Communication system, cellular base station, and WLAN access point

• US 9,629,026 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Yushi, Fujishiro, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US15/251,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• 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 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A communication system according to an embodiment includes: a cellular base station; and a wireless local area network (WLAN) management apparatus configured to manage one or more WLAN access points. The WLAN management apparatus is used for a cellular-WLAN aggregation in which data of a user terminal is transmitted and received using both a cellular communication and a WLAN communication while the user terminal maintains a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the cellular base station. A direct communication path bypassing a core network is established between the cellular base station and the WLAN management apparatus.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a cellular base station; and

a wireless local area network (WLAN) management apparatus configured to manage one or more WLAN access points, wherein

the WLAN management apparatus is used for a cellular-WLAN aggregation in which data of a user terminal is transmitted and received using both a cellular communication and a WLAN communication while the user terminal maintains a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the cellular base station,

a direct communication path bypassing a core network is established between the cellular base station and the WLAN management apparatus,

the cellular base station is configured to use the direct communication path to transmit a request message to the WLAN management apparatus, the request message requesting an allocation of WLAN resources to be used by the user terminal for the cellular-WLAN aggregation, and the request message including;

an identifier of the user terminal;

bearer identifiers of one or more specific bearers to be used for the cellular-WLAN aggregation; and

a tunnel endpoint identifier for transferring data of the user terminal, and

the cellular base station is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive an acknowledgement message from the WLAN management apparatus, the acknowledgement message indicating a positive acknowledgement of the request message, and the acknowledgement message including;

a first bearer identifier of a first specific bearer not admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers; and

/or

a second bearer identifier of a second specific bearer admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the cellular base station is further configured to transmit an RRC connection reconfiguration message for configuring the user terminal with the cellular-WLAN aggregation, in response to receiving the acknowledgement message.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the cellular base station is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive a message from the WLAN management apparatus in response to the WLAN management apparatus failing to allocate the WLAN resources, the message indicating a negative acknowledgement of the request message, and the message including information of a cause of the failure.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the cellular base station includes:

a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity configured to generate PDCP packets by ciphering data of a specific bearer to be used for the cellular-WLAN aggregation;

a radio link control (RLC) entity positioned as a cellular lower layer than the PDCP entity; and

a capsulation entity,

the PDCP entity is further configured to selectively provide one of the RLC entity and the capsulation entity with PDCP packets, and

the capsulation entity is configured to encapsulate the provided PDCP packets, and to use the direct communication path to transmit the encapsulated PDCP packets to the WLAN management apparatus.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the WLAN management apparatus manages a plurality of WLAN access points, and

the cellular base station is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive a plurality of WLAN identifiers and WLAN frequency band information related to the WLAN access points.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the WLAN management apparatus manages a plurality of WLAN access points, and

the cellular base station is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive load information of each of the WLAN access points.

7. A cellular base station, comprising:

a controller configured to communicate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) management apparatus configured to manage one or more WLAN access points, the WLAN management apparatus being used for a cellular-WLAN aggregation in which data of a user terminal is transmitted and received using both a cellular communication and a WLAN communication while the user terminal maintains a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the cellular base station,

a direct communication path bypassing a core network is established between the cellular base station and the WLAN management apparatus,

the controller is further configured to use the direct communication path to transmit a request message to the WLAN management apparatus, the request message requesting an allocation of WLAN resources to be used by the user terminal for the cellular-WLAN aggregation, and the request message including;

an identifier of the user terminal;

bearer identifiers of one or more specific bearers to be used for the cellular-WLAN aggregation; and

a tunnel endpoint identifier for transferring data of the user terminal, and

the controller is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive an acknowledgement message from the WLAN management apparatus, the acknowledgement message indicating a positive acknowledgement of the request message, and the acknowledgement message including;

a first bearer identifier of a first specific bearer not admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers; and

/or

a second bearer identifier of a second specific bearer admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers.

8. A wireless local area network (WLAN) management apparatus configured to manage one or more WLAN access points, comprising:

a controller configured to communicate with a cellular base station, wherein the WLAN management apparatus is used for a cellular-WLAN aggregation in which data of a user terminal is transmitted and received using both a cellular communication and a WLAN communication while the user terminal maintains a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the cellular base station,

a direct communication path bypassing a core network is established between the cellular base station and the WLAN management apparatus,

the controller is further configured to use the direct communication path to receive a request message from the cellular base station, the request message requesting an allocation of WLAN resources to be used by the user terminal for the cellular-WLAN aggregation, and the request message including;

an identifier of the user terminal;

bearer identifiers of one or more specific bearers to be used for the cellular-WLAN aggregation; and

a tunnel endpoint identifier for transferring data of the user terminal, and

the controller is further configured to use the direct communication path to transmit an acknowledgement message to the cellular base station, the acknowledgement message indicating a positive acknowledgement of the request message, and the acknowledgement message including;

a first bearer identifier of a first specific bearer not admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers; and

/or

a second bearer identifier of a second specific bearer admitted by the WLAN management apparatus from among the one or more specific bearers.