Non-cellular link integration with cellular networks

• US 9,544,843 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Miller, Robert Raymond II, Han, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANTON, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US15/005,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Improved non-cellular (e.g., Wi-Fi) link integration with a cellular (e.g., LTE) network is described. The improved link integration can relate to utilizing an eNodeB device (e.g., residing in a radio access network portion of a cellular network) as an anchor point rather than a packet data network gateway device (e.g., residing in a core network portion of the cellular network) utilized by other approaches. The improved link integration can maintain full compliance with or support for other approaches, and can reduce signaling overhead, simplify quality-of-service management, and/or provide a more rapid reaction to changes of access, particularly in cases where the eNodeB device and a non-cellular access point device are co-located.

Claims

1. An eNodeB device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

facilitating a first communication path with a user equipment according to a long term evolution protocol for communicating with a network device of a communication network that operates according to the long term evolution protocol wherein the long term evolution protocol specifies bearers representing first defined virtual communication paths;

receiving an indication that the user equipment is in communication with an access point device that operates according to a different protocol that is different from the long term evolution protocol, wherein the communication between the user equipment and the access point device is via a second communication path comprising a number of links that represent second defined virtual communication paths between the user equipment and the access point device, and wherein the number is an integer greater than zero;

determining that the access point device is co-located with the eNodeB device;

determining mapping data that represents a logical mapping between the bearers that relate to communicating via the long term evolution protocol and the links that relate to communicating via the different protocol;

receiving uplink data from the user equipment via the second communication path and a third communication path between the eNodeB device and the access point device; and

transmitting the uplink data to the network device based on the mapping data.

2. The eNodeB device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise updating the mapping data in response to a determination that the number of the links has changed.

3. The eNodeB device of claim 1, wherein the determining that the access point device is co-located comprises determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are physically co-located and situated in a common physical structure.

4. The eNodeB device of claim 1, wherein the determining that the access point device is co-located comprises determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.

5. The eNodeB device of claim 4, wherein the third communication path is a virtual tunnel representing a secure communication path between the access point device and the eNodeB device.

6. The eNodeB device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the uplink data to the network device based on the mapping data comprises transmitting the uplink data via a bearer of the bearers that is identified in tag data of the uplink data received via the second communication path.

7. The eNodeB device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving downlink data from the network device and transmitting the downlink data to the user equipment via the third communication path and the second communication path.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

facilitating creation of a first communication path with an access point device that operates according to a protocol that differs from a long term evolution protocol, wherein the first communication path comprising a number of links representing defined logical paths between the user equipment and the access point device;

determining that the access point device is in proximity to an eNodeB device that operates according to the long term evolution protocol to communicate with a network device of a communication network;

facilitating creation of a second communication path with the eNodeB device according to the long term evolution protocol that defines bearers indicative of defined virtual communication paths;

determining mapping data that represents a logical mapping between a bearer of the bearers and a link of the links; and

transmitting uplink data to the network device by way of the first communication path and a third communication path between the eNodeB device and the access point device.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating tag data that represents an indication of the bearer that is determined based on the mapping data.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the determining that the access point device is in proximity to the eNodeB device comprises determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are physically co-located and comprise a common physical structure.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the determining that the access point device is in proximity to the eNodeB device comprises determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an indication that a virtual tunnel has been established between the access point device and the eNodeB device, wherein the virtual tunnel is a secure communication path between the access point device and the eNodeB device according to the long term evolution protocol.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving downlink data from the network device by way of the third communication path and the first communication path.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a first indication that an access point device that operates according to a protocol that differs from a long term evolution protocol and a user equipment that supports the protocol and the long term evolution protocol are in communication via a first communication path that comprises a number of links that represent first defined virtual communication paths between the user equipment and the access point device, wherein the number is an integer greater than zero;

receiving, by the system, a second indication that the user equipment and an eNodeB device that operates according to the long term evolution protocol are in communication via a second communication path, wherein the long term evolution protocol specifies bearers representing second defined virtual communication paths;

determining, by the system, that the access point device and the eNodeB device are co-located and connected by a third communication path;

generating, by the system, tag data that represents an identifier of a bearer of the bearers that is logically mapped to a link of the links; and

facilitating, by the system, communication of data between the user equipment and a network device in a core network portion of a communication network via the third communication path, wherein the data comprises the tag data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the facilitating communication comprises facilitating, by the system, communication of downlink data transmitted to the user equipment by the network device via the third communication path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication of the downlink data traverses the link of the first communication path, and is inserted into a queue of the bearer that is identified by the tag data.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the facilitating communication comprises facilitating, by the system, communication of uplink data transmitted by the user equipment to the network device via the third communication path.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication of the uplink data traverses the link of the first communication path and is inserted into a queue of the bearer that is identified by the tag data.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining, by the system, mapping data that represents a logical mapping between the bearers and the links.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are co-located comprises determining that the access point device and the eNodeB device are topologically co-located with respect to a defined network topology.