US 9,313,697 B2 · Optimized offloading to WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility

Abstract

System and method embodiments are provided for optimizing offloading wireless services to a WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility. The embodiments enable changing network priority based on changing network conditions. In an embodiment, a method in a user equipment (UE) for offloading wireless services to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) inter-radio access technology (RAT) handover includes receiving an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policy from an ANDSF server, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises policy rules including a validity condition, wherein the receiving is performed during a procedure in which the UE conducts an inter-RAT handoff from a first 3GPP RAT to a second 3GPP RAT; comparing evaluation condition information for the second 3GPP RAT against the validity condition; and offloading a first wireless service to the WLAN in accordance with the ANDSF policy when the validity condition is satisfied.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method in a user equipment (UE) for offloading wireless services to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) inter-radio access technology (RAT) handover, the method comprising:

receiving, at the UE, an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policy from an ANDSF server, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises policy rules, wherein the policy rules comprise a validity condition for applying the rules, wherein the receiving is performed during a procedure in which the UE conducts an inter-RAT handoff from a first 3GPP RAT to a second 3GPP RAT;
comparing, by the UE, an evaluation condition information for the second 3GPP RAT against the validity condition;
offloading a first wireless service to the WLAN in accordance with the ANDSF policy when the validity condition is satisfied, wherein the validity condition comprises a first validity condition, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises a second validity condition, wherein the inter-RAT handoff comprises a first inter-RAT handoff;
and
switching, when the second validity condition is satisfied, the first service from the WLAN to one of the second 3GPP RAT, a second WLAN, and a third 3GPP RAT to which the UE is connected after a second inter-RAT handoff.

2 more elements

A user equipment (UE) configured for offloading wireless services to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) inter-radio access technology (RAT) handover, the UE comprising:

a processor;
and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
receive an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policy from an ANDSF server, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises policy rules, wherein the policy rules comprise a validity condition for applying the rules, wherein the instructions to receive the ANDSF are performed during a procedure in which the UE conducts an inter-RAT handoff from a first 3GPP RAT to a second 3GPP RAT;
compare an evaluation condition information determined for the second 3GPP RAT against the validity condition;
offload a first wireless service to the WLAN in accordance with the ANDSF policy when the validity condition is satisfied, wherein the validity condition comprises a first validity condition, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises a second validity condition, wherein the inter-RAT handoff comprises a first inter-RAT handoff;
and
instructions to switch, when the second validity condition is satisfied, the first service from the WLAN to one of the second 3GPP RAT, a second WLAN, and a third 3GPP RAT to which the UE is connected after a second inter-RAT handoff.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optimized offloading to WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility

Life of this patent

Optimized offloading to WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18