Interworking mechanism between CDMA2000 and WLAN

• US 20040114553A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yarnton Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Bhalla, Rajesh, Chion, Mary, Fang, Yonggang, Jiang, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Interconnection and integration of a WWAN and a WLAN to provide continuous packet data services to mobile users where each mobile access terminal is configured to support both air links with the WWAN and WLAN. The WWAN may be a CDMA2000 system and the WLAN may be an IEEE 802.11 system.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) having base transceiver stations spatially distributed to communicate with mobile communication devices via WWAN radio links, base station controllers each coupled to a plurality of base transceiver stations, and a data communication system comprising (1) packet control function devices respectively connected to said base station controllers to transmit data packets to and from the mobile communication devices via said base transceiver stations, and (2) a packet data serving node connected to said packet control function devices and a packet data network to provide packet data services to the mobile communication devices; and

a wireless local area network (WLAN) having at least one access point (AP) that communicates with a mobile communication device located in an access area via WLAN radio links, and an access point gateway connected between said AP and said packet data serving node to allow for continuity of a packet data service to said mobile communication device by switching a packet data service connection for said mobile communication device between said WLAN and said WWAN.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said WWAN is a network under one of CDMA2000 standards and said WLAN is a network under one of IEEE 802.11 protocols.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein said WWAN operates under the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said WWAN operates under the CDMA2000 1x.

5. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) common to said WWAN and WLAN.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein each mobile communication device includes a WWAN terminal operable to communicate with a base transceiver station via said WWAN radio links and a WLAN terminal operable to communicate with an access point via said WLAN radio links.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein each mobile communication device is operable to switch a communication link with one of said WWAN and WLAN to another in response to a link status parameter in said communication link.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein said link status parameter includes a strength of a signal received from each of said WWAN and WLAN.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein each mobile communication device includes a WWAN air link device driver to monitor a signal from said WWAN and a WLAN air link device driver to monitor a signal from said WLAN.

10. The system as in claim 7, wherein each mobile communication device includes a handoff module to control handoff between said WWAN and said WLAN.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein said handoff module is based on the PPPoE protocol.

12. The system as in claim 10, wherein said handoff module is based on the DHCP protocol.

13. The system as in claim 10, wherein said handoff module is configured to interrupt a data link layer during a handoff while maintaining a continuous connection of a packet data service.

14. The system as in claim 1, wherein said access point gateway includes an A10/A11 interface with said PDSN.

15. The system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one AAA server that provides authentication, authorization, and accounting services to said WWAN and WLAN.

16. A communication system, comprising:

a CDMA network coupled to an IP network to provide packet data service to mobile communication devices;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) having at least one access point (AP) that communicates with a mobile communication device located in an access area of said AP, and an access point gateway (APGW) connected between said AP and one packet data serving node in said CDMA network to allow for continuity of a packet data service to said mobile communication device by switching a packet data service connection for said mobile communication device between said WLAN and said CDMA network.

17. A method, comprising:

providing an access point gateway between an access point in a WLAN and a packet data service node in a CDMA2000 WWAN to interconnect said WLAN and said WWAN;

using an access terminal that has both a WLAN interface and a WLAN interface to communicate with said WLAN and said WWAN;

using a control mechanism in said access terminal to determine which of said WLAN and said WWAN is to be used for a packet data service according to a signal parameter detected by said access terminal; and

controlling switching between a communication between said WLAN and said WWAN to allow for said access terminal to roam in said WLAN and said WWAN without an interruption to said packet data service.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein said signal parameter is a signal strength of signals respectively received by said access terminal from said WLAN and said WWAN.

19. The method as in claim 17, wherein said signal parameter is a signal error rate in signals respectively received by said access terminal from said WLAN and said WWAN.