Non-cellular link integration with cellular networks

• US 10,334,495 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Miller, II, Robert Raymond, Han, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Blanton, John D
• Application Number:
  US15/368,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Improved non-cellular (e.g., Wi-Fi) link integration with a cellular (e.g., LTE) network is described. The improved link integration can relate to utilizing an eNodeB device (e.g., residing in a radio access network portion of a cellular network) as an anchor point rather than a packet data network gateway device (e.g., residing in a core network portion of the cellular network) utilized by other approaches. The improved link integration can maintain full compliance with or support for other approaches, and can reduce signaling overhead, simplify quality-of-service management, and/or provide a more rapid reaction to changes of access, particularly in cases where the eNodeB device and a non-cellular access point device are co-located.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining that a first access point device serves a user equipment via a first communication path between the first access point device and the user equipment, wherein the first access point device serves the user equipment according to a first protocol representing a third generation partnership project protocol;

determining that a second access point device serves the user equipment via a second communication path between the second access point device and the user equipment, wherein the second access point device serves the user equipment according to a second protocol representing a non-third generation partnership project protocol;

receiving an indication that a secure tunnel has been established according to the first protocol between the first access point device and the second access point device, wherein the receiving the indication is in response to the secure tunnel having been established, wherein the secure tunnel was established in response to determining that a condition has been satisfied, and wherein the condition comprises that the first access point device and the second access point device have been determined to be co-located; and

communicating data via a virtual tunnel that traverses the second access point device that serves the user equipment according to the second protocol representing the non-third generation partnership project protocol, the first access point device that is co-located with the second access point device and serves the user equipment according to the first protocol representing the third generation partnership project protocol, and the secure tunnel, wherein the virtual tunnel is designated to correspond to a bearer specified by the first protocol.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a long-term evolution protocol and wherein the second protocol is a wireless fidelity protocol.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group comprising:

the first access point device, the second access point device, and the user equipment.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises uplink data communicated from the user equipment to a network device, and wherein the communicating the data comprises one from a group comprising:

transmitting the uplink data and receiving the uplink data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises downlink data communicated from a network device to the user equipment, and wherein the communicating the data comprises one from a group comprising:

transmitting the downlink data and receiving the downlink data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device were determined to be co-located in response to a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are physically co-located and exist in a common physical structure.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device were determined to be co-located in response to a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first communication path comprises bearers, comprising the bearer, that are representative of first virtual communication paths specified by the first protocol, and wherein the second communication path comprises links representative of second virtual communication paths.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining translation data representative of a logical mapping between the links, relating to communication via the second protocol, and the bearers, relating to communication via the first protocol.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the translation data comprises:

first tunnel data representative of a first logical mapping between a first link of the links and a radio bearer of the bearers specified by the first protocol to represent a first tunnel between the user equipment and the first access point device;

second tunnel data representative of a second logical mapping between a second link of the links and an evolved radio access bearer of the bearers specified by the first protocol to represent a second tunnel between the user equipment and a serving gateway device; and

third tunnel data representative of a third logical mapping between a third link of the links and an evolved packet system bearer of the bearers specified by the first protocol to represent a third tunnel between the user equipment and a packet data network gateway device.

11. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining that a first access point device serves a user equipment via a first communication path between the first access point device and the user equipment, wherein the first access point device serves the user equipment according to a first protocol representative of a cellular protocol defined by third generation partnership project;

determining that a second access point device serves the user equipment via a second communication path between the second access point device and the user equipment, wherein the second access point device serves the user equipment according to a second protocol representative of a wireless protocol not defined by the third generation partnership project;

receiving an indication that, according to the first protocol, a secure tunnel has been established between the first access point device and the second access point device, wherein the receiving the indication is in response to the secure tunnel being established, wherein the secure tunnel is established in response to a condition being determined to have been satisfied, and wherein the condition that is determined to have been satisfied is that the first access point device and the second access point device have been determined to be co-located; and

communicating data via a virtual tunnel that traverses the second access point device that serves the user equipment according to the second protocol, the first access point device that is co-located with the second access point device and that serves the user equipment according to the first protocol, and the secure tunnel, and that is designated to correspond to a bearer described by the first protocol.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first protocol represents a long-term evolution protocol and wherein the second protocol is a wireless fidelity protocol.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the condition is determined to have been satisfied in response to a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are physically co-located and situated in a common physical structure.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the condition is determined to have been satisfied in response to a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first communication path comprises bearers, comprising the bearer, that are representative of first virtual communication paths specified by the first protocol, and wherein the second communication path comprises links representative of second virtual communication paths.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining mapping data representative of a logical mapping between the bearers, relating to communication via the first protocol, and the links, relating to communication via the second protocol.

17. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, that a first access point device serves a user equipment via a first communication path between the first access point device and the user equipment, wherein the first access point device serves the user equipment according to a first protocol indicative of a cellular-based protocol specified by a third generation partnership project specification;

determining, by the system, that a second access point device serves the user equipment via a second communication path between the second access point device and the user equipment, wherein the second access point device serves the user equipment according to a second protocol indicative of a wireless-based protocol that differs from the cellular-based protocol;

determining, by the system, that a secure tunnel was established in response to a condition manifesting, wherein the secure tunnel was established, according to the first protocol, between the first access point device and the second access point device, and wherein the condition manifesting comprises the first access point device and the second access point device being determined to be co-located; and

communicating, by the system, data via a virtual tunnel that traverses the second access point device that serves the user equipment according to the second protocol, the first access point device that is co-located with the second access point device and that serves the user equipment according to the first protocol, and the secure tunnel, and is designated to correspond to a bearer dictated by the first protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communicating the data comprises a member of a group comprising:

transmitting data from the user equipment device and transmitting data to the user equipment device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are determined to be co-located based on a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are physically co-located and situated in a common physical structure.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are determined to be co-located based on a determination that the first access point device and the second access point device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.