Location management server and ethernet-based wireless LAN distribution system having local management server, and embodiment method thereof

• US 20040105449A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Ki-Shik, Jung, Hee-Young, Min, Jae-Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless LAN distribution system, forwarding data received from a correspondent node to a station connected to an access point, includes: a location management server (LMS) for storing and managing a mapping table as an information table storing IP addresses of stations and physical access control addresses of the access points having the stations located therein, and causing the access points to perform an IP address check for the stations located in their area; an edge router for forwarding the data to the LMS using the physical access control address of the mapping table; and an access point for checking the physical access control address of the access point and the IP address of the destination station, and forwarding the data from the correspondent node.

Claims

1. A wireless LAN (Local Access Network) distribution system, which forwards data received from a correspondent node to a station connected to an access point, the wireless LAN distribution system comprising:

a location management server for storing and managing a mapping table as an information table storing IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of a plurality of stations and physical access control addresses of the access points having the stations located therein, and causing the access points to perform an IP address check only for the stations located in their area;

an edge router for, upon receiving the data from the correspondent node via a communication network, forwarding the received data to the location management server using the physical access control address of the mapping table; and

an access point for, upon receiving information on an access point having the destination station of the received data located therein from the location management server, checking the physical access control address of the access point and the IP address of the destination station, and forwarding the received data from the correspondent node.

2. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon receiving an association-related message from the station, the access point associates the station in its area according to the received association message, and sends information on the associated station to the location management server.

3. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the received association message includes the IP address of the station.

4. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location management server comprises:

a mapping table manager for, upon receiving an association message from the access point, analyzing the IP address of the destination station and the physical access control address of an access point having the destination station located therein from the received association message, and managing the analyzed information using the mapping table as an information table;

an IP address checker for checking the IP address of the destination station using the data forwarded from the edge router; and

a MAC (Media Access Control) frame generator for, upon receiving information from the IP address checker and the mapping table manager, generating a physical access control frame destined for the access point having the destination station located therein according to the received information.

5. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the location management server checks the physical access control address of the access point having the destination station positioned therein using an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) stack as an address mapping protocol.

6. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the MAC frame generator generates the physical access control frame using a packet related to the IP address of the destination station received from the IP address checker, and the physical access control address of the access point input from the mapping table under the control of the mapping table manager.

7. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the received association message includes information on the stations associated with the access point, the physical access control address of the access point, and information on the IP address of the associated stations.

8. The wireless LAN distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system conforms to the IEEE 802.3 standard in forwarding data received from the correspondent node to the station connected to the access point.

9. A location management server, which is for a wireless LAN distribution system for forwarding data received from a correspondent node to a station connected to an access point, the location management server comprising:

a mapping table manager for, upon receiving a message related to association with the station from the access point, analyzing an IP address of a destination station and a physical access control address of an access point having the destination station located therein from the received association message, and managing the analyzed information through a mapping table as an information table;

an IP address checker for checking the IP address of the destination station using the data forwarded from the correspondent node; and

a MAC frame generator for, upon receiving information from the IP address checker and the mapping table manager, generating a forwarding physical access control frame destined for the access point having the destination station located therein, and outputting the physical access control frame.

10. An embodiment method for a wireless LAN distribution system, which is for forwarding data received from a correspondent node to a station connected to an access point, the method comprising:

(a) upon receiving an association-related message from the station, the access point associating the station in its area according to the received association message;

(b) checking an IP address of the station and a physical access control address of an access point having the station located therein from the association message including information on the associated station, and then managing a mapping table being an information table based on the checked addresses;

(c) upon receiving data destined for a specific station from the correspondent node, checking the IP address of the received data using the mapping table; and

(d) generating a physical access control frame based on the checked IP address, and forwarding the generated physical access control frame to the destination station.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein (a) comprises:

receiving an association request message from the station, when the station enters a specific access point;

receiving a reassociation request message from the station, when the station moves to another access point; and

receiving a disassociation request message from the station, when the station intends to cancel the existing association.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein (b) comprises:

sending an acknowledgement signal for the received association message to the access point.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein (c) comprises:

searching for the access point having the destination station located therein, the destination station being to receive the data from the correspondent node;

checking the physical access control address of the searched access point; and

checking the IP address of the destination station in the checked access point.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein (c) comprises:

checking the physical access control address of the access point having the destination station located therein using an ARP stack being an address mapping protocol.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein (d) comprises:

checking the IP address of the generated physical access control frame;

mapping the checked address with the physical access control address of the destination station; and

forwarding the data received from the correspondent node to the destination station according to the mapped physical access control address.

16. A recording medium with a built-in program including an embodiment method for a wireless LAN distribution system for forwarding data received from a correspondent node to a station connected to an access point, the recording medium with a built-in program comprising:

(a) upon receiving an association-related message from the station, causing the access point to associate with a station in its area according to the received association message;

(b) checking a physical access control address of an access point having the station located therein from the association message including information on the associated station, and then managing a mapping table being a table based on the checked address;

(c) upon receiving data destined for a specific station from the correspondent node, checking an IP address of the received data using the mapping table; and

(d) generating a physical access control frame based on the checked IP address, and forwarding the generated physical access control frame to the destination station.