Method and apparatus for delivery of universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) based unidirectional services over a wireless local area network (WLAN)

• US 7,035,242 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kazakevich, Leonid, Shaheen, Kamel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US10/302,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318, 370/338, 370/382, 370/401, 370465-469, 370/474
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Method and apparatus for delivery of UMTS services to a dual mode mobile station through a WLAN when the mobile station is operating within a WLAN environment. UMTS services are transmitted to a WLAN through a UMTS repeater tuned to receive services addressed to registered IDs and transmit these services to that (those) WLAN(s) having mobile stations registered with the UMTS. The WLAN format converter converts the UMTS format into a WLAN message format and communicates the message to the registered users.

Claims

1. A method for communicating messages from a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) to a mobile station operating within a wireless local area network (WLAN), the mobile station configured to selectively operate in the UNITS and the WLAN environments, the method comprising:

a) said mobile station registering with the WLAN and providing its identification (ID);

b) a UMTS repeater retaining a user identification (ID) of the mobile station received from the WLAN and identifying the mobile station as being within a service range of the WLAN;

c) said UMTS repeater transmitting any UMTS service addressed to the registered mobile station to the WLAN; and

d) the WLAN converting the service message into a WLAN message format and transmitting the reformatted message to the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the service message of step (c) includes transmitting one of a paging message, short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d), comprises:

transferring the reformatted message to a given access point in the WLAN for transmission to the UE.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein

said mobile station selects the WLAN mode to receive the message created at step (d).

5. Apparatus for communicating message services to a mobile station (UE) operating in a wireless local area network (WLAN) from a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), said UMTS comprising:

said UE including means for registering the UE identification (UE ID) with said WLAN;

said WLAN registering the UE ID with said UMTS;

a UMTS repeater; and

means for transmitting UMTS services to a plurality of mobile stations;

said UMTS repeater including means tuned to receive services from said means for transmitting services addressed to mobile stations registered with said UMTS repeater and means for transmitting the UMTS services to said WLAN; and

said WLAN having a format converter for converting a service received from the UMTS repeater means for transmitting into a WLAN message format and means for transmitting the reformatted message to a mobile station registered with the UMTS.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said WLAN includes means to convey said message intended for the mobile station serviced by said WLAN to an access point associated with the mobile station.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mobile station is a dual mode station capable of operating in a UMTS mode and a WLAN mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mobile station includes means for transmitting its UE ID to an access point (AP) of said WLAN to register its UE ID;

and

said WLAN conveying the UE ID to said UMTS repeater for registering the UE with said UMTS.

9. A system for communicating message services to a mobile station (UE) operating in a wireless local area network (WLAN) from a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), the UE configured to selectively operate in the UMTS and the WLAN environment, said system comprising:

said UE comprising;

means for registering said UE identification with said WLAN;

said WLAN comprising;

means for registering the UE ID with said UMTS;

said UMTS comprising;

a UMTS repeater for retaining at least the identity (ID) of said UE operating in said WLAN and for forwarding messages addressed to said UE of the WLAN in which the UE is operating; and

said WLAN further comprising;

a format converter for converting messages received from the UMTS repeater into a WLAN message format; and

means for transmitting the formatted messages to said UE.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said WLAN further includes means to convey a message intended for the UE serviced by said WLAN to an access point associated with the mobile station.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said mobile station is a dual mode station capable of operating in a UMTS mode and a WLAN mode.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said UE includes means for transmitting said ID of the UE to an access point (AP) of said WLAN,

whereby said WLAN conveys the registered user ID to said UMTS repeater for registering the UE with said UMTS.