Method and system for interworking of cellular networks and wireless local area networks

• US 9,686,721 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaheen, Kamel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US13/412,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 370331, 455436-444
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for interworking between cellular networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs) are disclosed. At least one cellular network, at least one WLAN, and an IP network may be deployed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may establish a connection to a WLAN and a tunnel between an access point (AP) and a packet data gateway (PDG) may be established. The PDG may establish a tunnel to an IP network. The WTRU may invoke a service which is delivered through the WLAN. As signal quality from the AP degrades below a predetermined threshold, a handover from the WLAN to the cellular network may be performed. A new connection to the cellular network may be established either before or after breaking the current connection to the WLAN or the two connections may be maintained simultaneously.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to receive a user service from an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) via a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

a handover controlling entity configured to;

initiate a handover of the user service from the WLAN to a cellular network; and

perform the handover while continuously receiving the user service from the IMS during the handover and maintaining a connection to the WLAN and a connection to the cellular network simultaneously.

2. The WTRU of claim 1, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to:

obtain the address of a packet data gateway (PDG) using Domain Name Service (DNS) via the WLAN; and

establish a tunnel between the WTRU and the PDG.

3. The WTRU of claim 2, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to receive the user service from the IMS via the WLAN and the tunnel between the WTRU and the PDG.

4. The WTRU of claim 1, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to register with the IMS via the WLAN using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

5. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

establishing a connection with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN);

invoking an IP session for a user service;

receiving the user service via a packet data gateway (PDG) and the WLAN;

initiating a handover from the WLAN to a cellular network; and

performing the handover from the WLAN to the cellular network while continuously receiving the user service from the IMS during the handover and maintaining a connection to the WLAN and a connection to the cellular network simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising registering with an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) via the WLAN using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP),

wherein the receiving the user service is also performed via the IMS.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user service is a voice call service.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining the address of the PDG using Domain Name Service (DNS) via the WLAN.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing a tunnel between the WTRU and the PDG.

10. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to;

establish a connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN);

obtain the address of a packet data gateway (PDG) using Domain Name Service (DNS) via the WLAN;

establish a tunnel between the WTRU and the PDG;

register with a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) via the WLAN using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP);

invoke an IP session for a user service from the IMS;

receive the user service from the IMS via the WLAN and the tunnel between the WTRU and the PDG;

establish a connection to a cellular network;

initiate a handover of the user service from the WLAN to the cellular network; and

perform the handover while continuously receiving the user service from the IMS during the handover and maintaining the connection to the WLAN and the connection to the cellular network simultaneously.

11. The WTRU of claim 10, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to disconnect from the PDG in response to completion of the handover.

12. The WTRU of claim 10, wherein the user service is a voice call service.

13. The WTRU of claim 10, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to:

send a DNS query for the address of the PDG; and

receive a response to the DNS query, the response including the address of the PDG.

14. The WTRU of claim 10, where the at least one transceiver is further configured to terminate the connection to the WLAN in response to establishing the connection to the cellular network.