Interworking of networks with single radio handover

• US 8,325,679 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Taaghol, Pouya, Jain, Puneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trandai, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/718,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/434, 455/436, 455/552.1, 370/252, 370/254, 370/311, 370/312, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/338, 370/352
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for interworking of networks using a single radio handover are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for interworking of networks, comprising:

receiving signals from an access point (AP) in a first network;

investigating the signals to identify a service set identifier (SSID);

determining, using the SSID, whether the AP supports interworking of networks to access a second network using the first network; and

associating with the first network to access the second network using a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) interworking function (WIF) element, wherein the WIF element comprises a singling forwarding function (SFF), and a mobile internet protocol (IP) foreign agent (FA), and wherein to access the second network includes using the mobile IP FA to tunnel from the first network to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the AP is a carrier-class WiFi AP.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSID is an interworking (IWK) SSID.

4. The method of claim 3, further including selecting the IWK SSID from a plurality of SSIDs, wherein each SSID is mapped into a separate virtual local area network (VLAN).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the WIF element comprises an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) function, and data path function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSID is a broadcast SSID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a WiFi network and the second network is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network.

8. A method for network entry, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first network using a station (STA) configured to communicate over the first network and a second network;

establishing association with the first network;

authenticating the STA in the second network by sending extensible authentication protocol (EAP) messages to a WiFi Interworking Function (WIF) through an access point (AP) enabling single radio handoff from the first network to the second network via a singling forwarding function (SFF) in the WIF;

transmitting a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) discovery message to discover a DHCP server;

receiving a DHCP Offer message;

responding to the DHCP Offer message with a DHCP Request message;

receiving an acknowledgement from the WIF element; and

transmitting data over the second network using the first network via a mobile internet protocol (IP) foreign agent (FA) in the WIF.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first network is a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network and the second network is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the STA authenticates in the second network by sending extensible authentication protocol (EAP) messages to an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) proxy in the WIF.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the DHCP discovery message is sent to the WIF.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the DHCP Offer message is received from the WIF.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the DHCP Request message is transmitted to the WIF.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the AP is configured to provide multiple Broadcast Service Set Identifier (BSSID) support.

15. An article comprising a tangible machine readable medium that stores a program, the program being executable by a machine to perform a method, comprising:

receiving signals from an access point (AP) in a first network;

investigating the signals to identify a service set identifier (SSID);

determining, using the SSID, whether the AP supports interworking of networks to access a second network using the first network; and

associating with the first network to access the second network using a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) interworking function (WIF) element, wherein the WIF element comprises a singling forwarding function (SFF), and a mobile internet protocol (IP) foreign agent (FA), and wherein to access the second network includes using the mobile IP FA to tunnel from the first network to the second network.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the SSID is an interworking (IWK) SSID.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the first network is a WiFi network and the second network is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network.