Combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device

• US 9,503,943 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Benu Networks, Incorporated (Ciena Corporation)
• Inventors: Ghai, Rajat
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US14/523,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/389, 726/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device has an IP interface that is configured to communicate with a first cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or both. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device is configured to provide the network functionality (e.g., virtualized network cloud) that is required to facilitate communication and data flow between the IP interface and either a second cellular network or a cloud computing infrastructure network. The IF interface is accessed using a single IP address by a mobile device in wireless communication with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device. The single IP address is maintained when the mobile device switches between using the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network to communicate with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device, comprising:

an IP interface configured for communication with a first cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or both;

the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device providing, by a processor, network functionality required to facilitate communication and data flow between the IP interface and either a second cellular network, or a cloud computing infrastructure network;

wherein the IP interface is accessed using a single IP address by a mobile device in wireless communication with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device; and

wherein the single IP address is maintained when the mobile device switches between utilizing the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network to communicate with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device, and vice versa;

wherein the IP interface acting as a common anchor point, and the single IP address for both the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network enables simultaneous communication with the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network; and

wherein switching between utilizing the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network occurs at 50 microseconds of less.

2. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the first cellular network is a long term evolution (LTE) radio access network (RAN).

3. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the first cellular network is provided by an evolved NodeB antenna.

4. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface comprises an interworking function module configured to direct and interwork communication from the first cellular network to a cellular and Wi-Fi control plane module of the IP interface.

5. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface comprises a cellular and Wi-Fi control plane module configured to receive communication from the Wi-Fi network.

6. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device utilizes the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network concurrently to facilitate communication and data flow between the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device and the mobile device.

7. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the second cellular network comprises a 3G radio access network.

8. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the cloud computing infrastructure network comprises an Internet provider network.

9. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface comprises an authenticating module that authenticates the single IP address of the mobile device such that when the mobile device switches between utilizing the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network, or vice versa, no additional authentication is required.

10. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface comprises a fast path module configured to provide a common fast path for communication and data flow along both the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network.

11. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 1 further comprising one or more of virtualized network modules that provide the network functionality of a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (S-GW), a trusted wireless access gateway (T-WAG), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), a traffic detection function (TDF), a authentication, authorization, and accounting protocol (AAA) server, a home subscriber server (HSS), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server, an online charging server (OCS), and a charging gateway function (CFG) server.

12. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 4, wherein the cellular and Wi-Fi control plane module is a generic IP signaling protocol module configured to assign the single IP address to the mobile device.

13. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 4, wherein the IP interface comprises a wireless application gateway (WAG) manager module in communication with the interworking function module.

14. The combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device of claim 6, wherein the first cellular network comprises an LTE-Advanced protocol network.

15. A computer implemented method of using a combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device to provide for communication and data flow with a mobile device, comprising:

an IP interface of the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device communicating with a first cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or both;

the mobile device accessing the IP interface using a single IP address;

the mobile device wirelessly communicating with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device;

the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device providing, by a processor, network functionality facilitating communication and data flow between the IP interface and either a second cellular network, or a cloud computing infrastructure network;

the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device maintaining the single IP address when the mobile device switches between utilizing the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network to communicate with the combination cellular and Wi-Fi hardware device, and vice versa;

wherein the IP interface acting as a common anchor point, and the single IP address for both the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network enables simultaneous communication with the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network; and

wherein switching between utilizing the first cellular network and the Wi-Fi network occurs at 50 microseconds of less.