Mobile virtual LAN

• US 7,724,715 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOAKYE, ALEXANDER O
• Application Number:
  US11/017,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/310, 370/401, 370/328, 370/230, 370/235, 370/469, 370/395.53, 370/465, 370/345, 370/508, 370/324, 370/326, 370/329, 370/337, 370/347, 709/218, 709/223, 709/227, 709/230, 709/328
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/467 Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4691 GVRP [GARP VLAN registration protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communication system in which multiple protocols and proxy services are executed by an access point. In one embodiment of the invention, GVRP and GMRP registrations are combined in a single packet when a wireless device roams to a different VLAN. In addition, outbound GVRP and GMRP multicast messages are handled by an access point (also referred to as a GVRP and GMRP “gateway”) such that the wireless device is not burdened with the associated computational overhead. In a further embodiment, a wireless device may dynamically switch between a VLAN-aware state and a VLAN-unaware state depending on the nature of a detected access point. For example, if a relevant access point supports GVRP, the wireless device may operate as a VLAN terminal. If a wireless device is not attached to an access point with a matching VLAN ID, the wireless device sends and receives VLAN tagged frames. If a wireless device configured with a VLAN ID is attached to an access point with a matching VLAN ID, or if the wireless device is attached to a non-VLAN access point, then the wireless device may send and receive raw/untagged frames. In addition to the gateways described below, the ability of a wireless device to detect when it can send untagged frames is considered novel. In another embodiment of the invention, a special ID that is different than the native VLAN ID for a switch port is used for VLAN-unaware devices. This allows such devices that do not issue tagged frames to belong to a single VLAN ID.

Claims

1. A station for utilization in a wireless communication network, wherein said station is configurable with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identification and operates to, at least:

communicatively couple to a port of a VLAN switch;

communicatively couple to a wireless mobile terminal; and

perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal, said proxy services comprising generating responses on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal to messages from a VLAN,

wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate messages on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal without interacting with the wireless mobile terminal.

2. The station of claim 1, wherein said proxy services performed by said station for the wireless mobile terminal relate to registration of the wireless mobile terminal with the VLAN.

3. The station of claim 1, wherein said proxy services performed by said station for the wireless mobile terminal relate to membership of the wireless mobile terminal in an attribute group of the VLAN.

4. The station of claim 1, wherein at least one of said generated responses comprises registration information corresponding to a plurality of protocols in a single packet.

5. The station of claim 1, wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate responses on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal when the wireless mobile terminal is in a sleep state.

6. The station of claim 1, wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate VLAN join and/or leave requests on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal.

7. The station of claim 1, wherein said station operates to communicatively couple directly to a port of the VLAN switch.

8. The station of claim 1, wherein said station operates to communicatively couple directly to the wireless mobile terminal via a wireless communication link.

9. The station of claim 1, wherein said station comprises a communication network access point.

10. The station of claim 1, wherein said station comprises a communication network wireless access point.

11. A station for utilization in a wireless communication network, wherein said station is configurable to participate in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) system and operates to, at least:

communicatively couple to a port of a VLAN switch;

communicatively couple to a wireless mobile terminal; and

perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal, said proxy services relating to the VLAN system and serving to reduce wireless communication between said station and the wireless mobile terminal, the reduced wireless communication related to the VLAN system,

wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate messages on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal without interacting with the wireless mobile terminal.

12. The station of claim 11, wherein said proxy services performed by said station for the wireless mobile terminal relate to registration of the wireless mobile terminal with the VLAN system.

13. The station of claim 11, wherein said proxy services performed by said station for the wireless mobile terminal relate to membership of the wireless mobile terminal in an attribute group of the VLAN system.

14. The station of claim 11, wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate a single packet comprising registration information corresponding to a plurality of protocols.

15. The station of claim 11, wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate responses on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal when the wireless mobile terminal is in a sleep state.

16. The station of claim 11, wherein said station operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate VLAN join and/or leave requests on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal.

17. The station of claim 11, wherein said station operates to communicatively couple directly to a port of the VLAN switch.

18. The station of claim 11, wherein said station operates to communicatively couple directly to the wireless mobile terminal via a wireless communication link.

19. The station of claim 11, wherein said station comprises a communication network access point.

20. The station of claim 11, wherein said station comprises a communication network wireless access point.

21. A proxy subsystem for utilization in a wireless communication network, wherein said proxy subsystem is configurable to participate in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) system and operates to, at least:

communicatively couple to a port of a VLAN switch;

communicatively couple to a wireless mobile terminal; and

perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal, said proxy services relating to the VLAN system and serving to reduce wireless communication between the VLAN system and the wireless mobile terminal, the reduced wireless communication related to the VLAN systems,

wherein said proxy subsystem operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate messages on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal without interacting with the wireless mobile terminal.

22. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy services performed by said proxy subsystem for the wireless mobile terminal relate to registration of the wireless mobile terminal with the VLAN system.

23. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy services performed by said proxy subsystem for the wireless mobile terminal relate to membership of the wireless mobile terminal in an attribute group of the VLAN system.

24. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy subsystem operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate a single packet comprising registration information corresponding to a plurality of protocols.

25. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy subsystem operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate responses on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal when the wireless mobile terminal is in a sleep state.

26. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein performing proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal comprises generating VLAN join and/or leave requests on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal.

27. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy subsystem operates to communicatively couple directly to a port of the VLAN switch.

28. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein said proxy subsystem operates to communicatively couple directly to the wireless mobile terminal via a wireless communication link.

29. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of said proxy subsystem is located in a communication network access point.

30. The proxy subsystem of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of said proxy subsystem is located in a communication network wireless access point.

31. An access point for utilization in a wireless communication network, wherein said access point is configurable with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identification and operates to, at least:

communicatively couple to a port of a VLAN switch;

communicatively couple to a wireless mobile terminal; and

perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal, said proxy services relating to establishing and/or maintaining registration of the wireless mobile terminal with the VLAN,

wherein said access point operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate messages on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal without interacting with the wireless mobile terminal.

32. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate a message comprising registration information corresponding to a plurality of protocols in a single packet.

33. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate messages on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal when the wireless mobile terminal is in a sleep state.

34. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point operates to perform proxy services for the wireless mobile terminal by, at least in part, operating to generate VLAN join and/or leave requests on behalf of the wireless mobile terminal.

35. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point operates to communicatively couple directly to a port of the VLAN switch.

36. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point operates to communicatively couple directly to the wireless mobile terminal via a wireless communication link.

37. The access point of claim 31, wherein said access point is a wireless access point.