UBIQUITOUS ACCESS TO FEMTO-CONNECTED NETWORK

• US 20110038318A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Reininger, Philippe, Parsons, Eric W., Barnowski, Barnaba, Stojanovski, Saso
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network host and an external IP network host using a femto cellular access point on a femto cellular access network. A local gateway is coupled to the femto cellular access network for receiving data packets transmitted on the femto cellular access network and for routing the data packets to one of a local IP network and an external IP network, based on a destination address associated with the data packets. The femto cellular access network includes an LTE network, an EVDO network connected to an EPC, or a WiMax 802.16e/m network connected to the EPC.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network host and an external IP network host using a femto cellular access point, the system comprising:

a femto cellular access network; and

a local gateway, coupled to the femto cellular access network, that receives data packets transmitted on the femto cellular access network and routes the data packets to one of a local IP network and an external IP network, based on a destination address associated with the data packets.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a femto gateway provided at the external IP network, wherein the local gateway sends the data packet to the femto gateway at the external IP network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the local IP network includes a plurality of terminal devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the terminal devices include at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer and a data storage device.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a router that is coupled to the local gateway to communicate with the terminal devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the femto cellular access network includes one of an LTE network, an EVDO network connected to an EPC, and a WiMax 802.16e/m network connected to the EPC.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the local gateway is associated with at least one access point name.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a single access point name is assigned to a plurality of subscribers.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a plurality of access point names are assigned to a plurality of subscribers.

10. A system for enabling a mobile device that is coupled to a macro cellular network to communicate with a local IP network using a femto cellular access network, the system comprising:

a macro cellular access network; and

a local gateway that receives data packets transmitted on the macro cellular access network and routes the data packets to terminal devices that are coupled to a local IP network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the local gateway is a femto cellular access network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the femto cellular access network includes one of an LTE network, an EVDO network connected to an EPC, and a WiMax 802.16e/m network connected to the EPC.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the local gateway is associated with at least one access point name.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a single access point name is assigned to a plurality of subscribers.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein a plurality of access point names are assigned to a plurality of subscribers.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the terminal devices include at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer and a data storage device.

17. A method of using a femto cell to facilitate communications between a mobile device and at least one terminal device, the method comprising:

assigning a local internet protocol address to a local gateway;

receiving data packets transmitted by a mobile device at the local gateway;

analyzing the data packets to identify a local destination address;

routing the data packets to the at least one terminal device; and

maintaining the data packets in a local network without transmitting data packets to a core gateway.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising assigning an access point name to the local gateway.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forwarding the data packets to the local gateway associated with the access point name.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising assigning a single access point name to a plurality of subscribers.