Network-Controlled UE Switching between Different Types of Radio Networks

A method in a user equipment (UE) for conducting radio communications, the method comprising:

• establishing radio communications service with a radio network of a first type;
• receiving, from the radio network of the first type, information including parameters for scanning for radio access points in a radio network of a second type different from the radio network of the first type;
• scanning access points in the radio network of the second type, based on the received information, and detecting access point data;
• reporting the detected access point data to the radio network of the first type;
• receiving a signal from the radio network of the first type to switch radio communications service from the radio network of the first type to one of the access points in the radio network of the second type;
• and
• in response to the received signal, switching radio communications service from the radio network of the first type to one of the access points in the radio network of the second type.

A method in a network node in a radio network of a first type in which radio communications service is provided by the radio network of the first type to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

• sending, to the UE, information including parameters indicating how the UE is to scan for radio access points in a radio network of a second type different from the radio network of the first type;
• receiving, from the UE, access point data detected by the UE scanning access points in the radio network of the second type in accordance with the sent information;
• and
• sending a signal to the UE instructing the UE to switch radio communications service from the radio network of the first type to one of the access points in the radio network of the second type, based on the received access point data from the UE.

A user equipment (UE) for conducting radio communications, the UE comprising:

• first radio circuitry configured to establish radio communications service with a radio network of a first type and to receive from the radio network of the first type information including parameters for scanning for radio access points in a radio network of a second type different from the radio network of the first type;
• second radio circuitry configured to communicate with a second different type of radio network;
• control circuitry configured to control the second radio circuitry to scan access points in the radio network of the second type based on the received information and detect access point data, and to control the first radio circuitry to report the detected access point data to the radio network of the first type,
• wherein the first radio circuitry is configured to receive a signal from the radio network of the first type to switch radio communications service from the radio network of the first type to one of the access points in the radio network of the second type, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch, in response to the received signal, radio communications service from the radio network of the first type to one of the access points in the radio network of the second type.