WO2016135531A1

WO2016135531A1 - Method and apparatus for controlling traffic balancing preferences between access networks

Info

Publication number: WO2016135531A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/051406
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mika Rinne; Mika Kasslin; Janne Marin
Original assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy; Nokia Usa Inc.
Priority date: 2015-02-25
Filing date: 2015-02-25
Publication date: 2016-09-01

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for balancing traffic between different access networks. In the context of a method, an example embodiment includes causing, by a processor, establishment of a connection to a first access network of a plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a WLAN. The example embodiment further includes receiving an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network. The example embodiment further includes comparing, by the processor, the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value. The example method further includes, in an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, causing, by the processor, routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING TRAFFIC BALANCING

PREFERENCES BETWEEN ACCESS NETWORKS

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to network traffic routing, traffic steering and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for utilizing an Offload Preference Indicator to balance traffic between 3GPP and WLAN access networks.

BACKGROUND

Modern mobile devices (which may hereinafter be referred to as user equipment or UE) are designed for communication with a wide variety of different access networks. To facilitate this flexibility of communication, the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) developed the Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF), which provides information to the UE about connectivity to 3GPP and non-3GPP access networks (such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), which may be certified as Wireless-Fidelity, Wi-Fi™, or the like).

In particular, the ANDSF is one way of assisting UE to discover nearby access networks, and providing network selection rules (e.g., policies) for prioritizing and managing connections to these access networks, in an operator-preferred manner.

Among these network selection rules, the ANDSF can provide an Inter-System Mobility Policy (ISMP), which manages a UE that can connect to only one active access network at a time, or an Inter-System Routing Policy (ISRP), which manages a UE that can connect to and operate in more than one active access networks concurrently.

Recently, the concept of an Offload Preference Indicator (OPI) has been proposed for use in an ISRP managing UEs that can connect to more than one active access networks. An OPI conveys rules regarding the distribution of traffic between the multiple access networks. In current implementations, an OPI will convey information regarding traffic distribution to an access network. Out of the many rules and policies set in the provisioned object tree, the only ones that activate are those where the OPI received from the access network matches the provisioned OPI condition in the leaves of the ANDSF tree. Thus, both the OPI received by a UE from an access network and the provisioned OPI (e.g., in the UE's ANDSF-tree) must be available. If the OPI value is not available from an access network, the evaluation of the provisioned OPI condition will automatically be non-matching, and the OPI rule will hence not become utilized.

Currently, however, some access networks (e.g., WLANs) do not provide a mechanism to generate and deliver an OPI value to a UE device. Thus, when a UE is connected to this type of access network, it is not possible to balance traffic using OPI values. Further, by not providing OPI values for the use of traffic balancing in a WLAN network, it is not possible to balance the load between the access nodes within that network.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Accordingly, example embodiments described herein provide various means for providing an OPI value that is essential for the routing evaluation via WLAN access network to the UE device. As mentioned, for an offload routing evaluation to have a chance to produce a positive evaluation result, both the OPI value received from the access network and the provisioned OPI value (e.g., in an evaluation condition of the ANDSF-tree) must be available. If the OPI value is not available from the access network, the radio access network (RAN) validity condition in that evaluation condition (node) will automatically be non-matching, and the routing rule will not become active, even if all the other validity conditions given in that evaluation node were positive ones. Thus, the failure to receive or other possible unavailability of an OPI from an access network is a crucial deficiency.

Example embodiments thus provide an opportunity to deliver a valid OPI to a UE via WLAN access networks, and not only via 3GPP radio access technology (RAT) networks. The delivery of an OPI provides a mechanism for onload and offload between the 3GPP and WLAN networks, and moreover may provide mechanisms for the

Optimized Connectivity Experience (OCE) while inside the WLAN access network. OPI delivery via a 3GPP access network provides the means for operator-guided offload and onload routing decisions. There are no risks presented by utilizing OPI in this manner, because its use is entirely within the control of the operator who provisioned the OPI conditions into the UE. The actual bitmap values of the OPI need not be defined in a standard, because their validities are only used for logical comparison. Therefore, the provider of OPI (e.g., the home network operator) may define what information to convey and how to represent this information in this OPI keyword. The meaning of the bits and the respective possible setting thresholds, as well as the performance criteria they indicate, can be freely designed by the operator, and hence the OPI fields can be operator-specific.

In a first example embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes causing, by a processor of a mobile terminal capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks, establishment of a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a WLAN. The method further includes receiving an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors. These access network factors may indicate properties of at least one of the plurality of access networks. The method further includes comparing, by the processor, the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors. In an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, the method further includes causing, by the processor, routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. In this regard, the traffic to route can be guided based on traffic attributes like application type, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) / User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port type, TCP/UDP-IP quintuples, by QoS attributes or traffic volume, packet delay or other such criteria. Hence, the OPI condition as such applies for each traffic routing rule or policy setting as how their definitions appear in the decision tree.

It should be understood that causing routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks may include causing routing of traffic between a plurality of Media Access Control (MAC) interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network. Similarly, the one or more access network factors may include at least one of: Evolved Node B (eNodeB, or eNB) load, WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred service set identifier (SSID), WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, Quality of Experience (QoE), or bearer Quality of Service (QoS) Class Indication (QCI). Furthermore, receiving the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network may include identifying that a bit-field contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI, wherein the access network-specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field.

In some embodiments, comparing the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value includes performing a logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bit-wise AND operation) between the provisioned OPI value and the access network specific OPI value. In some such embodiments, the access network specific OPI matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the AND operation produces a non-zero result.

It should be understood that routing traffic in accordance with the access network- specific OPI value may further be based on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network. These access thresholds may be measures of any of the at least one or more access networks. The OPI match in the evaluation condition may then either allow or disable the evaluation of these further measures.

In a second example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that is capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks. The apparatus includes 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 to establish a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a WLAN, and receive an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors. It should be understood that the values regarding the one or more access network factors may indicate properties of at least one of the first access network, one or more other access networks of the plurality of access networks, or a combination thereof. The computer program code is further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors, and, in an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. In this regard, the traffic to route can be guided based on traffic attributes like application type, TCP/UDP port type, TCP/UDP-IP quintuples, by QoS attributes or traffic volume, packet delay or other such criteria. Hence, the OPI condition as such applies for each traffic routing rule or policy setting as how their definitions appear in the decision tree.

As with the first example embodiment above, it should be understood that the at least one memory and the computer program code that are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks may further cause routing of traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network. Similarly, the one or more access network factors may include at least one of: eNodeB load, WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred SSID, WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, QoE, or QCI. Furthermore, the at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network by identifying that a bit-field contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI, wherein the access network-specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field.

In some embodiments, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value by performing logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bit-wise AND operation) between the provisioned OPI value and the access network specific OPI value. In some such embodiments, the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the AND operation produces a non-zero result.

It should be understood that the at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause routing traffic in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value based further on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network. These access thresholds may be measures of any of the at least one or more access networks. The OPI match in the evaluation condition may then either allow or disable the evaluation of these further measures.

In another example embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer- executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to establish a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a WLAN, and receive an access network- specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors . It should be understood that the values regarding the one or more access network factors may indicate properties of at least one of the first access network, one or more other access networks of the plurality of access networks, or a combination thereof. The program code instructions are further configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to compare the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the

provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors, and, in an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. In this regard, the traffic to route can be guided based on traffic attributes like application type, TCP/UDP port type, TCP/UDP-IP quintuples, by QoS attributes or traffic volume, packet delay or other such criteria. Hence, the OPI condition as such applies for each traffic routing rule or policy setting as how their definitions appear in the decision tree.

As with the example embodiments above, it should be understood that the program code instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks may further cause routing of traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network.

Similarly, the one or more access network factors may include at least one of: eNodeB load, WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred SSID, WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, QoE, or QCI. Furthermore, the program code instructions, when executed, may cause the apparatus to receive the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network by identifying that a bitfield contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI, wherein the access network-specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field.

In some embodiments, the program code instructions, when executed, may cause the apparatus to compare the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value by performing a logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bit-wise AND operation) between the access network specific OPI value and the provisioned OPI value. In some such embodiments, the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the AND operation produces a non-zero result.

It should be understood that the program code instructions, when executed, may cause the apparatus to cause routing traffic in accordance with the access network- specific OPI value based further on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network. These access thresholds may be measures of any of the at least one or more access networks. The OPI match in the evaluation condition may then either allow or disable the evaluation of these further measures.

In yet another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for causing a mobile terminal capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks, to establish a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a WLAN. The apparatus further includes means for receiving an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors. It should be understood that the values regarding the one or more access network factors may indicate properties of at least one of the first access network, one or more other access networks of the plurality of access networks, or a combination thereof. The apparatus further includes means for comparing the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the

provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors. In an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, the apparatus further includes means for causing routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. In this regard, the traffic to route can be guided based on traffic attributes like application type, TCP/UDP port type, TCP/UDP-IP quintuples, by QoS attributes or traffic volume, packet delay or other such criteria. Hence, the OPI condition as such applies for each traffic routing rule or policy setting as how their definitions appear in the decision tree.

It should be understood that the means for routing traffic among the plurality of access networks may further comprise means for routing traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network.

Similarly, the one or more access network factors may include at least one of: eNodeB load, WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred SSID, WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, QoE, or QCI. Furthermore, the means for receiving the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network may include means for identifying that a bit-field contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI, wherein the access network- specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field.

In some embodiments, the means for comparing the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value includes means for performing a logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bit-wise AND operation) between the access network specific OPI value and the provisioned OPI value. In some such embodiments, the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the AND operation produces a non-zero result.

It should be understood that the means for routing traffic in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value may further perform this function based on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network. These access thresholds may be measures of any of the at least one or more access networks. The OPI match in the evaluation condition may then either allow or disable the evaluation of these further measures.

In yet another example embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes causing, by a processor, collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a WLAN, causing, by the processor, generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors, and causing transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in

communication with the access network.

In some embodiments, the method may further include causing, by the processor, measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network, and causing transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

There are some embodiments of the method in which the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. In this regard, the interworking may be a tight interworking or a loose interworking. In embodiments having a tight interworking, causing collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network may comprise causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network. Similarly, the access thresholds may be measures of one or more of the plurality of access networks.

In yet another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes 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 to cause collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a WLAN, cause generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors, and cause transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

In some embodiments, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network, and cause transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

There are some embodiments of the apparatus in which the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. In this regard, the interworking may be a tight interworking or a loose interworking. In embodiments having a tight interworking, causing collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network may comprise causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network. Similarly, the access thresholds may be measures of one or more of the plurality of access networks.

In yet another example embodiment, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to cause collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a WLAN, cause generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors, and cause transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

In some embodiments, the program code instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to cause measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network, and cause transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

There are some embodiments of the computer program product in which the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. In this regard, the interworking may be a tight interworking or a loose interworking. In embodiments having a tight interworking, the program code instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to cause collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network by causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network.

Similarly, the access thresholds may be measures of one or more of the plurality of access networks.

In yet another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for causing collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a WLAN, means for causing generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors, and means for causing transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for causing measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network, and means for causing transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network. There are some embodiments of the apparatus in which the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. In this regard, the interworking may be a tight interworking or a loose interworking. In embodiments having a tight

interworking, the means for causing collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network may comprise means for causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network. Similarly, the access thresholds may be measures of one or more of the plurality of access networks.

The above summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the invention in any way. It will be appreciated that the scope of the invention encompasses many potential embodiments in addition to those here summarized, some of which will be further described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure in general terms above, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus that may alternately be embodied by the user equipment or by a network element and, in either instance, may be specifically configured in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a schematic representation of an example network diagram, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart describing example operations for utilizing OPI values to route traffic between different access networks, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention; and

Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart describing example operations for generating and transmitting access network-specific OPI values, in accordance with example

embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms "data," "content," "information," and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, as used herein, the term "circuitry" refers to (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., implementations in analog circuitry and/or digital circuitry); (b) combinations of circuits and computer program product(s) comprising software and/or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer readable memories that work together to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuits, such as, for example, a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that require software or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term herein, including in any claims. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation comprising one or more processors and/or portion(s) thereof and accompanying software and/or firmware. As another example, the term "circuitry" as used herein also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, other network device, and/or other computing device.

As defined herein, a "computer-readable storage medium," which refers to a non- transitory physical storage medium (e.g., a volatile or non-volatile memory device), can be differentiated from a "computer-readable transmission medium," which refers to an electromagnetic signal.

Embodiments described herein contemplate an interworked network solution between cellular and WLAN access methods. Such network interworking may comprise tight radio level interworking, in which the WLAN is employed as a radio access technology of the cellular network, or in a loose manner, in which the cellular and WLAN core networks are connected, but the WLAN is a completely separate access network. The interworking may alternatively occur in the serving gateway or via the evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG), by forming a cloud, or more broadly, by any other mechanism for logically integrating partnering networks.

In 3GPP Release 12, an OPI indicator is contemplated. In particular, in specification TS 36.331 , a definition is provided for WLAN offloading assistance signaling in the common signaling (wlan-OffloadConfigCommon) or in dedicated signaling (wlan- Off load Dedicated). In wlan-OffloadDedicated, there exists a defined

offloadPreferencelndicator (e.g., an OPI). The value of this OPI is a 16-bit integer formatted as a bitmap. Specification TS 23.402 clarifies that "[t]he OPI value provided by [a] RAN is a bitmap (i.e. a one-dimensional bit array) that may be used by UEs in an E- UTRA or UTRA cell to determine when they should move certain traffic (e.g. certain IP flows) to WLAN access or to 3GPP access. The meaning of each bit in this bitmap is operator specific and is not defined in 3GPP specifications." As illustrated in TS 24.312, OPI was added to the RAN validity conditions used by the routing rule evaluation nodes inside ANDSF. Thus, as illustrated below, a received OPI node will be evaluated by the UE using the ANDSF routing rules.

Specification TS 23.402 further describes the process used to determine whether an ANDSF routing policy will utilize an OPI value or not. In Section 4.8.6.1 , TS 23.402 states that "an E-UTRAN or UTRAN (referred to as RAN) may provide RAN Assistance Information to UE. This RAN Assistance Information contains the following thresholds and parameters:

3GPP access thresholds;

WLAN access thresholds; and

An Offload Preference Indication (OPI) value."

Section 4.8.6.3, in turn, specifies that "[w]hen the UE has an IARP or ISRP rule that contains RAN validity conditions, the UE shall evaluate all included threshold conditions and the OPI condition, as specified below. The UE shall consider the RAN validity conditions as valid when the OPI condition is true and when either (a) all threshold conditions are true or (b) at least one threshold condition is true, according to the indicator described in bullet 5 of clause 4.8.6.2."

Regarding the access thresholds, section 4.8.6.3 further clarifies that "[t]he UE shall evaluate a threshold condition by comparing the associated 3GPP access threshold with the corresponding measured value." Regarding the OPI value, section 4.8.6.3 further clarifies that "[t]he UE shall evaluate an OPI condition by performing a bitwise 'AND' operation between the OPI value provided by RAN and the provisioned OPI contained in the rule. If the result of this operation in non-zero, the UE shall consider the OPI condition as true. If the OPI value is not available in the UE (e.g. it is not provided by RAN), then the UE shall consider the OPI condition as false." If a comparison is considered true, then the compared elements are matching.

TS 24.312 C1-143398 further notes that "[t]he OPI leaf contains the provisioned OPI value which is a bitmap assigned by ANDSF," and further states that "[w]hen evaluating the RANValidityCondition node, the following applies: if both the OPI node and ThresholdCondition node are evaluated to be matching, the UE shall consider this RANValidCondition node as matching; otherwise the UE shall consider this

RANValidCondition node as not matching." Thus, for an ANDSF policy to utilize an OPI value in its traffic routing evaluation, both the OPI value received from the access network and the provisioned OPI value in the ANDSF-tree must be available. If the OPI value is not available from the access network, the radio access network (RAN) validity condition in that evaluation node will automatically be non-matching, and the routing rule will not be evaluated, even if all the other validity conditions were positive ones. Thus, the failure to receive an OPI from WLAN access networks is a crucial deficiency of traditional OPI implementations.

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided in accordance with example embodiments to enable a UE to utilize OPI values as a mechanism for balancing traffic between different access networks. The method may be performed by (and the apparatus, and computer program product may be embodied by) any of a variety of devices that are capable of connecting to a plurality of access networks. For example, the devices may include any of a variety of mobile terminals, such as a portable digital assistant (PDA), mobile telephone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, or any combination of the aforementioned devices. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device may include fixed computing devices, such as a personal computer or a computer workstation, that have suitable wireless connectivity capabilities. Still further, the method, apparatus, and computer program product of an example embodiment may be embodied by a networked device, such as a server or other network entity, configured to control communication between an access network and a plurality of UEs.

Referring now to Figure 1 , a block diagram illustrates an apparatus 100 that may embody the user equipment or a network element configured to control access network interaction with the user equipment. The apparatus 100 may include or otherwise be in communication with a processor 102, a memory 104, a communication interface 106, and in embodiments where apparatus 100 illustrates a UE, the apparatus 100 may further include a user interface 108. The apparatus 100 may be embodied by a computing device, such as a computer terminal. However, in some embodiments, the apparatus may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, the apparatus 100 may comprise one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) including materials, components, and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly may provide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. The apparatus 100 may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement an embodiment of the present invention on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip." As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations for providing the functionalities described herein. The processor 102 may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 102 may be embodied as one or more of various hardware processing means such as a co-processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing circuitry including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC

(application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like. As such, in some embodiments, the processor 102 may include one or more processing cores configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor may enable multiprocessing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 102 may include one or more processors configured in tandem via the bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and/or multithreading.

In an example embodiment, the processor 102 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 104 or otherwise accessible to the processor 102.

Alternatively or additionally, the processor 102 may be configured to execute hard-coded functionality. As such, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processor 102 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry) capable of performing operations according to an embodiment of the present invention while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when the processor 102 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, or the like, the processor 102 may be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operations described herein.

Alternatively, as another example, when the processor 102 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor 102 to perform the algorithms and/or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processor 102 may be a processor of a specific device (e.g., a mobile terminal) configured to employ an embodiment of the present invention by further configuration of the processor by instructions for performing the algorithms and/or operations described herein. The processor 102 may include, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and logic gates configured to support operation of the processor 102.

In some embodiments, the processor 102 (and/or co-processor or any other processing circuitry assisting or otherwise associated with the processor) may be in communication with the memory 104 via a bus for passing information among

components of the apparatus. The memory 04 may be non-transitory and may include, for example, one or more volatile and/or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory 104 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer readable storage medium) comprising gates configured to store data (e.g., bits) that may be retrievable by a machine (e.g., a computing device like the processor). The memory 104 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, or the like, for enabling the apparatus to carry out various functions in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. For example, the memory 104 could be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 102. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 104 could be configured to store instructions for execution by the processor 102.

Meanwhile, the communication interface 106 may be any means such as a device or circuitry embodied in either hardware or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to a plurality of wireless communication network (e.g., access networks). In this regard, the communication interface 106 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications with a plurality of wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface 106 may include the circuitry for interacting with the antenna(s) to cause transmission of signals via the antenna(s) or to handle receipt of signals received via the antenna(s). In some environments, the communication interface 106 may additionally support wired communication. As such, for example, the communication interface 106 may include a communication modem and/or other hardware/software for supporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB), or other mechanisms.

In embodiments where the apparatus 100 includes a user interface 108, user interface 108 may, in turn, be in communication with processor 102 to provide output to the user and, in some embodiments, to receive an indication of a user input. As such, the user interface 108 may include a display and, in some embodiments, may also include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touch screen, touch areas, soft keys, a microphone, a speaker, or other input/output mechanisms. Alternatively or additionally, the processor may comprise user interface circuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or more user interface elements such as a display and, in some embodiments, a speaker, ringer, microphone, and/or the like. The processor 102 and/or user interface circuitry comprising the processor may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements through computer program instructions (e.g., software and/or firmware) stored on a memory accessible to processor 102 (e.g., memory 104, and/or the like).

As noted previously, embodiments of the present invention comprise various means for providing an OPI via access networks (including WLAN) to UE devices. The delivery of an OPI provides a mechanism for optimizing quality of service in the WLAN, while OPI delivery via a 3GPP access network provides the means for operator-guided RAN-based offload/onload routing decisions. There are no risks presented by utilizing OPI in this manner, because its use is entirely within the control of the UE operator, and the bitmap values of the OPI are not defined in any standard, so the OPI can be operator- specific. Further elaboration regarding how an access network transmits an OPI value and how a UE utilizes the OPI value are described below.

Receiving an OPI via a WLAN protocol extension

When a UE is operating in both 3GPP and WLAN networks, it interprets its routing policies, which may be flow based or access point name (APN) based. In a flow based routing policy, each flow will be routed to its preferred RAN. OPI, then, is a tool that allows a network operator to use dynamic, dedicated signaling to assist subscribers in making the most convenient routing choices (e.g., whether to use 3GPP radio access or WLAN radio access for each flow, or for the APN). In various embodiments, this routing assistance may be provided using an OPI value indicating a variety of access network- specific factors, such as eNodeB load, WLAN availability, availability of WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred with a given SSID, WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, or traffic requirements (e.g., QoE, QCI, or the like).

The Wi-Fi Alliance™ (WFA) is defining new protocol extensions that provide means for an operator to manage one's Wi-Fi network performance by giving guidance to Wi-Fi terminals in a few separate Task Groups. There also exist defined use cases for onloading traffic from WLAN to a 3GPP network. Thus, in accordance with embodiments described herein, an OPI could be delivered among these new protocol extensions, to address the WLAN to 3GPP onload use case. To this end, a number of alternatives are feasible for delivering an OPI to a UE from a WLAN access network in a new protocol extension. In some embodiments, the OPI value could define the selection of frequency bands provided by the access points as in multiband operations or other connectivity settings or access point selections as provided by the optimized connectivity experience mechanisms.

Generally, a protocol extension may be assigned to issue a command or guidance to the receiving UE. As one example, when a UE is connected to a Wi-Fi network, a protocol extension may be used to instruct the UE to transition to a cellular network. This command may be interpreted by the UE as an instruction to select any non-WLAN network, so the UE is therefore triggered to do a cell search and perform Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) selection to connect to one of the available 3GPP networks. If the UE is already in a 3GPP network, this instruction would cause the UE to transit to the 3GPP connected state. If the UE is already in the connected state in a 3GPP network, this instruction would cause the UE to request onloading of traffic to the 3GPP network (by Scheduling Request and Buffer Status Report) rather than to the connected WLAN.

Thus, embodiments described herein contemplate examples in which a protocol extension may include an OPI bit-field. In this case, the protocol extension would need to uniquely identify that the bit-field carried inside a protocol extension is an OPI. Some of the various ways of identifying the carrier of "OPI" field include:

using a protocol extension number or type "=OPI";

using a network vendor specific protocol extension field, from which the device can know it carries an OPI and that the bit-field is to be interpreted as an OPI value;

· by a network operator-specific protocol extension field, from which the device can know it carries an OPI and that the bit-field is to be interpreted as an OPI value;

by a 3GPP operator-specific protocol extension field, from which the device can know it carries an OPI and that the bit-field is to be interpreted as an OPI value;

• by a partner network provider organization identifier (Ol) or an Organization Unique Identifier (OUI)-specific protocol extension field, from which the device can know it carries an OPI and that the bit-field is to be interpreted as an OPI value;

by a roaming consortium organization identifier (Ol)-specific protocol extension field, from which the device can know it carries an OPI and that the bit-field is to be interpreted as an OPI value;

Using any of the above ways, the UE may be able to identify that a protocol extension field carries a bit-field, whose meaning is equivalent to an OPI value. The UE receiving the field can in turn take the following actions:

It can re-evaluate its routing policies (e.g., its. RANValidityConditions) filtered by the identified OPI value. The result of this re-evaluation will lead to updated routing of active traffic flows (or APNs) between the 3GPP network and the WLAN network. In addition, the OPI value will be valid prospectively to apply to new flows to be routed via

3GPP or WLAN, according to the re-evaluated routing policies.

In accordance with ANDSF routing policies described above, the UE interpreting the protocol extensions above can utilize a mechanism to avoid interpreting received bit- fields as OPI values in every circumstance, to account for situations where the delivering vendor/operator/organization identifier does not match the provisioned OPI (in the

ANDSF Management Object (MO)). For instance, if the UE receives a protocol extension via a WLAN network that does not include the partnering Ol and selectable 3GPP home network authentication PLMN identifiers, the bit-field contained in the protocol extension will not be interpreted as an OPI value. A bit-field received in a protocol extension that was provided by the partner (Ol) and authenticated by the 3GPP home network, however, will still be interpreted as an OPI value by the UE. Finally, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the OPI value may comprise an instruction to the UE receiving the field. In this regard, the OPI value need not merely indicate a preference for traffic routing, but may comprise a mandate issued to the receiving UE.

Using OPI for RAN rules

Similar to utilizing OPI values via ANDSF routing policies, the use of an OPI may activate a RAN-based routing rule, in case the ANDSF routing rules are not available otherwise or in case the RAN-based rules are prioritized. However, there need not be a conflict between ANDSF policies and RAN-based rules if the policies are properly configured. Also there is no conflict between the two if the most preferred Wl_AN network that was already selected by the device is the one delivering the OPI within the (partner) network. In order for the OPI to impact a RAN rule, the OPI thus must be a condition signaled inside a RAN rule accordingly. An example of a RAN rule with an OPI condition is shown in Table 1 below:

Evaluate RAN rule {

3GPP network measure {

RSRP-measured < Threshold WLAN, Low

or

RSRQ-measured < Threshold WLAN, low

}

AN D WLAN measure {

Channel utilization < Threshold WLAN, Low

and

Backhaul rate > Threshold WLAN, High

and

Beacon RSSI > WLAN threshold, High

}

AN D OPI condition (OPI-provisioned && OPI-signalled from the network)

Table 1

Traffic handling examples using OPI values

OPI can guide traffic per flow or traffic per Packet Data Network (PDN) connection and/or APN. The APN is the name, consisting of the network identifier and an operator identifier (such as the cellular operator or an Internet Service provider), that defines the network and service that represent the Internet to the user. An example case for an APN is that the Internet APN and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) APN are treated differently. The motivation for utilizing OPI in this environment is that traffic is getting more and more polarized. Some traffic types (e.g., streaming multimedia delivered by Netflix™) clearly dominate in creating volumes of traffic and hence they become critical in terms of the "mass" of traffic they create. On the other hand, some traffic types (e.g., machine and human interactions) are very sensitive to transmission quality (e.g., delay). These distinctions raise questions regarding how best to route the traffic.

One specific question involves how to route IMS Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) calls. In recent implementations, IMS SIP calls are not only delivered by a 3GPP network but they are alternatively routable via a WLAN network. This is implemented by the UE setting up an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) tunnel to the evolved Packet Data

Gateway (ePDG) and getting the SIP server address from the ePDG for directing the SIP traffic to that given SIP server. Other architectures of integrating the WLAN access network to the 3GPP network may include S1 General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunneling, or Proxy Mobile IP (PMIP) tunneling of the WLAN access network to the core network. It is alternatively feasible to integrate or aggregate the WLAN access network via an interface to the 3GPP radio access network (e.g. to the RNC or to the eNB), instead of the 3GPP core network.

These new opportunities and implementations further illustrate the need for dynamic routing decisions in the access networks. As an example, a UE that has an active Netflix™ service running over WLAN (as routing rules have determined) may receive a SIP call. Using traditional traffic management concepts, receipt of the SIP call could lead to the transfer of both the Netflix™ and the SIP from the WLAN access network to a 3GPP access network for the duration of the SIP call, and then back to the WLAN access network after the SIP call is terminated. It is not even clear a 3GPP access network could carry that heavy of a session in its currently serving eNB.

Moreover, if the UE was in the idle state in the 3GPP network, it would need to execute a procedure first to change to the connected state, which requires signaling and introduces delay.

By contrast, if an OPI is delivered over the serving WLAN access network, the OPI can be used to indicate that the Netflix™ session can continue over the WLAN and only the SIP call will be routed via the 3GPP access network. This has the smallest impact to both networks. On the other hand, the OPI, in conjunction with the other access thresholds, may suggest that the SIP call should also to be served via the WLAN access network. In this case, no (unnecessary) state transition in a 3GPP access network would be required or performed.

The above decisions may thus depend on whether the WLAN access network allows the IMS SIP call, if there is an ePDG element in the 3GPP core network, if there is a preference to serve all IMS SIP calls by a 3GPP access network, the load and quality that can be provided by the WLAN network, the UE state in the 3GPP access network, the load in the 3GPP access network, and the UE capability in handling multiple accesses and IMS SIP calls. However, all of this information would be known by a UE receiving an OPI from the relevant WLAN and 3GPP access networks. Thus, implementations of OPI- based routing can significantly improve UE traffic management policies.

OPI in integrated WLAN architecture

The delivery of OPI is especially practical via WLAN network for an infrastructure in which the WLAN network is not only a partner network allowing authentication by the 3GPP home network (e.g., loose RAN interworking), but is also integrated into the 3GPP network architecture (e.g., tight RAN interworking). Several proposals exist in which a WLAN RAN can be integrated into a 3GPP core network, into the 3GPP radio access network, or even directly into an eNB. Other integration proposals include having a WLAN access controller and a 3GPP controller like the Flexi-Zone controller that are integrated in a common RAN management functionality. In such tight RAN interworking embodiments, an OPI, even if delivered via the WLAN AP, is not created in the AP, but is created deeper in the network and is in the operator's control.

Turning now to Figure 2, a system diagram of traffic steering infrastructure 200 is illustrated, in accordance with example embodiments. As show in Figure 2, a UE 202 is capable of communicating with multiple access networks, including WLAN 204 and 3GPP access network 206.

To communicate with the WLAN 204, UE 202 may connect to one or more access point 208 (e.g., AP_r, AP_S, AP_t, AP_U, or the like), each of which is associated with an SSID and/or a Homogenous Extended Service Set Identifier (HESSID) and is managed by WLAN controller 212. In turn, WLAN 204 may communicate with a core network via an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG) 216A connected to a PDN gateway 218,

Alternatively, WLAN 204 may communicate with the core network via a signaling gateway (SGW) 216B via S1 GTP tunneling or PMIP tunneling. As yet another alternative illustrated at element 216C, the WLAN may be integrated or aggregated via an interface to the 3GPP radio access network 206 (e.g. to a radio network controller or to an eNB associated with 3GPP radio access network 206) instead of being connected directly to the 3GPP core network.

To communicate with the 3GPP access network 206, UE 202 may connect to an eNB 220 associated with the 3GPP access network 206, which in turn is connected to the PDN gateway 218. OPI vector 214 generates OPI values for transmission to the UE 202, and instances of OPI vector 214 may accordingly exist both in the WLAN 204 and the 3GPP access network 206 (and in tightly interworked embodiments where WLAN 204 acts as a RAN of 3GPP access network 206, the OPI vector 214 of 3GPP access network 206 may deliver an OPI value for use by the WLAN 204).

In one example embodiment using the system diagram of Figure 2, let OPI_p be the provisioned OPI value to be used in the evaluation of validity conditions by an ANDSF policy or by RAN rules. The term OPI_N can refer to the OPI delivered by a given network. This access network provided OPI_N is dynamic, temporary, and local, while OPI_p is static. Thus, performance of a logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bitwise AND operation) will result in a non-zero result whenever an access network factor deviates from a default condition. The ANDSF policy evaluation will include an evaluation of access thresholds associated with the access network and a AND operation comparing OPIp and OPI_N. The RAN rules may, for instance, include rules that evaluate whether the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) is less than a first value while the Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) is less than a second value, that the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) is greater than a predetermined threshold, and that the load of the access network is within predefined boundaries, or the like. The RAN rules may determine whether these conditions are true, while also performing a similar AND operation comparing OPI_p and OPI_N.

It should be understood that an OPI_N may be received from an access point 208 of WLAN 204 as a protocol extension (e.g., OPI_N = Prioritize 3GPP), and the value of the OPI_N may indicate values of factors associated with the WLAN 204 and the access point 208 from which the OPI_N is transmitted. In either case, WLAN 204 may provide a set of OPI_N values, each valid for one of the access points 208 (e.g., AP_r, AP_S, AP_t, or AP_U) and/or a frequency band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz). UE 202 can thus use the OPI_N values received for various access points 208 of WLAN 204 not only to steer the

onloading/offloading of traffic between the WLAN 204 and other access networks (e.g., 3GPP access network 206) but also to steer the traffic to the different access points 208 and/or its frequency band within WLAN 204 itself.

In other words, while some OPI values may provide information regarding traffic routing between access networks, other OPI values (or fields therein) act inside a selected access network to guide intra-network selections (e.g., the frequency selection and access point selection within a given network). In some embodiments, these latter selections may more generically involve the optimized connectivity settings or the WLAN MAC interface selections (e.g., Ethernet MAC address or Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)) within a WLAN access network.

These OPI values may be specific to a particular WLAN access point (in the WLAN access network or a hotspot), or to a specific WLAN MAC interface in the WLAN network, which, for instance, forms a SSID or a frequency band of an access point or other sets of identifier combinations like a HESSID. When multiple OPI values are provided, a logical or comparative operation can be executed between the network signaled OPI values and/or the provisioned value. Hence, if one node or MAC interface in the network provides an access network-specific OPI value that matches the provisioned OPI value, that node or interface in the WLAN network may be selected, if other reachable nodes do not provide a match.

When multiple of the network signaled access network-specific OPI values provide a match, some embodiments may utilize a logical comparison to identify the best match between each of the network signaled OPIs and the provisioned OPI. In some embodiments, the best match may comprise the access network-specific OPI value that has the most bits that match the provisioned OPI value. Alternatively, the best match may be affected by weights assigned to each bit, such that an access network-specific OPI value with fewer matching bits that are given larger weights is a better fit than the access network-specific OPI value that has the most bits that match the provisioned OPI value. This comparison could be similar to a numerical comparison of OPI values (e.g., the bits on the left have higher weight value than the bits on the right). In this manner, any logical or numerical comparison with the degree of match can be defined and executed to select access points 208 within a single access network (e.g., WLAN 204).

On the other hand, an OPI_N may be received from 3GPP access network 206 via an eNB 220. The OPI_N may indicate values of the factors associated with the 3GPP access network 206 and the eNB 220 from which the OPI_N is transferred.

Turning now to Figure 3, a flowchart is illustrated that contains a series of operations performed by a UE that is capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks and that, using which, the UE can balance traffic between the plurality of access networks. The operations illustrated in Figure 3 may, for example, be performed by, with the assistance of, and/or under the control of apparatus 100, and more particularly through the use of one or more of processor 102, memory 104, communication interface 106, and/or user interface 108.

In operation 302 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for causing establishment of a connection to a first access network of a plurality of access networks. In this regard, the first access network may be a WLAN.

In operation 304 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for receiving a provisioned OPI value, wherein the provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding one or more access network factors. In this regard, the one or more access network factors include at least one of: eNB load, WLAN availability, availability of a given preferred SSID, WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, QoE, or QCI. It should be understood that while operation 304 may occur in the sequence illustrated in Figure 3, in alternative embodiments, operation 304 may occur separately, such as, for instance, before operation 302 or after operation 306.

As noted previously, this provisioned OPI value may be received from an ANDSF server. The provisioned OPI value may alternatively be provisioned in the SIM card, by a configuration object loadable from an operator's web page or from an App Store, or by configuring OPI dependent rules by a RAN signaling object (e.g., at the time of initial access or during an inter-RAT change procedure or at some other instance of registration to the network).

In operation 306 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for receiving an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network. In some embodiments, receiving the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network may include identifying that a bitfield contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI, wherein the access network-specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field. The access network-specific OPI value may indicate values regarding the one or more access network factors. In some embodiments, these values may indicate properties of the first access network, although in other embodiments, the values may indicate properties of one or more of the other plurality of access networks, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, the bits of the OPI value can represent values regarding the access network factors for the first access network, for another access network, or for a combination of access networks. The generation of this access network- specific OPI value by a network element is discussed in greater detail elsewhere, such as in connection with Figure 4 below.

In operation 308 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, or the like, for comparing the access network-specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value. In some embodiments, comparing the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value may be done by performing a logical operation (e.g. an AND operation, or a bit-wise AND operation) between the access network specific OPI value and the provisioned OPI value.

In operation 310 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, or the like, for determining whether the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value. In embodiments in which an AND operation is performed in operation 308 above, the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the AND operation produces a non-zero result. In an instance in which the the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, the procedure advances to operation 314. Otherwise, it continues to operation 312.

In operation 312 the apparatus 100 continues with network traffic transmission without changing the traffic routing policy based on the received access network-specific OPI value.

Alternatively, in operation 314 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for causing routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value. In this regard, routing traffic in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value may further be based on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network, in accordance with the ANDSF policies described previously. In some embodiments, causing routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks includes causing routing of traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network. It should be understood that, in operation 314, the traffic to route can be guided based on traffic attributes like application type, TCP/UDP port type, TCP/UDP-IP quintuples, by QoS attributes or traffic volume, packet delay or other such criteria.

Hence, the OPI condition as such applies for each traffic routing rule or policy setting as how their definitions appear in the decision tree.

In some embodiments, operation 314 may take into account additional access threshold values associated with the first access network. These access threshold values may be measures of at least one or more access networks of the plurality of access networks. The comparison of the access network-specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value may then either allow or disable the evaluation of these further measures.

Turning now to Figure 4, a flowchart is illustrated that contains a series of operations performed by a network element for generating and transmitting access network-specific OPI values to a UE. The operations illustrated in Figure 4 may, for example, be performed by, with the assistance of, and/or under the control of apparatus 100, and more particularly through the use of one or more of processor 102, memory 104, and/or communication interface 106.

In operation 402 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as communication interface 106 or the like, for causing, by a processor, collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a WLAN. In some embodiments, the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. In this regard, the interworking may comprise a tight interworking or a loose interworking. If the interworking comprises a tight interworking, then causing collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network comprises causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network. In other words, in some cases, the access network factors that are collected in operation 402 may regard the WLAN, any other tightly interworked access network, or a

combination thereof.

In operation 404 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, or the like, for causing generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors. Because the access network factors may regard the WLAN, any other tightly interworked access network, or a combination thereof, in similar fashion, the OPI value may be generated based on the access network conditions of the WLAN, any other tightly interworked access network, or a combination thereof.

In operation 406 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for causing transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network. As discussed previously, the generated OPI value may be transmitted as a protocol extension.

Optionally, in operation 408 the apparatus 100 may include means, such as processor 102, or the like, for causing, by the processor, measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network.

If operation 408 is performed, then subsequently in operation 410 the apparatus 100 includes means, such as processor 102, communication interface 106, or the like, for causing transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network. In this regard, the access thresholds may be transmitted either together with the generated OPI value or separately.

As described above, example embodiments are dynamic and dedicated to each particular UE. In this regard, the UE can balance network traffic based on threshold conditions collected by the access networks and delivered via OPI values. As a result, using embodiments described herein, UEs can precisely target network traffic. By contrast, other mechanisms for transmitting information that can be used for steering traffic are typically based on static information common to a larger population of UEs, and greater targeting of these mechanisms would require frequent updates of provisioned information.

Moreover, embodiments described herein are practical for routing traffic upon starting a new flow, terminating an existing flow, or changing access points in multiband operation, or when a measured threshold condition (e.g., load or QoE metrics) becomes noteworthy. This mechanism is also useful for when new access points are available. By providing benefits in all of these areas, embodiments described herein illustrate that previously used routing policies are no longer optimal when compared to traffic routing utilizing OPI values.

As described above, Figures 3 and 4 illustrate flowcharts describing the operation of an apparatus, method, and computer program product according to example embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each flowchart block, and combinations of flowchart blocks, may be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuitry, and/or other devices associated with execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory 104 of an apparatus 100 employing an embodiment of the present invention and executed by a processor 102 of the apparatus 100. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resulting computer or other programmable apparatus implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture, the execution of which implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

The flowchart blocks support combinations of means for performing the specified functions and combinations of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more flowchart blocks, and combinations of flowchart blocks, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems which preform the specified functions, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0100] In some embodiments, some of the operations above may be modified or further amplified. Furthermore, in some embodiments, additional optional operations may be included. Modifications, amplifications, or additions to the operations above may be performed in any order and in any combination. Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method comprising:

causing, by a processor of a mobile terminal capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks, establishment of a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN);

receiving an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors;

comparing, by the processor, the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors;

in an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, causing, by the processor, routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks includes causing routing of traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network.

3. The method of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein receiving the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network comprises:

identifying that a bit-field contained in a protocol extension received from the first access network represents an OPI,

wherein the access network-specific OPI value comprises the value of the identified bit-field.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein comparing the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value comprises performing a bit-wise AND operation between the access network specific OPI value and the provisioned OPI value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the bit-wise AND operation produces a non-zero result. 6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein routing traffic in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value is further based on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one or more access network factors include at least one of: eNodeB load, WLAN availability, availability of a given service set identifier (SSID), WLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, Quality of Experience (QoE), or bearer Quality of Service (QoS) Class Indication (QCI). 8. An apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of access networks, the apparatus 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 to:

establish a connection to a first access network of the plurality of access networks, wherein the first access network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN);

receive an access network-specific OPI value from the first access network, wherein the access network-specific OPI value indicates values regarding one or more access network factors;

compare the access network-specific OPI value to a provisioned OPI value, wherein the provisioned OPI value indicates default values regarding the one or more access network factors;

in an instance in which the access network-specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value, cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code that are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause routing of traffic among the plurality of access networks further cause routing of traffic between a plurality of MAC interfaces associated with the first access network, a plurality of access points associated with the first access network, or a plurality of frequency bands associated with the first access network.

10. The apparatus of either of claims 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive the access network-specific OPI value from the first access network by:

1 1. The apparatus of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare the access network specific OPI value to the provisioned OPI value by:

performing a bit-wise AND operation between the access network specific

OPI value and the provisioned OPI value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 1 , wherein the the access network specific OPI value matches the provisioned OPI value in an instance in which the bit-wise AND operation produces a non-zero result.

13. The apparatus of any of claims 8 to 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause routing of traffic in accordance with the access network-specific OPI value and based on one or more measured access thresholds received from the first access network.

14. The apparatus of any of claims 8 to 13, wherein the one or more access network factors include at least one of: eNodeB load, VVLAN availability, availability of a given preferred service set identifier (SSID), VVLAN load, subscriber class, traffic flow type, traffic characteristics, Quality of Experience (QoE), or bearer Quality of Service (QoS) Class Indication (QCI).

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform the steps of any of claims 1 to 7.

16. A method comprising:

causing, by a processor, collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN);

causing, by the processor, generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors; and

causing transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network. 7. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing, by the processor, measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network; and

causing transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

18. The method of either of claims 16 or 17, wherein the access network is interworked with at least one other access network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the interworking comprises a tight interworking. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein causing collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network comprises:

causing measurement of the one or more access network factors with respect to at least one of the first access network or the at least one other access network.

21 . The method of claim 18, wherein the interworking comprises a loose interworking.

22. An apparatus 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 to: cause collection of one or more access network factors associated with an access network, wherein the access network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN);

cause generation of an OPI value based on the one or more access network factors; and

cause transmission of the generated OPI value to a mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause measurement of one or more access thresholds associated with the access network; and

cause transmission of the one or more measured access thresholds to the mobile terminal in communication with the access network.

24. The apparatus of either of claims 22 or 23, wherein the access network is interworked with at least one other access network. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the interworking comprises a tight interworking.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause collection of the one or more access network factors for the access network by:

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the interworking comprises a loose interworking.

28. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform the steps of any of claims 16 to 21.