WLAN handover for a mobile terminal moving from a first to a second network

• US 7,693,107 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasraian; Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US10/592,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/338, 455/436, 455/440, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/438
• US Class Current: 370/331
• 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. 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;

while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, 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;

receiving a request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units to the first local network switching unit to establish a connection with the first local network switching unit; and

while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, and in response to the request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units, configuring the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network using the first Internet address 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, wherein a respective further access point of the plurality of further access points provides the mobile communication terminal a further access to the Internet network when the mobile communication terminal moves to a location corresponding to the respective further access point.

2. A method according to claim 1, 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.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein after the mobile communication terminal moves to a new location, the mobile communication terminal is registered with a second Internet switching unit via a second access point unit of a second wireless local network and via a 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.

4. A method according to claim 3, 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.

5. A method according to claim 3, 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.

6. A method according to claim 1, 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.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the access of the mobile communication terminal to an Internet network is checked by the first access point unit, by the first local network switching unit or by the first Internet switching unit using security keys, policies and/or one or more authentication methods.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first access point unit, the first local network switching unit, or the first Internet switching unit is checked by the mobile communication terminal using security keys, policies or one or more authentication methods.

9. 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, while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, 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 receiving a request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units to the first local network switching unit to establish a connection with the first local network switching unit; and

a module for configuring, while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, and in response to the request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units, the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network using the first Internet address 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, wherein a respective further access point of the plurality of further access points provides the mobile communication terminal a further access to the Internet network when the mobile communication terminal moves to a location corresponding to the respective further access point.

10. A system according to claim 9, 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.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to register the mobile communication terminal, after it moves to a new location, with a second Internet switching unit via a second access point unit of a second wireless local network and via a 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.

12. A system according to claim 11, 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.

13. A system according to claim 11, 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.

14. A system according to claim 9, 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.

15. A system according to claim 9, 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 the first access point unit, from the first local network switching unit, or from the first Internet switching unit.

16. A system according to claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a module adapted to check, by using security keys, policies or one or more authentication methods, at least one of the first access point unit, the first local network switching unit, or the first Internet switching unit from the mobile communication terminal.

18. Local network switching unit according to claim 15, 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.

19. A local network switching unit according to claim 15, 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.

17. 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 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, while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, the registered device-specific address and a network identification for the wireless local network from the local network switching unit to a plurality of bordering further local network switching units;

a module for receiving a request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units to the first local network switching unit to establish a connection with the first local network switching unit; and

a module for configuring, while the mobile communication terminal still accesses the Internet network via the first access point, and in response to the request from each of the plurality of bordering further local network switching units, the plurality of bordering further local network switching units for providing a plurality of further accesses for the mobile communication terminal to the Internet network using the Internet address 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 Internet switching unit, wherein a respective further access point of the plurality of further access points provides the mobile communication terminal a further access to the Internet network when the mobile communication terminal moves to a location corresponding to the respective further access point.