WO2017171898A1

WO2017171898A1 - User equipment (ue), evolved node-b (enb) and methods for suspension and resumption of communication links of a radio bearer

Info

Publication number: WO2017171898A1
Application number: PCT/US2016/040109
Authority: WO
Inventors: Umesh PHUYAL; Alexander Sirotkin; Candy YIU; Jerome Parron; Ofer Hareuveni
Original assignee: Intel IP Corporation
Priority date: 2016-04-01
Filing date: 2016-06-29
Publication date: 2017-10-05

Abstract

Embodiments of a User Equipment (UE), Evolved Node-B (eNB) and methods for communication in accordance with a split bearer are generally described herein. The UE may receive, from the eNB, a wireless local area network (WLAN) suspend/resume configuration message that indicates one or more parameters for suspension and/or resumption of a WLAN link between the UE and an access point (AP) of a WLAN. The WLAN link may be included in a split bearer between the UE and the eNB. In some embodiments, the split bearer may be configured as a switched bearer. The UE may send a WLAN suspend or resume request message to the eNB to request a temporary suspension of the WLAN link in accordance with one or more parameters included in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message.

Description

USER EQUIPMENT (UE), EVOLVED NODE-B (ENB) AND METHODS FOR SUSPENSION AND RESUMPTION OF COMMUNICATION LINKS

OF A RADIO BEARER

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/317,341, filed April 1, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] Embodiments pertain to wireless communications. Some embodiments relate to wireless networks including 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) networks, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, 3GPP LTE-A (LTE Advanced) networks, and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. Some embodiments relate to reception of packets on one or multiple communication link of a split or switched radio bearer. Some embodiments relate to suspension of

communication links. Some embodiments relate to resumption of suspended communication links. Some embodiments relate to usage of mobile devices for micro transactions. Some embodiments relate to LTE/WLAN Aggregation (LWA) arrangements.

BACKGROUND

[0003] A mobile network may support communication with mobile devices. In some cases, an increased data rate and/or demand for services may provide various challenges. As an example, an increased number of mobile devices may need to be supported by a base station. As another example, an increased s stem throughput for the mobile devices may approach or exceed a capacity of the base station. Accordingly, mere is a general need for methods and systems to improve resource efficiency and reduce signaling overhead in these and other scenarios.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a 3GPP network in accordance with some embodiments;

[0005] FIG 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine in accordance with some embodiments;

[0006] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an Evolved Node-B (eNB) in accordance with some embodiments;

[0007] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a User Equipment (UE) in accordance with some embodiments;

[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of connectivity between a UE, an eNB and a WLAN access point (AP) in accordance with some embodiments;

[0009] FIG 6 illustrates the operation of a method of communication in accordance with some embodiments;

[0010] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a configuration message in accordance with some embodiments;

[0011] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a message to request suspension or resumption of a communication link in accordance with some embodiments;

[0012] FIG. 9 illustrates examples of messages that may be exchanged in accordance with some embodiments;

[0013] FIG 10 illustrates an example method of sending a suspend request in accordance with some embodiments; and

[0014] FIG. 11 illustrates the operation of another method of communication in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a 3GPP network in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to the example 3GPP network shown in FIG. 1, as other cellular networks and/or other networks may be used in some embodiments. As an example, a Fifth Generation (SG) network may be used in some cases. As another example, a wireless local area network (WLAN) may be used in some cases. Embodiments are not limited to these example networks, however, as other networks may be used in some embodiments. In addition, in some embodiments, one or more networks, including these example networks and/or other networks, may be used in combination. As an example, the UE 102 may be configured to communicate with a 3GPP LTE network and with a WLAN in some cases. As another example, the UE 102 may be configured to communicate with a 5G or other cellular network and with a WLAN in some cases. Such networks may include one or more of the components shown in FIG. 1, and may include additional components and/or alternative components in some cases.

[0017] The network shown in FIG. 1 may comprise a radio access network (RAN) (e.g., as depicted, the E-UTRAN (evolved universal terrestrial radio access network)) 100 and the core network 120 (e.g., shown as an evolved packet core (EPC)) coupled together through an SI interface 115. For convenience and brevity sake, only a portion of the core network 120, as well as the RAN 100, is shown.

[0018] The core network 120 includes a mobility management entity

(MME) 122, a serving gateway (serving GW) 124, and packet data network gateway (PDN GW) 126. The RAN 100 includes Evolved Node-B's (eNBs) 104 (which may operate as base stations) for communicating with User Equipment (UE) 102. The eNBs 104 may include macro eNBs and low power (LP) eNBs also known as micro-, pico-, femto- or small-cell eNBs.

[0019] In some embodiments, the UE 102 may receive data packets on a split bearer between the UE 102 and the eNB 104. At least a first portion of the data packets may be transmitted from the eNB 104 to the UE 102 on a cellular link of the split bearer. At least a second portion of the data packets may be sent by the eNB 104 to another component for transmission to the UE 102 on another link of the split bearer. These embodiments will be described in more detail below.

[0020] The MME 122 is similar in function to die control plane of legacy

Serving GPRS Support Nodes (SGSN). The MME 122 manages mobility aspects in access such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The serving GW 124 terminates the interface toward the RAN 100, and routes data packets between the RAN 100 and the core network 120. In addition, it may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-eNB handovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful intercept, charging, and some policy enforcement. The serving GW 124 and the MME 122 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes. The PDN GW 126 terminates an SGi interface toward the packet data network (PDN). The PDN GW 126 routes data packets between the EPC 120 and the external PDN, and may be a key node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. It may also provide an anchor point for mobility with non-LTE accesses. The external PDN can be any kind of IP network, as well as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain. The PDN GW 126 and the serving GW 124 may be implemented in one physical node or separated physical nodes.

[0021] The eNBs 104 (macro and micro) terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for a UE 102. In some

embodiments, an eNB 104 may fulfill various logical functions for the RAN 100 including but not limited to RNC (radio network controller functions) such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. In accordance with embodiments, UEs 102 may be configured to communicate Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with an eNB 104 over a multi carrier communication channel in accordance with an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication technique. The OFDM signals may comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

[0022] The SI interface 115 is the interface that separates the RAN 100 and the EPC 120. It is split into two parts: the Sl-U, which carries traffic data between the eNBs 104 and the serving GW 124, and the Sl-MME, which is a signaling interface between the eNBs 104 and the MME 122. The X2 interface is the interface between eNBs 104. The X2 interface comprises two parts, the X2-C and X2-U. The X2-C is the control plane interface between the eNBs 104, while the X2-U is the user plane interface between the eNBs 104.

[0023] With cellular networks, LP cells are typically used to extend coverage to indoor areas where outdoor signals do not reach well, or to add network capacity' in areas with very dense phone usage, such as train stations. As used herein, the term low power (LP) eNB refers to any suitable relatively low power eNB for implementing a narrower cell (narrower man a macro cell) such as a femtocell, a picocell, or a micro cell. Femtocell eNBs are typically provided by a mobile network operator to its residential or enterprise customers. A femtocell is typically the size of a residential gateway or smaller and generally connects to the user's broadband line. Once plugged in, the femtocell connects to the mobile operator's mobile network and provides extra coverage in a range of typically 30 to 50 meters for residential femtocells. Thus, a LP eNB might be a femtocell eNB since it is coupled through the PDN GW 126. Similarly, a picocell is a wireless communication system typically covering a small area, such as in-building (offices, shopping malls, train stations, etc.), or more recently in-aircraft. A picocell eNB can generally connect through the X2 link to another eNB such as a macro eNB through its base station controller (BSC)

functionality. Thus, LP eNB may be implemented with a picocell eNB since it is coupled to a macro eNB via an X2 interface. Picocell eNBs or other LP eNBs may incorporate some or all functionality of a macro eNB. In some cases, this may be referred to as an access point base station or enterprise femtocell. [0024] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid may be used for downlink transmissions from an eNB 104 to a UE 102, while uplink

transmission from the UE 102 to the eNB 104 may utilize similar techniques. The grid may be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink in each slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is a common practice for OFDM sy stems, which makes it intuitive for radio resource allocation. Each column and each row of the resource grid correspond to one OFDM symbol and one OFDM

subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to one slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in a resource grid is denoted as a resource element (RE). Each resource grid comprises a number of resource blocks (RBs), which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block comprises a collection of resource elements in the frequency domain and may represent the smallest quanta of resources that currently can be allocated. There are several different physical downlink channels that are convey ed using such resource blocks. With particular relevance to this disclosure, two of these physical downlink channels are the physical downlink shared channel and the physical down link control channel.

[0025] The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carries user data and higher-layer signaling to a UE 102 (FIG. 1). The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carries information about the transport format and resource allocations related to the PDSCH channel, among other things. It also informs the UE 102 about the transport format, resource allocation, and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) information related to the uplink shared channel.

Typically, downlink scheduling (e.g., assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to UEs 102 within a cell) may be performed at the eNB 104 based on channel quality information fed back from the UEs 102 to the eNB 104, and then the downlink resource assignment information may be sent to a UE 102 on the control channel (PDCCH) used for (assigned to) the UE 102.

[0026] The PDCCH uses CCEs (control channel elements) to convey the control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols are first organized into quadruplets, which are men permuted using a sub-block inter-leaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH is transmitted using one or more of these control channel elements (CCEs), where each CCE corresponds to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as resource element groups (REGs). Four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of DCI and the channel condition. There may be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation level, L=l, 2, 4, or 8).

[0027] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group), and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) mat execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be implemented in, or functions associated with the circuitry may be implemented by, one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, circuitry may include logic, at least partially operable in hardware. Embodiments described herein may be implemented into a system using any suitably configured hardware and/or software.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine in accordance with some embodiments. The machine 200 is an example machine upon which any one or more of the techniques and/or methodologies discussed herein may be performed. In alternative embodiments, the machine 200 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 200 may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in server-client network environments. In an example, the machine 200 may act as a peer machine in peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 200 may be a UE 102, eNB 104, access point (AP), station (ST A), mobile device, base station, personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) mat specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

[0029] Examples as described herein, may include, or may operate on, logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In an example, circuits may be arranged (e.g. , internally or with respect to external entities such as other circuits) in a specified manner as a module. In an example, the whole or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, an application portion, or an application) as a module that operates to perform specified operations. In an example, the software may reside on a machine readable medium. In an example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform the specified operations.

[0030] Accordingly, the term "module" is understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., transitorily) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform part or all of any operation described herein. Considering examples in which modules are temporarily configured, each of the modules need not be instantiated at any one moment in time. For example, where the modules comprise a general-purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as respective different modules at different times. Software may accordingly configure a hardware processor, for example, to constitute a particular module at one instance of time and to constitute a different module at a different instance of time.

[0031] The machine (e.g., computer system) 200 may include a hardware processor 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 204 and a static memory 206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 208. The machine 200 may further include a display unit 210, an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 210, input device 212 and UI navigation device 214 may be a touch screen display. The machine 200 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 216, a signal generation device 218 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 220, and one or more sensors 221, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. The machine 200 may include an output controller 228, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, etc.).

[0032] The storage device 216 may include a machine readable medium 222 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 224 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 224 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 204, within static memory 206, or within the hardware processor 202 during execution thereof by the machine 200. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 202, the main memory 204, the static memory 206, or the storage device 216 may constitute machine readable media. In some embodiments, the machine readable medium may be or may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the machine readable medium may be or may include a computer-readable storage medium.

[0033] While the machine readable medium 222 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 224. The term "machine readable medium" may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 200 and that cause the machine 200 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting machine readable medium examples may include solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media Specific examples of machine readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable

Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; Random Access Memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some examples, machine readable media may include non-transitory machine readable media. In some examples, machine readable media may include machine readable media that is not a transitory propagating signal.

[0034] The instructions 224 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 226 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 220 utilizing any one of a number of transfer protocols (e.g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®, IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®), IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) family of standards, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In an example, the network interface device 220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communications network 226. In an example, the network interface device 220 may include a plurality of antennas to wirelessly communicate using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques. In some examples, the network interface device 220 may wirelessly communicate using Multiple User MIMO techniques. The term 'transmission medium" shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 200, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an Evolved Node-B (eNB) in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that in some

embodiments, the eNB 300 may be a stationary non-mobile device. The eNB 300 may be suitable for use as an eNB 104 as depicted in FIG. 1, in some embodiments. The eNB 300 may include physical layer circuitry 302 and a transceiver 305, one or both of which may enable transmission and reception of signals to and from the UE 102, other eNBs, other UEs or other devices using one or more antennas 301. As an example, the physical layer circuitry 302 may perform various encoding and decoding functions that may include formation of baseband signals for transmission and decoding of received signals. As another example, the transceiver 305 may perform various transmission and reception functions such as conversion of signals between a baseband range and a Radio Frequency (RF) range. Accordingly, the physical layer circuitry 302 and the transceiver 305 may be separate components or may be part of a combined component. In addition, some of the described functionality related to transmission and reception of signals may be performed by a combination that may include one, any or all of the physical layer circuitry 302, the transceiver 305, and other components or layers. The eNB 300 may also include medium access control layer (MAC) circuitry 304 for controlling access to the wireless medium The eNB 300 may also include processing circuitry 306 and memory 308 arranged to perform the operations described herein. The eNB 300 may also include one or more interfaces 310, which may enable communication with other components, including other eNBs 104 (FIG. 1), components in the EPC 120 (FIG. 1) or other network components. In addition, the interfaces 310 may enable communication with other components that may not be shown in FIG. 1, including components external to the network. As an example, the interfaces 310 may enable communication between the eNB 300 and an access point (AP) and/or other component of a WLAN. The interfaces 310 may be wired or wireless or a combination thereof. It should be noted that in some embodiments, an eNB or other base station may include some or all of the components shown in either FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 or both.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a User Equipment (UE) in accordance with some embodiments. The UE 400 may be suitable for use as a UE 102 as depicted in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the UE 400 may include application circuitry 402, baseband circuitry 404, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 406, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 408 and one or more antennas 410, coupled together at least as shown. In some embodiments, other circuitry or arrangements may include one or more elements and/or components of the application circuitry 402, the baseband circuitry 404, the RF circuitry 406 and/or the FEM circuitry 408, and may also include other elements and/or components in some cases. As an example, "processing circuitry" may include one or more elements and/or components, some or all of which may be included in the application circuitry 402 and/or the baseband circuitry 404. As another example, a "transceiver" or "transceiver circuitry" may include one or more elements and/or components, some or all of which may be included in the RF circuitry 406 and/or the FEM circuitry 408. These examples are not limiting, however, as the processing circuitry, the transceiver and/or the transceiver circuitry may also include other elements and/or components in some cases. It should be noted that in some embodiments, a UE or other mobile device may include some or all of the components shown in either FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 or both.

[0037] The application circuitry 402 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 402 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors,

application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled with and/or may include memory /storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory /storage to enable various applications and/or operating systems to run on the system.

[0038] The baseband circuitry 404 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry' 404 may include one or more baseband processors and/or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 406 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 406. Baseband processing circuitry 404 may interface with the application circuitry 402 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 406. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may include a second generation (2G) baseband processor 404a, third generation (3G) baseband processor 404b, fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 404c, and/or other baseband processor(s) 404d for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., fifth generation (5G), 6G, etc.). The baseband circuitry 404 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 404a-d) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 406. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation/demodulation,

encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 404 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, and/or constellation

mapping/demapping functionality. In some embodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 404 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and/or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality. Embodiments of modulation/demodulation and encoder/decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functionality' in other embodiments.

[0039] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may include elements of a protocol stack such as, for example, elements of an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) protocol including, for example, physical (PHY), media access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and/or radio resource control (RRC) elements. A central processing unit (CPU) 404e of the baseband circuitry 404 may be configured to run elements of the protocol stack for signaling of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP and/or RRC layers. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry may include one or more audio digital signal processors) (DSP) 404f. The audio DSP(s) 404f may be include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 404 and the application circuitry 402 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0040] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) and/or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 404 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0041] RF circuitry 406 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through anon-solid medium In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 406 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 406 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 408 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 404. RF circuitry 406 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 404 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 408 for transmission.

[0042] In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 406 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the RF circuitry 406 may include mixer circuitry 406a, amplifier circuitry 406b and filter circuitry 406c. The transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 406 may include filter circuitry 406c and mixer circuitry 406a. RF circuitry 406 may also include synthesizer circuitry 406d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry' 406a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 408 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 406d. The amplifier circuitry 406b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 406c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuity 404 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 406a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 406d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuity 408. The baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 404 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 406c. The filter circuitry 406c may include a low-pass filter (LPF), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0043] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 406a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and/or upconversion respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 406a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g.,

Hartley image reject on). In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 406a may be arranged for direct downconversion and/or direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 406a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 406a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternate embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RF circuitry 406 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 404 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 406. In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0045] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 406d may be a fractional-N sy nthesizer or a fractional N/N+l synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 406d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequenc ' multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency' divider. The synthesizer circuitry 406d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 406a of the RF circuitry 406 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 406d may be a fractional N/N+l synthesizer. In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 404 or the applications processor 402 depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on a channel indicated by the applications processor 402.

[0046] Synthesizer circuitry 406d of the RF circuitry 406 may include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DP A). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+l (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0047] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 406d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequenc ' (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLo). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 406 may include an IQ/polar converter.

[0048] FEM circuitry 408 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 410, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 406 for further processing. FEM circuitry 408 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 406 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 410.

[0049] In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 408 may include a TX/RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 406). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 408 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 406), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 410. In some embodiments, the UE 400 may include additional elements such as, for example, memory/storage, display, camera, sensor, and/or input/output (I/O) interface.

[0050] The antennas 230, 301, 410 may comprise one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas or other types of antennas suitable for transmission of RF signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, the antennas 230, 301, 410 may be effectively separated to take advantage of spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may result.

[0051] In some embodiments, the UE 400 and/or the eNB 300 may be a mobile device and may be a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless communication capability, a web tablet, a wireless telephone, a smartphone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a wearable device such as a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), or other device that may receive and/or transmit information wirelessly. In some embodiments, the UE 400 or eNB 300 may be configured to operate in accordance with 3GPP standards, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. Mobile devices or other devices in some embodiments may be configured to operate according to other protocols or standards, including IEEE 802.11 or other IEEE standards. In some embodiments, the UE 400, eNB 300 or other device may include one or more of a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, speakers, and other mobile device elements. The display may be an LCD screen including a touch screen.

[0052] Although the UE 400 and the eNB 300 are each illustrated as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may comprise one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) and combinations of various hardware and logic circuitry for performing at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, the functional elements may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements. [0053] Embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware and software. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein. A computer-readable storage device may include any non-transitory mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a computer-readable storage device may include readonly memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash-memory devices, and other storage devices and media. Some embodiments may include one or more processors and may be configured with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device.

[0054] It should be noted that in some embodiments, an apparatus for a

UE may include various components of the UE 400 and/or the machine 200 as shown in FIGs. 2 and 4. Accordingly, techniques and operations described herein that refer to the UE 400 (or 102) may be applicable to an apparatus for a UE, in some embodiments. In addition, an apparatus for an eNB may include various components of the eNB 300 and/or the machine 200 as shown in FIGs. 3 and 4. Accordingly, techniques and operations described herein that refer to the eNB 300 (or 104) may be applicable to an apparatus for an eNB, in some embodiments.

[0055] In accordance with some embodiments, the UE 102 may receive data packets on a wireless local area network (WLAN) link between the UE 102 and an access point (AP) of a WLAN. The WLAN link may be included in a split bearer between the UE 102 and an eNB 104 of a cellular network. The UE 1022 may receive, from the eNB 104, a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message that indicates one or more parameters for suspension and/or resumption of the WLAN link. In some embodiments, the split bearer may be configured as a switched bearer. The UE 102 may send a WLAN suspend request message to the eNB 104 to request a temporary suspension of the WLAN link in accordance with one or more parameters included in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message. These embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0056] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of connectivity between a UE, an eNB and a WLAN access point (AP) in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by the example scenario 500 in terms of number, type or arrangement of components, interfaces or networks. In some embodiments, the cellular network 510 may be or may include a 3GPP LTE network, although the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. Accordingly, references may be made herein to a 3GPP LTE network 510, but such references are not limiting. For instance, some operations, techniques and/or methods may be described herein in terms of embodiments that include a 3GPP LTE network 510; however, it is understood that some or all operations, techniques and/or methods described herein may be applicable to embodiments that include a different type of cellular network 510 and/or other network.

[0057] In some embodiments, the 3GPP LTE network 510 may include one or more components from FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 5. Accordingly, references herein to usage of a 3GPP network and/or 3GPP LTE network may include usage of the 3GPP network shown in FIG. 1, the 3GPP LTE network shown in FIG. 5, other 3GPP networks and/or a combination thereof, in some cases. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may be arranged to communicate with the WLAN 520, to communicate with one or more components from the 3GPP LTE network 510 (in FIG. 5) and/or to communicate with one or more components from the 3GPP network shown in FIG. 1.

[0058] In some embodiments, the UE 102 may be arranged to operate in accordance with one or more protocols. The UE 102 may be configured to communicate with multiple networks and/or multiple components in accordance with one or more such protocols, in some cases. Referring to FIG. 5, the UE 102 may communicate with the eNB 104 of the 3GPP LTE network 510 over the wireless link 512. The UE 102 may communicate with the AP 525 of the

WLAN 520 over the wireless link 522. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may communicate with the AP 525 in accordance with a WLAN protocol and may communicate with the eNB 104 in accordance with a 3GPP LTE protocol. The AP 525 and the eNB 104 may communicate with each other over an interface 530, which may be a wired interface in some cases. The interface 530 may be or may include an Xw interface in some embodiments. However, the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect, as other interfaces (which may or may not be part of a standard) may be used for communication between the eNB 104 and the AP 525. In some embodiments, the eNB 104 and the AP 525 may communicate using wireless techniques or a combination of wired and wireless techniques.

[0059] FIG. 6 illustrates the operation of a method of communication in accordance with some embodiments. It is important to note that embodiments of the method 600 may include additional or even fewer operations or processes in comparison to what is illustrated in FIG. 6. In addition, embodiments of the method 600 are not necessarily limited to the chronological order that is shown in FIG. 6. In describing the method 600, reference may be made to FIGs. 1-5 and 7-11, although it is understood mat the method 600 may be practiced with any other suitable systems, interfaces and components.

[0060] In addition, while the method 600 and other methods described herein may refer to eNBs 104 or UEs 102 operating in accordance with 3GPP standards, SG standards and/or other standards, embodiments of those methods are not limited to just those eNBs 104 or UEs 102 and may also be practiced on other devices, such as a Wi-Fi access point (AP) or user station (STA). In some embodiments, the UE 102 and/or other device may be arranged to operate in accordance with multiple protocols, such as a 3GPP protocol and a WLAN protocol. In addition, the method 600 and other methods described herein may be practiced by wireless devices configured to operate in other suitable types of wireless communication systems, including systems configured to operate according to various IEEE standards such as IEEE 802.11. The method 600 may also refer to an apparatus for a UE 102 and/or eNB 104 and/or other device described above.

[0061] It should be noted that the method 600 and other methods described herein may be practiced by a wireless device that may be arranged to operate in accordance with one or more standards, such as 3GPP LTE standards, IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards and/or other standards, in some embodiments. Accordingly, although reference may be made to a UE 102 in the description of the method 600, it is understood that any suitable wireless device, such as a STA 102 and/or other device, may be used in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a UE 102 may be configured to communicate with a 3GPP LTE network and a WLAN. As a non-limiting example, the UE 102 may communicate with the 3GPP LTE network 510 and with the WLAN 520 to exchange signals, messages, data and/or other elements. Accordingly, references may be made to the 3GPP LTE network 510 and the WLAN 520 as part of descriptions of the methods 600, 1000 and/or other descriptions herein, but such references are not limiting, as other networks may be used in some

embodiments.

[0062] It should also be noted that embodiments are not limited by references herein (such as in descriptions of the methods 600 and/or 1100 and/or other descriptions herein) to transmission, reception and/or exchanging of elements such as frames, messages, requests, indicators, signals or other elements. In some embodiments, such an element may be generated, encoded or otherwise processed by processing circuitry (such as by a baseband processor included in the processing circuitry) for transmission. The transmission may be performed by a transceiver or other component, in some cases. In some embodiments, such an element may be decoded, detected or otherwise processed by the processing circuitry (such as by the baseband processor). The element may be received by a transceiver or other component, in some cases. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry and the transceiver may be included in a same apparatus. The scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect, however, as the transceiver may be separate from the apparatus that comprises the processing circuitry, in some embodiments.

[0063] At operation 605, the UE 102 may receive a WLAN

suspend/resume configuration message from an eNB 104 of a cellular network 510. In some embodiments, the WLAN suspend configuration message may include a group of one or more WLAN suspend configuration parameters. The UE 102 may use the WLAN suspend configuration parameters, in some cases, as part of a suspension and/or a resumption of a WLAN link, as will also be described below. Examples of such parameters may include any or all of a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, a minimum duration and/or maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link, a minimum duration and/or maximum duration between consecutive

resumptions of the WLAN link and/or other parameters. Additional examples will be given below. [0064] It should be noted that the WLAN suspend configuration message may be or may include any suitable message(s), which may or may not be part of a standard. As an example, an LWA Configuration message, which may be part of a 3GPP standard and/or LWA standard, may be used. In some cases, an LWA Configuration information element (IE) that includes the parameters may be included in the LWA Configuration message or in another message. As another example, other radio resource control (RRC) messages may include the LWA Configuration IE and/or the WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to usage of any particular message and/or IE, however. For instance, control messages, broadcast messages and/or other messages, which may or may not be dedicated for communication of the parameters, may be used in some embodiments.

[0065] In some embodiments, RRC signaling may be used to

communicate configuration parameters for suspension and/or resumption. In some embodiments, one or more information elements (IEs) may be used for such communication, including IEs which may or may not be dedicated for the communication of the parameters for suspension and/or resumption. In some embodiments, other IEs, including existing IEs, common IEs and/or shared IEs, may be used. As an example, an LWA configuration IE may be used for communication of the parameters. In some cases, the LWA configuration IE may be extended to accommodate the communication of the parameters for the suspension and/or resumption. In some cases, one or more IEs may be present or absent, depending on a system configuration or other factors. Accordingly, the parameters for the suspension and/or resumption may be communicated using other IEs or other techniques in such cases. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by example IEs described herein in terms of name, type, arrangement or size of the example IEs. In addition, embodiments are also not limited by the name, type, arrangement, size, range or units of measurement of the parameters of the example IEs.

[0066] Example parameters that may be related to the suspension and/or resumption are given below. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by the example parameters or by example values of the parameters. In some embodiments, one or more alternate parameters, additional parameters and/or similar parameters may be used. In addition, some embodiments may not necessarily include all parameters described below. References may be made to an LWA arrangement in descriptions herein, such as in the descriptions of the parameters below, but such references are not limiting. One or more of the parameters may be applicable to other arrangements, in some cases.

[0067] As an example of a parameter, a maximum duration of suspension parameter may be defined which may be or may be related to a timeout window for a suspension. If a resumption is not reported/requested by the UE 102 within the timeout window, the eNB 104 may enforce a release procedure, such as a LWA release and/or other. As another example of a parameter, a minimum duration of suspension parameter may be defined which may be or may be related to a minimum time duration for the LWA to suspend when the UE 102 intends/requests to use a suspend/resume LWA operation. In some

embodiments, the minimum duration parameter may be optional. In some cases, a value of the minimum duration parameter may be based on one or more factors, including but not limited to a minimum time of processing of the eNB 104 for suspend/resume operation, a resource management strategy of the network or other factors.

[0068] As another example of a parameter, a minimum interv al between suspend requests may be used to limit overhead due to suspension operations, to avoid frequent suspension requests or for other purposes. In some cases, the network may define a value for the parameter. In some embodiments, the parameter may be optional. As another example of a parameter, a minimum interval between resume requests may be used to limit overhead due to resumption operations, to avoid frequent resumption requests or for other purposes. In some cases, the network may define a value for the parameter. In some embodiments, the parameter may be optional.

[0069] As another example of a parameter, a minimum duration between consecutive suspend periods (such as a duration between a resumption and a next suspension request or other similar duration) may be used to limit overhead due to suspension operations and/or resumption operations, to avoid frequent suspension requests and/or resumption requests or for other purposes. In some cases, the network may define a value for the parameter. In some embodiments, the parameter may be optional. As another example of a parameter, a maximum duration between consecutive suspend periods (such as a duration between a resumption and a next suspension request or other similar duration) may be used. For instance, in some cases, a suspension/resumption may be periodic and the WLAN communication link of LWA bearer may be suspended after the maximum duration regardless of a suspension request. This may reduce suspension/resumption signaling overhead, in some cases. In some embodiment, the parameter may be optional. If the eNB 104 suspends the LWA based on the maximum duration parameter, then a resumption time may also be defined. For instance, a default value of suspension period, the maximum duration of suspension described above or the minimum duration of suspension described above may be used, in some cases.

[0070] As another example of a parameter, a default duration of suspension may be used. In some embodiments, the network may configure a value for this parameter for periodic suspension/resumption operation in which the suspension/resumption may be performed without explicit

suspension/resumption requests from the UE 102. For instance, a value of the parameter may be based on a periodicity of micro-transactions. In some embodiments, the parameter may be optional. As another example of a parameter, a maximum number of suspend requests within a time interval may be used. In some cases, the parameter may be used to enable an avoidance of frequent suspension/resumption operations and/or related signaling overhead. In some embodiments, the parameter may be optional.

[0071] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a configuration message in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a message to request suspension or resumption of a bearer in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by the example messages 700, 800 in terms of arrangement, ordering, type, number and/or other aspects of the elements shown in FIGs. 7 and 8. For instance, all parameters and/or information shown in FIGs. 7 and/or 8 may not necessarily be included in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a message may include one or more parameters that may be similar to and/or related to those shown in the example messages 700 and/or 800. In addition, the organization of the parameters and/or information shown in the example messages 700 and/or 800 is not limiting.

[0072] As indicated in FIG. 7, the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message 700 may be, may be included in, or may include an LWA configuration message and/or LWA configuration IE in some cases, although the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. Example parameters that may be included in the message/IE 700 in some embodiments are described below. It should be noted mat embodiments are not limited by the example parameters or by example values of the parameters. In some embodiments, one or more alternate parameters, additional parameters and/or similar parameters may be used. In addition, some embodiments may not necessarily include all parameters described below. Although reference may be made to an LWA configuration IE in descriptions of the parameters, it is understood that one or more of the parameters may be included in any suitable IE, message and/or other element, in some cases.

[0073] As an example of a parameter that may be included in an LWA configuration IE or an LWA suspend/resume IE, a default suspension duration, such as a "defaults us pendDur" parameter 70S or other parameter, may indicate a default duration of suspension time. For instance, a value of the parameter may be used if a suspension request message is received which does not include a suspension duration. Any suitable values may be indicated by the parameter. As non-limiting examples, a value "sfl" may correspond to a value of one sub- frame, a value of "sf2" may correspond to two sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0074] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a group of one or more "LWA-MobilityConfig" parameters 710 or other parameters may be used to indicate parameters used for WLAN mobility. As another example of a parameter that may be included in an LWA configuration IE, an "LWA-WT-Counter" parameter 715 or other parameter may be used by the UE 102 for WLAN authentication. [0075] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, one or more "LWA-SuspendResume" parameters 720 or other parameters may be related to suspension and/or resumption of LWA. In some embodiments, the parameters may be applicable when LWA

suspension/resumption is supported. For instance, a presence of the "LWA- SuspendResume" field 720 may indicate that LWA suspend/resume is supported, in some cases.

[0076] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MaxResumeBetweenSuspends" parameter 725 or other parameter may indicate a maximum duration between consecutive suspend periods (such as a duration from a resumption to an immediately next suspension request). As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub- frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0077] As another example of a parameter mat may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MaxSuspendCounter" parameter 730 or other parameter may indicate a maximum number of suspend requests allowed to be sent by the UE 102 within a particular time duration. As a non-limiting example, the time duration may be or may be related to a

"maxSuspendCounterTimer" parameter described below. This example is not limiting, however, as other parameters, such as a predefined threshold, may be used in some cases. Although not limited as such, the parameter may be indicated by an integer value.

[0078] As another example of a parameter mat may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MaxSuspendCounterTimer" parameter 735 or other parameter may indicate a time duration in which a maximum number of suspend requests may be allowed to be sent by the UE 102. In some cases, the parameter may be used in accordance with other parameters, such as a

"MaxSuspendCounter" parameter or a "SuspendCounterTimer" parameter (to be described below) or other similar parameters. As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub-frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub- frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub- frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration. In some embodiments, usage of the "MaxSuspendCounterTimer" parameter 735 may be restricted to usage only when the "MaxSuspendCounter" parameter 730 (or similar paramter) is present.

[0079] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MaxSuspendTime" parameter 740 or other parameter may indicate a maximum duration of a suspension. In some cases, the eNB 104 may enforce a release (such as a LWA release or other) if a resumption request is not reported within a timeout duration that is equal to and/or based on this parameter (the maximum duration of the suspension). As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub-frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0080] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MinResumelnterval" parameter 745 or other parameter may indicate a minimum interval between consecutive resume requests. As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub- frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the interval.

[0081] As another example of a parameter mat may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MinResumeBetweenSuspends" parameter 750 or other parameter may indicate a minimum duration between consecutive suspend periods (such as a duration from a resumption to an immediately next suspension request). As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub- frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values ma}' be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0082] As another example of a parameter mat may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MinSuspendlnterval" parameter 755 or other parameter may indicate a minimum interval between consecutive suspend requests. As non-limiting examples, a value "sflO" may correspond to 10 sub- frames, a value of "sf20" may correspond to 20 sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0083] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

LWA configuration IE, a "MinSuspendTime" parameter 760 or other parameter may indicate a minimum time for the LWA to suspend when the UE 102 requests to use a suspension/resumption LWA operation. As non-limiting examples, a value "sfl" may correspond to one sub-frame, a value of "sf2" may correspond to two sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub-frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub-frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0084] The WLAN suspend/resume configuration message 700 may also include any number (including zero) of other parameters or information 765, which may or may not be related to suspension/resumption. As an example, control information for the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message 700 may be included.

[0085] Returning to the method 600, at operation 610, the UE 102 may receive one or more data packets on a split bearer between the UE 102 and the eNB 104. In some embodiments, the split bearer may include a WLAN link between the UE 102 and an AP 525 of a WLAN 520 and a cellular link between the UE 102 and the eNB 104. The UE 102 may be arranged to receive the data packets on the split bearer in accordance with an LTE WLAN Aggregation (LWA) arrangement, in some cases, although embodiments are not limited to LWA arrangements. [0086] As an example, the split bearer may be arranged in a manner in which a first group of data packets may be sent on the WLAN link and a second group of data packets may be sent on the cellular link. As another example, the split bearer may be arranged as a "switched bearer" in which the data packets of the split bearer are sent to the UE 102 on the WLAN link during a time period. For instance, during the time period, the eNB 104 may decide to send all data packets of the split bearer to the WLAN 520 for relay to the UE 102 on the WLAN link.

[0087] At operation 615, the UE 102 may determine that the WLAN link is to be temporarily suspended. At operation 620, the UE may determine one or more performance metrics for the WLAN link. At operation 625, the UE may determine whether a communication with a second WLAN and/or other network is expected. In some cases, results of operations like 620, 625 and/or others may be used as part of operation 615, as will be described in examples below. It should be noted mat some embodiments may not necessarily include all operations. For instance, one or both of operations 620 and 625 may not be performed in some embodiments.

[0088] As an example, the UE 102 may determine an unavailability of the WLAN 525. As another example, the UE 102 may temporarily suspend communication with the WLAN 525 to enable communication with another network. In some cases, the UE 102 may determine that at least the WLAN link is to be suspended. Accordingly, it may be possible that the cellular link, the split bearer and/or other elements are also suspended in addition to the WLAN link, in such cases. In these and other examples, the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based on an expected unavailability of the UE 102 for reception of data packets on the WLAN link during a suspension period. These examples will be described in more detail below. In some embodiments, such a suspension of the WLAN link may be performed in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message. Accordingly, the UE 102 may determine whether or not the WLAN link is to be suspended based at least partly on such parameters, in some cases. For instance, the UE 102 may compare a count of previous suspensions during a time interval with a maximum number for the time interval. If the count is already at a limit, the UE 102 may decide to refrain from initiating the suspension.

[0089] As an example, the UE 102 may move out of a WLAN mobility set temporarily. In some cases, the UE 102 may be able to know, determine and/or predict that in a particular location (such as a "dead spot" or other), the WLAN 525 may be unavailable. The determination of the unavailability at the particular location may be determined based on factors such as a mobility pattern, signal quality measurement(s) and/or other factors. Accordingly, the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on an occurrence of a performance condition at the UE 102 that may be based at least partly on a performance metric of the WLAN link, such as an average, maximum and/or minimum data rate, signal quality measurement and/or other metric. As an example, the performance condition may occur when one of the performance metrics above is lower than a predetermined threshold, in some cases. For instance, if a signal quality' measurement and/or data rate is too low, the UE 102 may determine an unavailability of the WLAN 520, a dead spot of WLAN 520 coverage, a coverage hole of the WLAN 520 or similar.

[0090] The determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be further based at least partly on a determination that the performance condition is temporary. For instance, it may be determined by the UE 102 that the performance condition is to occur for a time duration that is less than a particular duration. Any suitable duration, including a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link received in the WLAN suspend configuration message, may be used. In some embodiments, it may be possible that, in scenarios of unavailability such as described above, an LW A connection and/or WLAN connection may be maintained instead of being torn down and/or re-initiated.

[0091] As another example, the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on an expected communication, by the UE 102, with a second WLAN 520 while the WLAN link of the first WLAN 520 is suspended. For instance, the UE 102 may perform "micro transactions" with another WLAN 520 (such as a home WLAN 520 or other), with another peer-to- peer network or with another network. An application may enable the UE 102 to communicate with a terminal for a financial transaction (such as a payment to a merchant or other transaction), for example. These and other transactions may be performed periodically or sporadically. The UE 102 may also perform operations such as network, device or service discovery. It should be noted that the UE 102 may not necessarily support concurrent operation/communication with multiple WLAN networks 520, in some cases. Accordingly, in the scenarios described above and/or other scenarios, the UE 102 may communicate with other WLANs 520, with networks not included in the LWA arrangement and/or with other networks on a temporary basis. The communication with the second WLAN may be restricted by one or more parameters, including but not limited to a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message or other message. In some embodiments, it may be possible that, in these and other scenarios, an LWA connection and/or WLAN connection may be maintained instead of being torn down and/or re-initiated. For instance, the connection may be maintained without usage of a LWA release procedure, a LWA setup procedure and/or other procedures that may be part of an LWA arrangement.

[0092] As another example, a change of APs 525 within the WLAN mobility set may be made for the LWA arrangement. In some cases, the UE 102 in communication with a first AP 525 of the WLAN 520 as part of the LWA arrangement may begin to communicate with a second AP 525 of the WLAN 520 as part of the LWA arrangement. For instance, a hand-off or hand-over may occur. Such a change of APs 525 may result in packet loss in some cases, such as when APs 525 within the mobility set are not controlled by the AC and/or other scenarios. The packet loss may be mitigated, in some cases, using techniques and/or operations described herein.

[0093] As another example, the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE 102, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration. For instance, such a criterion based on a timer and a counter may reduce abuse of the suspend/resume operation. That is, the criterion may prevent or mitigate the UE 102 from requesting the suspension of the WLAN link too frequently. [0094] At operation 630, the UE 102 may transmit a WL AN suspend request message to the eNB 104. In some embodiments, the WL AN suspend request message may indicate a request, by the UE 102, that the network is to suspend an allocation of data packets to the WL AN link while the WLAN link is suspended. In some embodiments, the WLAN suspend request message may indicate an unavailability and/or expected unavailability of the WLAN link. In some embodiments, the WLAN suspend request message may indicate a request, by the UE 102, that the WLAN link be maintained, as part of the split bearer, for possible resumption after a duration of time. Accordingly, the UE 102 may request mat the WLAN link be maintained and not terminated and may plan to request a resumption of the WLAN link at a future time.

[0095] The WLAN suspend request message may include one or more parameters related to the requested suspension of the WLAN link, in some cases. It should be noted that the WLAN suspend request message may be or may include any suitable message(s), which may or may not be part of a standard. As an example, a WLAN Connection Status Report message, which may be part of a 3GPP standard and/or LWA standard, may be used. In some cases, a WLAN Connection Status Report information element (IE) may include the parameters related to the requested suspension, and may be included in the WLAN

Connection Status Report message or in another message. As another example, other radio resource control (RRC) messages may include the WLAN

Connection Status Report IE and/or the parameters related to the requested suspension. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to usage of any particular message and/or IE, however. For instance, control messages, and/or other messages, which may or may not be dedicated for communication of the parameters, may be used in some embodiments.

[0096] In some embodiments, the UE 102 may send the WLAN suspend request message and/or WLAN resume request message to the eNB 104 using RRC signaling. Embodiments are not limited to RRC signaling, however, as PDCP signaling (such as LWA PDCP status reporting or other) and/or other signaling may be used in some embodiments. An example of a WLAN

Connection Status Report message that may be used as an LWA suspend request message will be described below. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the WLAN Connection Status Report message may be used as a WLAN resume request message. In some embodiments, information related to the suspension and/or resumption may be included in a WLAN Connection Status Report IE, although embodiments are not limited as such. It should be noted that the WLAN Connection Status Report message may be used for purposes in addition to, or instead of, communication of information related to suspension and/or resumption. As will be described below, in some cases, a presence of a parameter, such as a WLANSuspendResumeRequest parameter or other parameter, may indicate that the WLAN Connection Status Report message is a WLAN suspend request message or WLAN resume request message, in some cases. The presence of the parameter may also indicate that the WLAN Connection Status Report message includes a WLAN suspend request message or WLAN resume request message, in some cases. The presence of the parameter may also indicate that the WLAN Connection Status Report message includes information related to suspension and/or resumption, in some cases.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 8, the message 800 may be or may include a

WLAN suspend request message, WLAN resume request message (to be described below), a WLAN Connection Status Report message and/or WLAN Connection Status Report IE in some cases, although the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. Example parameters that may be included in the message/IE 800 in some embodiments are described below. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by the example parameters or by example values of the parameters. In some embodiments, one or more alternate parameters, additional parameters and/or similar parameters may be used. In addition, some embodiments may not necessarily include all parameters described below. Although reference may be made to an LWA suspend request message and/or LWA resume request message in descriptions of the parameters of FIG. 8, it is understood that one or more of the parameters may be included in any suitable IE, message and/or other element, in some cases.

[0098] As an example of a parameter that may be included in a WLAN suspend request message 800 a suspension duration parameter, such as a "SuspendDur" parameter 805 or other parameter, may indicate a duration of suspension time. In some cases, the suspension duration may be applicable (and/or included) when a WLAN status parameter (to be described below) is set to a value of "suspended." In some cases, when the suspension duration parameter 805 is absent, a default value (such as a "DefaultSuspendDur" parameter or other parameter) may be used. For instance, a default value may be used if a suspend request message 800 is received which does not include a suspension duration 80S. Any suitable values may be indicated by the suspension duration parameter 80S. As non-limiting examples, a value "sf1" may correspond to a value of one sub-frame, a value of "sf2" may correspond to two sub-frames and similar values may be used for any suitable number of sub- frames. As previously described, embodiments are not limited to usage of sub- frames, as other suitable units of measurement may be used to indicate the duration.

[0099] As another example of a parameter that may be included in an

WLAN suspend request message 800, a WLAN status parameter 810 or other parameter, may indicate whether the message 800 includes information including, but not limited to, a connection status to the WLAN 520, failure causes and/or other information.

[00100] As another example of a parameter that may be included in a WLAN suspend request message 800, a suspension resumption indicator, such as a "WLANSuspendResumeRequest" parameter 815 or other parameter, may indicate whether the message 800 includes a suspension request or a resumption request. Accordingly, the parameter may indicate whether the message is a WLAN suspend request message or a WLAN resume request message. In some embodiments, the presence of the parameter in the WLAN Connection Status Report message may indicate that the WLAN Connection Status Report message is a WLAN suspend request message or WLAN resume request message. As non-limiting examples, values indicated by the suspend/resume indicator 815 may include "suspended" or "resumed" or similar. However, embodiments are not limited to usage of such values, as any suitable technique to indicate that a suspension or resumption is requested may be used, in some embodiments.

[00101] The WLAN suspend request message 800 may also include any number (including zero) of other parameters or information 820, which may or may not be related to suspension/resumption. As an example, control information for the WLAN suspend request message 800 may be included.

[00102] Returning to the method 600, at operation 635, the UE 102 may exchange messages with a second WLAN 520 and/or other network while the WLAN link is suspended. As described previously, embodiments may not necessarily include all operations, such as operation 635 and/or others.

Accordingly, operation 635 may be performed in scenarios in which the UE 102 requests the suspension of the WLAN link based on an expected communication with the second WLAN 520 and/or other network.

[00103] At operation 640, the UE 102 may receive data packets on the cellular link while the WLAN link is suspended. In some cases, one or more of the data packets received by the UE 102 on the cellular link may be re-routed, by the eNB 104 and/or cellular network 510, to the cellular link due to the suspension of the WLAN link.

[00104] At operation 645, the UE 102 may determine that the WLAN link is to be resumed. At operation 650, the UE 102 may transmit a WLAN resume request message to the eNB 104. In some embodiments, the WLAN resume request message may indicate a request that the cellular network 510 is to resume the allocation of data packets to the WLAN link. In some embodiments, the WLAN resume request message may indicate a request that such packets are to be transmitted using WLAN radio resources. In some embodiments, the WLAN resume request message may indicate an availability of the UE 102 for reception of data packets on the WLAN link. The WLAN resume request may be or may include a WLAN connection status report message (such as the message 800 or other), although the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. It should be noted that in some cases, the WLAN suspend request message may be or may include a WLAN connection status report message and the WLAN resume request message may also be or include a WLAN connection status report message.

[00105] In some embodiments, one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may be used as part of the determination that the WLAN link is to be resumed. For instance, the eNB 104 and/or UE 102 may determine that the WLAN link is to be resumed after a minimum duration of time has elapsed since a last suspension of WLAN link. In some embodiments, the determination that the WLAN link is to be resumed may be based at least partly on an expected availability of the UE 102 for reception of data packets on the WLAN link.

[00106] As an example, the UE 102 may have requested the suspension of the WLAN link due to an expected communication with a second WLAN 520. The UE 102 may request the resumption of the WLAN link when the communication with a second WLAN 520 has terminated in some cases. The UE 102 may request that the WLAN link be resumed at a time at which it is expected that the communication with the second WLAN 520 will have terminated, in some cases. As another example, the UE 102 may determine that the WLAN link is to be resumed based on an improvement and/or expected improvement in a performance condition such as those described earlier.

[00107] At operation 655, the UE 102 may receive data packets from the AP 525 on the WLAN link after the WLAN link is resumed. In some cases, one or more of those data packets may have been stored or retained, such as in a queue, by the eNB 104 and/or cellular network 510 while the WLAN link was suspended. In some cases, including but not limited to uplink transmission, one or more of those data packets may have been stored or retained, such as in a queue, by the UE 102 while the WLAN link was suspended.

[00108] FIG. 9 illustrates examples of messages that may be exchanged in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited by the name, type, ordering or arrangement of messages shown in FIG. 9, as other suitable messages may be used. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may inform the eNB 104 that the WLAN 520 is temporarily not available for LWA. This indication may be used to temporarily schedule data packets (such as PDUs and/or other packets) through LTE without terminating the LWA (for instance, without initiating the WT Release procedure). In some cases, when the WLAN 520 becomes available for LWA, the UE 102 may inform the eNB that the LWA may be resumed. The eNB 104 may resume sending PDUs over WLAN 520 when the LWA is resumed. In some embodiments, operations related to suspension and/or resumption of WLAN 520 may be performed using RRC signaling, in-band PDCP signaling, LWA PDCP status reporting signaling and/or other signaling. Example use cases will be presented below, but it is understood that these examples are not limiting, and operations and/or techniques described herein may be applicable to other scenarios. In the examples described below, the UE 102 may communicate with a WLAN 520 in accordance with an LWA arrangement, in some cases, although embodiments are not limited as such.

[00109] It should be noted that in some cases, the UE 102 may request the LWA suspend/resume. However, in some cases, it may be possible mat the eNB 104 initiates such a request, for instance to handle mobility.

[00110] As indicated by 901 in FIG. 9, the network may configure parameters for suspension and/or resumption of links and/or bearers, such as a WLAN link or other link. In some embodiments, the eNB 104 may send a message, such as a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message, to the UE 102 as will be described below. As indicated by 902 in FIG. 9, the UE 102 may send a message, such as a WLAN suspend/resume configuration

acknowledgement message, to the eNB 104 to indicate information such as whether a configuration indicated by the parameters in the message in 901 may be used at the UE 102. In some embodiments, the acknowledgement message of 902 may be optional. In some cases, RRC signaling by the eNB 104 to the UE 102 may be used to indicate one or more parameter values to the UE 102 (such as in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message and/or other message), although the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. One or more parameters may be predefined in a standard, in some cases. The network may pre-configure one or more of the parameters, in some cases. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, a combination of such techniques may also be used. For instance, a portion of the parameters may be communicated (using RRC signaling and/or other signaling) to the UE 102 and a portion of the parameters may be predefined and/or preconfigured.

[00111] As indicated by 903 in FIG. 9, the UE 102 may send a message, such as a WLAN suspend request message and/or other message, to the eNB 104 to request a suspension of the WLAN link. As indicated by 904 in FIG. 9, the eNB 104 may send a message, such as a WLAN suspend response message and/or other message, to the UE 102 to indicate information such as whether the suspension requested by 903 is successful, failed, accepted and/or rejected. In some embodiments, the acknowledgement message of 904 may be optional. As indicated by 910, the WLAN link may be suspended. In some cases, the LWA may be suspended.

[00112] As indicated by 905 in FIG. 9, the UE 102 may send a message, such as a WLAN resume request message and/or other message, to the eNB 104 to request a resumption of the WLAN link. As indicated by 906 in FIG. 9, the eNB 104 may send a message, such as a WLAN resume response message and/or other message, to the UE 102 to indicate information such as whether the resumption requested by 905 is successful, failed, accepted and/or rejected. In some embodiments, the acknowledgement message of 906 may be optional.

[00113] In some embodiments, a WLAN suspend request message may be sent by the UE 102, along with a duration of suspension after which the LWA may be resumed by the eNB 104 autonomously. In such cases, the UE 102 may send a WLAN suspend request message mat may include the suspension duration. If the duration is not included in the WLAN suspend request message, a default value may be used by the network. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may send both a WLAN suspend request message and a WLAN resume request message. The UE 102 may send the WLAN resume request message for the WLAN link to resume after the requested suspension is successful.

[00114] FIG. 10 illustrates an example method of sending a suspend request in accordance with some embodiments. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to the operations shown, to the chronological order shown, to the logic shown or to other aspects of the example method 1000. Some embodiments may not necessarily include all operations shown. Some embodiments may include additional operations not shown. Some embodiments may include alternate operations or operations that are similar to those shown in FIG. 10.

[00115] In some cases, the UE 102 may verify whether a suspension request and/or resumption request is in accordance with configuration parameters. For instance, before making a suspension/resumption request, the UE 102 may verify whether the suspension/resumption is permitted. For example, the network may have set one or more parameters to limit a number of suspend requests (such as maxSuspendCounter or other) within a certain time interval (default value or optionally maxSuspendCounterTimer). If

maxSuspendCounter is included in the parameters, the UE may be restricted from requesting more suspensions than this counter within a certain period of time. These may be predefined or may be signaled. In some cases, a suspension request may be rejected by the eNB 104. To implement this, the UE 102 may use a counter (such as "SuspendCounter" in FIG. 10) and a timer (such as

"SuspendCounterTimer" in FIG. 10).

[00116] In the method 1000, if a maximum number of allowed requests is reached, the UE 102 may have to wait until the timer expires before it can send any further suspend requests. In addition to, or as an alternative to the counter and timer at the UE 102, the eNB 104 may maintain its own counter and timer to reject suspension requests) if too frequent requests are made. In some embodiments, a WLAN resume request may be absent (mat is, not necessarily sent by the UE 102) if a WLAN suspend request message includes a parameter requesting the duration of suspension. In that case, the network 510 may be aware of a time to resume the WLAN link and therefore may not necessarily require the WLAN resume request. This option may reduce signaling overhead, in some cases. In some embodiments, a default duration may be defined.

[00117] FIG. 11 illustrates the operation of another method of communication in accordance with some embodiments. As mentioned previously regarding the method 600, embodiments of the method 1100 may include additional or even fewer operations or processes in comparison to what is illustrated in FIG. 11. Embodiments of the method 1100 are not necessarily limited to the chronological order that is shown in FIG. 11. In describing the method 1100, reference may be made to any of FIGs. 1-10, although it is understood that the method 1100 may be practiced with any other suitable systems, interfaces and components. In addition, embodiments of the method 1100 may be applicable to UEs 102, eNBs 104, STAs, APs and/or other wireless or mobile devices. The method 1100 may be applicable to an apparatus for a UE 102, eNB 104, STA, AP and/or other wireless or mobile device, in some embodiments. [00118] In some embodiments, the method 1100 may be practiced by an eNB 104 or other base station and the method 600 may be practiced by a UE 102 or other mobile device. It should be noted mat one or more operations of one of the methods 600 or 1100 may be reciprocal to, similar to and/or related to one or more operations included in the other method. As an example, an operation of the method 1100 may include transmission of a message by the eNB 104, and an operation of the method 600 may include reception of the same message or similar message by the UE 102. In addition, previous discussion of various techniques and concepts may be applicable to the method 1100 in some cases, including but not limited to LWA, split bearers, switched bearers, WLAN links, cellular links, suspension of links, suspension of bearers, resumption of links, resumption of bearers, WLAN suspend/resume configuration messages, WLAN suspend request messages, WLAN resume request messages, IEs related to those messages, other messages and IEs. In addition, the messages 700 and/or 800 shown in FIGs. 7-8 may be applicable in some cases.

[00119] It should also be noted that in some embodiments, operations of the method 1100 and/or other methods described herein may be performed in accordance with a cellular network such as the 3GPP network shown in FIG. 1, the 3GPP LTE network 510 shown in FIG. 5, the WLAN 520 shown in FIG. 5 and/or a combination of these and other networks. In addition, such operations may also be performed, in some embodiments, in accordance with one or more networks that may include components from one or more of the figures herein, including but not limited to FIGs. 1 and 5. In some embodiments, the networks may include additional components, some of which may not necessarily be shown in those figures.

[00120] At operation 1105 of the method 1100, the eNB 104 may transmit a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message to a UE 102. As a non-limiting example, the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message may be, or may be included in, or may include an LWA configuration message/IE. The message may include parameters related to suspension of a WLAN link (between the UE 102 and an AP 520 of the WLAN 525) of a split bearer between the eNB 104 and the UE 102, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message may indicate one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters for suspension/resumption of the WLAN link. Example parameters may include a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, a minimum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link, a maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link and/or other parameters (such as previously described).

[00121] At operation 1110, the eNB 104 may allocate a first group of data packets to the WLAN link. The eNB 104 may send the first group of data packets to the WLAN 520 for transmission to the UE 102 at operation 1115.

[00122] At operation 1120, the eNB 104 may allocate a second group of data packets to a cellular link (between the UE 102 and the eNB 104) of the split bearer. The eNB 104 may transmit the second group of data packets to the WLAN 520 at operation 1125. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to split bearers in which data packets are transmitted on both the WLAN link and the cellular link. In a switched bearer arrangement, for instance, all data packets of the split bearer during a particular time period may be allocated to the WLAN link. In addition, the eNB 104 may refrain from allocation of data packets to the cellular link during that particular time period as part of the switched bearer arrangement.

[00123] At operation 1130, the eNB 104 may receive a WLAN suspend request message from the UE 102. At operation 1135, the eNB 104 may determine whether a requested suspension of the WLAN link in the WLAN suspend request message is valid (and/or in accordance with configuration parameters for the suspension/resumption). At operation 1137, the eNB 104 may send a message to the UE 102 to indicate that the requested suspension is rejected. As an example, if a number of requested suspensions (and/or granted suspensions) during a time period is above a threshold, the eNB 104 may reject the request for the suspension. Similar comparisons using other parameters (such as those previously described or others) may also be used to determine whether the requested suspension is to be granted by the eNB 104. It should also be noted that similar techniques may be used to determine whether or not to grant a requested resumption (such as in operation 1155) or whether a requested resumption is valid. [00124] At operation 1140, the eNB 104 may refrain from allocation of data packets to the WLAN link while the WLAN link is suspended (and/or during a suspension period of the WLAN link). At operation 1145, the eNB 104 may allocate data packets (including one or more that may otherwise have been allocated to the WLAN link) to the cellular link. At operation 1150, the eNB 104 may retain or store (such as in a queue) one or more data packets for future sending to the WLAN for transmission to the UE 102 on the WLAN link. For instance, those data packets may be sent to the WLAN after the WLAN link is resumed, in some cases. As previously described, embodiments may not necessarily include all operations. As a non-limiting example, some

embodiments may include one but not both of operations 1145 and 1150. As another non-limiting example, in the uplink communication, at operation 1150, the UE 102 may retain or store (such as in a queue) one or more data packets for future sending to the WLAN for transmission to the eNB 104 on the WLAN link. For instance, those data packets may be sent to the WLAN after the WLAN link is resumed, in some cases.

[00125] At operation 1155, the eNB 104 may receive a WLAN resume request message from the UE 102. At operation 1160, the eNB 104 may resume allocation of data packets to the WLAN link after the WLAN link is resumed.

[00126] In Example 1, an apparatus for a User Equipment (UE) may comprise memory. The apparatus may further comprise processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to decode one or more data packets of a split bearer between the UE and a cellular network, wherein at least a portion of the data packets are received from an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) on a WLAN link of the split bearer. The processing circuitry may be further configured to determine that the WLAN link is to be temporarily suspended. The processing circuitry may be further configured to generate a WLAN suspend request message for transmission to an Evolved Node-B (eNB) of the cellular network. The WLAN suspend request message may indicate a request, by the UE, that the cellular network is to suspend an allocation of data packets to the WLAN link while the WLAN link is suspended.

[00127] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1, wherein the WLAN link may be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message received from the eNB. The WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may include a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link.

[00128] In Example 3, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-2, wherein the WLAN link may be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend configuration message received from the eNB. The WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may include a minimum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link and/or a maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link.

[00129] In Example 4, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-3, wherein the WLAN is a first WLAN. The determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on an expected communication, by the UE, with a second WLAN while the WLAN link of the first WLAN is suspended.

[00130] In Example 5, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-4, wherein the communication with the second WLAN may be restricted by a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link. The maximum duration for the suspension may be configured by the cellular network.

[00131] In Example 6, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-5, wherein the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on an occurrence of a performance condition at the UE in which a performance metric of the WLAN link is lower than a predetermined threshold. The performance metric may be based on a data rate or a signal quality measurement.

[00132] In Example 7, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-6, wherein the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended may be further based at least partly on a determination that the performance condition is to occur for a time duration that is less than a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link. [00133] In Example 8, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-7, wherein the processing circuitry may be further configured to determine, mat the WL AN link is to be resumed after a period of suspension of the WLAN link. The processing circuitry may be further configured to generate, for transmission to the eNB, a WLAN resume request message that indicates a request that the cellular network is to resume the allocation of data packets to the WLAN link.

[00134] In Example 9, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-8, wherein the split bearer may be configurable for a switched bearer arrangement. The processing circuitry may be further configured to, while the WLAN link is suspended, refrain from transmission of one or more uplink data packets on the WLAN link. The processing rircuitry may be further configured to, after a resumption of the WLAN link, transmit the one or more uplink data packets on the WLAN link.

[00135] In Example 10, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-9, wherein the WLAN is a first WLAN. The processing circuitry may be further configured to, while the WLAN link is suspended, exchange data packets with a second WLAN.

[00136] In Example 11 , the subj ect matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-10, wherein the split bearer may be configurable for a switched bearer arrangement. The processing circuitry may be further configured to, during a time period in which the split bearer is configured for the switched bearer arrangement, receive data packets from the WLAN on the WLAN link and refrain from reception of data packets from the eNB on the cellular link.

[00137] In Example 12, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-11, wherein the cellular network may include a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The UE may be arranged to receive the data packets on the split bearer in accordance with an LTE WLAN Aggregation (LWA) arrangement.

[00138] In Example 13, me subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-12, wherein the WLAN suspend request message may be included in a WLAN connection status report message. [00139] In Example 14, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-13, wherein the WLAN connection status report message may be a first WLAN connection status report message. The processing circuitry may be further configured to generate, for transmission to the eNB, a WLAN resume request message that indicates a request that the network is to resume the allocation of data packets to the WLAN link. The WLAN resume request message may include or may be included in a second WLAN connection status report message.

[00140] In Example 15, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-14, wherein the WLAN link may be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in an

LWA configuration information element (IE). The LWA configuration IE may be included in a radio resource control (RRC) message received from the eNB.

[00141] In Example 16, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-15, wherein the portion of the data packets is a first portion. At least a second portion of the data packets may be received from the eNB on a cellular link of the split bearer.

[00142] In Example 17, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-16, wherein the apparatus may further includes a transceiver to receive the portion of the data packets and to transmit the WLAN suspend request message.

[00143] In Example 18, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-17, wherein the processing circuitry may include a baseband processor to decode the data packets, to determine that the WLAN link is to be temporarily suspended, and generate the WLAN suspend request message.

[00144] In Example 19, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for communication by a User Equipment (UE). The operations may configure the one or more processors to decode a group of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message received from an Evolved Node-B (eNB) of a cellular network. The operations may further configure the one or more processors to determine whether a WLAN link between the UE and an access point (AP) of the WLAN is to be temporarily suspended in accordance with the group of WLAN suspend/resume

configuration parameters. The group of WLAN suspend configuration parameters may indicate a minimum time between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link. The WLAN link may be included in a split bearer between the UE and the cellular network that further includes a cellular link between the UE and the eNB.

[00145] In Example 20, the subj ect matter of Example 19, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based on an expected unavailability of the UE for reception of data packets on the WLAN link during a suspension period.

[00146] In Example 21, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-20, wherein the operations may further configure the one or more processors to, when it is determined that the WLAN link is to be suspended, generate a WLAN suspend request message for transmission to the eNB to indicate the expected unavailability of the UE during the suspension period.

[00147] In Example 22, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-21, wherein the operations may further configure the one or more processors to determine whether the WLAN link is to be resumed after a suspension of the WLAN link based at least partly on an expected availability of the UE for reception of data packets on the WLAN link. The operations may further configure the one or more processors to, when it is determined that the WLAN link is to be resumed, generate a WLAN resume request message for transmission to the eNB to indicate the expected availability of the UE.

[00148] In Example 23, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-22, wherein the group of WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may further indicate a maximum time for the suspension of the WLAN link.

[00149] In Example 24, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-23, wherein the WLAN is a first WLAN. The determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on an expected communication, by the UE, with a second WLAN while the WLAN link of the first WLAN is suspended. [00150] In Example 25, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-24, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on whether a performance metric of the WLAN link during a predefined measurement period is lower than a predetermined threshold. The performance metric may be based on a data rate or a signal quality measurement.

[00151] In Example 26, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-25, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration.

[00152] In Example 27, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 19-26, wherein the cellular network may include a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The UE may be arranged to receive data packets on the split bearer in accordance with an LTE WLAN Aggregation (LWA) arrangement.

[00153] In Example 28, an apparatus for an Evolved Node-B (eNB) may comprise memory. The apparatus may further comprise processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to allocate a first group of one or more data packets to be sent to a wireless local area network (WLAN) for transmission to a User Equipment (UE) on a WLAN link between the UE and the WLAN. The processing circuitry may be further configured to allocate a second group of one or more data packets for transmission to the UE on a cellular link between the UE and the eNB, wherein the WLAN link and the cellular link are included in a split bearer between the UE and the eNB. The processing circuitry may be further configured to decode a WLAN suspend request from the UE that indicates a request for a temporary suspension of the WLAN link. The processing circuitry may be further configured to, during a suspension period of the WLAN link, refrain from allocation of data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link.

[00154] In Example 29, the subject matter of Example 28, wherein the processing circuitry may be further configured to generate, for transmission to the UE, a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message that indicates one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters for

suspension/resumption of the WLAN link. The WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may include a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, or a minimum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link or a maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link.

[00155] In Example 30, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-29, wherein the eNB may be arranged to operate in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The WLAN suspend request message may be included in a WLAN connection status report message. The WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters may be included in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message of an LWA configuration information element (IE).

[00156] In Example 31, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-30, wherein the processing circuitry may be further configured to decode a WLAN resume request message from the UE that indicates a request for a resumption of the WLAN link. The processing circuitry may be further configured to resume the allocation of data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link.

[00157] In Example 32, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-31, wherein the processing circuitry may be further configured to determine whether the request for the temporary suspension of the WLAN link is to be granted based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration.

[00158] In Example 33, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-32, wherein the split bearer may be configurable for a switched bearer arrangement. The processing circuitry may be further configured to, during a time period in which the split bearer is configured for the switched bearer arrangement, allocate data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link and refrain from allocation of data packets to be transmitted to the UE on the cellular link. [00159] In Example 34, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-33, wherein the apparatus may further include a transceiver to transmit the second group of data packets and to receive the WLAN suspend request.

[00160] In Example 35, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 28-34, wherein the processing circuitry may include a baseband processor to allocate the first and second groups of data packets and to decode the WLAN suspend request.

[00161] In Example 36, an apparatus for a User Equipment (UE) may comprise means for decoding a group of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message received from an Evolved Node-B (eNB) of a cellular network. The apparatus may further comprise means for determining whether a WLAN link between the UE and an access point (AP) of the WLAN is to be temporarily suspended in accordance with the group of WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters. The group of WLAN suspend configuration parameters may indicate a minimum time between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link. The WLAN link may be included in a split bearer between the UE and the cellular network that further includes a cellular link between the UE and the eNB.

[00162] In Example 37, the subject matter of Example 36, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based on an expected unavailability of the UE for reception of data packets on the WLAN link during a suspension period. The apparatus may further comprise means for generating, when it is determined that the WLAN link is to be suspended, a WLAN suspend request message for transmission to the eNB to indicate the expected unavailability of the UE during the suspension period.

[00163] In Example 38, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 36-37, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended may be based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration. [00164] The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for a User Equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, configured to:

decode one or more data packets of a split bearer between the UE and a cellular network, wherein at least a portion of the data packets are received from an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) on a WLAN link of the split bearer;

determine that the WLAN link is to be temporarily suspended; and generate a WLAN suspend request message for transmission to an Evolved Node-B (eNB) of the cellular network,

wherein the WLAN suspend request message indicates a request, by the UE, that the cellular network is to suspend an allocation of data packets to the WLAN link while the WLAN link is suspended.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the WLAN link is to be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message received from the eNB, and

the WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters include a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the WLAN link is to be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend configuration message received from the eNB, and

the WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters include a minimum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link and/or a maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the WLAN is a first WLAN,

the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended is based at least partly on an expected communication, by the UE, with a second WLAN while the WLAN link of the first WLAN is suspended,

the communication with the second WLAN is restricted by a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, and

the maximum duration for the suspension is configured by the cellular network.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended is based at least partly on an occurrence of a performance condition at the UE in which a performance metric of the WLAN link is lower than a predetermined threshold, the determination that the WLAN link is to be suspended is further based at least partly on a determination mat the performance condition is to occur for a time duration that is less than a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, and

the performance metric is based on a data rate or a signal quality measurement.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, the processing circuitry further configured to:

determine that the WLAN link is to be resumed after a period of suspension of the WLAN link; and

generate, for transmission to the eNB, a WLAN resume request message that indicates a request mat the cellular network is to resume the allocation of data packets to the WLAN link.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the split bearer is configurable for a switched bearer arrangement, and the processing circuitry further is further configured to:

while the WLAN link is suspended, refrain from transmission of one or more uplink data packets on the WLAN link; and after a resumption of the WLAN link, transmit the one or more uplink data packets on the WLAN link.

8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-7, wherein:

the split bearer is configurable for a switched bearer arrangement, and the processing circuitry is further configured to, during a time period in which the split bearer is configured for the switched bearer arrangement:

receive data packets from the WLAN on the WLAN link; and refrain from reception of data packets from the eNB on the cellular link.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the cellular network includes a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network,

the UE is arranged to receive the data packets on the split bearer in accordance with an LTE WLAN Aggregation (LWA) arrangement, and

the WLAN suspend request message is included in a WLAN connection status report message.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the WLAN connection status report message is a first WLAN connection status report message,

the processing circuitry is further configured to generate, for transmission to the eNB, a WLAN resume request message that indicates a request that the network is to resume the allocation of data packets to the WLAN link, and

the WLAN resume request message includes or is included in a second WLAN connection status report message.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the WLAN link is to be suspended in accordance with one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters included in an LWA configuration information element (IE), and the LWA configuration IE is included in a radio resource control (RRC) message received from the eNB.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the portion of the data packets is a first portion, and

at least a second portion of the data packets are received from the eNB on a cellular link of the split bearer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a transceiver to receive the portion of the data packets and to transmit the WLAN suspend request message.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry includes a baseband processor to decode the data packets, to determine that the WLAN link is to be temporarily suspended, and generate the WLAN suspend request message.

15. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for communication by a User Equipment (UE), the operations to configure the one or more processors to:

decode a group of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) suspend/resume configuration parameters included in a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message received from an Evolved Node-B (eNB) of a cellular network; and

determine whether a WLAN link between the UE and an access point (AP) of the WLAN is to be temporarily suspended in accordance with the group of WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters,

wherein the group of WLAN suspend configuration parameters indicates a minimum time between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link, and

wherein the WLAN link is included in a split bearer between the UE and the cellular network that further includes a cellular link between the UE and the eNB.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim IS, wherein:

the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended is based on an expected unavailability of the UE for reception of data packets on the WLAN link during a suspension period, and

the operations are to further configure the one or more processors to, when it is determined that the WLAN link is to be suspended, generate a WLAN suspend request message for transmission to the eNB to indicate the expected unavailability of the UE during the suspension period.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the determination of whether the WLAN link is to be suspended is based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration.

18. An apparatus for an Evolved Node-B (eNB), the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, configured to:

allocate a first group of one or more data packets to be sent to a wireless local area network (WLAN) for transmission to a User Equipment (UE) on a WLAN link between the UE and the WLAN,

allocate a second group of one or more data packets for transmission to the UE on a cellular link between the UE and the eNB, wherein the WLAN link and the cellular link are included in a split bearer between the UE and the eNB; decode a WLAN suspend request from the UE that indicates a request for a temporary suspension of the WLAN link;

during a suspension period of the WLAN link, refrain from allocation of data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the processing circuitry is further configured to generate, for transmission to the UE, a WLAN suspend/resume configuration message mat indicates one or more WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters for

suspension/resumption of the WLAN link, and

the WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters include a maximum duration for a suspension of the WLAN link, or a minimum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link or a maximum duration between consecutive suspensions of the WLAN link.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the eNB is arranged to operate in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network,

the WLAN suspend request message is included in a WLAN connection status report message, and

the WLAN suspend/resume configuration parameters are included in the WLAN suspend/resume configuration message of an LWA configuration information element (IE).

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, the processing circuitry further configured to:

decode a WLAN resume request message from the UE that indicates a request for a resumption of the WLAN link; and

resume the allocation of data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, the processing circuitry further configured to determine whether the request for the temporary suspension of the WLAN link is to be granted based at least partly on a comparison of a number of previous requests, from the UE, for temporary suspension of the WLAN link during a time duration.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the split bearer is configurable for a switched bearer arrangement, and the processing circuitry is further configured to, during a time period in which the split bearer is configured for the switched bearer arrangement: allocate data packets to be sent to the WLAN for transmission to the UE on the WLAN link; and

refrain from allocation of data packets to be transmitted to the UE on the cellular link.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus further includes a transceiver to transmit the second group of data packets and to receive the WLAN suspend request.

25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry includes a baseband processor to allocate the first and second groups of data packets and to decode the WLAN suspend request.