# US 2020/0288530 A1 · Method, apparatus and computer program product for accessing a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0288530 A1 - Document ID: US20200288530A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/062,800 - Filed: 2015-12-18 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-18 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Applicants: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Inventors: Gyorgy Tamas WOLFNER; Mika Petri Olavi RINNE; Janne Petteri TERVONEN; Jari Pekka MUSTAJARVI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200288530A1 ## CPC - H04W 12/062: Pre-authentication - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04W 48/14: using user query {or user detection} - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 74/0808: using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] - H04W 76/25: Maintenance of established connections - H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states - H04W 80/08: Upper layer protocols {(network arrangements or communication protocols for networked applications H04L67/00)} - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W 48/17: {Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The present invention addresses a method, apparatus and computer program product for accessing a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, such as a MuLTEfire network, which implement identifying an available access point of the local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, transmitting a message to the access point, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information are queried from the network before authorization and actually connecting to the network, selecting a service provider of the network based on received network information for binding the network identity to the selected service provider for accessing, and conveying a Non-Access Stratum service request to the network to cause authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for a user equipment for accessing a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, comprising: identifying an available access point of the local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures; transmitting a message to the access point, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information is queried from the network before authentication and actually connecting to the network; selecting a service provider of the network based on received network information for binding the network identity of the selected service provider for accessing; and conveying a Non-Access Stratum service request to the network to cause authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network. ### Claim 2 A method for enabling access of a user equipment to a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, comprising: receiving a message from the user equipment, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information is queried from the network before actually connecting to the network; accepting the request without authentication and transmitting network access information to the user equipment; upon receiving information about a selection of a service provider by the user equipment, binding the network identity to the selected service provider for accessing; and upon receiving a Non-Access Stratum service request from the user equipment, allowing authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the network information is exchanged with the network in at least one of Non-Access Stratum signaling and Radio Resource Control messages. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the network information comprises at least one of access information, information of at least one service provider of the network, and network metrics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the metrics comprise at least one of a free channel airtime percentage, indicating a relationship between a time when a channel has been detected to be free and a time when channel has been detected to be occupied, over a measurement period; a Physical Resource Block load, indicated by a percentage of Physical Resource Blocks used per sub-frame averaged over a large number of sub-frames; a Physical Resource Block peak to average ratio, indicated by the ratio of the short term peak number of Physical Resource Blocks occupied divided by the long term average Physical Resource Block usage; an average Packet Data Convergence Protocol Service Data Unit delay between the access point and the user equipment; and a Channel Quality Indicator load averaged over a specific time, indicative of the interference load in the network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein no bearer establishment is allowed while the user equipment is attached to the network in limited manner during the query procedure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier is used for signaling the allocations of radio resources. ### Claim 8 An apparatus including a function for a user equipment for accessing a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform identifying an available access point of the local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures; transmitting a message to the access point, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information is queried from the network before authorization and actually connecting to the network; selecting a service provider of the network based on received network information for binding the network identity to the selected service provider for accessing; and conveying a Non-Access Stratum service request to the network to cause authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network. ### Claim 9 An apparatus including a function for enabling access of a user equipment to a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform receiving a message from the user equipment, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information is queried from the network before actually connecting to the network; accepting the request without authentication and transmitting network access information to the user equipment; upon receiving information about a selection of a service provider by the user equipment, binding the network identity to the selected service provider for accessing; and upon receiving a Non-Access Stratum service request from the user equipment, allowing authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the network information is exchanged with the network in at least one of Non-Access Stratum signaling and Radio Resource Control messages. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the network information comprises at least one of access information, information of at least one service provider of the network, and network metrics. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the metrics comprise at least one of a free channel airtime percentage, indicating a relationship between a time when channel has been detected to be free and a time when a channel has been detected to be occupied, over a measurement period; a Physical Resource Block load, indicated by a percentage of Physical Resource Blocks used per sub-frame averaged over a large number of sub-frames; a Physical Resource Block peak to average ratio, indicated by the ratio of the short term peak number of Physical Resource Blocks occupied divided by the long term average Physical Resource Block usage; an average Packet Data Convergence Protocol Service Data Unit delay between the access point and the user equipment; and a Channel Quality Indicator load averaged over a specific time, indicative of the interference load in the network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein no bearer establishment is allowed while the user equipment is attached to the network in limited manner during the query procedure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier is used for signaling the allocations of radio resources. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said product comprising software code portions for performing the steps of claim 1 when said product is run on a computer. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said product comprising software code portions for performing the steps of claim 2 when said product is run on a computer.