Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
  • H04W36/0005—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
  • H04W36/0011—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
  • H04W36/14—Reselecting a network or an air interface
  • H04W36/144—Reselecting a network or an air interface over a different radio air interface technology
  • H04W36/1446—Reselecting a network or an air interface over a different radio air interface technology wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W76/00—Connection management
  • H04W76/20—Manipulation of established connections
  • H04W76/22—Manipulation of transport tunnels
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
  • H04W88/16—Gateway arrangements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a service continuity apparatus and method for providing a seamless service between a universal mobile communication system network and wireless local area network. More particularly, the present invention relates to a service continuity apparatus and method for performing a handover without breaking a service between a 3GPP network and non-3GPP network.
• a universal mobile telecommunication system (hereinafter, referred to as 1 UMTS 1 ) presently includes a third generation mobile telecommunication system developed by a framework known as an international mobile communication standard-2000 (IMT-2000).
• IMT-2000 international mobile communication standard-2000
• the third generation mobile communication system had been designed to provide multimedia communication. It has a high data speed so that it can increase public and private network information access and service and provide flexible telecommunication.
• 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project
• a system or network provided by the 3GPP that is, the standardization institutions
• 3GPP network 3rd Generation Partnership Project
• a system e.g., wireless local area network
• network not provided by the 3GPP that is, the standardization institutions, for example
• non-3GPP system or “non-3GPP network”.
• the UMTS has a drawback in that a spectrum is largely consumed and data rate is low in comparison with the wireless local area network (hereinafter, referred to as 'WLAN'). Accordingly, a system and method for utilizing WLAN bands is required so as to supplement a bandwidth of UMTS and improve efficiency thereof.
• a conventional release 6-based 3GPP UMTS has provided an
• inter-network loaming structure for utilizing the WLAN in the 3GPP UMTS network and non-3GPP network. That is, it is described for a 3GPP subscriber to accept services such as 3GPP network authentication, authorization, and charging, and then to accept service of the 3GPP when the 3GPP subscriber accesses to the WLAN. Accordingly, a mobile station may accept a packet service though the 3GPP network even when it accesses the WLAN.
• the mobile station having accessed the 3GPP network moves in the WLAN while accepting a service or otherwise, the mobile station cannot use a previously-used address in a moved network.
• GGSN gateway GPRS support node
• PGW packet data gateway
• An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a service continuity apparatus for supporting service continuity between a universal mobile communication system network and a wireless local area network.
• the service continuity apparatus includes a first node for transmitting a data packet to a mobile station in the universal mobile communication system network; a second node for performing a wireless gate function between the first node and the packet data network and allocating a first address to the mobile station through the first node so as to communicate data with the packet data network; and an interworking gateway for generating tunneling with the second network through the packet data network and providing a seamless service to the mobile station using the first address when the mobile station moves from the universal mobile communication system network to the wireless local area network.
• the interworking gateway generates tunneling with the second node through the packet data network and provides a seamless service to the mobile station using the first address when the mobile station returns from the wireless local area network to the universal mobile communication system network.
• Another embodiment of the present invention provides a service continuity method for supporting service continuity between a universal mobile communication system network and a wireless local area network.
• the service continuity includes (a) a first node performing a wireless gate function of an inter-packet data network by allocating a first address for communicating data with the packet data network to the mobile station accessed to the universal mobile communication system network and recoding the allocated first address on an authentication server;
• an interworking gateway receiving a tunnel establishment request message from the mobile station moved from the universal mobile communication system network to the wireless local area network; (c) the interworking gateway performing user authentication and authorization and receiving the recoded first address from the authentication server by being interworked with the authentication server; (d) the interworking gateway generating tunneling with the first node through the packet data network; and
• yet another embodiment of the present invention provides (a) a first node for transmitting a packet in a service area of the universal mobile communication system network receiving a PDP context activation request message from a mobile station, the mobile station having returned from the wireless local area network to the universal mobile communication system network;
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interworking system between a 3GPP network and a non-3GPP network for supporting a seamless service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart for showing how a mobile station moves from a
• 3GPP network to a non-3GPP network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a flowchart for showing how a mobile station moves from a non-3GPP network to a 3GPP network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an interworking system between a 3GPP network and a non-3GPP network for supporting a seamless service according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS In the following detailed description, only certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, simply by way of illustration. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. When it is described that an element is coupled to another element, the element may be directly coupled to the other element or coupled to the other element through a third element.
• composition elements shown in the drawings may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof, and may be realized by at least one programmed universal device including a processor, a memory, and input/output interfaces.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interworking system between a 3GPP network and a non-3GPP network for supporting a seamless service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the system shown in FIG. 1 is one example. Accordingly, respective elements known to a person of ordinary skill in the art may be described briefly to impart understanding of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• a mobile station 100 is defined as a general mobile terminal having a dual mode of 3GPP and non-3GPP.
• a 3GPP network 200 is defined as a general universal mobile communication system (UMTS) network
• a non-3GPP network 300 is defined as all the wireless local area networks excluding the 3GPP network.
• the non-3GPP network 300 includes the IEEE 602.16, Hyper LAN, Wibro, and Personal Area Network (PAN).
• the 3GPP network 200 includes a UTRAN 210, a SGSN 220, a GGSN 230, an HLR/AAA 240, and an interworking gateway 250.
• the URRAN UMTS (Terrestrial Radio Access Network) 210 is a wireless access network for performing a wireless-related function, and includes a node B (not shown) and a wireless network controller (RNC) (not shown).
• RNC wireless network controller
• the SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node: 220) is a node for performing a data packet transmission to the mobile station in a service area, and has packet routing and transmission, mobility management, local link management functions.
• the SGSN 220 includes a location register for storing user location information (cell, visitor location register, and the like) and user profile, in which the user is registered in the SGSN.
• the GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node: 230) performs a wireless gateway function between the SGSN 220 and the packet data network (PDN). That is, the GGSN 230 transmits all the data to the packet data network, in which the data is transmitted/received in the packet data network.
• the GGSN 230 allocates a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) address through the SGSN 220 to the mobile station 100 such that the mobile station 100 may perform data communication with the packet data network.
• PDP Packet Data Protocol
• An HLR/AAA 240 stores the PDP address allocated by the GGSN 230.
• the HLR/AAA 240 stores a home location of the mobile station 100 and the PDP address allocated by the GGSN 230, and performs an authentication to the mobile station.
• An interworking gateway (hereinafter referred to as 1 IWG 1 ) 250 is for performing a seamless service between the 3GPP network and the non-3GPP network, and is connected to the GGSN 230 through a universal tunnel 420 passing through the packet data network 400.
• the IWG 250 when the mobile station 100 moves from the 3GPP network to the non-3GPP network, GGSN 230, the IWG 250 receives the PDP address previously allocated by the GGSN 230 from the HLR/AAA 240 and forms a tunnel 320 to the mobile station 100 by providing the received PDP address to the mobile station 100.
• the packet data network 400 may be defined as a packet-based network including both of the Internet and intranet, and the
• GGSN 230 and IWG 250 respectively includes interfaces 11 and I2 for interworking with the packet data network 400.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart for showing how a mobile station moves from a 3GPP network to a non-3GPP network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the GGSN 230 allocates a PDP address to the mobile station (S10).
• the PDP address allocated by the GGSN 230 is stored at the HLR/AAA 240.
• the non-3GPP network 300 allocates a local address to the mobile station 100, in which the local address is for communicating data with the non-3GPP network 300 (S20).
• the mobile station 100 transmits a tunnel establishment request message to the IWG 250 (S30).
• the IWG 250 receives the tunnel establishment request message from the mobile station 100, it performs user authentication and authorization by being interworked with the HLR/AAA 240 (S40) and then receives the previously-allocated PDP address from the HLR/AAA 240.
• the IWG 250 receives the PDP address, it cooperates with the GGSN 230 and establishes the tunnel 420 passing through the packet data network 400 (S50). At this time, so as to establish a security-ensured tunnel, it obtains tunnel establishment information from the HLR/AAA 240.
• the IWG 250 After the IWG 250 has established a tunnel by cooperating with the
• the IWG 250 transmits a tunnel establishment response message including the PDP address obtained from the HLR/AAA 240 to the mobile station 100, and accordingly generates a tunnel 320 to the mobile station 100.
• the GGSN 230 performs mobile station-link packet buffering as soon as it receives the tunnel establishment request message from the
• the IWG 250 transmits the buffered packet to the mobile station when the tunnel establishment is finished, and "the mobile station-link packet" is referred to as a packet transmitted to the mobile station herein.
• the mobile station 100 may accept a seamless service with respect to all packet data transmitted to the 3GPP network using the generated tunnel 320 by means of the GGSN 230 and IWG 250.
• the GGSN 230 may recycle radio resources by canceling a previously formed GRPS session using the same. That is, the GGSN 230 transmits the PDP context delete request message to the SGSN 220 so as to cancel the GRPS session (S70) and the SGSN 220 transmits the PDP context delete response message to the GGSN 230 (S80), and accordingly the given GRPS session is cancelled and the radio resource is recycled
• FIG. 3 is a flowchart for showing how a mobile station moves from a non-3GPP network to a 3GPP network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the mobile station 100 when the mobile station 100 subscribed in the 3GPP network accesses the non-3GPP network 300, the mobile station 100 receives a local address allocated by the non-3GPP network 300 and the PDP address previously allocated from the IWG 250.
• the mobile station 100 returns to the 3GPP network, the mobile station 100 starts an access to the SGSG 220 (S110) and the mobile station 100 transmits a PDP context activation request message to the SGSN 220 (S 120).
• the SGSN 220 transmits a PDP context generation request message to the GGSN 230 (S130), and the GGSN 230 performs user authentication and authorization by being interworked with the HLR/AAA
• the GGSN 230 When the GGSN 230 has received the PDP address, it establishes a tunnel 420 passing through the packet data network 400 by cooperating with the IWG (S150). So as to establish a security-ensured tunnel, the
• GGSN 230 obtains the tunnel establishment information from the HLR/AAA
• the GGSN 230 then transmits a PDP context generation response message including the PDP address to the SGSN 220 (S160) and the SSGN 220 transmits a PDP context activation response message including the PDP address to the mobile station 100 (S170).
• the mobile station 100 may accept a seamless service even if it moves from the non-3GPP network 200 to the 3GPP network.
• the IWG 250 is disposed in a 3GPP home network.
• the IWG 250 may be disposed in a 3GPP visitor network 500 as shown in FIG. 4.
• Elements in Fig. 4 that are the same or similar to those illustrated in FIG. 1 have the same or similar reference numerals. These elements may not be described for brevity of description.
• the 3GPP visitor network 500 additionally includes an AAA proxy 540 when the IWG 250 is disposed in the 3GPP visitor network 500.
• the AAA proxy 540 performs user authentication and authorization by interworking the IWG 250 with the HLR/AAA 240 of the 3GPP home network, receives the PDP address from the HLR/AAA 240, and transmits the same to the IWG 250.
• the mobile station when the mobile station moves from the 3GPP network to the non-3GPP network or it returns from the non-3GPP network to the 3GPP network, it may accept a seamless service by generating a universal tunnel passing through the packet data network by means of the interworking gateway and the GGSN.
• the recording medium may include all types of recording media that a computer can read, for example an HDD, a memory, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, and a floppy disk, and it may also be realized in a carrier wave (e.g., Internet communication) format.
• a carrier wave e.g., Internet communication
• the mobile station may accept a seamless service even if it moves between the 3GPP network and the non-3GPP network.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

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Cited By (6)

Citations (3)

• 2006
  • 2006-08-24 EP EP06783736.9A patent/EP1938518A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-08-24 WO PCT/KR2006/003349 patent/WO2007024115A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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