WLAN QoS Parameter Mapping for Cellular Bearer Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, the Quality of Service (QoS) for bearers is not effectively maintained when traffic is steered over a wireless local area network (WLAN) from a cellular radio access network, leading to a potential decrease in QoS below the established minimum.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that identify and map Quality of Service (QoS) parameters from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) to a WLAN, ensuring that the QoS parameters are maintained by configuring the radio bearer accordingly, using a processor to receive connection messages, identify bearer parameters, and determine the appropriate QoS parameters for routing the radio bearer between WWAN and WLAN.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traffic is steered from cellular radio access network to WLAN, then network capacity and user data rate are improved, but QoS cannot be enforced and may fall below minimum requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a WLAN QoS parameter mapping mechanism that acts as an intermediary between cellular network QoS requirements and WLAN traffic handling. The system maps cellular QoS parameters (QCI, ARP, GBR, AMBR) to corresponding WLAN parameters, enabling the cellular network's QoS enforcement capabilities to extend over WLAN traffic through the user equipment as a mediating device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms QoS parameters from one domain (cellular radio access network) to another domain (WLAN) by establishing parameter mappings. This includes mapping QoS Class Identifiers (QCI) to WLAN access categories, mapping Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) to WLAN priority levels, and mapping Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) and Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR) to WLAN traffic shaping parameters, thereby preserving QoS characteristics across different network technologies.
2Power
If traffic is steered to WLAN, then spectral efficiency is improved, but QoS parameters cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs QoS parameter mapping in advance, during bearer setup or modification, before traffic actually flows over WLAN. The cellular network configures the user equipment with appropriate WLAN QoS parameters through RRC signaling, so that when traffic is steered to WLAN, the QoS parameters are already in place and ready to be enforced, eliminating the need for real-time QoS management during data transmission.
3Loss of energy
If bearer traffic is routed over WLAN, then network load on cellular infrastructure is reduced, but QoS enforcement capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the user equipment monitors WLAN QoS parameter application and reports status back to the cellular network. The network can adjust WLAN QoS parameters dynamically based on actual traffic conditions and QoS requirements, creating a closed-loop system that maintains QoS enforcement capability even as traffic flows over the external WLAN infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for managing QoS parameters of a bearer for which at least a portion of bearer data is served over a WLAN radio access technology. According to these techniques, a first device may identify a first set of one or more QoS parameters for serving a bearer over a wireless wide area network (WWAN). The first device may also determine a second set of one or more QoS parameters for serving the bearer over the WLAN based on an association between the first set of QoS parameters and the second set of one or more QoS parameters.