Method and apparatus for controlling selection of the solution for wlan and unlicensed spectrum usage

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods relating to a cellular communications network and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) integration/aggregation are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of a cellular communications network comprises obtaining subscription information for a User Equipment (UE). The subscription information includes one or more Allowed Wireless Local Area Network/Unlicensed Band Solution (AWUBS) indications that are indicative of one or more AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE. The method further comprises sending a UE context related request to a base station in a radio access network of the cellular communications network. The UE context related request includes one of the one or more AWUBS indications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operation of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of a cellular communications network, the method comprising:
 obtaining subscription information for a User Equipment (UE), wherein the subscription information comprises one or more Allowed Wireless Local Area Network/Unlicensed Band Solution (AWUBS) indications that are indicative of one or more AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE; and   sending a UE context related request to a base station in a radio access network of the cellular communications network, the UE context related request comprising one of the one or more AWUBS indications.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more AWUBS indications consist of a single AWUBS indication that is indicative of a single AWUBS that is allowed for the UE. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more AWUBS indications comprise a plurality of AWUBS indications that are indicative of a plurality of AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscription information comprises a list of AWUBS indications consisting of the one or more AWUBS indications, and wherein an ordering of the one or more AWUBS indications within the list of AWUBS indications is indicative of relative priorities of the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the relative priorities of the one or more AWUBS indications are UE specific. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the relative priorities of the one or more AWUBS indications are universal for the cellular communications network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscription information comprises a list of AWUBS indications consisting of the one or more AWUBS indications without priorities. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE context related request comprises a Subscriber Profile Identity (SPID) information element associated with the UE that comprises the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE context related request comprises a Handover Restriction List (HRL) information element associated with the UE that comprises the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE context related request comprises an information element associated with the UE that comprises the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the subscription information for the UE comprises obtaining the subscription information for the UE from a Home Location Register (HLR)/Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of the cellular communications network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE are preferred solutions for providing internetworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the cellular communications network, and wherein sending the UE context related request comprises sending the UE context related request comprising the one or more AWUBSs of the preferred solutions to the base station via an information element. 
     
     
         13 . A Mobility Management Entity (MME) of a cellular communications network, the MME comprising:
 a network interface communicatively coupling the MME to other network nodes of the cellular communications network;   one or more processors; and   memory containing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the MME is operable to:
 obtain subscription information for a User Equipment (UE), wherein the subscription information comprises one or more Allowed Wireless Local Area Network/Unlicensed Band Solution (AWUBS) indications that are indicative of one or more AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE; and 
 send a UE context related request to a base station in a radio access network of the cellular communications network, the UE context related request comprising one of the one or more AWUBS indications. 
   
     
     
         14 . The MME of  claim 13 , wherein the MME is operable to obtain the subscription information for the UE in response to a request received from the base station. 
     
     
         15 . The MME of  claim 14 , wherein the request comprises UE capability information, and wherein the UE capability information comprises information that indicates which AWUBSs are supported by the UE. 
     
     
         16 . The MME of  claim 14 , wherein the request comprises a request to transition the UE from an idle state to a connected state. 
     
     
         17 . The MME of  claim 13 , wherein the UE context related request comprises a Subscriber Profile Identity (SPID) information element associated with the UE that comprises the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         18 . The MME of  claim 13 , wherein the UE context related request comprises a Handover Restriction List (HRL) information element associated with the UE that comprises the one or more AWUBS indications. 
     
     
         19 . The MME of  claim 13 , wherein the MME is operable to obtain the subscription information for the UE when a UE context is modified for the UE in the radio access network of the cellular communications network. 
     
     
         20 . The MME of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more AWUBSs that are allowed for the UE are preferred solutions for providing internetworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the cellular communications network, and wherein the MME is operable to send the UE context related request comprising the one or more AWUBSs of the preferred solutions to the base station via an information element.