WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING MEDIA INDEPENDENT HANDOVER BETWEEN TECHNOLOGICALLY DIVERSIFIED ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20100246532A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Communications Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Communications Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zuniga, Juan Carlos, Shaheen, Kamel M., Carlton, Alan Gerald, Rudolf, Marian, Zaki, Maged, Lu, Guang, Olvera-Hernandez, Ulises
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless communication method and device may be used to perform a media independent handover between technologically diversified access networks. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be configured to communicate with a plurality of technologically diversified access networks, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.X networks and Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks. The WTRU may include a plurality of access network specific protocol stacks and a media independent handover (MIH) function. The WTRU may be configured to communicate information with each of the plurality of access network specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each to the plurality of access network protocol stacks.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a processor configured to operate;

a plurality of access network (AN) specific protocol stacks, each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks associated with a different radio access technology; and

an IEEE 802.21 media independent handover (MIH) function configured to communicate management information with each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks.

2. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks comprises a physical (PHY) entity and a medium access control (MAC) entity, and the IEEE 802.21 MIH function is configured to communicate with the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each PHY entity and MAC entity.

3. The WTRU of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks further comprises a mobility management entity, and the IEEE 802.21 MIH function is further configured to communicate with the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each PHY entity, MAC entity, and mobility management entity.

4. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.21 MIH function is further configured to receive a trigger message based on the management information.

5. The WTRU of claim 4, wherein the IEEE 802.21 MIH function is further configured to generate an MIH event message based on the trigger message.

6. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.21 MIH function is further configured to:

receive a trigger message that indicates a threshold; and

determine a timing of an MIH event based on the threshold.

7. The WTRU of claim 6, wherein the threshold is specific to a physical (PHY) entity or to a medium access control (MAC) entity.

8. The WTRU of claim 1 further comprising:

a MIH higher layer convergence function (HLCF) entity configured to communicate with a mobility management entity of each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks.

9. The WTRU of claim 8, wherein the MIH handover function is further configured to receive a handover command from the HLCF.

10. The WTRU of claim 2 further comprising:

a MIH lower layer convergence function (LLCF) configured to communicate with each PHY entity and each MAC entity of each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks.

11. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

communicating management information via a plurality of access network (AN) specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks, wherein each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks is associated with a different radio access technology.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating with the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each of a physical (PHY) entity and a medium access control (MAC) entity.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

communicating with the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to a mobility management entity.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a trigger message based on the management information.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating a media independent handover (MIH) event message based on the trigger message.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a trigger message that indicates a threshold; and

determining a timing of a media independent handover (MIH) event based on the threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the threshold is specific to a physical (PHY) entity or to a medium access control (MAC) entity.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

communicating with a mobility management entity of each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks via a MIH higher layer convergence function (HLCF) entity.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a handover command from the HLCF.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

communicating with each PHY entity and each MAC entity of each of the plurality of AN specific protocol stacks via a media independent handover (MIH) lower layer convergence function (LLCF).