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CN-115669193-B - Network communication through a host device

CN115669193BCN 115669193 BCN115669193 BCN 115669193BCN-115669193-B

Abstract

Communication between a client device and a host device using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) may be configured. The host device communicates with a base station of the network using a second RAT to provide services of the network to or from the client device. Communication between the host device and the base station distinguishes data traffic according to a set of network traffic rules. Information related to the set of network business rules is transmitted from the host device to the client device. Communication between a client device and a host device using a first RAT is configured according to a set of client traffic rules based on the communicated information about the network traffic rules.

Inventors

  • M. Tranler
  • A.LUO
  • W. Bindrim

Assignees

  • 沃达丰IP许可有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210316
Priority Date
20200316

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A method for configuring communication between a client device using a first radio access technology, RAT, and a host device, the host device communicating with a base station of a network using a second RAT different from the first RAT to provide services of the network to or from the client device, the communication between the host device and the base station distinguishing data traffic according to a set of network traffic rules, the method comprising: Transmitting information related to the set of network traffic rules from the host device to the client device, wherein the information related to the set of network traffic rules includes at least one of a user equipment routing policy URSP, URSP-based data, and a network slice configuration; At the client device and/or the host device, configuring communication between the client device and the host device using the first RAT according to a set of client traffic rules based on the transmitted information about the network traffic rules; Transmitting data traffic between a host device and a client device using a first RAT, and Data traffic is communicated between the host device and the base station using the second RAT.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of network traffic rules comprises a mapping between at least one characteristic of data traffic and a plurality of traffic types.
  3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one characteristic of the data traffic comprises one or more of application related information of the data traffic, traffic descriptors of the data traffic, destination addresses and/or fields of the data traffic, source addresses and/or fields of the data traffic, port numbers of the data traffic, protocol information of the data traffic, connectivity capabilities, routing descriptors, routing priorities, session and service continuity mode information, network slice information, data network names, protocol data unit session types, time characteristics or criteria, and location characteristics or criteria.
  4. 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the set of client business rules: distinguishing at least one parameter of a communication using a first RAT between different data traffic, thereby distinguishing the data traffic, and/or Identifying at least one parameter of communication using the first RAT, and Wherein each of the at least one parameter comprises one of a frequency band and/or a channel, a bandwidth, a schedule, a priority, and a quality of service QoS.
  5. 5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: A step of transmitting a request from the client device to the host device for information related to the set of network business rules, and a step of transmitting information related to the set of network business rules from the host device to the client device in response to the request.
  6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the request indicates at least one characteristic of data traffic for providing services of the network to or from a client device via a host device using a first RAT.
  7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: identifying, at the host device, an incompatibility between the set of network traffic rules and the at least one characteristic of the data traffic indicated by the request, and Adjustments to the communication between the host device and the base station and/or the set of network traffic rules based on the identified incompatibilities are requested from the host device to the base station.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the incompatibility comprises a host device lack of access to a network slice of the network, the network slice corresponding to the at least one characteristic of data traffic indicated by the request.
  9. 9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The configuring step includes transmitting one or both of the set of client business rules between the client device and the host device, and selecting the set of client business rules from a stored plurality of sets of client business rules, and/or The information related to the set of network business rules includes one or both of the set of network business rules and the set of client business rules; Wherein the method further comprises storing, at the client device, information received from the host device relating to the set of network traffic rules and/or information received at the client device from the base station using the second RAT relating to the set of network traffic rules.
  10. 10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the client device stores a plurality of sets of client business rules, the configuring step further comprising: Selecting a set of client business rules from a plurality of stored sets of client business rules, and Communication between a client device and a host device using a first RAT is configured according to the selected set of client traffic rules.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Information related to the set of network traffic rules is transmitted from a base station of the network to a client device using a second RAT, at least one of the plurality of sets of client traffic rules being based on the information transmitted from the base station about the network traffic rules.
  12. 12. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein prior to the step of transmitting information relating to the set of network business rules from the host device to the client device, the client device has at least one stored set of client business rules, the method further comprising: Updating a stored set of client business rules at the client device based on information related to the set of network business rules transmitted from the host device, or In addition to the at least one set of client business rules stored prior to the step of transmitting information related to the set of network business rules from the host device to the client device, a set of client business rules based on the transmitted information related to the set of network business rules is stored.
  13. 13. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first RAT is a wireless local area network, RAT, and the second RAT is a 5G RAT.
  14. 14. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 13.
  15. 15. A device for operating with a network configured to communicate using a first radio access technology, RAT, and/or a second RAT different from the first RAT, the device being arranged to operate in accordance with the method of any of claims 1 to 13.

Description

Network communication through a host device Technical Field The present disclosure relates to configuring communication between a client device and a host device using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT), wherein the host device communicates with a base station of a network using a second RAT to provide services of the network to or from the client device. A method, a computer program, and a device (such as a client or host device) for operating with a network are considered. Background Existing functionality on some User Equipment (UE) devices of cellular networks allows the UE to act as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) hotspot to provide internet access via the UE's cellular connection. In the case where the UE device is a user client terminal, this is commonly referred to as network sharing (tethering), but alternatively the UE device may be designed for special use in providing WLAN hotspots. For purposes of this disclosure, a UE device that provides WLAN hotspots is referred to as a host device. For example, applications may be provided on a host device to provide appropriate functionality. Referring to fig. 1, a known configuration for communicating between a client device and a network via a host device is schematically shown. This may be referred to as WLAN "offload (offload)". Client device 10 communicates with host device 20 via WLAN interface 15 (e.g., using IEEE 802.11ac protocol). The host device 20 communicates with a base station 30 of the network using a cellular interface 25. The cellular interface 25 may be based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 4G protocols. The host device 20 uses the best effort bearer (best effort bearer) to transfer data to, from, or for the client device 10. Optionally, the client device 10 may also communicate directly with the network via the base station 30 (or via another base station) using the cellular interface 26. In such a system, if the host device 20 has a connection to the base station 30 through the cellular interface 25 meeting quality of service (QoS) criteria, the host device 20 only makes itself available to act as a WLAN access point, for example as discussed in GB-2534388. The client device 10 may also use algorithms to decide whether to communicate via the host device 20 over the WLAN interface 15 or directly with the network over the cellular interface 26. Cellular interfaces are being improved, for example, with the introduction of new types of radio (NR) or 5G. These benefits are not necessarily obtained when communicating between a client device and a network via a host device. It is therefore desirable to improve such communications to achieve potential advantages. Disclosure of Invention Against this background, the present disclosure provides a method for configuring communication between a client device and a host device using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) according to claim 1, a computer program as defined in claim 14, and a device for operating with a network according to claim 15. Other preferred features are disclosed with reference to the claims and in the following description. In particular embodiments, the host device communicates with a base station of the network using a second RAT to provide services of the network to or from the client device. Where the term "communication" is used herein, this may include transmission and/or reception of signals, information, or both. In a preferred embodiment, the first RAT may be a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) RAT or a Personal Area Network (PAN) RAT (e.g., based on bluetooth (RTM)) or even a different Wide Area Network (WAN) RAT (e.g., 4G), and the second RAT may be a WAN RAT, such as a cellular network RAT (e.g., based on 5G technology). In communication between the host device and the base station (via the second RAT), data traffic (DATA TRAFFIC) is distinguished (distinguish) according to a set of network traffic rules, e.g., network fragmentation (slicing) rules. Information related to the set of network traffic rules, such as UE routing policies (URSP) or information derived from URSP, is transmitted from the host device to the client device. Communication between a client device and a host device using the first RAT is then configured according to the set of client traffic rules. The client business rules are based on information about the network business rules transmitted from the host device. This may be implemented as a method, a computer program and/or in hardware, e.g. in or as a host device and/or a client device. The set of network traffic rules preferably comprises a mapping between at least one characteristic of the data traffic and a plurality of traffic types. The at least one characteristic of the data traffic may include one or more of application related information of the data traffic, a traffic descriptor of the data traffic, a destination address and/or domain of the data traffic, a source address and/or domain of the data traffic, a port number of