WLAN Connectivity Option Discovery for Home-Routed Service Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity, existing solutions fail to ensure seamless access to home-routed services, such as secure banking and corporate VPNs, due to limitations in identifying and selecting appropriate WLAN access points that provide trusted and secure connections, especially when a user equipment (UE) is in a visited domain of an LTE network.
Innovation Solution
The UE receives indications of supported connectivity options from WLAN access points, including trusted and untrusted interfaces, and selects a connection based on provisioned selection preference rules, which can prioritize home-routed services, ensuring secure and reliable access to home network services by identifying and connecting to suitable WLAN access points that support these services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE connects to any available WLAN access point, then connectivity is established, but access to home-routed services cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides WLAN connectivity option information to the UE in advance, before the UE attempts to connect. This allows the UE to pre-evaluate which WLAN access points can provide home-routed services and select appropriate networks before connection attempts, ensuring reliable access to home services without complex post-connection adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The network acts as an intermediary by providing WLAN connectivity option information that bridges the gap between the UE's connection needs and the WLAN's service capabilities. This intermediary information enables the UE to make informed selection decisions about which WLAN access points to connect to, ensuring access to home-routed services.
2Reliability
If the UE selects WLAN access points based on available connectivity options, then secure access to home services is ensured, but the selection process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The UE autonomously evaluates WLAN connectivity options using the provided information and applies its own selection criteria to choose appropriate access points. The UE self-determines which WLANs can provide home-routed services based on the connectivity option information, eliminating the need for complex manual configuration or intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The network provides WLAN connectivity option information to the UE in advance, before the UE attempts to connect. This allows the UE to pre-evaluate which WLAN access points can provide home-routed services and select appropriate networks before connection attempts, ensuring reliable access to home services without complex post-connection adjustments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the UE is in a visited domain of LTE network, then local services are accessible, but home-routed services cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides feedback to the UE about which WLAN access points in the visited domain can provide home-routed services. This feedback mechanism enables the UE to identify and connect to WLANs that maintain home service accessibility, even when roaming in a visited domain, by using the provided WLAN connectivity option information to make informed selection decisions.
Data Source
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AI summary
In embodiments, apparatuses, methods, and storage media may be described for identifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) with which a third generation partnership project (3GPP) user equipment (UE) should connect. Specifically, the UE may receive an indication of one or more supported connectivity options of the WLAN AP. The UE may also receive an indication of one or more public land mobile networks that the WLAN AP is able to communicate with. The UE may then select whether the UE should connect to the WLAN AP based on the received indication(s) and a selection preference rule. Other embodiments may be claimed.