System and method for tight inter-working between wireless local area network (WLAN) and universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS)

• US 20040105413A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chitrapu, Prabhakar R., Menon, Narayan Parappil
• Application Number:
  US10/609,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20040105413A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In a system having a PLMN and a WLAN IP GW, an Iur interface providing handover between a PLMN and the WIP-GW. Mobile internet protocol (Mobile IP) provides session management and data tunneling between the PLMN (home agent) and the WLAN. The WIP-GW functions as the foreign agent toward the PLMN. Services are provided by the PLMN MIP over DIAMETER for registration, authentication and subscriber management, working into the HLR/HSS and the CGF in the PLMN. The use of a single architecture to support the loose inter-working scenarios is such that the architecture minus the Iur interface and MIP becomes a loose inter-working architecture. The UMTS PLMN billing platform is made via the DIAMETER/UMTS inter-working. Authentication is provided by the UMTS PLMN HSS/HLR. The architecture concept can be broadened to cover the inter-working of other access technologies with UMTS.

Claims

1. A method providing tight inter-working between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), comprising:

said UMTS and WLAN communicating data directly using mobile internet protocol (MIP) between said UMTS and said WLAN; and

said UMTS and WLAN communicating data through the internet using internet protocol (IP).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein MIP over DIAMETER signaling provides session maintenance between the WLAN and the UMTS as a UE moves between the two systems.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the UMTS employs public land mobile network billing platforms via DIAMETER-UMTS inter-working.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the UMTS employs PLMN home location register/home subscriber server for authentication.

2. A method for handover of a user equipment (UE) communications between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), comprising:

said UMTS and WLAN using an Iur interface to support handover therebetween.

6. Apparatus providing tight inter-working between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), comprising:

said UMTS and WLAN each having means for communicating data directly with one another using mobile internet protocol (MIP) between said UMTS and said WLAN; and

said WLAN having means for transferring outgoing data to the internet using internet protocol (IP).

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said WLAN comprises:

means for receiving incoming data from a mobile network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mobile network is a public land mobile network (PLMN).

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein in said PLMN comprises a home agent (HA) for tunneling data to an internet protocol gateway (IPGW) provided in said WLAN.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said HA further communicates with the internet employing IP.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said PLMN includes authentication, authorization accounting home (AAAH) which communicates authentication with an AAA foreign (AAAF) provided in said WLAN.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the AAAF provides communication of said AAAH with said WLAN IP GW.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the AAAH cooperates with the HA and a home location register/home subscriber server (HLR/HSS) to provide AAAH services.

16. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the UMTS employs public land mobile network billing platforms via DIAMETER-UMTS inter-working.

17. The method of claim 6 wherein the UMTS employs a PLMN having a home subscriber server/home locating register (HSS/HLR) for authentication.

14. Apparatus for handover of a user equipment (UE) between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), comprising:

said UMTS having an Iur interface to support handover with the WLAN.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein means using MIP over DIAMETER signaling provides session maintenance between the WLAN and the UMTS as a UE moves between said WLAN and said UMTS.

18. Apparatus providing tight inter-working between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), comprising:

said UMTS and WLAN each having means for communicating data directly with one another using mobile internet protocol (MIP) between said UMTS and said WLAN; and

said UMTS communicating with said WLAN through an Iur to provide a handover of a user equipment (UE) from one of said UMTS and WLAN to another one of said UMTS and WLAN.