Mobile data communications apparatus, methods and computer program products implementing cellular wireless data communications via a wireless local area network
First Claim
1. A mobile data communications system comprising:
- a cellular wireless data communications network comprising a plurality of base stations that communicate with terminals according to a first radio interface, the plurality of base stations coupled to a control node that administers services provided to terminals communicating with the base stations;
a wireless local area network (LAN) operative to communicate with terminals according to a second radio interface; and
a mobile data internetworking system that is coupled between the control node and the wireless local area network and that provides data communications therebetween.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile data communications system includes a cellular wireless data communications network, such as a GPRS or CDPD network, including a plurality of base stations that communicate with terminals according to a first radio interface. The plurality of base stations are coupled to a control node, such as a GPRS Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a CDPD Mobile Data Intermediate System (MD-IS), that administers services, such as mobility management and billing, for terminals communicating with the base stations. The system also includes a wireless local area network (LAN), such as a mobile IP network, that is operative to communicate with terminals according to a second radio interface. The system further includes a mobile data internetworking system that is coupled between the control node and the wireless local area network and that provides data communications therebetween. The wireless LAN may have a coverage area that overlaps or adjoins a coverage area of the cellular wireless data communications network, such that, for example, higher user densities and/or data rates may be supported in “hot spots,” such as airports, hotels, convention centers and the like.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A mobile data communications system comprising:
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a cellular wireless data communications network comprising a plurality of base stations that communicate with terminals according to a first radio interface, the plurality of base stations coupled to a control node that administers services provided to terminals communicating with the base stations;
a wireless local area network (LAN) operative to communicate with terminals according to a second radio interface; and
a mobile data internetworking system that is coupled between the control node and the wireless local area network and that provides data communications therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20)
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16. A mobile data mobile data internetworking system comprising:
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a first port configured to be connected to a control node that administers services provided to terminals that communicate according to a first radio interface with base stations of the cellular wireless data communications network;
a second port configured to be connected to a wireless LAN that communicates with terminals according to a second radio interface; and
a protocol converter coupled between the first and second ports and operative to convert between a cellular wireless networking protocol used by the control node of the cellular wireless data communications system and a data packet routing protocol used by the wireless LAN. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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21. A method of providing mobile data communications services, comprising:
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linking a cellular wireless data communications network comprising a control node that administers communications between terminals and a plurality of base stations according to first radio interface to a wireless LAN operative to communicate with terminals according to a second radio interface; and
managing services for a terminal in radio communication with the wireless LAN from the control node of the cellular wireless data communications network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer program product configured to execute in an internetworking system that couples a control node that administers services provided to terminals that communicate according to a first radio interface with base stations of the cellular wireless data communications network to a wireless LAN that communicates with terminals according to a second radio interface, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code embodied in a computer-readable program storage medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
program code operative to convert between a cellular wireless networking protocol used by the control node of the cellular wireless data communications system and a data packet routing protocol used by the wireless LAN. - View Dependent Claims (29)
Specification