Wireless communication system

• US 10,361,883 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Wireless, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Signal Trust for Wireless Innovation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chitrapu, Prabhakar R., Menon, Narayan Parappil, Ozluturk, Fatih M., Kiernan, Brian Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US15/606,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20170264462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 370237-339, 370401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/04 Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/913 Wireless or radio

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for communicating with the Internet via a gateway are disclosed. The gateway may be a Radio Access Network (RAN) gateway. The gateway may communicate data with at least one user equipment (UE). The gateway may route the data via one or more interfaces. The data may be routed by bypassing a core network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an Internet Protocol (IP) gateway, data wirelessly from a user equipment (UE), the data including IP formatted packets and information for authenticating and authorizing the UE;

passing, by the IP gateway, the information to a core network via the Internet for authentication and authorization of the UE by the core network; and

passing, by the IP gateway, the IP formatted packets to the Internet to bypass the core network, wherein the core network supports real-time services for the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the passing of the information further comprises:

tunneling the information to the core network via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time services include communications over at least one of a Public Land Mobile Network, a Public Switch Telephone Network, and an Integrated Services Digital Network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received in a time division duplex (TDD) code division multiple access (CDMA) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP gateway is located remote from the core network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP gateway is a radio access network IP gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the core network is part of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network;

and wherein the gateway includes an interface for a direct connection to the Internet and an interface for connection with the UMTS.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes accounting information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier for the UE.

11. A gateway apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a first interface; and

a second interface to connect the gateway apparatus to the Internet,

wherein the gateway apparatus;

receives data from a user equipment (UE) via the first interface, wherein the data includes Internet Protocol (IP) formatted packets and information for authenticating and authorizing the UE,

passes the information to a core network via the Internet for authentication and authorization of the UE by the core network, and

passes the IP formatted packets through the second interface directly to the Internet while bypassing the core network, wherein the core network supports real-time services for the UE.

12. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gateway apparatus tunnels the information to the core network via the Internet.

13. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the real-time services include communications over at least one of a Public Land Mobile Network, a Public Switch Telephone Network, and an Integrated Services Digital Network.

14. The gateway apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data is received in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless format.

15. The gateway apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data is received in a time division duplex (TDD) code division multiple access (CDMA) format.

16. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gateway apparatus is located remote from the core network.

17. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data is received in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless format.

18. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the core network is part of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.

19. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data further includes accounting information.

20. The gateway apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier for the UE.

21. A communications network comprising:

a plurality of transceivers; and

at least one gateway device including;

a processor;

a memory;

a first interface that connects the at least one gateway device to a respective one of the transceivers and receives data from a user equipment (UE) via the respective one of the transceivers, wherein the data includes Internet Protocol (IP) formatted packets and information for authenticating and authorizing the UE; and

a second interface that connects the at least one gateway device to the Internet;

wherein the at least one gateway device;

passes the information to a core network via the Internet for authentication and authorization of the UE by the core network; and

passes the IP formatted packets through the second interface directly to the Internet while bypassing the core network, wherein the core network supports real-time services for the UE.

22. The communications network of claim 21, wherein the at least one gateway device tunnels the information to the core network via the Internet.

23. The communications network of claim 21, wherein the real-time services include communications over at least one of a Public Land Mobile Network, a Public Switch Telephone Network, and an Integrated Services Digital Network.

24. The communications network of claim 23, wherein the data is received in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless format.

25. The communications network of claim 21, wherein the data further includes accounting information.

26. The communications network of claim 21, wherein the data further includes a unique identifier for the UE.