Network-instructed handover from wlan to another radio access network

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a network-instructed handover of a wireless device from a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to a Radio Access Network (RAN) of another Radio Access Technology (RAT), e.g., a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or 3 rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) RAT. In one embodiment, a WLAN access node determines that a handover of a wireless device from the WLAN to another RAN of a different RAT is to be performed and transmits a handover instruction to the wireless device that instructs the wireless device to perform a handover from the WLAN to a RAN of a different RAT. In this manner, the WLAN access node is able to steer the wireless device from the WLAN to a RAN of a different RAT.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operation of a Wireless Local Access Network, WLAN, node, the method comprising:
 determining that a handover of a wireless device from a WLAN to another radio access network of a different radio access technology is to be performed; and   instructing the wireless device to perform the handover from the WLAN to the radio access network of the different radio access technology.