# US 12,193,109 B2 · Internet access indication in private LTE networks and neutral host networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,193,109 B2 - Document ID: US12193109B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/333,767 - Filed: 2023-06-13 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-14 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Vimal Srivastava; Indermeet Singh Gandhi; Sudhir Kumar Jain; Srinath Gundavelli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12193109B2 ## CPC - H04W 8/08: Mobility data transfer - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support - H04W 48/17: {Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]} - H04W 60/00: Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration - H04W 8/06: Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A Radio Access Network (RAN) element provides an internet indication to a User Equipment (UE) to enable the UE to quickly obtain internet access. The RAN element determines that the RAN element is connected to at least one gateway that provides public internet access, and broadcasts an internet indication. The RAN element determines that the UE has requested public internet access via the RAN element and provides the UE with public internet access. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: at a User Equipment (UE), receiving a broadcast from a Radio Access Network (RAN) element that is connected to one or more gateways associated with one or more corresponding service providers, the broadcast including an internet indication indicating that the RAN element is connected to at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides public internet access; sending an attach request to the RAN element to obtain public internet access; receiving an attach accept message from the RAN element, the attach accept message including configuration settings for the UE to connect to a particular gateway among the at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides internet access; and configuring a connection between the UE and the RAN element based on the configuration settings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast further includes a list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining a selection of the particular gateway from the list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access, wherein the attach request includes an indication of the selection of the particular gateway. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the internet indication is received in a predetermined information block of the broadcast from the RAN element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined information block is a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined information block is System Information Block 1 (SIB1). ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a list of gateways providing public internet access in another predetermined information block. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: a wireless interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a Radio Access Network (RAN) element that is connected to one or more gateways associated with one or more corresponding service providers; and a processor coupled to the wireless interface, the processor configured to: receive a broadcast via the wireless interface, the broadcast including an internet indication indicating that the RAN element is connected to at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides public internet access; cause the wireless interface to send an attach request to the RAN element to obtain public internet access; receive an attach accept message from the RAN element via the wireless interface, the attach accept message including configuration settings for the apparatus to connect to a particular gateway among the at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides internet access; and configure a connection between the apparatus and the RAN element based on the configuration settings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the broadcast further includes a list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a selection of the particular gateway from the list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access, wherein the attach request includes an indication of the selection of the particular gateway. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless interface is configured to receive the internet indication in a predetermined information block of the broadcast from the RAN element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined information block is a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB). ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined information block is System Information Block 1 (SIB1). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive a list of gateways providing public internet access in another predetermined information block. ### Claim 15 One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor of a User Equipment (UE), cause the processor to: receive a broadcast from a Radio Access Network (RAN) element that is connected to one or more gateways associated with one or more corresponding service providers, the broadcast including an internet indication indicating that the RAN element is connected to at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides public internet access; send an attach request to the RAN element to obtain public internet access; receive an attach accept message from the RAN element, the attach accept message including configuration settings for the UE to connect to a particular gateway among the at least one gateway associated with a corresponding service provider that provides internet access; and configure a connection between the UE and the RAN element based on the configuration settings. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the broadcast further includes a list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions operable to cause the processor to obtain a selection of the particular gateway from the list of gateways associated with corresponding service providers that provide public internet access, wherein the attach request includes an indication of the selection of the particular gateway. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the internet indication is received in a predetermined information block of the broadcast from the RAN element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the predetermined information block is a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB). ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to cause the processor to, receive a list of gateways providing public internet access in another predetermined information block.