Systems and methods for distribution of wireless network access

• US 20070025246A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Pirzada, Fahd, Quinn, Liam
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for distribution of wireless network access using a common media access control (MAC) architecture. In one embodiment, a platform architecture may be provided for high speed Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) service termination using a common MAC architecture and router functionality, e.g., an integrated router and firewall service may be provided to a local WLAN network, leveraging a common orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based MAC architecture for both the BWA and WLAN functionality. Such a common MAC architecture may be implemented to optimize the performance and throughput between the broadband wireless ISP data service and localized WLAN network.

Claims

1. A network communication method, comprising providing wireless communication between two or more wireless networks at the media access control (MAC) software layer;

wherein a first one of said two or more wireless networks comprises a wireless network having a first networking protocol, and a second one of said two or more wireless networks comprises a wireless network having a second networking protocol, said first networking protocol being different than said second networking protocol.

2. The network communication method of claim 1, further comprising providing said wireless communication between said two or more wireless networks at the media access control (MAC) software layer using shared MAC circuitry.

3. The network communication method of claim 1, further comprising providing said wireless communication between two or more wireless networks at the media access control (MAC) software layer within an information handling system configured as a multi-network common wireless access point.

4. The network communication method of claim 1, wherein said first networking protocol has a higher communication bandwidth than a communication bandwidth of said second networking protocol;

and wherein said first networking protocol has a greater communication range than a communication range of said second networking protocol.

5. The network communication method of claim 1, wherein said first networking protocol is a broadband wireless access (BWA) networking protocol;

and wherein said second networking protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) networking protocol.

6. The network communication method of claim 1, wherein said first network comprises the Internet;

and wherein said second network comprises a corporate or home local area network.

7. The network communication method of claim 5, further comprising communicating with said first network via a back end communication link;

and communicating with said second network via a front end communication link with a wireless access point for said second network.

8. The network communication method of claim 7, further comprising maintaining association with said at least one wireless access point for said second network;

and receiving management communications over said front end communication link from said at least one second network wireless access point.

9. An information handling system, comprising:

first network communication circuitry configured to communicate with a first wireless network having a first networking protocol;

second network communication circuitry configured to communicate with a second wireless network having a second networking protocol, said second networking protocol being different than said first networking protocol; and

shared media access control (MAC) circuitry coupled to communicate with physical (PHY) interfaces of each of said first network communication circuitry and said second network communication circuitry.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein said first network communication circuitry comprises first radio transceiver circuitry and a first network signal processing component, said first network signal processing circuitry being coupled between said first radio transceiver and said shared MAC circuitry;

and wherein said second network communication circuitry comprises second radio transceiver circuitry and a second network signal processing component, said second network signal processing circuitry being coupled between said second radio transceiver and said shared MAC circuitry.

11. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein said first networking protocol has a higher communication bandwidth than a communication bandwidth of said second networking protocol;

and wherein said first networking protocol has a greater communication range than a communication range of said second networking protocol.

12. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein said first networking protocol is a broadband wireless access (BWA) networking protocol;

wherein said second networking protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) networking protocol.

13. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein said first network comprises the Internet;

and wherein said second network comprises a corporate or home local area network.

14. A multi-network common access point, comprising an information handling system configured to provide wireless communication between two or more wireless networks at the media access control (MAC) software layer;

wherein a first one of said two or more wireless networks comprises a wireless network having a first networking protocol, and a second one of said two or more wireless networks comprises a wireless network having a second networking protocol, said first networking protocol being different than said second networking protocol.

15. The multi-network common access point of claim 14, wherein said information handling system further comprises shared media access control (MAC) circuitry configured to provide said wireless communication between said two or more wireless networks at the MAC software layer.

16. The multi-network common access point of claim 14, wherein said first networking protocol has a higher communication bandwidth than a communication bandwidth of said second networking protocol;

and wherein said first networking protocol has a greater communication range than a communication range of said second networking protocol.

17. The multi-network common access point of claim 14, wherein said first networking protocol is a broadband wireless access (BWA) networking protocol;

and wherein said second networking protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) networking protocol.

18. The multi-network common access point of claim 14, wherein said first network comprises the Internet;

and wherein said second network comprises a corporate or home local area network.

19. The multi-network common access point of claim 17, wherein said information handling system is configured to communicate with said first network via a back end communication link;

and to communicate with said second network via a front end communication link.

20. The multi-network common access point of claim 19, wherein said information handling system is configured to receive management communications over said front end communication link from said at least one second network.