General access network controller bypass to facilitate use of standard cellular handsets with a general access network

• US 7,944,885 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yan, Hoole, Elliott, Tariq, Ahmed, Sukumaran, Jayesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasraian; Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US11/582,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/331, 455/436, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

Enabling a standard cellular handset to be used to access a core mobile network via a generic access network is disclosed. A communication between a generic access network element and the core mobile network is intercepted. A modified version of the communication is generated. The modified communication is forwarded.

Claims

1. A mobile network element, comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

intercept a communication between a Generic Access Network (GAN) element and a core mobile network;

generate a modified version of the communication; and

forward the modified version of the communication via the communication interface,

wherein the mobile network element is in communication with a cellular handset that is not configured to directly communicate with a generic access network using an interface of the generic access network;

wherein the cellular handset is configured to enable a standard cellular air interface to interoperate with a “

Up”

interface,

wherein a GAN controller (GANC) is communicatively disposed between an aggregation gateway (AGW) and the mobile network element,

wherein multiple cellular handsets use one security tunnel in communicating with the AGW,

wherein the AGW uses separate security tunnels corresponding to each of the multiple standard cellular handsets in communicating with the GANC,

wherein the mobile network element comprises a GAN adjunct (GCA), wherein the GANC is communicatively disposed between the AGW and the GCA, and wherein the GCA and the AGW have a bypass connection that bypasses the GANC, and

wherein the bypass connection at least carries handover requests.

2. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the modified communication comprises a modified data element comprising the communication.

3. The mobile network element according to claim 2, wherein the data element is modified based, at least in part, on a second communication received via an interface that bypasses the GAN element.

4. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the communication is from the GAN element and is forwarded to the core mobile network.

5. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a handover request acknowledge message from the GAN element.

6. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the modified communication comprises a modified handover request acknowledge message.

7. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a handover request acknowledge message.

8. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises an interface to a mobile switching center.

9. The mobile network element according to claim 8, wherein, at the mobile switching center, a second communication interface is associated with the generic access network element.

10. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the GAN element comprises the GANC and the mobile network element is located in a communication path between the GANC and the core mobile network.

11. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the cellular handset is not a dual mode handset.

12. The mobile network element according to claim 1, wherein the cellular handset is not a dual mode WLAN/cellular handset.

13. A method for enabling a mobile station to be used to access a core mobile network via a generic access network, comprising:

receiving an indication that a handover into a service area associated with the generic access network is to be performed;

providing to node on the mobile station side of a Generic Access Network (GAN) element located in a call data path between the mobile station and the core mobile network, via an interface that bypasses the GAN element, an attribute of the mobile station, the node being configured to use the attribute to establish, on behalf of the mobile station, a secure connection to the GAN element, wherein the attribute is provided, at least in part, by intercepting and forwarding to the node, via the bypass interface, a handover request message sent by the core mobile network to the GAN element;

communicatively disposing the GAN element between an aggregation gateway (AGW) and a mobile network element;

using, by multiple mobile stations, one security tunnel in communicating with the AGW; and

using, by the AGW, separate security tunnels corresponding to each of the multiple mobile stations in communicating with the GANC.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute comprises an identifier associated with the mobile station.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute comprises a network asset identifier (NAI) associated with the mobile station.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) associated with the mobile station.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mobile station is not a dual mode WLAN/cellular handset.