WO2014067134A1 - Procédés et appareils destinés à prendre en charge un délestage - Google Patents

Procédés et appareils destinés à prendre en charge un délestage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014067134A1
WO2014067134A1 PCT/CN2012/084005 CN2012084005W WO2014067134A1 WO 2014067134 A1 WO2014067134 A1 WO 2014067134A1 CN 2012084005 W CN2012084005 W CN 2012084005W WO 2014067134 A1 WO2014067134 A1 WO 2014067134A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
network
communication network
information
network access
manager
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PCT/CN2012/084005
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English (en)
Inventor
Yizhi Yao
Xiang Xu
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Nokia Siemens Networks Oy
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Priority to PCT/CN2012/084005 priority Critical patent/WO2014067134A1/fr
Publication of WO2014067134A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014067134A1/fr

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
    • H04L41/0803—Configuration setting
    • H04L41/0813—Configuration setting characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
    • H04L41/0816—Configuration setting characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/04—Network management architectures or arrangements
    • H04L41/042—Network management architectures or arrangements comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network

Definitions

  • the example and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatuses for supporting offloading. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, apparatuses, computer-readable storage medium and computer program products for obtaining information related to a second communication network to support offloading to the second communication network.
  • Wireless local area network is recognized as significant complementary to the mobile networks. WLAN offloading from mobile networks is a typical requirement for mobile operators.
  • a method for handoff between a WLAN and a universal mobile telecommunication system is described in U.S. Patent application publication US2012/0178441A1.
  • the method comprises the cellular access network broadcasting network information which indicates a plurality of WLANs available for handoff.
  • the above method does not disclose how the cellular access network obtains the network information of those WLANs.
  • the key issue is how the cellular access network or the radio access network (RAN) knows the infonnation about the available WLAN access points (APs).
  • a network element e.g., eNB, RNC
  • a first communication network e.g., RAN
  • infonnation about a second communication network e.g., WLAN
  • a plurality of network access elements e.g., WLAN APs
  • the RAN can provide the infonnation to its UE(s), or the RAN may use the infonnation to adjust its parameters or working mode, or the RAN may use the infonnation of the WLAN APs when it needs to redirect or offload its UE(s) to the WLAN system.
  • a method for use by a network manager (NM) of a first communication network comprising: receiving infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and causing, via an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, transmission of said infonnation to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • NM network manager
  • EM element manager
  • a method for use by an element manager (EM) of a first communication network comprising: receiving infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and transmitting said infonnation to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • NE network element
  • the infonnation comprises static infonnation and dynamic perfonnance infonnation related to each of the plurality of network access elements of the second communication network, and the dynamic perfonnance information comprises perfonnance measurement results at the respective network access elements.
  • the method may further comprise before transmitting the infonnation, processing the infonnation to generate a list by using at least one predetermined criterion; and transmitting the list.
  • a method for use by a network element (NE) of a first communication network comprising: receiving, from an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and sending to one or more of its user equipments (UE) a network access element list obtained from said infonnation for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • UE user equipments
  • an apparatus for use by a network manager (NM) of a first communication network comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code.
  • the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network manager at least to perform: receiving infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and causing, via an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, transmission of said information to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • an apparatus for use by an element manager (EM) of a first communication network comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code.
  • the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the element manager at least to perform: receiving information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and transmitting said infonnation to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • an apparatus for use by a network element (NE) of a first communication network comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code.
  • the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network element at least to perfonn: receiving, from an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and sending to one or more of its user equipments (UE) a network access element list obtained from said information for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • UE user equipments
  • a method for supporting offloading from a first communication network to a second communication network comprising, at a management element (such as an element manager (EM) or a network manager (NM)) of the second communication network: collecting infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of the second communication network; and transmitting said infonnation to a network manager (NM), an element manager (EM) or a network element (NE) of the first communication network.
  • a management element such as an element manager (EM) or a network manager (NM) of the second communication network: collecting infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of the second communication network; and transmitting said infonnation to a network manager (NM), an element manager (EM) or a network element (NE) of the first communication network.
  • an apparatus for supporting offloading from a first communication network to a second communication network implemented at a management element of the second communication network, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code.
  • the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: collecting information of a plurality of network access elements of the second communication network; and transmitting said information to a network manager (NM), an element manager (EM) or a network element (NE) of the first communication network.
  • NM network manager
  • EM element manager
  • NE network element
  • an apparatus for use by a network manager (NM) of a first communication network comprising: means for receiving information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and means for causing, via an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, transmission of said infonnation to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • NM network manager
  • EM element manager
  • an apparatus for use by an element manager (EM) of a first communication network comprising: means for receiving infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and means for transmitting said infonnation to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • NE network element
  • an apparatus for use by a network element (NE) of a first communication network comprising: means for receiving, from an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network; and means for sending to one or more of its user equipments (UE) a network access element list obtained from said information for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • NE network element
  • EM element manager
  • UE user equipments
  • an apparatus for supporting offloading from a first communication network to a second communication network implemented at a management element (such as an element manager (EM) or a network manager (NM)) of the second communication network, comprising: means for collecting infonnation of a plurality of network access elements of the second communication network; and means for transmitting said information to a network manager (NM), an element manager (EM) or a network element (NE) of the first communication network.
  • a management element such as an element manager (EM) or a network manager (NM) of the second communication network
  • a computer-readable storage media having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code configured to, when executed, cause an apparatus to perioral actions in the method according to any one of embodiments of the present invention.
  • a fourteenth aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage media according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention.
  • a network element e.g., eNB, RNC
  • a first communi cation network e.g., RAN
  • APs network access elements
  • a second communication network e.g., WLAN
  • the information may be obtained via a network manager or an element manager of the first communication network without a so-called Access Network Selection and Discovery Function (ANDSF).
  • the information may comprise performance information of the plurality of WLAN APs.
  • the RAN may use the performance information when it needs to redirect or offload its UE(s) to the WLAN system.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example management architecture 100 of RAN and WLAN according to a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example management architecture 200 of RAN and WLAN according to a second embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG 3 illustrates an example management architecture 300 of RAN and WLAN according to a third embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example management architecture 400 of RAN and WLAN according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 5 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a network manager of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in an element manager of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 7 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a network element of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a management element (NM or EM) of a second communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 900900 that may be configured to practice example embodiments of the present invention.
  • NM Network Manager
  • EM Element Manager
  • NE Network Element
  • An Element Manager provides a package of end-user functions for management of a set of closely related types of network elements. These functions can be divided into two main categories: Element Management Functions and Sub-Network Management Functions.
  • Sub -Network management functions are functions related to a network model for a set of Network Elements constituting a clearly defined sub-network, which may include relations between the Network Elements. This model enables additional functions on the sub-network level (typically in the areas of network topology presentation, alarm correlation, service impact analysis and circuit provisioning).
  • a Network Manager provides a package of end-user functions with the responsibility for the management of a network, mainly as supported by the EM(s) but it may also involve direct access to the Network Elements. All communication with the network is based on open and well-standardized interfaces supporting management of multi- vendor and multi-technology Network Elements.
  • a Network Element is a discrete telecommunications entity, which can be managed over a specific interface, e.g. the RNC.
  • the NM level is connected to the EM level via a northbound interface Itf-N, and the EM level is connected to the NE level via a southbound interface Itf-S.
  • Two or more EMs may be connected via a P2P interface, and two or more NEs (e.g., eNB_l , eNB_2) may be connected, e.g. in case of LTE via an X2 interface.
  • Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by utilizing one or more of the above mentioned entities, without additional assisting network elements, such as ANDSF which is introduced in some 3GPP specifications to provide access network discovery and selection information to UEs.
  • ANDSF which is introduced in some 3GPP specifications to provide access network discovery and selection information to UEs.
  • the network management architecture may be slightly different.
  • embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to different network management architectures.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example management architecture 100 of RAN and WLAN according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the network management architecture 100 consists of three levels: a Network Manager (NM) level, an Element Manager (EM) level, and a Network Element (NE, e.g., RNC node such as eNB, RNC, and WLAN node such as WLAN AP) level.
  • NM Network Manager
  • EM Element Manager
  • NE Network Element
  • a centralized NM 110 i.e., for both the RAN and the WLAN
  • the EMs 121 and 122 are connected to the NM 110 via a northbound interface Itf-N.
  • Each of the EMs 121 and 122 can be connected to one or more NEs of the respective networks.
  • the EM 121 of RAN is connected to RAN nodes 131 and 132, and the EM 122 of WLAN is connected to WLAN nodes 133 and 134.
  • a WLAN node 135 may be connected to the centralized NM 110 directly.
  • the EM 121 is shown as a separated entity, it can be physically incorporated into a RAN node.
  • each WLAN node e.g., WLAN AP
  • each WLAN node can represent an own communication network
  • the WLAN networks forming the second communication network can be owned by the same operator as that of the first communication network (e.g., a 3GPP operator) or may be operated by one or more third party providers (i.e., independent to the first communication network).
  • information of a plurality of WLAN APs (133, 134, 135) is collected by the EM 122 of the WLAN or collected directly by the centralized NM 110, depending on the management architecture of the WLAN.
  • the information may comprise all kinds of information for supporting a NE of the first communication network offloading to the second communication network.
  • the information may comprise static information and dynamic performance information related to each WLAN AP.
  • the static information may comprise at least one of: an identification of the corresponding WLAN AP; a location of the corresponding WLAN AP; and an overlaying relation with the network element of the first communication network, such as an eNB of the RAN.
  • the identification of a WLAN AP may be the Service set identifier (SSID) of the WLAN AP, or Roaming Consortium list.
  • the static information may further comprise other information, i.e. the information listed in Table 1, which is useful for supporting the offloading to WLAN.
  • the static information may be directly configured to the network element of the first communication network, via its element manager (EM) and/or the network manager (NM), but not received from the network element, the element manager (EM) or the network manager (NM) of the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • NM network manager
  • the static information may be transferred by a new information object class (IOC), e.g., the name may be WlanApInfo, created in 3GPP TS or TR
  • IOC information object class
  • the static information may be transferred via one or more new attributes (such as the same attributes shown in the table above) in the existing IOC(s), such as EUtranGenericCell IOC in 3 GPP TS 32.762 and/or UtranGenericCell IOC in 3 GPP TS 32.642.
  • new attributes such as the same attributes shown in the table above
  • the dynamic performance information may comprise all kinds of information related to dynamic communication performance of the WLAN AP.
  • the dynamic performance information may comprise performance measurement results at the respective network access.
  • the performance measurement results may comprise at least one of: a load situation (e.g., overloaded, light load, heavy load, etc.) of the WLAN AP, an interference level (e.g., low interference, middle interference, high interference, etc.) of the WLAN AP, and a service situation (e.g., normal, outage or out of service, connection fail, wait, etc.) of the WLAN AP.
  • a load situation e.g., overloaded, light load, heavy load, etc.
  • an interference level e.g., low interference, middle interference, high interference, etc.
  • service situation e.g., normal, outage or out of service, connection fail, wait, etc.
  • the performance measurement like load information of each WLAN AP is useful for WLAN offloading from mobile networks or RANs.
  • the WLAN APs without a good situation like overloaded may be not suitable to accept extra load from mobile networks anymore, thus the RAN nodes should know the correct information about available WLAN APs when offloading is needed.
  • the performance measurement may be conducted periodically or triggered by an event, for example, when requested by a RAN which needs offloading, or when crossing some threshold(s), such as the QoS of the WLAN AP being below a certain threshold or the WLAN AP being overloaded.
  • the dynamic performance information may be transmitted in the form of a message or a file, which may be defined or specified in TR or TS 32. series.
  • the static information will not vary as time, the static information and the dynamic information may be collected separately.
  • the static information can be only reported one time, while the dynamic performance information may be reported periodically or triggered by an event, for example when requested by a RAN which needs offloading, or when crossing some threshold(s), such as the QoS of the WLAN AP being below a certain threshold or the WLAN AP being overloaded.
  • some threshold(s) such as the QoS of the WLAN AP being below a certain threshold or the WLAN AP being overloaded.
  • the period for performance measurement and the period for reporting may be same or different.
  • the collected information of the plurality of WLAN APs may be transferred from the EM 122 of the WLAN to the centralized NM 110.
  • the centralized NM 110 propagates the information to the EM 121 of the RAN.
  • the EM 121 of the RAN in turn propagates the information to its RAN nodes 131 and 132.
  • Such information may be used by the RAN nodes 131 and 132 to support their offloading to WLAN.
  • the collected information may be processed to generate a list of WLAN APs by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the list may be a priority list indicating a preference order for selecting the plurality of WLAN APs for communicating with UEs of the RAN.
  • the at least one predetermined criterion may be selected from a group consisted of: a load situation of the WLAN AP, an interference level of the WLAN AP, a quality of a communication to be conducted via the WLAN AP, a location of the WLAN AP, a service situation of the WLAN AP, charging rules of the WLAN AP, a proprietor of the WLAN AP, and other criteria which are related to the performance information.
  • the processing may be performed in any one or more entities involved.
  • the processing may be implemented in any one or more of the EM 122 of the WLAN, the centralized NM 110, the EM 121 of the RAN, and the RAN nodes 131 and 132.
  • the criterion used in each entity may be different.
  • the propagated information may comprise original information collected from the plurality of WLAN APs and/or a first list of available WLAN APs generated from the original information.
  • a second list may be generated.
  • the second list may be a new list or a modified version of the first list.
  • the first list may be generated at the EM 122 of the WLAN by using a first criterion.
  • further processing is performed.
  • the NM 110 may determine WLAN APs inappropriate for communicating with UEs of the RAN by using a second criterion. Then, the NM 110 may generate a new list which indicating the inappropriate WLAN APs. Alternatively, the NM 110 may discard the inappropriate WLAN APs from the first list so as to generate a modified version of the first list.
  • Other processing may also be performed according to the actual demand. For example, if the collected information includes location information of a WLAN AP, the involved entity may convert the location information to the overlaying relations of the WLAN AP with RAN nodes in question.
  • the RAN nodes 131 and 132 may send (e.g., by broadcasting or dedicated messages or in other manner) to one or more of their UEs a WLAN AP list obtained from the information for supporting offloading to the WLAN.
  • the WLAN AP list may be a priority list of available WLAN APs.
  • the priority list is obtained directly from the information. That is, the priority list is generated by one or more entities in the upstream of the transmission.
  • the priority list may be generated by the RAN node 131 or 132 from the received information using at least one predetermined criterion as above described. In this way, WLAN APs without a good situation (like overloaded) may not be informed to the UE(s). Thus, the UE only needs to select from the priority list when offloading is needed.
  • the WLAN AP list may comprise WLAN APs within an overlay area of the RAN node (131 or 132) together with part or all of the dynamic performance information (and optional static information) of these WLAN APs.
  • the UE itself can make decision on whether to offload and offloading to which WLAN AP.
  • the RAN node 131 or 132 may adjust its configuration parameters to affect one or more UEs to reselect or offload to the WLAN system.
  • the configuration parameters may include but not limited to transmission power, working modes, etc.
  • the RAN node can enter an energy saving mode after offloading a plurality of UEs to the WLAN.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example management architecture 200 of RAN and WLAN according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the network management architecture 200 also consists of three levels: a NM level, an EM level, and a NE level.
  • each network e.g., RAN and WLAN
  • has its own network manager for example a NM 211 for the RAN and a NM 212 for the WLAN.
  • the two NMs 211 and 212 are communicated with each other via an interface N2N (Itf-N2N).
  • N2N Itf-N2N
  • Each of the NMs 211 and 212 connected to its EM (221 or 222) via a northbound interface Itf-N, and each of the EMs 121 and 122 can be connected to one or more NEs of the respective networks.
  • the EM 221 of RAN is connected to RAN nodes 231 and 232
  • the EM 222 of WLAN is connected to WLAN nodes 233 and 234.
  • a WLAN node 235 may be connected to the NM 212 directly.
  • information of a plurality of WLAN APs is collected by the EM 222 of the WLAN or collected directly by the NM 212 of the WLAN, depending on the management architecture of the WLAN.
  • the NM 211 of the RAN can receive the information of the plurality WLAN APs from the NM 212 of the WLAN. Then, the NM 211 of the RAN propagates the information to the EM 221 of the RAN. The EM 221 of the RAN in turn propagates the information to its RAN nodes 231 and 232. The RAN nodes 231 and 232 can use this information to support their offloading to WLAN.
  • each of the RAN and the WLAN has its own NM, i.e., the NM 211 for the RAN and the NM 212 for the WLAN, and thus the information of the plurality WLAN APs will be transferred from the NM 212 of the WLAN to the NM 211 of the RAN via the Itf-N2N.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example management architecture 300 of RAN and WLAN according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • the network management architecture 300 consists of two levels: an EM level and a NE level.
  • each network e.g., RAN and WLAN
  • the two EMs 321 and 322 are communicated with each other via an interface P2P (Itf-P2P).
  • Each of the EMs 321 and 322 can be connected to one or more NEs of the respective networks.
  • the EM 321 of RAN is connected to RAN nodes 331 and 332
  • the EM 322 of WLAN is connected to WLAN nodes 333 and 334.
  • the EM 322 of the WLAN can transfer the information to the EM 321 of the RAN via the Itf-P2P.
  • the EM 321 of the RAN in turn propagates the information to its RAN nodes 231 and 232.
  • the RAN nodes 231 and 232 can use this information to support their offloading to WLAN.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example management architecture 400 of RAN and WLAN according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
  • the network management architecture 400 also consists of two levels: an EM level and a NE level.
  • EM level a centralized EM 420 (i.e., for both the RAN and the WLAN) is provided to manage one or more nodes of the RAN and the WLAN, for example the RAN node 431 and the WLAN node 432.
  • Embodiments of the present invention thus have been described with reference to various network management architectures.
  • the proposed solutions have provided methods for a NE (e.g., eNB, RNC) of a first communication network (e.g., RAN) to obtain information about a second communication network (e.g., WLAN).
  • a second communication network e.g., WLAN
  • Such information may be used to support e.g. offloading from the first communication network to the second communication network.
  • the information may comprise static information and/or dynamic performance information of the plurality of WLAN APs.
  • it is possible to improve the communication quality by influencing the selection process of an access point of the second communication network, such as a WLAN AP, for offloading from the first communication network.
  • the user can be provided with reliable services based on information (especially the dynamic performance information) from the WLAN.
  • FIG. 5 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a network manager
  • NM of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention.
  • the NM of the first communication network receives information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network, such as WLAN APs.
  • the information may comprise original information collected (e.g., via NM and/or EM of the second communication network) from the plurality of network access elements of the second communication network and/or a first list of available network access elements of the second communication network generated from the original information by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the NM of the RAN may process the received information to generate a second list by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the processing may refer to the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the NM of the RAN may cause, via an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, transmission of the information or the generated second list to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • EM element manager
  • NE network element
  • FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in an element manager (EM) of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention.
  • the EM of the first communication network receives information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network, such as WLAN APs.
  • the information may comprise original information collected (e.g., via NM and/or EM of the second communication network) from the plurality of network access elements of the second communication network and/or a first list of available network access elements of the second communication network generated from the original information by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the EM of the RAN may process the received information to generate a second list by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the processing may refer to the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the EM of the RAN may transmit the information or the generated second list to a network element (NE) of the first communication network for supporting offloading to the second communication network
  • NE network element
  • FIG. 7 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a network element (NE, e.g., eNB, RNC) of a first communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention.
  • NE network element
  • the NE of the first communication network receives, from an element manager (EM) of the first communication network, information of a plurality of network access elements of a second communication network, such as WLAN APs.
  • the information may comprise original information collected (e.g., via NM and/or EM of the second communication network) from the plurality of network access elements of the second communication network and/or a first list of available network access elements of the second communication network generated from the original information by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the NE of the RAN may process the received information to generate a second list by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the processing may refer to the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the NE of the RAN may perform operations accordingly.
  • the NE of the RAN may send to one or more of its user equipments (UE) a network access element list obtained from said information for supporting offloading to the second communication network.
  • the network access element list may be a priority list of available network access elements of the second communication network, which is obtained directly from the received information (for example, the first list) or generated based on the infonnation by using at least one predetermined criterion. Additionally or alternatively, the network access element list comprises network access elements within an overlay area of the network element and the performance infonnation thereof.
  • step S740 the NE of the RAN may adjust its configuration parameters to affect one or more UEs reselecting or offloading to the second communication network. It is to be noted that, the step S740 may occur prior to/after/concurrently with the step S730.
  • FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method executed in a management element (NM or EM) of a second communication network according to some embodiments of the present invention.
  • the management element e.g., a NM or EM of the second communication network (e.g., WLAN) collects or receives infomiation of a plurality of network access elements of the second communication network, such as WLAN APs.
  • the information may comprise original infomiation collected (e.g., via NM and/or EM of the second communication network) from the plurality of network access elements of the second communication network and/or a first list of available network access elements of the second communication network generated from the original infomiation by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the NM or EM of the WLAN may process the received infomiation to generate a second list by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the processing may refer to the infomiation processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the NM or EM of the WLAN may transmit the received infonnation or processed information to a network manager (NM), an element manager (EM) or a network element (NE) of the first communication network.
  • NM network manager
  • EM element manager
  • NE network element
  • FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 900 that may be configured to practice example embodiments of the present invention.
  • the apparatus 900 may comprise an interface module 901, e.g., an Itf-N or Itf-P2P or Itf-N2N; at least one processor 902; and at least one memory 903 including computer program codes 904.
  • the at least one memory and the computer program codes can be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the mechanisms as illustrated with reference to FIGs. 1 -4.
  • the apparatus 900 shown in FIG. 9 may comprise several further elements of functions besides those described therein below, which are omitted herein for the sake of simplicity as they are not essential for understanding the invention.
  • the apparatus 900 may be configured as respective entities in the network management architectures 100-400 to perform the above described mechanisms.
  • the apparatus 900 may be configured as a NM of the first communication network (e.g., RAN) or as a centralized NM of both the first communication network and the second communication network (e.g., WLAN).
  • the first communication network e.g., RAN
  • the second communication network e.g., WLAN
  • the apparatus 900 may be caused to perform operations of the centralized NM 110 (FIG. 1) or the NM 211 (FIG. 2).
  • the processor 902 comprises a first portion which is configured to receive information of a plurality of a plurality of WLAN APs from a NM (e.g., NM 212 in FIG. 2) or an EM (e.g., EM 122 in FIG. 1) of the second communication network. The receiving may be performed periodically or triggered by an event.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a second portion which is configured to process the received information to generate a list of WLAN APs by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the second portion may be configured to perform the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a third portion which is configured to transmit or cause transmission of the infomiation and/or the generated list to a NE of the first communication network via an EM of the first communication network.
  • the apparatus 900 may be configured as an EM of the first communication network (e.g., RAN) or as a centralized EM of both the first communication network and the second communication network (e.g., WLAN).
  • the first communication network e.g., RAN
  • the second communication network e.g., WLAN
  • the apparatus 900 may be caused to perform operations of the EM of the RAN (e.g., the EM 121 in FIG. 1, the EM 221 in FIG. 2 or the EM 321 in FIG. 3) or the centralized EM 420 (FIG. 4).
  • the processor 902 comprises a first portion which is configured to receive information of a plurality of WLAN APs from a NM (e.g., the centralized NM 110 in FIG. 1 or the NM 211 of the RAN in FIG. 2) or from an EM of WLAN (e.g., the EM 322 in FIG. 3) or directly from the plurality of WLAN APs (e.g., the WLAN node 432 in FIG. 4).
  • a NM e.g., the centralized NM 110 in FIG. 1 or the NM 211 of the RAN in FIG. 2
  • an EM of WLAN e.g., the EM 322 in FIG. 3
  • directly from the plurality of WLAN APs e.g
  • the receiving may be performed periodically or triggered by an event.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a second portion which is configured to process the received information to generate a list of WLAN APs by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the second portion may be configured to perform the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a third portion which is configured to transmit or cause transmission of the infomiation and/or the generated list to a NE of the first communication network.
  • the apparatus 900 may be configured as a NE of the first communication network (e.g., RAN).
  • the first communication network e.g., RAN
  • the apparatus 900 may be caused to perform operations of the NE of the RAN (e.g., the RAN nodes 131, 132, 231 , 232, 331 , 332, or 431 in FIGs. 1-4).
  • the processor 902 comprises a first portion which is configured to receive inforaiation of a plurality of WLAN APs from an EM (e.g., the EM 121, 221 or 321 of the RAN in FIGs. 1-3 or the centralized EM 420 in FIG. 4). The receiving may be performed periodically or triggered by an event.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a second portion which is configured to process the received information to generate a list of WLAN APs by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the second portion may be configured to perform the information processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a third portion which is configured to transmit or cause transmission of the information and/or the generated list to one or more UEs of the RAN for supporting offloading to the WLAN.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a fourth portion which is configured to adjust configuration parameters to affect one or more UEs reselecting or offloading to the WLAN.
  • the apparatus 900 may be configured as a management element of the second communication network (e.g., WLAN).
  • the management element may be a NM (either centralized or distributed) or an EM (either centralized or distributed) of the second communication network.
  • the apparatus 900 may be caused to perform operations of the NM of the WLAN (e.g., the centralized NM 110 in FIG. 1, or the NM 212 of the WLAN in FIG.2) or the EM of the WLAN (e.g., the EM 122, 222, 322, or 420 in FIGs. 1-4).
  • the processor 902 comprises a first portion which is configured to receive or collect information of a plurality of WLAN APs directly from the plurality of WLAN APs or via an access controller (AC) or via an EM of WLAN. The receiving may be performed periodically or triggered by an event.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a second portion which is configured to process the received inforaiation to generate a list of WLAN APs by using at least one predetermined criterion.
  • the second portion may be configured to perform the inforaiation processing as described with respect to FIG. 1.
  • the processor 902 may comprise a third portion which is configured to transmit or cause transmission of the information and/or the generated list to a management element of the first communication network.
  • the management element of the first communication network may be the NM or EM of the RAN.
  • the third portion of the processor 902 may be configured to transmit or cause transmission of the information and/or the generated list directly to a NE of the first communication network.
  • Embodiments of the present invention have also provided apparatuses comprising means for performing each step as illustrated in conjunction with FIGs. 1-8. Therefore, for detailed operations of respective means in these apparatuses, please refer to the previous descriptions of the methods of the present invention with reference to FIGs. 1-8.
  • the present invention also provided a computer-readable storage media having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code configured to, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform actions in the method as described hereinbefore. Further, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage media as provided in the present invention.
  • Example embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatuses (i.e., systems). It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, can be implemented by various means including computer program instructions.
  • These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
  • the foregoing computer program instructions can be, for example, sub-routines and/or functions.
  • a computer program product in one embodiment of the invention comprises at least one computer readable storage medium, on which the foregoing computer program instructions are stored.
  • the computer readable storage medium can be, for example, an optical compact disk or an electronic memory device like a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne des procédés et des appareils destinés à prendre en charge un délestage d'un premier réseau de communication vers un second réseau de communication. Plus précisément, certains modes de réalisation sont proposés pour un élément de réseau (par exemple un eNB, un RNC) du premier réseau de communication (par exemple un RAN) afin d'obtenir des informations concernant le second réseau (par exemple un WLAN), notamment des informations de performances d'une pluralité d'éléments d'accès au réseau (par exemple des points d'accès de WLAN), afin de prendre en charge un délestage vers le second réseau de communication. La transmission des informations est effectuée via un gestionnaire de réseau, un gestionnaire d'élément du premier réseau de communication sans éléments de réseau supplémentaires apportant une assistance.
PCT/CN2012/084005 2012-11-02 2012-11-02 Procédés et appareils destinés à prendre en charge un délestage WO2014067134A1 (fr)

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101335645A (zh) * 2007-06-29 2008-12-31 全球帕克特有限公司 获取相邻网络元件的识别信息
US20090010233A1 (en) * 2007-04-13 2009-01-08 Hart Communication Foundation Wireless Gateway in a Process Control Environment Supporting a Wireless Communication Protocol
US20110274108A1 (en) * 2010-05-07 2011-11-10 Kan Frankie Fan Method and system for offloading tunnel packet processing in cloud computing

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090010233A1 (en) * 2007-04-13 2009-01-08 Hart Communication Foundation Wireless Gateway in a Process Control Environment Supporting a Wireless Communication Protocol
CN101335645A (zh) * 2007-06-29 2008-12-31 全球帕克特有限公司 获取相邻网络元件的识别信息
US20110274108A1 (en) * 2010-05-07 2011-11-10 Kan Frankie Fan Method and system for offloading tunnel packet processing in cloud computing

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