Wireless communication system employing an intermediate protocol layer
First Claim
1. A system for a mobile wireless communication, comprising:
- one or more access points, each being accessible from a wireless mobile device, the mobile device being associated with a current access point among the one or more access points; and
a network controller for a communication between a network device and the mobile device via the current access point;
the network controller comprising;
a first protocol layer configured to maintain a first virtual circuit between the network controller and the network device;
a second protocol layer configured to maintain a second virtual circuit between the network controller and the current access point; and
an intermediate protocol layer configured to bridge a communication between the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit through mapping,wherein the second protocol layer is configured to extract a first data segment encapsulated into a second data segment received via the second virtual circuit and pass it to the intermediate protocol layer for transmission to the network device, the first data segment comprising message data from the mobile device and a session number for identifying the network device,wherein the intermediate protocol layer is configured to extract the message data and map the extracted message data to the first virtual circuit based on the session number,and wherein the second protocol layer is further configured to receive data from the intermediate protocol layer and process the received data for transmission to the current access point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network controller for facilitating roaming of a mobile wireless communications device between access points communicates with at least one access point over a wired network which, in turn, communicate with a mobile wireless communications device over a wireless network. The network controller includes a data processing system including a protocol stack that facilitates a communication session between the mobile device and a network device on the wired network, and a session table identifying session information for each said communication session. The session information identifies the current access point with which the mobile device is currently associated. The protocol stack updates the session table from session information received from the current access point, maintains a first virtual circuit with the network device, maintains a second virtual circuit with the current access point, and bridges communication between the virtual circuits in accordance with the session information.
34 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for a mobile wireless communication, comprising:
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one or more access points, each being accessible from a wireless mobile device, the mobile device being associated with a current access point among the one or more access points; and a network controller for a communication between a network device and the mobile device via the current access point; the network controller comprising; a first protocol layer configured to maintain a first virtual circuit between the network controller and the network device; a second protocol layer configured to maintain a second virtual circuit between the network controller and the current access point; and an intermediate protocol layer configured to bridge a communication between the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit through mapping, wherein the second protocol layer is configured to extract a first data segment encapsulated into a second data segment received via the second virtual circuit and pass it to the intermediate protocol layer for transmission to the network device, the first data segment comprising message data from the mobile device and a session number for identifying the network device, wherein the intermediate protocol layer is configured to extract the message data and map the extracted message data to the first virtual circuit based on the session number, and wherein the second protocol layer is further configured to receive data from the intermediate protocol layer and process the received data for transmission to the current access point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for a mobile wireless communication, the system comprising:
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a data processing system including a protocol stack for facilitating a communication session between a mobile device and a network device, message data being passed from the mobile device to the data processing system via a current access point, the protocol stack comprising; a first protocol layer configured to maintain a first virtual circuit between the system and the network device; a second protocol layer configured to maintain a second virtual circuit between the system and the current access point; and an intermediate protocol layer configured to bridge communication between the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit through mapping, wherein the second protocol layer is configured to extract a transport layer data segment encapsulated in a base station link layer datagram transmitted from the current access point over the second virtual circuit, the message data being encapsulated in the transport layer data segment, wherein the second protocol layer is further configured to transmit the extracted transport layer data segment to the intermediate protocol layer for transmission to the network device, wherein the transport layer data segment comprises a transport layer header having a session number for identifying a data format of the message data and the network device, and wherein the intermediate protocol layer is further configured to extract the message data from the transport layer data segment and to map the extracted message data to the first virtual circuit based on the session number. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for a mobile wireless communication, comprising the steps of:
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at a current access point, encapsulating a first data segment for transmission to a network controller into a second data segment, the first data segment comprising message data from a mobile device and a session number for identifying a network device; at the network controller, controlling a communication between the network device and the current access point, the network controller having at a first protocol layer configured for maintaining a first virtual circuit between the network controller and the network device, a second protocol layer configured for maintaining a second virtual circuit between the network controller and the current access point, and an intermediate protocol layer configured for bridging a communication between the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit; the step of controlling including; at the second protocol layer, extracting the first data segment encapsulated into the second data segment received via the second virtual circuit and passing it to the intermediate protocol layer for transmission to the network device; at the intermediate protocol layer, extracting the message data from the first data segment and mapping the extracted message data to the first virtual circuit based on the session number; and at the second protocol layer, receiving data from the intermediate protocol layer and processing the received data for transmission to the current access point. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for a mobile wireless communication between a mobile device and a network device via a network controller, the network control including a first protocol layer configured for maintaining a first virtual circuit between the network controller and the network device, a second protocol layer configured for maintaining a second virtual circuit between the network controller and a current access point associated with the mobile device, an intermediate protocol layer configured for bridging a communication between the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuits,
the method comprising the steps of: -
at the second protocol layer, extracting a transport layer data segment encapsulated in a base station link layer datagram transmitted from the current access point over the second virtual circuit, the transport layer data segment comprising message data from the mobile device and a session number for identifying the network device; at the second protocol layer, transmitting the extracted transport layer data segment to the intermediate protocol layer for transmission to the network device; at the intermediate protocol layer, extracting the message data from the transport layer data segment and mapping the extracted message data to the first virtual circuit based on the session number. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification