Patent ID: 8064948
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. In a mobile station operating in a multi-protocol wireless network environment that supports a first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol wherein the network environment allows the mobile station to seamlessly roam utilizing the first and second wireless communication protocols, a method comprising: establishing a first link layer connection over a first radio interface using the first wireless communication protocol with a first access point, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is a short-range wireless communication protocol; establishing a second link layer connection over a second radio interface using the second wireless communication protocol with a second access point, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a long-range wireless communication protocol and wherein the second link layer connection is maintained concurrently with the first link layer connection as a backup, inactive connection while the first link layer connection is available; presenting a common link layer interface to upper layers of a protocol stack; switching between the first and second wireless link layer connections for communication; translating between the first wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; translating between the second wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; and wherein a single link layer identifier corresponding to the mobile station is used in the first and second link layer connections; and wherein the switching between the first wireless link layer connection to the second wireless link layer connection comprises transmitting one or more registration messages to the second access point to cause a forwarding path associated with the mobile station to include the second access point.