Mobile cellular network backhaul

• US 9,742,729 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Graffagnino, Vincent, Niermann, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/970,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/16 Interfaces between hierarchically similar devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system can provide an independent mobile cellular network to devices within a covered area. In addition, the MCN communication system can communicate with other MCN communication systems using a wireless standard that is similar to the wireless standard used to communicate with user equipment within the covered area. In some instances, the MCN communication system can be registered as a user equipment of another MCN communication system and/or have another MCN communication system registered with it as a user equipment.

Claims

1. A mobile cellular network system comprising:

a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system located within a first covered area and configured to generate a first MCN for the first covered area and provide first communication links to a first user equipment and a second MCN communication system located within the first covered area, the first MCN communication system comprising;

a first radio access component configured to receive first wireless communications according to a first wireless standard from the first user equipment and the second MCN communication system,

a first control and data component in communication with the first radio access component and configured to process the first wireless communications according to the first wireless standard, and

a first data store comprising authentication data of the first user equipment located within the first covered area and the second MCN communication system,

wherein the first MCN communication system independently provides the first MCN for the first user equipment and the second MCN communication system in the first covered area, and

wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides a second MCN for a second user equipment located within a second covered area.

2. The mobile cellular network system of claim 1, wherein the first MCN communication system further comprises a first routing module, and wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine using an identifier of a first packet at the first MCN communication system that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a second routing module of the second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises the first routing module; and

cause the first MCN communication system to transmit the second packet to the second MCN communication system using the first wireless standard.

3. The mobile cellular network system of claim 2, wherein the first packet is received from the first user equipment and the identifier of the first packet comprises a session identifier.

4. The mobile cellular network system of claim 2, wherein the first packet is obtained from the first control and data component and the identifier of the first packet comprises a destination identifier.

5. The mobile cellular network system of claim 2, wherein to encapsulate the first packet within the second packet, the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

encapsulate the first packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a control and data component of the requested MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises the first control and data component; and

encapsulate the third packet within the second packet.

6. The mobile cellular network system of claim 2, wherein a destination for the first packet is at least one of the second user equipment located within the second covered area provided by the second MCN communication system, a server accessible via the second MCN communication system, and a component of the second MCN communication system.

7. The mobile cellular network system of claim 1, wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

receive a first packet from the second MCN communication system using the first wireless standard;

determine that the first packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on a determination that the first packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulate a second packet from the first packet.

8. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

9. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system, route the first packet towards or to a destination.

10. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein a source of the second packet is a user equipment or server in communication with the second MCN communication system.

11. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein a source of the second packet is a mobile core network component of the second MCN communication system.

12. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein a destination for the second packet is a user equipment located within the first MCN or a server in communication with the first MCN communication system.

13. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein a destination for the second packet is a mobile core network component of the first MCN communication system.

14. The mobile cellular network system of claim 7, wherein the second MCN communication system further comprises a first routing module and wherein the second MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the second MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the second packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a third routing module of a third MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises the first routing module; and

cause the second MCN communication system to transmit the third packet to the third MCN communication system using the first wireless standard.

15. The mobile cellular network system of claim 14, wherein the third MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

16. The mobile cellular network system of claim 1, wherein the first MCN communication system further comprises a first routing module, and wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:

determine using an identifier of a first packet at the first MCN communication system that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determination that the first MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulate the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a second routing module of the second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises the first routing module; and

cause the first MCN communication system to transmit the second packet to a third MCN communication system using the first wireless standard,

wherein the third MCN communication system is configured to;

receive the second packet using the first wireless standard,

determine that a destination of the second packet is the second MCN communication system, and

based at least in part on the determination that the destination of the second packet is the second MCN communication system, transmit the second packet to or towards the second MCN communication system.

17. A method comprising:

independently providing, using a first mobile MCN communication system, a first mobile cellular network (MCN) according to a first wireless standard for at least a first user equipment and at least a second MCN communication system located within a first covered area of the first mobile MCN communication system;

receiving first wireless communications from the first user equipment and second wireless communications from the second MCN communication system according to the first wireless standard, wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides a second MCN according to the first wireless standard for at least a second user equipment located within a second covered area;

processing the first wireless communications and the second wireless communications according to the first wireless standard; and

transmitting third wireless communications to the first user equipment and fourth wireless communications to the second MCN communication system according to the first wireless standard.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

43. The method of claim 17, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, the method further comprising:

determining from an identifier of the first packet that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determining, encapsulating the first packet within a second packet, wherein a source address of the second packet comprises a routing module of the first MCN communication system and a destination address of the second packet comprises a routing module of the second MCN communication system, and

wherein the fourth wireless communications comprise the second packet.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein encapsulating the first packet within the second packet, comprises:

encapsulating the first packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a control and data component of the requested MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises a control and data component of the first MCN communication system; and

encapsulating the third packet within the second packet.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein a destination for the first packet is at least one of a user equipment within a second MCN provided by the second MCN communication system, a server accessible via the second MCN communication system, or a component of the second MCN communication system.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the requested MCN communication system is a third MCN communication system.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving at the second MCN communication system, the second packet using the first wireless standard;

determining at the second MCN communication system that the second packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on the determining that the second packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulating the first packet from the second packet.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

determining that the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determining that the second MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system, routing the first packet towards or to the destination.

50. The method of claim 17, wherein the fourth wireless communications comprise a first packet, the method further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the first packet, that the second MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determining, encapsulating the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with a third MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with the second MCN communication system.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the first MCN communication system and the third MCN communication system are registered with the second MCN communication system as user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

52. The method of claim 17, wherein the second wireless communications comprise a first packet, the method further comprising:

determining that the first packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on the determining, unencapsulating a second packet from the first packet.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the first MCN communication system is registered with the second MCN communication system as a user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

determining based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first MCN communication system is the requested MCN communication system, routing the second packet towards or to a destination identified by the second packet.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein a source of the second packet is a user equipment or server in communication with the second MCN communication system.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein a source of the second packet is a mobile core network component of the second MCN communication system.

57. The method of claim 52, wherein a destination for the second packet is a user equipment within the first MCN or a server in communication with the first MCN communication system.

58. The method of claim 52, wherein a destination for the second packet is a mobile core network component of the first MCN communication system.

59. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

determining based at least in part on an identifier in the second packet that the first MCN communication system is different from a requested MCN communication system;

based at least in part on the determining that the first MCN communication system is different from the requested MCN communication system, encapsulating the second packet within a third packet, wherein a destination address of the third packet comprises a routing module of a third MCN communication system and a source address of the third packet comprises a routing module of the first MCN communication system; and

causing the first MCN communication system to transmit the third packet to the third MCN communication system using the first wireless standard.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the third MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

19. A system, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive first wireless communications from a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system, wherein the first MCN communication system provides a first MCN according to a first wireless standard for first user equipment located within a first covered area; and

a backhaul routing component implemented using one or more processors executing computer-executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the backhaul routing component configured to process the received first wireless communications and identify a second MCN communication system for transmission of second wireless communications corresponding to the first wireless communications, wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides a second MCN according to the first wireless standard for a second user equipment located within a second covered area,

wherein the antenna is further configured to transmit the second wireless communications to the second MCN communication system according to the first wireless standard.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and wherein to process the received first wireless communications, the backhaul routing component is configured to:

determine based at least in part on an identifier in the first packet that the second MCN communication system is a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determination, encapsulate the first packet in a second packet, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the system is registered as a user equipment of at least one of the first MCN communication system and the second MCN communication system.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first MCN communication system and the second MCN communication system is registered with system as a user equipment of the system.

34. The system of claim 19, wherein the first MCN communication system is registered with the second MCN communication system as a user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and wherein to process the received first wireless communications, the backhaul routing component is configured to:

determine that the first packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on the determination that the first packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulate a second packet from the first packet, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

37. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a source of the first packet is a user equipment or server in communication with the first MCN communication system.

38. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a source of the first packet is a mobile core network component of the first MCN communication system.

39. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a destination for the first packet is a user equipment within the second MCN or a server in communication with the second MCN communication system.

40. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a destination for the first packet is a mobile core network component of the second MCN communication system.

41. The system of claim 19, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and wherein to process the received first wireless communications, the backhaul routing component is configured to:

determine that the second MCN communication system is to process the first packet; and

based at least in part on the determination, encapsulate the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with the second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with the first MCN communication system, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the first packet is an inter-MCN packet comprising an embedded packet and the second packet is a carrier packet.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving first wireless communications from a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system, wherein the first MCN communication system provides a first MCN according to a first wireless standard for first user equipment located within a first covered area;

processing the first wireless communications; and

transmitting second wireless communications corresponding to the first wireless communications to a second MCN communication system according to the first wireless standard, wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides a second MCN according to the first wireless standard for a second user equipment located within a second covered area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and the processing the first wireless communications comprise:

determining based at least in part on an identifier in the first packet that the second MCN communication system is a requested MCN communication system; and

based at least in part on the determining, encapsulating the first packet in a second packet, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first MCN communication system is registered with the second MCN communication system as a user equipment of the second MCN communication system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second MCN communication system is registered with the first MCN communication system as a user equipment of the first MCN communication system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and the processing the first wireless communications comprise:

determining that the first packet includes an embedded packet; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first packet includes the embedded packet, unencapsulating a second packet from the first packet, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a source of the first packet is a user equipment or server in communication with the first MCN communication system.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a source of the first packet is a mobile core network component of the first MCN communication system.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a destination for the first packet is a user equipment within the second MCN or a server in communication with the second MCN communication system.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet, wherein a destination for the first packet is a mobile core network component of the second MCN communication system.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communications comprise a first packet and the processing comprises:

determining that the second MCN communication system is to process the first packet; and

based at least in part on the determining, encapsulating the first packet within a second packet, wherein a destination address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with the second MCN communication system and a source address of the second packet comprises a routing module associated with the first MCN communication system, wherein the second wireless communications comprise the second packet.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first packet is an inter-MCN packet comprising an embedded packet and the second packet is a carrier packet.