Wlan Handover

• US 20070218888A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: De Froment, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality

Abstract

A method, a system, and a local network switching device for providing access for a mobile communication terminal and the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to an Internet network via wireless local networks. The mobile communication terminal is moved from a first network to a second network. The WLAN handover, necessary therefore, takes place efficiently and in a robust manner, by providing access for the mobile communication terminal in the first network, by transmitting a device-specific address to a plurality of bordering networks, and by configuring further accesses on the plurality of bordering networks. After moving the mobile communication terminal, access to an Internet network can be continued immediately via the second network, via the local network switching unit of the second network, and via the local network switching unit of the first network.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for providing access for a mobile communication terminal and the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to an Internet network via wireless local area networks, comprising:

registering in a first Internet switching unit the mobile communication terminal via a first access point unit of a first wireless local network and via a first local network switching unit connected to the first access point unit;

transmitting a first Internet address from the first Internet switching unit to the mobile communication terminal;

providing a first access for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network, using the first Internet address, whereas the first access is via the first access point unit, via the first local network switching unit, and via the first Internet switching unit; and

registering in the first local network switching unit a device-specific address of the mobile communication terminal;

transmitting the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the first wireless local network from the first local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units; and

configuring the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to the Internet network using the first Internet address, whereas the plurality of further accesses is via a plurality of further access point units and corresponding further bordering local network switching units, via the first local network switching unit and via the first Internet switching unit.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein routing in the first local network switching unit of data packets from the Internet network to the first access or to the further accesses is adapted according to data packets of the mobile terminal or the moved mobile terminal received from the first access to the Internet network or from the further accesses to the Internet network.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the moved mobile communication terminal is registered with the second Internet switching unit via the second access point unit of the second wireless local network and via the second local network switching unit connected to the second access point unit,

wherein a second Internet address is transmitted from the second Internet switching unit to the moved mobile communication terminal,

wherein a second access for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network is provided, using the second Internet address, via the second access point unit, via the second local network switching unit, and via the second Internet switching unit,

wherein the device-specific address of the moved mobile communication terminal is registered in the second local network switching unit,

wherein the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the second wireless local network are transmitted from the second local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units, and

wherein the plurality of bordering further local network switching units are configured for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to the Internet network using the second Internet address, whereas the plurality of further accesses is via a plurality of further access point units and corresponding further bordering local network switching units, via the second local network switching unit and via the second Internet switching unit.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein access point units and corresponding local network switching units are used that are disposed jointly in switching devices and a media access control address is used as the device-specific address.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein the bordering local network switching units are connected together via layer two tunnel connections, wherein the mobile communication terminal is registered in a first virtual local network via the first access point unit, wherein, after transmission of the second Internet address, the moved mobile communication terminal is registered in a second virtual local network via the second access point unit, and wherein the moved mobile communication terminal is deregistered in the first virtual local network.

25. A method according to claim 20, wherein the bordering local network switching units are connected together via physical network cables by using a MAC-address based protocol, wherein the mobile communication terminal is registered in a first virtual local network via the first access point unit, wherein, after transmission of the second Internet address, the moved mobile communication terminal is registered in a second virtual local network via the second access point unit, and wherein the moved mobile communication terminal is deregistered in the first virtual local network.

26. A method according to claim 20, wherein the access of the mobile communication terminal to an Internet network is checked by an access point unit, by a local network switching unit or by an Internet switching unit using security keys, policies and/or one or more authentication methods.

27. A method according to claim 20, wherein one or more access point units, one or more local network switching units, one or more Internet switching units is/are checked by the mobile communication terminal using security keys, policies and/or one or more authentication methods.

28. A system for providing access for a mobile communication terminal and the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to an Internet network via wireless local networks, comprising:

a module for registering in a first Internet switching unit the mobile communication terminal via a first access point unit of a first wireless local network and via a first local network switching unit connected to the first access point unit;

a module for transmitting a first Internet address from the first Internet switching unit to the mobile communication terminal;

a module for providing a first access for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network, using the first Internet address, whereas the first access is via the first access point unit, via the first local network switching unit, and via the first Internet switching unit;

a module for registering in the first local network switching unit a device-specific address for the mobile communication terminal;

a module for transmitting the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the first wireless local network from the first local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units; and

a module for configuring the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to the Internet network using the first Internet address, whereas the plurality of further accesses is via a plurality of further access point units and corresponding further bordering local network switching units, via the first local network switching unit, and via the first Internet switching unit.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein the first local network switching unit comprises a module for routing of data packets from the Internet network to the first access or to the further accesses according to data packets of the mobile terminal or the moved mobile terminal received from the first access to the Internet network or from the further accesses to the Internet network.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register the moved mobile communication terminal with the second Internet switching unit via the second access point unit of the second wireless local network and via the second local network switching unit connected to the second access point unit,

wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to transmit a second Internet address from the second Internet switching unit to the moved mobile communication terminal,

wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to provide a second access for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network, using the second Internet address, via the second access point unit, via the second local network switching unit, and via the second Internet switching unit,

wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register the device-specific address of the moved mobile communication terminal in the second local network switching unit,

wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to transmit the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the second wireless local network from the second local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units, and

wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to configure the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to the Internet network using the second Internet address, whereas the plurality of further accesses is via a plurality of further access point units and corresponding further bordering local network switching units, via the second local network switching unit, and via the second Internet switching unit.

31. A system according to claim 28, wherein the system further comprises access point units and corresponding local network switching units that are disposed jointly in switching devices and the device-specific address is a media access control address.

32. A system according to claim 28, wherein bordering local network switching units are connected together via layer two tunnel connections, and wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register the mobile communication terminal in a first virtual local network via the first access point unit, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register, after transmission of the second Internet address, the moved mobile communication terminal in a second virtual local network via the second access point unit, and wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to deregister the moved mobile communication terminal in the first virtual local network.

33. A system according to claim 28, wherein bordering local network switching units are connected together via physical network cables by using a MAC-address based protocol, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register the mobile communication terminal in a first virtual local network via the first access point unit, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register, after transmission of the second Internet address, the moved mobile access point unit, and wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to deregister the moved mobile communication terminal in the first virtual local network.

34. A system according to claim 28, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to check, by using security keys, policies and/or one or more authentication methods, the access of the mobile communication terminal to an Internet network from an access point unit, from a local network switching unit, or from an Internet switching unit.

35. A system according to claim 28, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to check, by using security keys, policies and/or one or more authentication methods, one or more access point units, one or more local network switching units, or one or more Internet switching units from the mobile communication terminal.

37. Local network switching unit according to claim 34, wherein the local network switching unit comprises a module for routing of data packets from the Internet network to the first access or to the further accesses according to data packets of the mobile terminal or the moved mobile terminal received from the access to the Internet network or from the further accesses to the Internet network.

38. A local network switching unit according to claim 34, wherein the local network switching unit and the access point unit connected to the local network switching unit are disposed jointly in a switching device and the device-specific address is a media access control address.

36. A local network switching unit for providing access for a mobile communication terminal and for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to an Internet network via a wireless local area network, comprising:

a module for registering in an Internet switching unit the mobile communication terminal via an access point unit of the wireless local network and via the local network switching unit connected to the access point unit;

a module for transmitting an Internet address from the Internet switching unit to the mobile communication terminal;

a module for providing a first access for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network, using the Internet address, whereas the first access is via the access point unit, via the local network switching unit, and via the first Internet switching unit;

a module for registering in the local network switching unit a device-specific address for the mobile communication terminal;

a module for transmitting the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the first wireless local network from the local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units; and

a module for configuring the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal at a moved location to the Internet network using the first Internet address, whereas the plurality of further accesses is via a plurality of further access point units and corresponding further bordering local network switching units, via the local network switching unit, and via the first Internet switching unit.