Apparatus and method for ethernet emulation in a 3RD generation wireless mobile station

• US 20040122651A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Herle, Sudhindra P.
• Application Number:
  US10/328,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a wireless access terminal capable of accessing a 3G wireless network. The apparatus enables a host processing system to access the 3G wireless network using the wireless access terminal. The apparatus comprises: 1) a physical media dependent layer (PMDL) interface capable of transferring data between the wireless access terminal and the host processing system; and 2) an Ethernet emulation controller capable of communicating with the host processing system via the PMDL interface, wherein the Ethernet emulation controller emulates the operation of an Ethernet device adapter to thereby exchange data with the host processing system via an Ethernet protocol.

Claims

1. For use in a wireless access terminal capable of accessing a 3G wireless network, an apparatus for enabling a host processing system to access said 3G wireless network, said apparatus comprising:

a physical media dependent layer (PMDL) interface capable of transferring data between said wireless access terminal and said host processing system; and

an Ethernet emulation controller capable of communicating with said host processing system via said PMDL interface, wherein said Ethernet emulation controller emulates the operation of an Ethernet device adapter to thereby exchange data with said host processing system via an Ethernet protocol.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said Ethernet emulation controller is capable of communicating with said wireless network via a wireless transceiver of said wireless access terminal.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said Ethernet emulation controller is further capable of emulating the operation of a DHCP server to said host processing system.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said PMDL interface comprises a wireline interface.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wireline interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wireline interface comprises a Firewire interface.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said PMDL interface comprises a wireless interface.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth interface.

9. A wireless access terminal capable of accessing a 3G wireless network comprising:

a 3G-capable transceiver capable of communicating with said 3G wireless network via an air interface;

a physical media dependent layer (PMDL) interface capable of transferring data between said wireless access terminal and a host processing system associated with said wireless access terminal; and

an Ethernet emulation controller capable of communicating with said host processing system via said PMDL interface, wherein 11 said Ethernet emulation controller emulates the operation of an Ethernet device adapter to thereby exchange data with said host processing system via an Ethernet protocol.

10. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 9 wherein said Ethernet emulation controller is capable of communicating with said wireless network via said 3G-capable transceiver.

11. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 10 wherein said Ethernet emulation controller is further capable of emulating the operation of a DHCP server to said host processing system.

12. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 11 wherein said PMDL interface comprises a wireline interface.

13. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 12 wherein said wireline interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

14. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 12 wherein said wireline interface comprises a Firewire interface.

15. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 11 wherein said PMDL interface comprises a wireless interface.

16. The wireless access terminal as set forth in claim 15 wherein said wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth interface.

17. For use in a wireless access terminal capable of accessing a 3G wireless network, a method of enabling a host processing system to access the 3G wireless network comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection to the host processing system via a physical media dependent layer (PMDL) interface capable of transferring data between the wireless access terminal and the host processing system; and

receiving a configuration message from the host processing system; and

in response to receipt of the configuration message, transmitting a response message to the host processing system indicating that the wireless access terminal is an Ethernet device adapter to thereby establish an Ethernet connection for exchanging data with the host processing system.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising the step of emulating the operation of a DHCP server to the host processing system.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the PMDL interface comprises a wireline interface.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the PMDL interface comprises a wireless interface.