Wlan as a logical support node for hybrid coupling in an interworking between wlan and a mobile communication system

• US 20060050667A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Wang, Charles Chuanming, Verma, Shaily
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,937 B2
• 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: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

There is provided a method for supporting an internetworking between a WLAN and a mobile communications network. The mobile communications network, for example UMTS network, has a GPRS support node and a serving GPRS support node. The internetworking is facilitated by an IWF. The method comprises the steps of establishing at least one GPRS tunneling protocol tunnel between the IWF and the GGSN for transferring data signals, and establishing at least one GPRS (tunneling protocol tunnel between the GGSN and the SGSN for transferring control signals.

Claims

1. A method for supporting an interworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a mobile communications system, the mobile communications system having a first support node for interfacing a radio access network to a core network and a second support node for interfacing the mobile communications system to a second communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interworking function (IWF) associated with the WLAN and coupled to the mobile communications system;

establishing at least one tunneling protocol—

user plane tunnel between the IWF and the second support node for transferring data signals; and

establishing at least one tunneling protocol—

control plane tunnel between the first support node and the second support node for transferring control signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications network comprises a UMTS network, the first support node comprises a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), the second support node comprises a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN), the tunneling protocol—

user plane tunnel comprises a GPRS tunneling protocol—

user plane (GTP-U) tunnel, and the tunneling protocol—

control plane tunnel comprises a GPRS tunneling protocol—

control plane (GTP-C) tunnel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the IWF is configured as a logical SGSN with respect to the data signals.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of establishing the at least one GTP-U tunnel comprises the step of defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-U for at least one packet data protocol (PDP) context in at least one of the GGSN and the IWF.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of establishing the at least one GTP-C tunnel comprises the step of defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-C for at least one radio access bearer (RAB).

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of establishing the at least one GTP-C tunnel comprises the step of defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-C for at least one packet data protocol (PDP) context with a same PDP address and access point name (APN) for tunnel management messages.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein a GTP-C carries GPRS mobility management functions.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of providing access to both the WLAN and the mobile communications system through a single point of attachment consisting of the GGSN.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the score network includes, the GGSN and the SGSN, and the method further includes the step of maintaining a connection between a user equipment (UE) and the CN while diverting data to the UE through the at least one GTP-U tunnel between the GGSN and the IWF.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile communications network comprises a radio network controller (RNC) and the IWF is disposed on a WLAN side of the interworking, and the step of establishing the at least one GTP-U tunnel couples the IWF of the WLAN to the GGSN of the mobile communications network while bypassing the RNC and the SGSN of the mobile communications network.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

authenticating a user equipment (UE) by the mobile communications network;

communicating a result of said authenticating step to the IWF through the GGSN.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

registering a WLAN coverage area as a different routing area (RA) with the mobile communications network; and

specifying an IWF address and tunnel endpoint identifiers (TEIDs) for said step of establishing the at least one GTP-U tunnel, when one of a packet data protocol (PDP) request of a modify PDP request is received from a user equipment (UE).

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

employing the GGSN as a foreign agent (FA) to handle UE mobility; and

informing the SGSN to establish the at least one GTP-U tunnel.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of employing encryption used by the mobile communications network for a user connecting to the WLAN.

15. An apparatus for supporting an interworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobile communications network, the mobile communications network having a first support node for interfacing a radio access network to a core network and a second support node for interfacing the mobile communications system to a second communications system, the interworking being facilitated by an interworking function (IWF), the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing at least one tunneling protocol—

user plane tunnel between the IWF and the second support node for transferring data signals; and

means for establishing at least one tunneling protocol—

control plane tunnel between the first support node and the second support node for transferring control signals.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first support node comprises serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), the second support node comprises gateway GPRS support node (GGSN), the tunneling protocol—

user plane tunnel comprises a GPRS tunneling protocol—

user plane (GTP-U) tunnel, and the tunneling protocol—

control plane (GTP-C) tunnel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the IWF is configured as a logical SGSN with respect to the data signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for establishing the at least one GTP-U tunnel comprises means for defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-U for at least one packet data protocol (PDP) context in at least one of the GGSN and the IWF.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for establishing the at least one GTP-C tunnel comprises means for defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-C for at least one radio access bearer r (RAB).

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for establishing the at least one GTP-C tunnel comprises means for defining a GTP tunnel in a GTP-C for at least one packet data protocol (PDP) context with a same PDP address and access point name (APN) for tunnel management messages.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a GTP-C carries GPRS mobility management functions.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for providing access to both the WLAN and the mobile communications network through a single point of attachment consisting of the GGSN.