MOBILE WLAN GATEWAY

• US 20140092888A1
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: MAKI, Lasse
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/20 Technology dependant metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• 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 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A technique for operating a mobile station as wireless local-area network [“WLAN”] gateway. The mobile station is provided with a gateway application to control the following operations: activating (3-0) the WLAN means as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network; creating a network identifier (3-2, 3-4) for the WLAN base station; assigning (3-8, 3-10) an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal; resolving domain name service [“DNS”] queries (3-12 . . . 3-18) in cooperation with an external DNS service system; assigning at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and tunneling internet traffic (3-30 . . . 3-36) between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a memory (MEM, 110) for storing applications and data;

a processor (105) for executing the stored applications;

a user interface (115) comprising an input section (120) and an output section (125);

reception/transmission circuitry (110) for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks (AN);

authentication means (150, 160) operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable (110) to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station;

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means (155) responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section (120) of the user interface (125);

wherein the memory (MEM, 110) comprises a gateway application (170) which comprises;

a first code portion for instructing the processor to activate (3-0) the WLAN means as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

a second code portion for instructing the processor to create a network identifier (3-2, 3-4) for the WLAN base station;

a third code portion for instructing the processor to assign (3-8, 3-10) an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal;

a fourth code portion for instructing the processor to resolve domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries (3-12 . . . 3-18) in cooperation with an external DNS service system;

a fifth code portion for instructing the processor to assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and

a sixth code portion for instructing the processor to tunnel internet traffic (3-30 . . . 3-36) between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.

2. A mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving, installing and executing one or more downloadable programs and wherein the gateway application is a downloadable application.

3. A mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the gateway application further comprises a seventh code portion to redirect a first HTTP page request (3-20) from each mobile station during an internet session to a predetermined internet address.

4. A mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises means (5-6) for determining a location of the mobile station and the gateway application further comprises a code portion for associating the determined location to the tunnelled internet traffic.

5. A mobile station according to claim 4, wherein the gateway application further comprises a code portion for providing one or more additional services to the WLAN terminal based on the determined location.

6. A mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the gateway application further comprises a code portion for collecting traffic statistics in respect of the tunnelled traffic and for transmitting at least a portion of the collected traffic statistics to a supplementary server.

7. A mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising:

means (41, 42) for periodically activating the WLAN means; and

means (48) for deactivating the WLAN means in response to a detected absence of WLAN terminal activity (44-47) for a predetermined period of time.

8. A method for operating a mobile station;

wherein the mobile station comprises a memory (MEM, 110) for storing applications and data;

a processor (105) for executing the stored applications;

a user interface (115) comprising an input section (120) and an output section (125);

reception/transmission circuitry (110) for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks (AN);

authentication means (150, 160) operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable (110) to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station; and

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means (155) responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section (120) of the user interface (125);

wherein the method comprises instructing the processor (105) by a gateway application (170) to control the following operations;

activating (3-0) the WLAN means as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

creating a network identifier (3-2, 3-4) for the WLAN base station;

assigning (3-8, 3-10) an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal;

resolving domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries (3-12 . . . 3-18) in cooperation with an external DNS service system;

assigning at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and

tunneling internet traffic (3-30 . . . 3-36) between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.

9. A software application for a mobile station, wherein the mobile station comprises a memory (MEM, 110) for storing applications and data;

a processor (105) for executing the stored applications;

a user interface (115) comprising an input section (120) and an output section (125);

reception/transmission circuitry (110) for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks (AN);

authentication means (150, 160) operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station;

a radio transceiver operable (110) to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station; and

wireless local-area network [“

WLAN”

] means (155) responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section (120) of the user interface (125);

wherein the software application is a gateway application (170) which comprises;

a first code portion for instructing the processor to activate (3-0) the WLAN means as

a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

a second code portion for instructing the processor to create a network identifier (3-2, 3-4) for the WLAN base station;

a third code portion for instructing the processor to assign (3-8, 3-10) an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal;

a fourth code portion for instructing the processor to resolve domain name service [“

DNS”

] queries (3-12 . . . 3-18) in cooperation with an external DNS service system;

a fifth code portion for instructing the processor to assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and

a sixth code portion for instructing the processor to tunnel internet traffic (3-30 . . . 3-36) between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.