identifier or the organizational identifier; and
selecting, at the wireless device, the particular network from the one or more networks.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device registers the particular network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device selects the particular network in accordance with a preferred network list.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device selects the particular network through manual selection via a user interface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device signals the selected particular network a Network Address Identifier (NAI).
6. A wireless device, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to:
receive, at the wireless device, a network interworking indicator bit broadcasted by a wireless local area network (WLAN), the network interworking indicator bit indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more networks;
in response to receiving the network interworking indicator bit, transmit, from the wireless device, a request for network information;
in response to the request for network information, receive, at the wireless device, a network information message comprising at least one of a network identifier or an organizational identifier which identifies a particular network from the one or more networks, wherein the network interworking indicator bit is different from the network identifier or the organizational identifier; and
select, at the wireless device, the particular network from the one or more networks.
7. The wireless device of claim 6 , wherein the wireless device registers the particular network.
8. The wireless device of claim 6 , wherein the wireless device selects the particular network in accordance with a preferred network list.
9. The wireless device of claim 6 , wherein the wireless device selects the particular network through manual selection via a user interface.
10. The wireless device of claim 6 , wherein the wireless device signals the selected particular network a Network Address Identifier (NAI).
11. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:
broadcasting a network interworking indicator bit, the network interworking indicator bit indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more networks;
in response to broadcasting the network interworking indicator bit, receiving, from a wireless device, a request message requesting the WLAN to send the network information which identifies the one or more networks to the wireless device;
in response to the request message, transmitting, to the wireless device, a network information message comprising at least one of a network identifier or an organizational identifier which identifies a particular network from the one or more networks; and
receiving, from the wireless device, a registration to the particular network from the one or more networks.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the particular network receives, from the wireless device, a Network Address Identifier (NAI).
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a format of the request message is configured according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.
15. A wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:
a memory; and
at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to:
broadcast a network interworking indicator bit, the network interworking indicator bit indicating support of a capability of the WLAN to communicate network information identifying one or more networks;
in response to broadcasting the network interworking indicator bit, receive, from a wireless device, a request message requesting the WLAN to send the network information which identifies the one or more networks to the wireless device;
in response to the request message, transmit, to the wireless device, a network information message comprising at least one of a network identifier or an organizational identifier which identifies a particular network from the one or more networks; and
receive, from the wireless device, a registration to a particular network from the one or more networks.
16. The WLAN of claim 15 , wherein the particular network receives, from the wireless device, a Network Address Identifier (NAI).
17. The WLAN of claim 15 , wherein a format of the request message is configured according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.
18. The WLAN of claim 15 , wherein the one or more networks identified by the network information include at least one 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network.