Scalable WLAN gateway

• US 8,064,418 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joikusoft Limited
• Inventors: Maki, Lasse
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US12/336,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20090279520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/329, 370/341, 370/401, 370/392, 370/466, 370535-536, 370/445, 370/328, 370/391, 455/422.1, 455/552.1, 455/42.2
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• 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

A technique for combining transmission bandwidths of several mobile stations (MS1, MS2) is disclosed. A master mobile station (MS1) establishes (7-0) a WLAN base station communicating with WLAN client terminals (CT). One or more slave mobile stations (MS2) may detect a predefined network identifier and join the WLAN network. The master (MS1) assigns IP addresses for the client terminals (CT) and slave mobile stations (MS2). The master also resolves DNS queries in cooperation with external DNS servers. Traffic, including internet packets (IP1-IP4), between the client terminals and various internet hosts (HO) is tunneled over multiple simultaneous transmission paths (7-6, 7-8; 7-18, 7-22) between the master (MS1) and a multiplexing/demultiplexing computer (SM). The inventive bandwidth combination technique is transparent to the client terminals (CT) and the internet hosts (HO).

Claims

1. A mobile station, comprising:

a memory for storing applications and data;

a processor for executing the stored applications;

a user interface comprising an input section and an output section;

reception/transmission circuitry for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks;

authentication means operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station;

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section of the user interface;

wherein the memory comprises a gateway application which comprises;

a first code portion for instructing the processor to activate the WLAN means to detect if a WLAN network exists, and if a WLAN network does not exist, to establish a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN client terminal and at least one slave mobile station over the WLAN network;

a second code portion for instructing the processor to create a network identifier for the WLAN base station;

a third code portion for instructing the processor to assign an interne protocol address for the at least one WLAN client terminal and for the at least one slave mobile station;

a fourth code portion for instructing the processor to resolve domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries in cooperation with an external DNS system;

a fifth code portion for instructing the processor to assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application;

a sixth code portion for instructing the processor to tunnel internet traffic between the at least one WLAN client terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection;

wherein said tunnelling of internet traffic comprises establishing and managing multiple simultaneous transmission paths between the mobile station and the internet host, the multiple simultaneous transmission paths comprises a first transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the mobile station and at least one second transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the slave mobile station.

2. A mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising means for utilizing multicast transmission in the at least one second transmission path.

3. A mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising means for establishing and managing the multiple simultaneous transmission paths such that the multiple simultaneous transmission paths originate and terminate at the mobile station and a multiplexing/demultiplexing computer which is a different computer from the internet host.

4. A mobile station according to claim 3, further comprising signalling means for communicating with several service coordination servers that coordinate operation of several multiplexing/demultiplexing computer;

wherein the signalling means comprise code portions for instructing the processor to;

retrieve from the memory a list indicating some of the several service coordination servers;

send an inquiry to one or more of the several service coordination servers until a response is received, the response indicating an updated list of service coordination servers;

obtain an address of one or more active multiplexing/demultiplexing computers from at least one of the several service coordination servers;

store the updated list of service coordination servers into the memory.

5. A software carrier for a mobile station which comprises a memory for storing applications and data;

a processor for executing the stored applications;

a user interface comprising an input section and an output section;

reception/transmission circuitry for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks;

authentication means operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station; and

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section of the user interface;

wherein the software carrier comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium or storage, storing instructions for a gateway application executed by a processor, including;

a first code portion for instructing the processor to activate the WLAN means to detect if a WLAN network exists, and if a WLAN network does not exist, to establish a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN client terminal and at least one slave mobile station over the WLAN network;

a second code portion for instructing the processor to create a network identifier for the WLAN base station;

a third code portion for instructing the processor to assign an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN client terminal and for the at least one slave mobile station;

a fourth code portion for instructing the processor to resolve domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries in cooperation with an external DNS system;

a fifth code portion for instructing the processor to assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application;

a sixth code portion for instructing the processor to tunnel internet traffic between the at least one WLAN client terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection;

wherein said tunnelling of interact traffic comprises establishing and managing multiple simultaneous transmission paths between the mobile station and the internet host, the multiple simultaneous transmission paths comprises a first transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the mobile station and at least one second transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the slave mobile station.

6. A method for operating a mobile station;

wherein the mobile station comprises a memory for storing applications and data;

a processor for executing the stored applications;

a user interface comprising an input section and an output section;

reception/transmission circuitry for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks;

authentication means operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station; and

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section of the user interface;

wherein the method comprises instructing the processor by a gateway application to control the following operations;

activating the WLAN means to detect if a WLAN network exists, and if a WLAN network does not exist, to establish a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN client terminal and at least one slave mobile station over the WLAN network;

creating a network identifier for the WLAN base station;

assigning an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN client terminal and for the at least one slave mobile station;

resolving domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries in cooperation with an external DNS system;

assigning at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application;

tunneling internet traffic between the at least one WLAN client terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection;

wherein said tunnelling of internet traffic comprises establishing and managing multiple simultaneous transmission paths between the mobile station and the internet host, the multiple simultaneous transmission paths comprises a first transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the mobile station and at least one second transmission path via the reception/transmission circuitry of the slave mobile station.