WLAN Offloading Configuration for Seamless Cellular Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network architectures experience poor service continuity and quality during handovers between 3GPP and non-3GPP networks, as existing solutions interrupt services until the terminal reconnects to a destination WLAN access point, leading to prolonged service disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A method where a source cellular network node requests and receives configuration information of a WLAN access point managed by a destination cellular network node, and sends this information to the terminal to select a suitable WLAN access point for offloading, ensuring seamless handover and service continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal waits for the destination base station to send WLAN AP information after handover before accessing the WLAN network, then the terminal can establish proper service connection, but the service interruption period becomes long and service continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The source base station sends WLAN AP configuration information to the terminal before handover is completed. This preliminary action allows the terminal to prepare for WLAN access in advance, establishing the service connection before actually needing to switch networks, thereby reducing service interruption time while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If the terminal accesses the destination WLAN AP only after receiving destination AP information from the destination base station, then proper service routing is established, but service quality deteriorates due to long interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration by having the source base station provide WLAN AP information before handover completion. This allows the terminal to pre-establish the service routing to the destination WLAN AP, ensuring service quality is maintained while minimizing the interruption period
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communications technologies, and in particular, to an offloading method and an apparatus. In this solution, when a terminal is in a handover process, a destination cellular network node sends, to the terminal, configuration information of a WLAN AP managed by the destination cellular network node; and then the terminal selects a destination WLAN AP from WLAN APs managed by the destination cellular network node, and offloads data of the destination cellular network node to the destination WLAN AP. Therefore, the destination WLAN AP selected by the destination cellular network node can be received before a handover is completed, thereby ensuring service continuity and improving service quality of a terminal.