Mobile WLAN gateway

• US 8,625,461 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US13/240,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120008612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/390, 370/254, 370/352, 370/392, 370/401, 370/449, 370331-332, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/435.2, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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 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 for the WLAN base station; assigning an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal; resolving domain name service (DNS) queries 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 between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a radio transceiver configured to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network;

wireless local-area network (WLAN) means having a first mode of usage acting as a WLAN client, and a second mode of usage acting as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

a gateway application stored in the memory and executed by the processor to;

activate the second mode of the WLAN means,

create a network identifier for the WLAN base station,

assign an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal,

resolve domain name service (DNS) queries in cooperation with an external DNS service system,

assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application,

tunnel internet traffic between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection, and

deactivate the second mode of the WLAN means in response to a detected absence of WLAN terminal activity for a predetermined period of time.

2. The mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising means for downloading and executing the gateway application.

3. The mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the gateway application is further executed by the processor to redirect a first HTTP page request from each mobile station during an internet session to a predetermined internet address.

4. The mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises means 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. The mobile station according to claim 4, wherein the gateway application is further executed by the processor to provide one or more additional services to the WLAN terminal based on the determined location.

6. The mobile station according to claim 1, wherein the gateway application is further executed by the processor to collect traffic statistics for 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,

wherein the gateway application is further executed by the processor periodically or in response to a detected activity of the at least one WLAN terminal.

8. A method for operating a mobile station, the method comprising:

activating a second mode of WLAN means having a first mode of usage acting as a WLAN client of usage acting as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

creating a network identifier for the WLAN base station;

assigning an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal;

resolving domain name service (DNS) queries in cooperation with an external DNS service system;

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

tunneling internet traffic between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection; and

deactivating the second mode of the WLAN means in response to a detected absence of WLAN terminal activity for a predetermined period of time.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for operating a mobile station, the method comprising:

activating a second mode of WLAN means having a first mode of usage acting as a WLAN client of usage acting as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network;

creating a network identifier for the WLAN base station;

assigning an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal;

resolving domain name service (DNS) queries in cooperation with an external DNS service system;

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

tunneling internet traffic between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection; and

deactivating the second mode of the WLAN means in response to a detected absence of WLAN terminal activity for a predetermined period of time.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the program is executable by the processor periodically or in response to a detected activity of the at least one WLAN terminal.