Method and apparatus for implementing a blanket wireless local area network control plane
First Claim
1. A method, performed by a given network access point (NAP) in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN), of providing mobility and cellularization functionality, the method comprising:
- an inter-working function (IWF) entity in the given NAP maintaining lists of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in respective states;
the given NAP maintaining a list of neighbor NAPs;
the given NAP operating in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol; and
,the given NAP receiving an update report from a neighbor (URN) message indicating particular WTRUs that a NAP transmitting the message is aware of.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for maintaining a connection between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) are described. An inter-working function (IWF) entity in a given network access point (NAP) of the BWLAN maintains lists of WTRUs in respective states. Furthermore, the given NAP maintains a list of neighbor NAPs, and operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol. The states may include a “not aware” (NA) state in which the given NAP is actually not aware of a particular WTRU, an “active transmit” (AT) state in which the given NAP is actively transmitting to a particular WTRU, and a “neighbor range” (NR) state for WTRUs indicated in an update report from neighbor (URN) message that the given NAP was not aware of. The WTRU mobility protocol may be a push mobility protocol or a poll mobility protocol.
12 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method, performed by a given network access point (NAP) in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN), of providing mobility and cellularization functionality, the method comprising:
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an inter-working function (IWF) entity in the given NAP maintaining lists of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in respective states; the given NAP maintaining a list of neighbor NAPs; the given NAP operating in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol; and
,the given NAP receiving an update report from a neighbor (URN) message indicating particular WTRUs that a NAP transmitting the message is aware of. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method, performed by a given network access point (NAP) in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN), of providing mobility and celluralization functionality, the method comprising:
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an inter-working function (IWF) entity in the given NAP maintaining lists of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in respective states; the given NAP maintaining a list of neighbor NAPs; the given NAP operating in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol; and
,the WTRU mobility protocol is a poll mobility protocol that enables the IWF entity to use a neighborhood network access control (NAC) entity in the given NAP to poll the NAPs on its neighbor list in response to receiving at least one data burst from a WTRU. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) network access point (NAP) for providing mobility and cellularization functionality, the BWLAN NAP comprising:
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an inter-working function (IWF) entity configured to maintain lists of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in respective states; a neighborhood access control (NAC) entity configured to maintain a list of neighbor NAPs; a medium access control (MAC) entity configured to extract source and destination MAC addresses from at least one received data burst, and forward the MAC addresses to the IWF entity, wherein the BWLAN NAP operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol; and
,the IWF entity is configured to receive an update report from neighbor (URN) message indicating particular WTRUs that a NAP transmitting the message is aware of. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) network access point (NAP) for providing mobility and cellularization functionality, the BWLAN NAP comprising:
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an inter-working function (IWF) entity configured to maintain lists of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in respective states; a neighborhood access control (NAC) entity configured to maintain a list of neighbor NAPs; a medium access control (MAC) entity configured to extract source and destination MAC addresses from at least one received data burst, and forward the MAC addresses to the IWF entity, wherein the BWLAN NAP operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol; and
,the WTRU mobility protocol is a poll mobility protocol that enables the IWF entity to use the neighborhood NAC entity to poll the NAPs on its neighbor list in response to receiving at least one data burst from a WTRU. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification