Integrated radio communication system, mobile communication system, switching apparatus, radio terminal, and communication method

• US 7,636,347 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yoshikazu, Kaneko, Tomoharu, Kito, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US10/502,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/352, 370/230.1, 370/235, 370/310, 370/312, 370/338, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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

According to the present invention, in an integrated wireless communication system composed of a wireless LAN system 200 in which wireless communication is performed with mobile terminals 400 of a wireless LAN area 204, and a cellular system 100 that is linked to this wireless LAN system 200 via exchange equipment 300, a request from an external terminal for communication with a mobile terminal 400 or a request from a mobile terminal 400 for communication with an external terminal is received, and a communication path is selected and communication performed either via the cellular system 100 or via the wireless LAN system 200 according to this communication request.

Claims

1. An integrated wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless LAN system that performs wireless communication with a mobile terminal of a wireless LAN area; and

a mobile communication system linked to said wireless LAN system via exchange equipment, wherein;

said mobile communication system (i) comprises a location information management section, the location information management section registering an IP address assigned to said mobile terminal as location information when a link is established between said wireless LAN system and said mobile terminal, (ii) selects a communication path either via the mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system when there is a request for communication with said mobile terminal from an external terminal, and (iii) reports said mobile terminal IP address in said location information management section to said external terminal upon selecting a communication path via said wireless LAN system.

2. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system selects one or another said communication path according to a communication path request from said external terminal.

3. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system selects one or another said communication path according to transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said external terminal.

4. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein said mobile communication system selects a communication path via said wireless LAN system when transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said external terminal is greater than a predetermined value, and selects a communication path via said mobile communication system when transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said external terminal is less than a predetermined value.

5. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system, in a case where a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, when said mobile terminal IP address has not been registered in said location information management section, calls said mobile terminal using a paging channel of that mobile communication system and also requests establishment of a link to said wireless LAN system;

said mobile terminal, after establishing a link with said wireless LAN system according to that link establishment request, reports to said mobile communication system an IP address assigned from that wireless LAN system; and

said mobile communication system registers that IP address in said location information management section and also reports that IP address to said external terminal.

6. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system, in a case where a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, when said mobile terminal IP address has not been registered in said location information management section, calls said mobile terminal using a paging channel of that mobile communication system and also requests establishment of a link to said wireless LAN system;

when said mobile terminal establishes a link with said wireless LAN system according to that link establishment request, said wireless LAN system reports to said mobile communication system an IP address assigned from that wireless LAN system to that mobile terminal via said exchange equipment; and

said mobile communication system registers that IP address in said location information management section and also reports that IP address to said external terminal.

7. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system reports said IP address to said mobile communication system at fixed intervals while said mobile terminal has a link established with said wireless LAN system;

and when notification of that IP address is interrupted, said mobile communication system deletes that IP address registered in said location information management section.

8. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system reports said IP address when that mobile terminal establishes a link with a wireless LAN system and also, when a link is cleared, reports this fact to said mobile communication system;

and said mobile communication system, on receiving notification to the effect that a link has been cleared from said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system, deletes that IP address registered in said location information management section.

9. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein:

said mobile communication system further comprises an authentication management section that, when said mobile terminal establishes a link with said wireless LAN system, performs authentication of that mobile terminal; and

said mobile terminal issues a request for authentication to said mobile communication system when a link with said wireless LAN system is established;

said mobile communication system, on completion of authentication of said mobile terminal, sends an authentication completion signal to said wireless LAN system via said exchange equipment; and

said wireless LAN system assigns a channel to said mobile terminal according to said authentication completion signal.

10. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system, when there is a request for communication with an external terminal from said mobile terminal, selects a communication path either via that mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system.

11. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein:

said mobile communication system further comprises an authentication management section that, when said mobile terminal establishes a link with said wireless LAN system, performs authentication of that mobile terminal; and

when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, if a link has not been established between said mobile terminal and said wireless LAN system, said mobile terminal issues a request for authentication to said mobile communication system when establishing a link with said wireless LAN system;

said mobile communication system, on completion of authentication of said mobile terminal, sends an authentication completion signal to said wireless LAN system via said exchange equipment; and

said wireless LAN system assigns a channel to said mobile terminal according to said authentication completion signal.

12. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein said mobile communication system or mobile terminal selects one or another said communication path according to a communication path request from said mobile terminal.

13. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein said mobile communication system or mobile terminal selects one or another said communication path according to transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said mobile terminal.

14. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 13, wherein said mobile communication system or mobile terminal selects a communication path via said wireless LAN system when transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said mobile terminal is greater than a predetermined value, and selects a communication path via said mobile communication system when transmit data capacity of information for which there is a communication request from said mobile terminal is less than a predetermined value.

15. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 13, wherein said mobile communication system or mobile terminal assesses a congestion status of a network managed by said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system, and selects one or another said communication path.

16. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein said mobile terminal, when establishing a link with said wireless LAN system, issue a request to said mobile communication system for information on a wireless LAN system that can be used at a present location, and establishes a link with said wireless LAN system using information sent in response from said mobile communication system.

17. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein said mobile communication system reports information on a wireless LAN system that can be used at a present location of said mobile terminal to that mobile terminal constantly or at fixed intervals, and said mobile terminal, when establishing a link with said wireless LAN system, establishes a link with said wireless LAN system using information reported from said mobile communication system.

18. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein said mobile terminal, after establishing a link with said wireless LAN system, reports to said mobile communication system an IP address assigned by that wireless LAN system, and said mobile communication system registers that IP address in a location information management section as location information.

19. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein said wireless LAN system reports to said mobile communication system via said exchange equipment an IP address assigned to said mobile terminal that established a link, and said mobile communication system registers that IP address in a location information management section as location information.

20. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 18, wherein said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system reports said IP address to said mobile communication system at fixed intervals while that mobile terminal has a link established with a wireless LAN system;

and when notification of that IP address is interrupted, said mobile communication system deletes that IP address registered in said location information management section.

21. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 18, wherein said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system reports said IP address when that mobile terminal establishes a link with a wireless LAN system and also, when a link is cleared, reports this fact to said mobile communication system;

and said mobile communication system, on receiving notification to the effect that a link has been cleared from said mobile terminal or wireless LAN system, deletes that IP address registered in said location information management section.

22. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system further comprises a user information management section that manages a contract status of said wireless LAN system according to a user of said mobile terminal obtained via said exchange equipment;

and when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, a transmission band provided by said wireless LAN system is differentiated according to said contract contents.

23. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 22, wherein in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal has a contract, a provided transmission band is guaranteed, and in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal does not have a contract, a transmission band is provided according to a utilization status of that wireless LAN system.

24. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system further comprises a user information management section that manages a contract status of said wireless LAN system according to a user of said mobile terminal obtained via said exchange equipment;

and when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal has a contract, information transmission from that user is given priority.

25. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system further comprises a user information management section that manages a contract status of said wireless LAN system according to a user of said mobile terminal and charging information for a user of said mobile terminal obtained via said exchange equipment;

and in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal has a contract, a contract fee of that wireless LAN system is managed as said charging information, while in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal does not have a contract, a connection fee in accordance with a number of times of connection from said mobile terminal to that wireless LAN system is managed as said charging information.

26. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 25, wherein said mobile communication system detects a number of times of connection to said wireless LAN system when notification of said authentication completion signal to that wireless LAN system is performed or when IP address notification from a wireless LAN system is received.

27. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 25, wherein said mobile communication system manages said charging information according to a number of times of connection to said wireless LAN system detected by said exchange equipment when notification of said authentication completion signal to said wireless LAN system or IP address notification from a wireless LAN system is received.

28. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile communication system further comprises a user information management section that manages a contract status of said wireless LAN system according to a user of said mobile terminal and charging information for a user of said mobile terminal obtained via said exchange equipment;

and in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal has a contract, a contract fee of that wireless LAN system is managed as said charging information, while in the case of connection to a wireless LAN system for which a user of said mobile terminal does not have a contract, a connection fee in accordance with connection time from said mobile terminal to that wireless LAN system is managed as said charging information.

29. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile communication system detects connection time to said wireless LAN system based on IP address notification from said wireless LAN system and clearing notification after clearing of a link between that wireless LAN system and said mobile terminal.

30. The integrated wireless communication system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile communication system manages said charging information according to connection time to said wireless LAN system detected by said exchange equipment based on IP address notification from said wireless LAN system and clearing notification after clearing of a link between that wireless LAN system and said mobile terminal.

31. Exchange equipment that links a wireless LAN system and a mobile communication system, said exchange equipment comprising:

a user information exchange section that exchanges user information between said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system;

an authentication completion signal notification section that reports to said wireless LAN system an authentication completion signal sent from said mobile communication system according to an authentication request from said mobile terminal;

an IP address notification section that reports from said wireless LAN system to said mobile communication system an IP address obtained after said mobile terminal establishes a link with said wireless LAN system; and

a congestion status notification section that reports to said mobile communication system a congestion status in said wireless LAN system.

32. The exchange equipment according to claim 31, wherein said IP address notification section comprises a connection times detection section that detects a number of times of connection of said mobile terminal to said wireless LAN system according to a number of times of said IP address notification from said wireless LAN system to said mobile communication system.

33. The exchange equipment according to claim 31, wherein said IP address notification section reports to said mobile communication system a clearing notification sent from said wireless LAN system after a link between said mobile terminal and said wireless LAN system is cleared, and said IP address notification section comprises a connection time detection section that detects connection time of said mobile terminal to said wireless LAN system according to a time from said IP address notification from said wireless LAN system to said mobile communication system until said clearing notification.

34. The exchange equipment according to claim 31, wherein said authentication completion signal notification section comprises a connection times detection section that detects a number of times of connection of said mobile terminal to said wireless LAN system according to a number of times of notification of said authentication completion signal from said mobile communication system to said wireless LAN system.

35. A mobile terminal for communication with both a wireless LAN system and a mobile communication system, said mobile terminal comprising:

a link establishment request section that requests a link with said wireless LAN system according to a request for establishment of a link with that wireless LAN system using a paging channel of said mobile communication system;

an authentication request signal transmitting section that transmits a signal requesting said mobile communication system to perform authentication necessary at a time of establishment of a link with said wireless LAN system;

an IP address notification section that reports to said mobile communication system an IP address obtained after establishment of a link with said wireless LAN system; and

a communication path selection section that, when information is transmitted to an external terminal via said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system, selects a communication path either via said mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system according to transmit data capacity of that information.

36. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, wherein said communication path selection section selects a communication path via said wireless LAN system when transmit data capacity of said information is greater than a predetermined value, and selects a communication path via said mobile communication system when transmit data capacity of said information is less than a predetermined value.

37. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, further comprising a congestion status receiving section that receives a congestion status of said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system;

wherein said communication path selection section assesses a congestion status received by said congestion status receiving section and selects a communication path either via said mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system.

38. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, further comprising:

a communication path selection request signal transmitting section that transmits a signal giving transmit data capacity of said information and requesting of said mobile communication system selection of a communication path either via said mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system;

a communication path selection response signal receiving section that receives a communication path selection response signal sent back from said mobile communication system in response to said communication path selection request signal; and

a communication path selection section that selects a communication path either via said mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system according to a result of said communication path selection response signal.

39. A mobile communication system that is linked to a wireless LAN system that performs wireless communication with a mobile terminal of a wireless LAN area via exchange equipment, said mobile communication system comprising:

a location information management section that manages as location information an IP address of said mobile terminal in said wireless LAN system obtained via said exchange equipment;

a communication path selection section that, when there is a request for communication with said mobile terminal from an external terminal, selects a communication path either via that mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system; and

an IP address notification section that, when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected, reports to said external terminal an IP address of said mobile terminal in said location information management section.

40. The mobile communication system according to claim 39, wherein said communication path selection section, when there is a request for communication with an external terminal from said mobile terminal, selects a communication path either via that mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system.

41. The mobile communication system according to claim 39, wherein said communication path selection section selects one or another said communication path according to a communication path request from said external terminal or a communication path request from said mobile terminal.

42. The mobile communication system according to claim 39, wherein said communication path selection section selects one or another said communication path according to transmit data capacity of information from said external terminal or transmit data capacity of information from said mobile terminal.

43. The mobile communication system according to claim 42, wherein said communication path selection section selects a communication path via said wireless LAN system when transmit data capacity of information from said external terminal or transmit data capacity of information from said mobile terminal is greater than a predetermined value, and selects a communication path via said mobile communication system when transmit data capacity of information from said external terminal or transmit data capacity of information from said mobile terminal is less than a predetermined value.

44. The mobile communication system according to claim 42, wherein said communication path selection section assesses a congestion status of a network managed by said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system, and selects one or another said communication path.

45. A communication method in an integrated wireless communication system comprising a wireless LAN system that performs wireless communication with a mobile terminal of a wireless LAN area and a mobile communication system linked to said wireless LAN system via exchange equipment, said communication method comprising the steps of:

registering an IP address assigned to said mobile terminal as location information when a link is established between said wireless LAN system and said mobile terminal;

receiving a request for communication with said mobile terminal from an external terminal or a request for communication with an external terminal from said mobile terminal;

determining whether there is a communication path request in said communication request;

selecting a communication path either via that mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system according to said communication path request; and

reporting said mobile terminal IP address to said external terminal when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected.

46. A communication method in an integrated wireless communication system comprising a wireless LAN system that performs wireless communication with a mobile terminal of a wireless LAN area and a mobile communication system linked to said wireless LAN system via exchange equipment, said communication method comprising the steps of:

registering an IP address assigned to said mobile terminal as location information when a link is established between said wireless LAN system and said mobile terminal;

receiving a request for communication with said mobile terminal from an external terminal or a request for communication with an external terminal from said mobile terminal;

determining transmit data capacity of information from said external terminal or transmit data capacity of information from said mobile terminal;

selecting a communication path either via that mobile communication system or via said wireless LAN system according to that transmit data capacity; and

reporting said mobile terminal IP address to said external terminal when a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected.

47. The communication method according to claim 46, wherein a communication path via said wireless LAN system is selected when said transmit data capacity is greater than a predetermined value, and a communication path via said mobile communication system is selected when said transmit data capacity is less than to a predetermined value.

48. The communication method according to claim 46, wherein a congestion status of a network managed by said mobile communication system and wireless LAN system is assessed when selecting one or another said communication path.