Bearer mobility and splitting in a radio access network-based, 3rd generation partnership project network having an integrated wireless local area network

摘要

A wireless local area network (WLAN) point-to-point communications link between an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network node B (eNB) and a user equipment device (or simply UE) is identified by UE/eNB media access control (MAC) identifiers on a per UE or per data radio bearer (DRB) basis for offloading cellular data from a long term evolution (LTE) link to the WLAN point-to-point communications link. A wireless local area network tunneling protocol (WLTP) includes packet formats and network protocol stack arrangements to support functions facilitated by the WLAN point-to-point communications link, such as, for example, identification of control and data traffic messages, DRB identification for WLTP packets, quality of service (QoS) delay and packet loss measurement, support of bearer splitting, and support of a general framework for offloading cellular traffic at different depths of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network protocol stack.