Ubiquitous access to FEMTO—connected network

• US 9,119,141 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Parsons, Eric W., Reininger, Philippe, Stojanovski, Saso, Barnowski, Barnaba
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O
• Application Number:
  US13/868,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/332, 370/331, 370/337, 370/338, 370/347, 370/352, 370/354
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network host and an external IP network host using a femto cellular access point on a femto cellular access network. A local gateway is coupled to the femto cellular access network for receiving data packets transmitted on the femto cellular access network and for routing the data packets to one of a local IP network and an external IP network, based on a destination address associated with the data packets. The femto cellular access network includes an LTE network, an EVDO network connected to an EPC, or a WiMax 802.16e/m network connected to the EPC.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network and a cellular core network, comprising:

a femto cellular access point communicating control plane information associated with the mobile device to a mobility management entity (MME) of the cellular core network;

the femto cellular access point receiving first data packets transmitted by the mobile device;

the femto cellular access point analyzing the first data packets to identify a first destination address of the data packets;

in response to determining that the first data packets identify a destination address of a terminal device within the local IP network, the femto cellular access point routing the first data packets to the terminal device, wherein said routing the first data packets to the terminal device comprises maintaining the first data packets in the local IP network without transmitting the first data packets to the cellular core network;

the femto cellular access point receiving second data packets transmitted by the mobile device;

the femto cellular access point analyzing the second data packets to identify a second destination address of the data packets; and

in response to determining that the second data packets identify an external destination address, the femto cellular access point routing the second data packets to the cellular core network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a local internet protocol address to the femto cellular access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal device includes at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer or a data storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the local IP network includes a plurality of terminal devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said routing the data packets to the terminal device comprises transmitting the data packets to a router of the local IP network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the femto cellular access point provides a femto cellular access network, wherein the femto cellular access network comprises an LTE network.

7. A femto cellular access point configured to enable a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network and a cellular core network, comprising:

communication circuitry for performing communication with one or more mobile devices, the local IP network, and the cellular core network;

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to operate with the communication circuitry to;

communicate control plane information associated with the mobile device to a mobility management entity (MME) of the cellular core network;

receive data packets transmitted by the mobile device;

analyze the data packets to identify a destination address of the data packets;

in response to determining that the data packets identify a destination address within the local IP network, route the data packets within the local IP network, wherein said routing comprises maintaining the data packets in the local IP network without transmitting the data packets to the cellular core network; and

in response to determining that the data packets identify an external destination address, route the second data packets to the cellular core network.

8. The femto cellular access point of claim 7, wherein determining that the data packets identify the destination address within the local IP network comprises determining that the data packets identify the destination address of a terminal device within the local IP network, and wherein said routing the data packets within the local IP network in response to determining that the data packets identify the destination address within the local IP network is performed to the terminal device.

9. The femto cellular access point of claim 8, wherein the terminal device includes at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer or a data storage device.

10. The femto cellular access point of claim 7, wherein the local IP network includes a plurality of terminal devices.

11. The femto cellular access point of claim 7, wherein said routing the data packets within the local IP network comprises transmitting the data packets to a router of the local IP network.

12. The femto cellular access point of claim 7, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

assign a local internet protocol address to the femto cellular access point.

13. The femto cellular access point of claim 7, wherein the femto cellular access point provides a femto cellular access network, wherein the femto cellular access network comprises an LTE network.

14. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network and a cellular core network, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor of a femto cellular access point, cause the femto cellular access point to perform a method comprising:

receiving data packets transmitted by the mobile device;

analyzing the data packets to identify a destination address of the data packets;

in response to determining that the data packets identify a destination address of a terminal device within the local IP network, routing the data packets to the terminal device, wherein said routing the data packets to the terminal device comprises maintaining the data packets in the local IP network without transmitting the data packets to the cellular core network; and

in response to determining that the data packets identify an external destination address, routing the second data packets to the cellular core network.

15. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

communicating control plane information associated with the mobile device to a mobility management entity (MME) of the cellular core network.

16. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 14, wherein the terminal device includes at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer or a data storage device.

17. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 14, wherein said routing the data packets within the local IP network comprises transmitting the data packets to a router of the local IP network.

18. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

assigning a local internet protocol address to the femto cellular access point.

19. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 14, wherein the femto cellular access point provides a femto cellular access network, wherein the femto cellular access network comprises an LTE network.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

communication circuitry configured to perform wireless communication with a femto cellular access point;

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to operate with the communication circuitry to;

generate first data packets for transmission to a terminal device having a destination address within a local network of the femto cellular access point;

transmit the first data packets to the femto cellular access point using the communication circuitry,

wherein, in response to the destination address being within the local network, the femto cellular access point is configured to route the first data packets to the terminal device, and

wherein said routing the first data packets to the terminal device comprises maintaining the first data packets in the local network without transmitting the data packets to a cellular core network;

generate second data packets for transmission external to the local network; and

transmit the second data packets to the femto cellular access point using the communication circuitry,

wherein the second data packets comprise a destination address external to the local network, and

wherein, in response to the destination address being external to the local network, the femto cellular access point is configured to route the second data packets to the cellular core network.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the terminal device includes at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer or a data storage device.

22. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the femto cellular access point routing the data packets to the terminal device comprises the femto cellular access point transmitting the data packets to a router of the local network.

23. A method for communicating with a femto cellular access network, comprising:

a mobile station generating first data packets for transmission to a terminal device having a destination address within a local network of the femto cellular access point;

the mobile station transmitting the first data packets to the femto cellular access point using the communication circuitry,

wherein, in response to the destination address being within the local network, the femto cellular access point is configured to route the first data packets to the terminal device, and

wherein said routing the first data packets to the terminal device comprises maintaining the first data packets in the local network without transmitting the data packets to a cellular core network;

the mobile station generating second data packets for transmission external to the local network; and

the mobile station transmitting the second data packets to the femto cellular access point using the communication circuitry,

wherein the second data packets comprise a destination address external to the local network, and

wherein, in response to the destination address being external to the local network, the femto cellular access point is configured to route the second data packets to the cellular core network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the terminal device includes at least one of a media player, a printer, a computer or a data storage device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the femto cellular acces point routing the data packets to the terminal device comprises the femto cellular access point transmitting the data packets to a router of the local network.