Mobile cellular network backhaul

• US 9,226,192 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Graffagnino, Vincent, Niermann, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bassinan, Obidon
• Application Number:
  US14/264,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/16 Interfaces between hierarchically similar devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system can provide an independent mobile cellular network to devices within a covered area. In addition, the MCN communication system can communicate with other MCN communication systems using a wireless standard that is similar to the wireless standard used to communicate with user equipment within the covered area. In some instances, the MCN communication system can be registered as a user equipment of another MCN communication system and/or have another MCN communication system registered with it as a user equipment.

Claims

1. A mobile cellular network system comprising:

a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system located within a first covered area and configured to generate a first MCN for the first covered area and provide first communication links to one or more first user equipment within the first covered area, the first MCN communication system comprising;

a first radio access component configured to receive first wireless communications according to a first wireless standard from the one or more first user equipment,

a first control and data component in communication with the first radio access component and configured to process the first wireless communications according to the first wireless standard, and

a first data store comprising authentication data of the one or more first user equipment within the first covered area,

wherein the first MCN communication system independently provides the first MCN for the one or more first user equipment in the first covered area; and

a second MCN communication system located within a second covered area and configured to generate a second MCN for the second covered area and provide second communication links to one or more second user equipment within the second covered area, the second MCN communication system comprising;

a second radio access component configured to receive second wireless communications according to the first wireless standard from the one or more second user equipment,

a second control and data component in communication with the second radio access component and configured to process the second wireless communications according to the first wireless standard, and

a second data store comprising authentication data of the one or more second user equipment within the second covered area,

wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides the second MCN for the one or more second user equipment in the second covered area, and

wherein the first MCN communication system and the second MCN communication system communicate with each other using the first wireless standard.

2. The mobile cellular network system of claim 1, wherein the first MCN communication system is registered and communicates with the second MCN communication system as a user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

3. The mobile cellular network system of claim 1, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered and communicates with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

4. A mobile cellular network system comprising:

a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system located within a first covered area and configured to generate a first MCN for the first covered area and provide first communication links to one or more first user equipment within the first covered area, the first MCN communication system comprising;

a first radio access component configured to receive first wireless communications according to a first wireless standard from the one or more first user equipment,

a first control and data component in communication with the first radio access component and configured to process the first wireless communications according to the first wireless standard, and

a first data store comprising authentication data of the one or more first user equipment within the first covered area,

wherein the first MCN communication system independently provides the first MCN for the one or more first user equipment in the first covered area; and

wherein the first MCN communication system communicates with other MCN communication systems using the first wireless standard.

5. The mobile cellular network system of claim 4, wherein the first MCN communication system further comprises a first routing module, and wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine using an identifier of a first packet at the first MCN communication system that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a second routing module of a second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises the first routing module, and

cause the first MCN communication system to transmit the second packet to the second MCN communication system using the first wireless standard.

6. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein the first packet is received from at least one of the one or more first user equipment and the identifier of the first packet comprises a session identifier.

7. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein the first packet is obtained from the first control and data component and the identifier of the first packet comprises a destination identifier.

8. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein to encapsulate the first packet within the second packet, the MCN communication system is further configured to:

encapsulate the first packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a control and data component of the requested MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises the first control and data component; and

encapsulate the third packet within the second packet.

9. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system.

10. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein a destination for the first packet is at least one of a user equipment within a second MCN provided by the second MCN communication system, a server accessible via the second MCN communication system, and a component of the second MCN communication system.

11. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein the requested MCN communication system is a third MCN communication system.

12. The mobile cellular network system of claim 5, wherein the second MCN communication system is configured to:

receive the second packet using the first wireless standard;

determine that the second packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on a determination that the second packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulate the first packet from the second packet.

13. The mobile cellular network system of claim 12, wherein the second MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine that the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on a determination that the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system, route the first packet towards or to the destination.

14. The mobile cellular network system of claim 12, wherein the second MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine that the second MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determination that the second MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the first packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a third routing module of a third MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises the second routing module.

15. The mobile cellular network system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first MCN communication system and the third MCN communication system are registered with the second MCN communication system as a user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

16. The mobile cellular network system of claim 4, wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

receive a first packet from a second MCN communication system using the first wireless standard;

determine that the first packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on a determination that the first packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulate a second packet from the first packet.

17. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

18. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system, route the first packet towards or to the destination.

19. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the source of the second packet is a user equipment or server in communication with the second MCN communication system.

20. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the source of the second packet is a mobile core network component of the second MCN communication system.

21. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the destination for the second packet is a user equipment within the first MCN or a server in communication with the first MCN communication system.

22. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the destination for the second packet is a mobile core network component of the first MCN communication system.

23. The mobile cellular network system of claim 16, wherein the second MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the second MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the second packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a third routing module of a third MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises the first routing module; and

cause the second MCN communication system to transmit the third packet to the third MCN communication system using the first wireless standard.

24. The mobile cellular network system of claim 23, wherein the third MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

25. The mobile cellular network system of claim 4, wherein the first MCN communication system further comprises a first routing module, and wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine using an identifier of a first packet at the first MCN communication system that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a second routing module of a second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises the first routing module, and

cause the first MCN communication system to transmit the second packet to a third MCN communication system using the first wireless standard,

wherein the third MCN communication system is configured to;

receive the second packet using the first wireless standard;

determine that a destination of the second packet is the second MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determination that the destination of the second packet is the second MCN communication system, transmit the second packet to or towards the second MCN communication system.

26. A method comprising:

independently providing a first mobile cellular network (MCN) according to a first wireless standard to a first covered area using a first mobile MCN communication system, wherein the first MCN communication is located within the first covered area and comprises;

a first radio access component configured to receive wireless communications from one or more first user equipment located within the covered area,

a first control and data component in communication with the first radio access component and configured to process the first wireless communications according to the first wireless standard, and

a first data store comprising authentication data of the one or more first user equipment within the first covered area; and

establishing communications with one or more other MCN communication systems using the first wireless standard.