Abstract:
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing wireless metropolitan area network services over wireless local area networks.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/325,184, titled “Advanced Wireless Communication Systems and Techniques,” filed Apr. 16, 2010. Said provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to providing wireless metropolitan area network services over a wireless local area network. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Mobile devices are often provided a wireless connection through a wireless local area network (WLAN). Increasingly, a WLAN may, in turn, be connected to a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN). Presently, WMAN services may not be available to a mobile device unless the mobile device is wirelessly connected directly to the WMAN. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a networking environment in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a call flow that may be performed to provide generic service access in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a networking environment in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a call flow that may be performed to provide generic service access in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example system capable of implementing a network device in accordance with some embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0011]    Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments. 
         [0012]    For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C). 
         [0013]    The description may use the phrases “in an embodiment,” or “in embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous. 
         [0014]    Embodiments of this disclosure describe a WLAN subscriber accessing generic services provided by a WMAN network. A WLAN, as used herein, can include, but is not limited to a network in which communications are conducted in accordance with an Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (e.g., 802.11-2009). A network and its constituent components configured to operate in accordance with an 802.11 standard may be referred to as a Wi-Fi network and/or component. A WMAN, as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, a network in which communications are conducted in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard (e.g., IEEE 802.16-2009). A network and its constituent components configured to operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard may be referred to as a WiMAX network and/or component. 
         [0015]    Generic services provided by the WMAN network include, but are not limited to WMAN voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, e.g., WiMAX VoIP Services (WVS), location-based services (LBS), multicast broadcast-based services (MBS), machine-to-machine (M2M) services, etc. These services, which may hereinafter be collectively referred to as “generic WMAN services” or “generic services,” have heretofore been restricted to subscribers who connect to a WMAN connectivity service network (CSN) using a WMAN access service network (ASN). 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a networking environment  100  in accordance with some embodiments. The networking environment  100  may include components of both a WMAN and a WLAN. In particular, the networking environment  100  is shown with a WMAN ASN  104 ; a WMAN core service network (CSN)  108 ; and a WLAN ASN  112 . In various embodiments, one service provider may deploy both the WLAN and the WMAN ASNs. In other embodiments, these ASNs may be provided by different service providers who have a contractual agreement between them that enables coordinated network access. 
         [0017]    The networking environment  100  also shows a number of specific protocol interfaces between various components. These protocol interfaces, shown with an R# or W#, may refer to standardized WiMAX interfaces, also called “reference points,” that may describe various protocols and procedures that facilitate interoperability of WiMAX components. These protocol interfaces may be defined in a WiMAX Forum Network Working Group (NWG) specification, for example, WiMAX Forum NWG Release 1.6 or its successors. 
         [0018]    The WMAN ASN  104  may provide broadband wireless radio access to WMAN subscribers  114 . The WMAN ASN  104  may include one or more base stations, for example, base station (BS)  116  and BS  120 , and one or more ASN gateways, for example, ASN gateway (GW)  124 . BS  116  may be coupled with the BS  120  by an R8 interface. The R8 interface may be a control plane interface (represented by dotted line in  FIG. 1 ) for communication of control information related to handovers between base stations. In some embodiments, the R8 interface may also include a data plane interface for communication of data involved in handovers. Each of the base stations may be coupled with the ASN GW  124  through respective R6 interfaces having both control and data plane interfaces (respectively represented by dotted and solid lines in  FIG. 1 ). The ASN GW  124  may aggregate subscriber and control traffic from the base stations and communicate with the WMAN CSN  108  through an R3 interface having both control and data plane interfaces. 
         [0019]    The WMAN CSN  108  may provide various IP connectivity functions to interconnect the WMAN ASN  104  with a wide area network (WAN)  128 , e.g., an Internet. The WMAN CSN  108  may have an authentication server, e.g., authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server  132 , to implement one or more AAA protocols related to provision of networking services to subscribers and/or devices. The WMAN CSN  108  may also include a home agent (HA)/local mobility agent (LMA)  134  that operates as a routing anchor. The HA/LMA  134  may allow a subscriber to roam between various networks while still having secure access to a consistent set of capabilities. The WMAN CSN  108  may further include a generic WMAN services server  136 . The generic WMAN services server  136  may provide subscriber access to generic WMAN services as discussed herein. 
         [0020]    The networking environment  100  may also include a mobile subscriber station (MSS)  140 . The MSS  140 , which may also be referred to as a WLAN station or a WLAN client, may be communicatively coupled with an access point (AP)  144  of the WLAN ASN  112  through a WLAN connection. The WLAN ASN  112  may have an access controller  148  having a control plane interface with the AP  144 . 
         [0021]    The WLAN ASN  112  may be coupled with the WMAN CSN  108  through a WLAN internetworking function (WIF)  152 . The WIF  152  may include a translator  156  to translate messages of a WLAN protocol into messages of a WMAN protocol, and vice versa. The WIF  152  may be coupled with the WLAN ASN  112  through a W3 interface having control and data plane interfaces. The WIF  152  may be coupled with the WMAN CSN  108  through an R3 interface and may further be coupled with the generic WMAN services server  136  through an Rs interface. Both the R3 and Rs interfaces may include control and data plane interfaces. In various embodiments, the WIF  152  may be included within a component of the WLAN ASN  112 , included within a component of the WMAN CSN  108 , or deployed in a component independent of the WLAN ASN  112  and the WMAN CSN  108 . 
         [0022]    The WIF  152  may access certain core services of the WMAN CSN  108  through the R3 interface. These core services, may be distinguished from generic services, and may include, for example, authentication/authorization services provided by the AAA server  132 ; anchoring services provided by the HA/LMA  134 ; dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) services for IP address configuration; and data path services that establish uplink and downlink bearer paths for access to the WAN  128 . 
         [0023]    The WIF  152  may access generic WMAN services through the Rs interface, which acts as a service specific interface. The WIF  152  may include a mapper  160  that maps the Rs interface to different protocol interfaces for specific generic services as specified, for example, by a WiMAX Forum NWG specification. For example, for WVS services, the mapper  160  may map the Rs interface to an R2-V interface; for LBS, the mapper  160  may map the Rs may map to an R3 interface; etc. 
         [0024]    Provision of generic WMAN services to the MSS  140 , for the networking environment  100 , may be described by reference to call flow  200  shown in  FIG. 2  in accordance with some embodiments. In exchange  204 , the MSS  140  may switch on and select a WLAN network with which to connect, for example, WLAN ASN  112 . In exchange  208 , the MSS  140  may associate with the selected WLAN, e.g., WLAN ASN  112 . In exchange  212 , an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) authentication may be performed. The EAP authentication may occur through the relaying of identity and credential information from the MSS  140  to the AAA Server  132 , with the translator  156  of the WIF  152  providing desired translations. The AAA server  132  may then perform the authentication and authorization to admit the MSS  140 . 
         [0025]    In various embodiments, the MSS  140  may use a common set of credentials, issued by the WMAN CSN, to access the WMAN CSN  108  through either WMAN ASN  104  or WLAN ASN  112 . In other embodiments, the WLAN network may issue its own set of credentials just for accessing the WLAN ASN  112  and connecting to the WMAN CSN  108 . Thus, in these embodiments, the MSS  140  may have two separate sets of credentials; one for accessing the WMAN ASN  104  and another for accessing the WLAN ASN  112 . 
         [0026]    Following authorization, at exchange  216 , a DHCP request/response may be performed between the MSS  140  and the WMAN CSN  108  to obtain an IP address for the MSS  140  that may be used in communications over an IP network. In various embodiments, the WIF  152  may be used in the exchanges  212  and  216  to perform translations/functions desired for relevant internetwork communications. 
         [0027]    Exchange  220  represents a successful WLAN connection, which provides a bearer path for uplink and downlink traffic through the WMAN CSN  108  by way of the WLAN ASN  112 . Thus, exchanges  204 ,  208 ,  212 ,  216 , and  220  may be performed to establish a WLAN connection. 
         [0028]    Following establishment of the WLAN connection, the MSS  140  may transmit a generic service access request  224  to the generic WMAN services server  152 . The generic service access request  224  may be encrypted using pre-shared keys (e.g., keys established by MSS  140  and generic WMAN services server  136  prior to exchange  212 ) or using keys established during normal authentication in, e.g., exchange  212 . The generic service access request  224  may include an identification of one or more generic WMAN services requested by the MSS  140  as well as subscriber identification information (e.g., to identify user/mobile/device) and/or other access permissions and parameters specific to the requested services. The generic service access request  224  may be transmitted to the WLAN ASN  112  over the WLAN connection and then routed from the WLAN ASN  112  to the WIF  152  through the W3 interface. The generic service access request  224  may be translated from a WLAN protocol to a WMAN protocol by the translator  156  of the WIF  152  and further routed to the generic WMAN services server  136  through the Rs interface. 
         [0029]    The generic WMAN services server  136  may generate a service authentication and authorization request  228 , which may then be transmitted to the AAA server  132 . The AAA server  132  may determine, based on the identity and credential information of the MSS  140 , whether the MSS  140  is permitted to access the requested generic WMAN services, through the WLAN connection, and, upon determination, generate and transmit a service authentication and authorization response  232  to the generic WMAN services server  136 . The generic WMAN services server  136  may, in turn, generate a generic service access response  236 , which it transmits to the MSS  140 , indicating that access to the requested generic WMAN services is either permitted or denied. In the event of access being permitted, the MSS  140  may be provided with generic service access represented by exchange  240 . 
         [0030]    The service authentication/authorization may include selected components, e.g., the MSS  140 , the generic WMAN services server  136 , and/or the AAA server  132 , determining keys, pre-shared among the selected components, that are used in the encryption/decryption of the various requests/responses, e.g., generic service access request  224 , service authentication/authorization request  228 , service authentication/authorization response  232 , and/or the generic service access response  236 . The pre-shared keys may be determined by pre-provisioning or dynamic derivation. 
         [0031]    In an embodiment in which the pre-shared keys are pre-provisioned, the pre-provisioning may be done using an over the air (OTA) technique on the MSS  140  and the AAA server  132 . The OTA technique of an embodiment may be a technique as defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) specification, version 1.2, as modified in April 2006. The AAA server  132  may pass the pre-shared keys to the generic WMAN services server  136 . The MSS  140  may then be able to authenticate with the generic WMAN services server  136  using the pre-shared keys at runtime without having to rely on an internetworking capability of the WIF  152 . This may occur, e.g., if the generic WMAN services server  136  is accessed directly through a roaming scenario, such as described below with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0032]    In an embodiment in which the pre-shared keys are derived dynamically the security aspects may be handled as follows. If the MSS  140  has already authenticated with the AAA server  132  then the pre-shared keys may be derived at runtime. Both the AAA server  132  and the MSS  140  may have the extended master session key (EMSK) and they may use this EMSK to compute the secondary set of pre-shared keys that may be used for service-level authentication/authorization. The AAA server  132  may pass this secondary set of pre-shared keys onto the generic WMAN services server  136 . If the MSS  140  is currently not attached to the WMAN CSN  108 , but trying to access a generic WMAN service over a WLAN connection, the EMSK of the last WMAN access may be used on both ends to derive the pre-shared keys for service authentication. 
         [0033]    Various embodiments provide for access of generic WMAN services over a WLAN by a roaming mobile station. In such cases, the WLAN and WMAN service providers may have a roaming agreement with one another.  FIG. 3  illustrates a communication environment  300  describing access to generic WMAN services in the roaming context in accordance with some embodiments. 
         [0034]    The communication environment  300  may include a WMAN ASN  304  coupled with a WMAN CSN  308  by an R3 interface similar to that described above with respect to networking environment  100 . The WMAN ASN  304  and the WMAN CSN  308  may be a home WMAN network for a MSS  312 . 
         [0035]    The MSS  312 , when roaming, may be communicatively coupled with a visited WLAN ASN, e.g., WLAN ASN  316 , by a WLAN connection. The WLAN ASN  316  may have an AP  320  and an access controller  324  that operate similar to the AP  144  and the access controller  148  discussed above with respect to  FIG. 1 . The WLAN ASN  316  may further include a network access server (NAS)  328  that operates as a wireless Internet service provider roaming (WISPr) portal to, in conjunction with a WISPr client  330  on the MSS  312 , provide the MSS  312  network access on a roaming basis. 
         [0036]    The WLAN ASN  316  may be coupled with an AAA internetworking function (AIF) component  332 . The WLAN ASN  316  may communicate with the AIF  332  in accordance with a wireless roaming intermediary exchange (WRIX) remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) protocol over, e.g., an WRIX-i interface. The AIF  332  may be coupled with a home AAA server  336  of the WMAN CSN  308  by an R3 interface. 
         [0037]    The WLAN ASN  316  may be coupled with a generic WMAN services server  340  of the WMAN CSN  308  over a WAN  344 . The WAN  344  may be coupled with the home WMAN CSN  308  by an Rs interface. 
         [0038]    Provision of the generic WMAN services to the MSS  312 , for the communication environment  300 , may be described by reference to call flow  400  shown in  FIG. 4  in accordance with some embodiments. In exchange  404 , the MSS  312  may switch on and select a WLAN network with which to connect, for example, visited WLAN ASN  316 . In exchange  408 , the MSS  140  may associate with the selected WLAN, e.g., visited WLAN ASN  316 . In exchange  412 , an EAP authentication may be performed. The EAP authentication may occur by the AIF  332  translating identity and credential information and relaying the translated information to the H-AAA server  336 . It may be noted that contrary to a WIF, which routes all requests to a WMAN CSN to which it is coupled, the AIF  332  may only map authentication requests across two networks. The H-AAA server  336  may then perform the authentication and authorization to admit the MSS  312 . 
         [0039]    Following authorization, at exchange  412 , a DHCP request/response may be performed, at exchange  416 , between the MSS  312  and the WLAN ASN  316  to obtain an IP address for the MSS  312  that may be used in communications over an IP network. 
         [0040]    Exchange  420  represents a successful WLAN connection, which provides a bearer path for uplink and downlink traffic through the WLAN ASN  316 . Thus, exchanges  404 ,  408 ,  412 , and  416  may be performed to establish the WLAN connection represented by exchange  420 . 
         [0041]    Following establishment of the WLAN connection, the MSS  312  may discover an address of the generic WMAN services server using a domain name service (DNS)/fully qualified domain name (FQDN). Once the address is discovered, the MSS  312  may transmit a generic service access request  424  to the generic WMAN services server  340 . The generic service access request  424  may include an identification of one or more generic WMAN services requested by the MSS  312 . The generic service access request  424  may be transmitted to the WLAN ASN  316  over the WLAN connection and then routed through the WAN  344  prior to being delivered to the generic WMAN services server  340  through the Rs interface. 
         [0042]    The generic WMAN services server  340  may generate a service authentication and authorization request  428 , which may then be transmitted to the H-AAA server  336 . The H-AAA server  336  may determine whether the MSS  312  is permitted to access to the requested generic WMAN services, through the WLAN connection, and, upon determination, generate and transmit a service authentication and authorization response  432  to the generic WMAN services server  340 . The generic WMAN services server  340  may, in turn, generate a generic service access response  436 , which it transmits to the MSS  312 , indicating that access to the requested generic WMAN services is either permitted or denied. In the event of access being permitted, the MSS  312  may be provided with generic service access represented by exchange  440 . 
         [0043]    The network components described herein may be implemented into a system using any suitable hardware and/or software to configure as desired.  FIG. 5  illustrates, for one embodiment, an example system  500  comprising one or more processor(s)  504 , system control logic  508  coupled to at least one of the processor(s)  504 , system memory  512  coupled to system control logic  508 , non-volatile memory (NVM)/storage  516  coupled to system control logic  508 , and one or more communications interface(s)  520  coupled to system control logic  508 . 
         [0044]    System control logic  508  for one embodiment may include any suitable interface controllers to provide for any suitable interface to at least one of the processor(s)  504  and/or to any suitable device or component in communication with system control logic  508 . 
         [0045]    System control logic  508  for one embodiment may include one or more memory controller(s) to provide an interface to system memory  512 . System memory  512  may be used to load and store data and/or instructions, for example, for system  500 . System memory  512  for one embodiment may include any suitable volatile memory, such as suitable dynamic random access memory (DRAM), for example. 
         [0046]    System control logic  508  for one embodiment may include one or more input/output (I/O) controller(s) to provide an interface to NVM/storage  516  and communications interface(s)  520 . 
         [0047]    NVM/storage  516  may be used to store data and/or instructions, for example. NVM/storage  516  may include any suitable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, for example, and/or may include any suitable non-volatile storage device(s), such as one or more hard disk drive(s) (HDD(s)), one or more compact disk (CD) drive(s), and/or one or more digital versatile disk (DVD) drive(s) for example. 
         [0048]    The NVM/storage  516  may include a storage resource physically part of a device on which the system  500  is installed or it may be accessible by, but not necessarily a part of, the device. For example, the NVM/storage  516  may be accessed over a network via the communications interface(s)  520 . 
         [0049]    System memory  512  and NVM/storage  516  may include, in particular, temporal and persistent copies of generic WMAN services logic  524 , respectively. The generic WMAN services logic  524  may include instructions that when executed by at least one of the processor(s)  504  result in the system  500  performing generic WMAN services operations that occur as a result of a mobile station requesting and/or accessing generic WMAN services over a WLAN connection as described above with respect to an MSS, WIF, or a generic WMAN services server. In some embodiments, the generic WMAN services logic  524  may additionally/alternatively be located in the system control logic  508 . 
         [0050]    Communications interface(s)  520  may provide an interface for system  500  to communicate over one or more network(s) and/or with any other suitable device. Communications interface(s)  520  may include any suitable hardware and/or firmware. Communications interface(s)  520  for one embodiment may include, for example, a network adapter, a wireless network adapter, a telephone modem, and/or a wireless modem. For wireless communications, communications interface(s)  520  for one embodiment may use one or more antennae. 
         [0051]    For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s)  504  may be packaged together with logic for one or more controller(s) of system control logic  508 . For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s)  504  may be packaged together with logic for one or more controllers of system control logic  508  to form a System in Package (SiP). For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s)  504  may be integrated on the same die with logic for one or more controller(s) of system control logic  508 . For one embodiment, at least one of the processor(s)  504  may be integrated on the same die with logic for one or more controller(s) of system control logic  508  to form a System on Chip (SoC). 
         [0052]    In various embodiments, system  500  may have more or less components, and/or different architectures. 
         [0053]    Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description, a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments described herein be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.