Interacting Method for UE Fast Selecting Mobile Communication Network to Access in a Wlan Interworking Network

Abstract

An interacting method for WLAN UE selecting a mobile communication network to access in WLAN is disclosed. The method includes: a WLAN UE judges whether the identity information of the WLAN AN exists in the WLAN identity information stored when mobile connection with the WLAN AN is established, if so, the network selection information corresponding to the identity of the WLAN stored will be sent to the WLAN AN, otherwise, a pre-configured mobile communication network with highest priority is regarded as network selection information to be sent to the WLAN AN; the WLAN AN identifies the mobile communication network to access according to the network selection information carried in Authentication Request, and connects the WLAN UE to the selected network to implement authentication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for selecting a mobile communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a second access point (AP) of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access network (AN), a first authentication request message sent from a user equipment (UE), the first authentication request message received after a connection between the UE and the WLAN AN has been established;   sending an identity request message from the second AP to the UE;   receiving, by the second AP, an identity response message sent from the UE, wherein the identity response message carries information of a mobile communication network; and   forwarding the first authentication request message from the second AP to the mobile communication network according to received information of the mobile communication network;   wherein the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of a first mobile communication network stored in the UE when the information of the second AP is determined matching information of a first AP of the WLAN AN stored in the UE and wherein the information of the first mobile communication network and the information of the first AP are stored in the UE when the UE previously successfully accessed the first mobile communication network through the first AP.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein information of a second mobile communication network is stored in the UE and wherein the second mobile communication network is a pre-configured mobile communication network with a highest priority. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the second mobile communication network stored in the UE, when it is determined the information of the second AP does not match information of the first AP of the WLAN AN stored in the UE. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining, by the second AP, whether the second AP is able to route the first authentication request message to the second mobile communication network;   when it is determined the second AP is able to route the first authentication request message, forwarding, by the second AP, the first authentication request message to the second mobile communication network according to the received information of the second mobile communication network; and   when it is determined the second AP is not able to route the first authentication request message, sending, by the second AP, a notification signal to the UE, wherein the notification signal indicates the UE to perform subsequent operations.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the second AP, a response to the notification signal, wherein the response indicates a downloading of information of a third mobile communication network;   sending, by the second AP, the information of the third mobile communication network to the UE according to the received response;   receiving, by the second AP, a second authentication request message from the UE, wherein the second authentication message carries the information of the third mobile communication network.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the information of the second AP and the information of the second mobile communication network are stored in the UE in pair when the UE has successfully accessed the second mobile communication network. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the pre-configured mobile communication network with the highest priority is a home network. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the information of the first mobile communication network has a valid survival time; and
 when it is determined the information of the second AP matches information of the first AP stored in the UE and that the valid survival time of the information of the first mobile communication network has not been exceeded, the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the first mobile communication network stored in the UE; and   when it is determined the information of the second AP matches information of the first AP stored in the UE and that the valid survival time of the information of the first mobile communication network has been exceeded, the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the second mobile communication network stored in the UE.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the information of the first AP and the corresponding information of the first mobile communication network stored in the UE are deleted, when the valid survival time corresponding to the information of the first mobile communication network is exceeded. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the information of the first mobile communication network has a valid usage times; and
 when it is determined that the information of the second AP matches information of the first AP stored in the UE and that the valid usage times of the information of the first mobile communication network have not been consumed, the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the first mobile communication network stored in the UE; and   when it is determined the information of the second AP matches information of the first AP stored in the UE and that the valid usage times of the information of the first mobile communication network have been consumed, the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the second mobile communication network stored in the UE.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the information of the first AP and its corresponding information of the first mobile communication network stored in the UE are deleted, when the valid usage times corresponding to the information of the first mobile communication network have been consumed. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information of the first mobile communication network is contained in a Network Access Identity (NAI). 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, the information of the first AP or the second AP is an Access Point Identity (APID) or a Service Set Identity (SSID), and wherein the Access Point Identity (APID) is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of an AP. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication network is a different network from the WLAN AN. 
     
     
         15 . An access point (AP) of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access network (AN), comprising:
 a first transmitter, configured to send an identity request message to a user equipment (UE);   a receiver, configured to receive, a first authentication request message sent from the user equipment, after a connection between the UE and the WLAN AN has been established, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an identity response message sent from the UE, wherein the identity response message carries information of a mobile communication network; and   a second transmitter, configured to forward the first authentication request message to the mobile communication network according to the received information of the mobile communication network;   wherein the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of a first mobile communication network stored in the UE, when it is determined the information of the AP matches information of another AP of the WLAN AN stored in the UE and wherein the information of the first mobile communication network and the information of the another AP are stored in the UE when the UE previously successfully accessed the first mobile communication network through the another AP.   
     
     
         16 . The access point according to  claim 15 , wherein information of a second mobile communication network is stored in the UE, and wherein the second mobile communication network is a pre-configured mobile communication network with a highest priority. 
     
     
         17 . The access point according to  claim 16 , wherein the information of the mobile communication network carried in the identity response message is information of the second mobile communication network stored in the UE, when it is determined the information of the AP does not match information of the another AP of the WLAN AN stored in the UE. 
     
     
         18 . The access point according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a processor configure to determine whether the second AP is able to route the first authentication request message to the second mobile communication network;   wherein the second transmitter is further configured to, when it is determined the AP is able to route the first authentication request message, forward the first authentication request message to the second mobile communication network according to the received information of the second mobile communication network; and   wherein the first transmitter is further configured to, when it is determined the AP is not able to route the first authentication request message, send a notification signal to the UE, wherein the notification signal indicates the UE to perform subsequent operations.   
     
     
         19 . The access point according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the receiver is further configured to receive a response to the notification signal, wherein the response indicates a downloading of information of a third mobile communication network;   the first transmitter is further configured to send the information of the third mobile communication network to the UE according to the received response; and   the receiver is further configured to receive a second authentication request message from the UE, wherein the second authentication message carries the information of the third mobile communication network.   
     
     
         20 . The access point according to  claim 15 , wherein the mobile communication network is a different network from the WLAN AN.