Wlan as a logical support node for hybrid coupling in an interworking between wlan and a mobile communication system
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorsShaily Verma, Charles Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is provided a method for supporting an internetworking between a WLAN and a mobile communications network. The mobile communications network, for example UMTS network, has a GPRS support node and a serving GPRS support node. The internetworking is facilitated by an IWF. The method comprises the steps of establishing at least one GPRS tunneling protocol tunnel between the IWF and the GGSN for transferring data signals, and establishing at least one GPRS (tunneling protocol tunnel between the GGSN and the SGSN for transferring control signals.
Claims22
A method for supporting an interworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a mobile communications system, the mobile communications system having a first support node for interfacing a radio access network to a core network and a second support node for interfacing the mobile communications system to a second communications system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an interworking function (IWF) associated with the WLAN and coupled to the mobile communications system;
- establishing at least one tunneling protocol—user plane tunnel between the IWF and the second support node for transferring data signals;
- and
- establishing at least one tunneling protocol—control plane tunnel between the first support node and the second support node for transferring control signals.
An apparatus for supporting an interworking between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobile communications network, the mobile communications network having a first support node for interfacing a radio access network to a core network and a second support node for interfacing the mobile communications system to a second communications system, the interworking being facilitated by an interworking function (IWF), the apparatus comprising:
- means for establishing at least one tunneling protocol—user plane tunnel between the IWF and the second support node for transferring data signals;
- and
- means for establishing at least one tunneling protocol—control plane tunnel between the first support node and the second support node for transferring control signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.