Method and apparatus for enhancing mobility for 3GPP LTE-WLAN aggregation in wireless communication system

A method for performing inter-eNodeB (eNB) handover by a target eNB when a long-term evolution (LTE) wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation (LWA) is configured, the inter-eNB handover for a user equipment (UE) currently connected to both a source eNB and a WLAN termination (WT) in the LWA so that the UE is handed over to a target eNB from the source eNB without changing the WT, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the source eNB, a handover request message including a WT identifier (ID) and WT XwAP ID;
• transmitting, to a WT, a WT addition request message including the WT XwAP ID;
• receiving, from the WT, a WT addition request acknowledge message;
• and
• transmitting, to the source eNB, a handover request acknowledge message informing that the WT is kept,
• wherein the WT is a logical node that terminates a Xw interface on a WLAN,
• wherein the Xw interface is an interface established between the WT and the source eNB, and between the WT and the target eNB,
• wherein the WT ID identifies the WT,
• wherein the WT XwAP ID is allocated by the WT and uniquely identifies the UE over the Xw interface,
• wherein the handover request message further includes a mobility set of the WT,
• wherein the mobility set is a set of one or more WLAN access points (APs) identified by one or more of a BSS identifier (BSSID), a home equivalent SSID (HESSID) and an SSID.

A source eNB configured to perform inter-eNodeB(eNB) handover when a long-term evolution (LTE) wireless local area network (WLAN) aggregation (LWA) is configured, the inter-eNB handover for a user equipment (UE) currently connected to both the source eNB and a WLAN termination (WT) in the LWA so that the UE is handed over to a target eNB from the source eNB without changing the WT, the source eNB comprising:

• a transceiver;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to:
• transmit, to s-the target eNB, a handover request message including a WT identifier (ID) and WT XwAP ID;
• receive, from the target eNB, a handover request acknowledge message informing that the WT is kept;
• and
• transmit, to the WT, a WT release request message informing that the WT is kept,
• wherein the WT is a logical node that terminates a Xw interface on a WLAN,
• wherein the Xw interface is an interface established between the WT and the source eNB, and between the WT and the target eNB,
• wherein the WT ID identifies the WT,
• wherein the WT XwAP ID is allocated by the WT and uniquely identifies the UE over the Xw interface,
• wherein the handover request message further includes a mobility set of the WT,
• wherein the mobility set is a set of one or more WLAN access points (APs) identified by one or more of a BSS identifier (BSSID), a home equivalent SSID (HESSID) and an SSID.