Patent Application
20160014664
Wireless communication services are available using various types of wireless User Equipment (UE). Many of these wireless UEs communicate over both Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) networks and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. In many cases, a UE will first try to use WiFi instead of LTE based on a default communication priority of WiFi over LTE. If the default communication priority is WiFi over LTE, then the UE scans for a WiFi signal of sufficient quality before scanning for an LTE signal of sufficient quality. If a WiFi signal of sufficient quality is found, then the UE communicates over the WiFi system. The UE will then scan for LTE signals if the WiFi signal fades away, or to look for LTE pages on a periodic schedule.
As the UE moves away from the WiFi access node, its WiFi service may degrade from an optimal level to a sub-optimal level nearer the edge of the WiFi coverage area. Note that even though the WiFi signal is no longer optimal, it remains adequate, so the UE remains on sub-optimal but adequate WiFi. If the sub-optimal WiFi degrades further to an inadequate state, then the UE will attempt a hand-over to LTE.
Enhanced communication services are available from some LTE systems. These enhanced services include carrier aggregation, beamforming, and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) services. These enhanced services can often extend the range or throughput of an LTE system. Unfortunately, the UE does not have an efficient and effective way to hand-over to enhanced LTE services when on a sub-optimal but adequate WiFi system.
A Long Term Evolution (LTE) User Equipment (UE) stores a WiFi over LTE communication priority as a current communication priority, and in response, wirelessly exchanges user data through a WiFi access point. The LTE UE also wirelessly receives and processes LTE service enhancement data from an LTE access point. In response to processing the LTE service enhancement data, the LTE UE stores an LTE over WiFi communication priority as the current communication priority. In response to the LTE over WiFi communication priority, the LTE UE wirelessly exchanges additional user data through the LTE access point using an LTE service enhancement.
UE 101 and WiFi access point 110 wirelessly communicate over WiFi link 111. WiFi access point 110 and other systems communicate over network link 112. UE 101 and LTE access point 120 wirelessly communicate over LTE link 121. LTE access point 120 and other systems communicate over network link 122.
UE 101 stores a communication priority that it uses to scan for LTE and WiFi signals. If the current communication priority is WiFi over LTE, then UE 101 scans for a WiFi signal of sufficient quality before scanning for an LTE signal of sufficient quality. If a WiFi signal of sufficient quality is found, then UE 101 communicates over the WiFi system. UE 101 will then scan for LTE signals if the WiFi signal fades. UE 101 may also scan for LTE signals on a periodic basis to read pages and notices and to report network signals or other data to LTE systems.
If the current communication priority is LTE over WiFi, then UE 101 scans for an LTE signal of sufficient quality before scanning for a WiFi signal of sufficient quality. If an LTE signal of sufficient quality is found, then UE 101 communicates over the LTE system. UE 101 will then scan for WiFi signals if the LTE signal fades. UE 101 may also scan for WiFi signals on a periodic basis to read pages and notices and to report network signals or other data.
In operation, UE 101 stores a WiFi over LTE communication priority as its current communication priority. This WiFi over LTE communication priority may be set during device manufacture, activation, or during actual usage. In response to the WiFi over LTE communication priority, UE 101 wirelessly exchanges user data through WiFi access point 110 and links 111-112. In response to the WiFi over LTE communication priority, UE 101 also wirelessly receives and processes LTE service enhancement data from LTE access point 120 over LTE link 121. In some examples, UE 101 reads the LTE service enhancement data from an LTE System Information Block (SIB) that is broadcast from LTE access point 120.
In response to processing the LTE service enhancement data, UE 101 now stores an LTE over WiFi communication priority as the current communication priority. In response to the LTE over WiFi communication priority, UE 101 wirelessly exchanges additional user data through LTE access point 120 and links 121-122 using an LTE service enhancement. Thus, UE 101 may use the enhanced LTE service over LTE link 121 even though an adequate WiFi signal is still available over WiFi link 111.
In some examples, UE 101 wirelessly reads service data from an LTE System Information Block (SIB) responsive to WiFi signal strength being below an LTE scan threshold. This LTE scan threshold may correspond to an adequate but not optimal WiFi signal, such as the adequate WiFi signal within but near the edge of the WiFi coverage area. UE 101 would use a strong WiFi signal without reading the service data from the LTE SIB, but if the WiFi signal becomes merely adequate, then UE 101 can look for enhanced LTE services in the broadcast SIB. Thus, UE 101 may direct a hand-over to LTE even though WiFi service is still adequate.
The service data in the LTE SIB may provide information on available carrier aggregation services, beamforming services, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) services, and/or some other wireless services—including combinations thereof. UE 101 may then direct a hand-over to LTE if the WiFi signal is merely adequate and if the appropriate enhanced LTE service is available. For example, UE 101 might direct the hand-over to LTE if beamforming services are available even though WiFi service is adequate.
The service data in the LTE SIB may provide Quality-of-Service (QoS) information for the available carrier aggregation services, beamforming services, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) services, or some other wireless services. For example, the LTE SIB may indicate types of carrier aggregation (intra-spectrum contiguous-frequency, intra-spectrum non-contiguous frequency, inter-spectrum non-contiguous frequency), beamforming (fixed, adaptive, space-division), and/or MIMO (8×2, 8×4, 16×2, 16×4). The LTE SIB may indicate expected data rates for associated LTE signal strengths when using various enhanced services or service combinations. UE 101 may direct a hand-over to LTE if the WiFi signal is merely adequate and if the QoS of an appropriate enhanced service is acceptable. For example, UE 101 might direct the hand-over to LTE if 16×4 MIMO services are available even though WiFi service is still adequate.
In some examples, UE 101 wirelessly queries LTE access point 120 for enhanced service data for the UE responsive to WiFi signal strength being below an LTE query threshold. The query entails activation of the reverse portion of LTE link 121. The LTE scan threshold may correspond to an adequate but not optimal WiFi signal. UE 101 could then use strong/optimal WiFi without querying for the enhanced service data, but if the WiFi signal becomes merely adequate, then UE 101 would then query for enhanced LTE service data. The service data in the query response may indicate available carrier aggregation services, beamforming services, MIMO services, and/or some other wireless services—including combinations thereof. The service data in the query response may provide QoS information for the available carrier aggregation services, beamforming services, MIMO services, and/or other wireless services. For example, the response may indicate types of carrier aggregation, beamforming, and/or MIMO. The response may indicate expected data rates for associated LTE signal strengths when using various enhanced services or service combinations.
UE 101 comprises computer and communication circuitry, user interfaces, data storage devices, and associated software/hardware components. Access points 110 and 120 comprise computer and communication circuitry, data processing and storage equipment, and associated software/hardware components. Wireless links 111 and 112 propagate electromagnetic signals over air or space using respective WiFi and LTE protocols. Network links 111 and 112 propagate electromagnetic signals over air, space, metal, glass, plastic, or some other conductive element using various communication protocols, such as internet, Ethernet, packet radio, and the like. Communication links 111-112 and 121-122 may include intermediate devices, systems, and networks.
Referring to
For example, UE 101 may determine when WiFi signal strength/throughput crosses a threshold from optimal to adequate. This optimal/adequate threshold could be WiFi signal strength/throughput at a range between 60%-80% toward the edge of the WiFi coverage area where LTE scanning and hand-over would be attempted. If this optimal/adequate WiFi threshold is crossed, then UE 101 would read carrier aggregation, beamforming, and MIMO QoS data from the LTE SIB from LTE access point 120.
UE 101 processes the LTE service enhancement data to determine if the communication priority of WiFi over LTE should be changed to LTE over WiFi (205). For example, UE 101 may compare the SIB QoS data for the current LTE signal strength to determine that LTE will outperform WiFi. In response to a determination that LTE over WiFi should be the communication priority (205), UE 101 stores LTE over WiFi as the current communication priority (206). In response to the LTE over WiFi communication priority (202), UE 101 now wirelessly exchanges additional user data through LTE access point 120 using an LTE service enhancement, such as carrier aggregation, beamforming, MIMO, or some other feature (207). As indicated by the dash line on
The LTE transceiver in UE 301 also receives LTE SIB signal 324 from eNodeB 320. LTE SIB signal 324 indicates various enhanced LTE services, such as beamforming, MIMO, and carrier aggregation. LTE SIB signal 324 may also indicate QoS levels for the enhanced services as related to received signal strength at the UE.
The processing system in UE 301 maintains a communication priority in memory that it uses to prioritize the scanning and subsequent use of LTE and WiFi signals. When the current communication priority is WiFi over LTE, then UE 301 scans for WiFi beacon signal 311 before scanning for LTE pilot signal 321. If WiFi beacon signal 311 has sufficient quality, then UE 301 exchanges wireless data 312 through WiFi node 310 and link 313. UE 301 may scan for LTE pilot signal 321 on a periodic basis to read pages. When the current communication priority is LTE over WiFi, then UE 301 scans for LTE pilot signal 321 before scanning for WiFi beacon signal 311. If LTE pilot signal 321 has sufficient quality, then UE 301 exchanges wireless data 322 through eNodeB 320 and link 323.
Referring to
If the WiFi signal falls below the optimal quality threshold (403), then UE 301 reads SIB signal 324 to determine available enhanced services and their associated QoS metrics (404). If carrier aggregation QoS is above a CA threshold (405), then UE 301 changes the communication priority to LTE over WiFi (408). If beamforming QoS is above a beamforming threshold (406), then UE 301 changes the communication priority to LTE over WiFi (408). If MIMO QoS is above a MIMO threshold (407), then UE 301 changes the communication priority to LTE over WiFi (408).
In response to a LTE over WiFi communication priority (408), UE 301 wirelessly exchanges user data 322 through eNodeB 320 using the appropriate LTE service enhancement. Thus, UE 301 may use the enhanced LTE service over LTE through eNodeB 320 even though an adequate WiFi signal is still available from WiFi node 310. As indicated by the dash line on
Now referring to
Transceivers 601-602 comprise wireless communication components, such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, modulators, and the like. WiFi transceiver 601 uses the WiFi protocol and LTE transceiver 602 supports the LTE protocol. In processing system 603, processing circuitry 604 comprises circuit boards, integrated circuitry, and associated electronics. Storage system 605 comprises non-transitory, machine-readable, data storage media, such as flash drives, disc drives, memory circuitry, servers, and the like. Software 606 comprises machine-readable instructions that control the operation of processing circuitry 604 when executed. Software 606 includes software modules 611-613 and may also include operating systems, applications, data structures, utilities, databases, and the like. All or portions of software 606 may be externally stored on one or more storage media, such as flash drives, discs, servers, and the like.
When executed by processing circuitry 604, WiFi module 611 directs circuitry 604 to attach and communicate over suitable WiFi systems based on the communication priority. When executed by processing circuitry 604, LTE module 612 directs circuitry 604 to attach and communicate over suitable LTE systems based on the communication priority. When executed by processing circuitry 604, communication priority module 613 directs circuitry 604 to process WiFi signal quality and LTE enhanced service data to control the communication priority as described herein, and in particular, to change a default WiFi over LTE communication priority to an LTE over WiFi communication priority if WiFi becomes sub-optimal and LTE enhanced services are available at the appropriate QoS.
UEs in suboptimal WiFi coverage may read SIB 700 to determine the expected enhanced LTE throughput for the current received LTE signal strength. The UEs may then compare the actual sub-optimal WiFi throughput to the expected enhanced LTE throughput to control communication priorities. In particular, the UEs can change their default WiFi over LTE communication priority to an LTE over WiFi communication priority if WiFi becomes sub-optimal and LTE enhanced services are available at the appropriate QoS.
The above description and associated figures teach the best mode of the invention. The following claims specify the scope of the invention. Note that some aspects of the best mode may not fall within the scope of the invention as specified by the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described above can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.
