WLAN—3GPP interworking
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsOscar Zee, Tomas Hedberg, Jari Vikberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for achieving efficient usage of communication resources in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a system executing the method are disclosed. The method comprises performing, by a user equipment (UE), measurements on a signal received from a WLAN control node, sending the measurements from the UE to a RAN control node, and sending, from the RAN control node to the UE, an instruction to send a probe signal to the WLAN control node. The method further comprises performing, by the WLAN control node, measurements on the probe signal, and determining whether or not the UE should be granted access to the WLAN.
Claims28
A method performed by a wireless communication system comprising a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a radio access network (RAN) for efficient usage of communication resources in the WLAN and the RAN, the WLAN comprising a WLAN control node and the RAN comprising a RAN control node, the method comprising:
- providing the RAN control node with a WLAN MAC-address of a user equipment (UE) connected to the RAN;
- sending, by the UE to the RAN control node, signal quality measurements performed by the UE on a downlink (DL) signal received from the WLAN control node;
- sending, by the UE, an identity of the WLAN control node to the RAN control node;
- sending, by the RAN control node, the WLAN MAC address of the UE to the WLAN control node based on the identity of the WLAN control node;
- sending, by the RAN control node, an instruction to the UE to send a signal to the WLAN control node;
- sending, by the UE, a signal to the WLAN control node based on the identity of the WLAN control node in response to the received instruction,
- performing, by the WLAN control node, uplink (UL) signal quality measurements on the signal received from the UE
- determining control information, by the RAN control node, regarding whether or not to grant access for the UE to the WLAN, the control information being based on the performed DL signal quality measurements;
- sending, by the RAN control node, the control information to the WLAN control node;
- and
- selectively granting access to the WLAN for the UE, by the WLAN control node, based on the received control information and the performed UL signal quality measurements.
A method performed by a user equipment (UE) operative for connection to a wireless communication system comprising a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a radio access network (RAN) for efficient usage of resources in the WLAN and the RAN, the WLAN comprising a WLAN control node and the RAN comprising a RAN control node, the method comprising:
- sending to the RAN control node, signal quality measurements performed by the UE on a downlink (DL) signal received from the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the RAN control node, an identity of the WLAN control node;
- receiving, from the RAN control node, an instruction to send a probe signal to the WLAN control node, and
- in response receiving the instruction, sending, to the WLAN control node, the probe signal,
- wherein the probe signal triggers the WLAN control node to perform a measurement on the probe signal and to determine whether to grant access based on the measurement.
A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) control node in a wireless communication system comprising a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a RAN comprising the RAN control node, for efficient usage of resources in the WLAN and the RAN, the WLAN comprising a WLAN control node, the method comprising:
- receiving a WLAN MAC-address of a user equipment (UE) connected to the RAN;
- receiving, from the UE, DL signal quality measurements performed on a signal received from the WLAN control node;
- receiving, from the UE, an identity of the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the WLAN control node, the WLAN MAC address of the UE based on the identity of the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the UE, an instruction to send a signal to the WLAN control node;
- determining control information regarding whether or not to grant access for the UE to the WLAN, the control information being based on the received DL signal quality measurement;
- and
- sending the determined control information to the WLAN control node.
A method performed by a Wireless Local Area Network, WLAN control node in a wireless communication system comprising a WLAN having the WLAN control node and a radio access network (RAN) for efficient usage of resources in the WLAN and the RAN, the RAN comprising a RAN control node, the method comprising:
- receiving, from the RAN control node, a WLAN MAC address of a UE connected to the RAN which UE also has received a signal transmitted by the WLAN control node;
- receiving a signal from the UE;
- performing, uplink (UL) signal quality measurements on the signal received from the UE;
- receiving, from the RAN control node, control information regarding whether or not to grant access for the UE to the WLAN, the control information being based on DL signal quality measurements performed by the UE on the signal transmitted by the WLAN control node;
- and
- selectively granting access to the WLAN for the UE, based on the received control information and the performed UL signal quality measurements.
A user equipment (UE) connectable to a wireless communication system comprising a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) comprising a WLAN control node and a radio access network (RAN) comprising a RAN control node, the UE comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor, whereby said UE is operative for:
- sending to the RAN control node, signal quality measurements performed by the UE on a downlink (DL) signal received from the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the RAN control node, an identity of the WLAN control node;
- receiving, from the RAN control node, an instruction to send to the WLAN control node a probe signal that triggers the WLAN control node to perform a measurement on the probe signal and to determine whether to grant access to the UE based on the measurement, and
- sending, to the WLAN control node, a probe signal, wherein probe signal triggers the WLAN control node to perform the measurement on the probe signal and determine whether to grant access to the UE based on the measurement.
A radio access network (RAN) control node in a wireless communication system comprising a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) comprising a WLAN control node and a RAN comprising the RAN control node, the RAN control node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor, whereby said RAN control node is operative for:
- receiving a WLAN MAC-address of a user equipment (UE) connected to the RAN;
- receiving, from the UE, DL signal quality measurements performed on a signal received from the WLAN;
- receiving, from the UE, an identity of the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the WLAN control node, the WLAN MAC address of the UE based on the identity of the WLAN control node;
- sending, to the UE, an instruction to send a signal to the WLAN control node;
- determining control information regarding whether or not to grant access for the UE to the WLAN, the control information being based on the received DL signal quality measurement;
- and
- sending the determined control information to the WLAN control node.
A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) control node in a wireless communication system comprising a WLAN comprising the WLAN control node and a Radio Access Network (RAN) comprising a RAN control node, the WLAN control node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor, whereby said WLAN control node is operative for:
- receiving, from the RAN control node, a WLAN MAC address of a UE connected to the RAN which UE also has received a signal transmitted by the WLAN control node;
- receiving a signal from the UE;
- performing uplink (UL) signal quality measurements on the signal received from the UE;
- receiving, from the RAN control node, control information regarding whether or not to grant access for the UE to the WLAN, the control information being based on DL signal quality measurements performed by the UE on the signal transmitted by the WLAN control node;
- and
- selectively granting access to the WLAN for the UE, based on the received control information and the performed UL signal quality measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.