Baseband unit (BBU) implementation for facilitating 6LoWPAN data access
First Claim
1. A method operating at a Digital Unit (DU) element of an access system for providing access with respect to information in Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) format, the method comprising:
- receiving 6LoWPAN data (“
6LO data”
) packets from a router coupled to an external packet-switched network;
examining a destination IP address of the 6LO data packets and determining an address of at least one radio dot (RD) element to which the 6LO data packets are to be delivered;
determining an address of a Radio Unit (RU) element corresponding to the at least one RD element;
repackaging the 6LO data packets in a format specified for a control/management (C/M) channel associated with a communication link disposed between the DU and RU elements and operable with Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol; and
transmitting the repackaged 6LO data packets to the RU element as a CPRI C/M message via the communication link operable with CPRI protocol, the CPRI C/M message including the address of the at least one RD element.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A scheme for providing access to 6LoWPAN data in a wireless access network. In one embodiment, a Digital Unit (DU) of the wireless access network is provided with IP bridging functionality for packaging 6LO data as a control channel message. When the DU element receives 6LO data from an external router, the data is packaged in a format specified for a control channel associated with a CPRI link coupling to a Radio Unit (RU). The bridging functionality is operative to transmit the control channel message (including the packaged 6LO data packets) to the RU element based on an address mapping between the destination IP address of the 6LO data packets and an address of the 6LO endpoint coupled to the RU element.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method operating at a Digital Unit (DU) element of an access system for providing access with respect to information in Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) format, the method comprising:
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receiving 6LoWPAN data (“
6LO data”
) packets from a router coupled to an external packet-switched network;examining a destination IP address of the 6LO data packets and determining an address of at least one radio dot (RD) element to which the 6LO data packets are to be delivered; determining an address of a Radio Unit (RU) element corresponding to the at least one RD element; repackaging the 6LO data packets in a format specified for a control/management (C/M) channel associated with a communication link disposed between the DU and RU elements and operable with Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol; and transmitting the repackaged 6LO data packets to the RU element as a CPRI C/M message via the communication link operable with CPRI protocol, the CPRI C/M message including the address of the at least one RD element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method operating at a Radio Unit (RU) element of an access system providing access with respect to information in Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) format, the method comprising:
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receiving 6LoWPAN data (“
6LO data”
) packets from a Digital Unit (DU) element coupled to an external packet-switched network, wherein the 6LO data packets are packaged in a control/management (C/M) channel message associated with a communication link operable with Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol;unpacking the C/M message and obtaining a destination address of a radio dot (RD) element to which the 6LO data packets are to be delivered; repackaging the 6LO data packets as a control channel message in a format specified for a control channel associated with an Ethernet cable link between the RU and RD elements; and transmitting the repackaged 6LO data packets to the RD element via the Ethernet cable link as the control channel message. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A system for providing access with respect to information in Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) format, the system comprising:
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a Digital Unit (DU) element having baseband functionality that is configured to interface with a cellular core network, the DU element including an interface for receiving 6LoWPAN data (“
6LO data”
) packets from a router coupled to an external packet-switched network;a bridging function module included in the DU element and configured to; examine a destination IP address of the 6LO data packets and determine an address of at least one radio dot (RD) element to which the 6LO data packets are to be delivered; determine an address of a Radio Unit (RU) element corresponding to the at least one RD element; and repackage the 6LO data packets in a format specified for a control/management (C/M) channel associated with a communication link disposed between the DU element and the corresponding RU element and operable with Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol; and a transceiver module included in the DU element for transmitting the repackaged 6LO data packets to the corresponding RU element as a CPRI C/M message via the communication link operable with CPRI protocol, the CPRI C/M message including the address of the at least one RD element. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a Digital Unit (DU) element configured to operate in an access system, facilitate access with respect to information in Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) format, the computer-readable medium comprising:
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a code portion for processing 6LoWPAN data (“
6LO data”
) packets received from a router coupled to an external packet-switched network;a code portion for examining a destination IP address of the 6LO data packets and for determining an address of at least one radio dot (RD) element to which the 6LO data packets are to be delivered; a code portion, responsive to determining the address of the at least one RD element, for determining an address of a Radio Unit (RU) element corresponding to the at least one RD element; a code portion for repackaging the 6LO data packets in a format specified for a control/management (C/M) channel associated with a communication link disposed between the DU element and the corresponding RU element and operable with Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol; and a code portion for facilitating transmission of the repackaged 6LO data packets to the corresponding RU element as a CPRI C/M message via the communication link operable with the CPRI protocol, wherein CPRI C/M message includes the address of the at least one RD element. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification