Method and apparatus for automatic switching between networks, wireless access device, and intermediate device

• US 8,908,580 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device, Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shen, Lingguang
• Primary Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry H
• Application Number:
  US13/731,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/332
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for automatic switching between networks, a wireless access device, and an intermediate device. The method includes: receiving, by the wireless access device, after a connection between the wireless access device and the intermediate device is established, an instruction message sent by the intermediate device, where the instruction message instructs the wireless access device to switch from a currently connected wireless network to a wired network; connecting, by the wireless access device, according to the instruction message, the wired network through the intermediate device, and breaking the connection with the wireless network; and switching, by the wireless access device, from the wired network to the wireless network when a connection between the wireless access device and the wired network is broken. The present invention is applicable to the automatic switching between the wireless network and the wired network.

Claims

1. A method for automatic switching between networks comprising:

receiving, by a wireless access device, an instruction message sent by an intermediate device after a connection between the wireless access device and the intermediate device is established, wherein the instruction message instructs the wireless access device to switch from a currently connected wireless network to a wired network;

obtaining, by the wireless access device, a private network Internet Protocol (IP) address from a home gateway;

accessing through the intermediate device and the home gateway, by the wireless access device, the wired network which is connected to the home gateway according to the private network IP address;

breaking a connection with the wireless network according to the instruction message; and

switching, by the wireless access device, from the wired network to the wireless network when the connection between the wireless access device and the wired network is broken.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein switching the wireless access device from the wired network to the wireless network comprises:

sending, by the wireless access device, to the home gateway a request of releasing the private network IP address to make the home gateway release the private network IP address; and

establishing, by the wireless access device, the connection with the wireless network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein switching from the wireless access device from the wired network to the wireless network comprises the wireless access device detecting that a Universal Serial Bus (USB) virtual port is not available.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein switching from the wireless access device from the wired network to the wireless network comprises the wireless access device detecting that the intermediate device cannot be connected to the home gateway.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate device comprises a network bridge device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the home gateway comprises an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the home gateway comprises a router.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless access device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, and wherein the wireless device allocates a private network IP address of a self-defined DHCP server IP address pool to a user equipment accessing the wireless access device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate device is integrated with functions of the home gateway.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the intermediate device comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) composite device and communicates with the wireless access device through a USB interface.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the intermediate device comprises a network port and communicates with the wireless access device through the network port.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the intermediate device comprises a serial port and communicates with the wireless access device through the serial port.

3. A wireless access device comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive an instruction message sent by an intermediate device after a connection between the wireless access device and the intermediate device is established, wherein the instruction message instructs the wireless access device to switch from a currently connected wireless network to a wired network;

a first switching module configured to connect the wired network through the intermediate device and break a connection with the wireless network according to the instruction message, obtain a private network Internet Protocol (IP) address from a home gateway, and access the wired network which is connected to the home gateway according to the private network IP address; and

a second switching module configured to switch from the wired network to the wireless network when the connection between the wireless access device and the wired network is interrupted.

4. The wireless access device according to claim 3, wherein the second switching module is configured to send to the home gateway a request of releasing the private network IP address to make the home gateway release the private network IP address and establish a connection with the wireless network.

18. The wireless access device according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate device comprises a network bridge device, wherein the wireless access device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, and wherein the wireless access device allocates a private network IP address of a self-defined DHCP server IP address pool to a user equipment accessing the wireless access device.

5. An intermediate device comprising:

a first interface module that establishes a connection between the intermediate device and a wireless access device through the first interface module; and

an instruction message sending module configured to send an instruction message to the wireless access device through the first interface module and instruct the wireless access device to switch from a currently connected wireless network to a wired network after the connection between the intermediate device and the wireless device is established,

wherein the connection between the intermediate device and the wireless device is established by the wireless access device obtaining a private network Internet Protocol (IP) address from a home gateway, and the wireless access device accessing through the intermediate device and the home gateway the wired network which is connected to the home gateway according to the private network IP address.

6. The intermediate device according to claim 5, further comprising a second interface module, wherein the intermediate device establishes a connection with the home gateway through the second interface module, and wherein the home gateway is connected to the wired network.

7. The intermediate device according to claim 6, further comprising a third interface module, and wherein the intermediate device establishes the connection with the wired network through the third interface module.

19. The intermediate device according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate device comprises a network bridge device, wherein the wireless access device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, and wherein the wireless access device allocates a private network IP address of a self-defined DHCP server IP address pool to a user equipment accessing the wireless access device.