Providing a cellular network with connectivity to a different network
View Patent ↗Among other things, a system for use in wireless communication includes a first device communicating via a first protocol in a first network, a cellular device communicating via a second protocol in a cellular network, the second protocol being incompatible with the first protocol, and an access point in the cellular network, the access point being accessible by the cellular device and being configured to enable communication between the first device and the cellular device.
1. A wireless access point comprising:
memory storing instructions that are executable; and
one or more processing devices to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
transmitting communications between a mobile device and a cellular network via an intermediary network, the mobile device being configured to communicate using a cellular wireless protocol and the intermediary network supporting communication using a first network protocol; and
transmitting communications between the mobile device and a home network, the home network being different from the intermediary network and the cellular network, the home network supporting communication using a second network protocol that is different from the first network protocol and the cellular wireless protocol, and the home network being accessible for communication either directly or through the intermediary network;
wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the one or more processing devices converting communications from the mobile device to the home network from the cellular wireless protocol to the second network protocol, and the one or more processing devices converting communications from the home network to the mobile device from the second network protocol to the cellular wireless protocol; and
wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the one or more processing devices determining if a media format used by a device in the home network is compatible with a media format that is used by a device in the cellular network and, if not compatible, the one or more processing devices performing a transcoding process to adapt the media format used by the device in the home network to the media format that is used by the device in the cellular network.
2. The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the second network protocol comprises a digital living network alliance protocol.
3. The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the second network protocol comprises a proprietary protocol.
4. The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises providing a cellular-air interface through which the mobile device communicates with the home network.
5. The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is a femtocell, and the mobile device and the home network are in a same femtozone of the femtocell and communicate directly through the access point not through other networks including the intermediary network.
6. The wireless access point of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device and the home network are in different zones.
7. The wireless access point of claim 6 , wherein the mobile device and the cellular network communicate via a tunnel through one or more other networks, the one or more other networks including the intermediary network.
8. The access point of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device and the cellular network communicate via the Internet.
9. The access point of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device and the cellular network communicate via a macro base transceiver station.
10. A method performed by a wireless access point configured to transmit communications between a mobile device and a cellular network via an intermediary network, the mobile device being configured to communicate using a cellular wireless protocol and the intermediary network supporting communication using a first network protocol, the method comprising:
transmitting communications between the mobile device and a home network, the home network being different from the intermediary network and the cellular network, the home network supporting communication using a second network protocol that is different from the first network protocol and the cellular wireless protocol, and the home network being accessible for communication either directly or through the intermediary network;
wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the wireless access point converting communications from the mobile device to the home network from the cellular wireless protocol to the second network protocol, and the wireless access point converting communications from the home network to the mobile device from the second network protocol to the cellular wireless protocol; and
wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the wireless access point determining if a media format used by a device in the home network is compatible with a media format that is used by a device in the cellular network and, if not compatible, the wireless access point performing a transcoding process to adapt the media format used by the device in the home network to the media format that is used by the device in the cellular network.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising notifying the home network of a presence of the mobile device.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the notifying comprises generating a message compatible with the second network protocol and delivering the message to the home network.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second network protocol comprises a DLNA protocol and the message comprises a DLNA-compatible message.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second network protocol comprises a proprietary protocol and generating comprises:
generating a DLNA-compatible message, and
converting the DLNA-compatible message to a message compatible with the proprietary protocol.
15. The method of claim 10 further comprising limiting an amount of communication traffic from the home network to the mobile device.
16. The method of claim 10 further comprising limiting an amount of communication traffic from the mobile device to the home network.
17. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying a policy associated with network security to communications between the mobile device and the home network.
18. The method of claim 10 further comprising transcoding a data packet transmitted between the mobile device and the home network.
19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device and the home network communicate through a cellular-air interface.
20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device and the cellular network communicate through a macro network, the macro network comprising the intermediary network.
21. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device and the home network are in a same femtozone and communicate directly through the access point not through other networks including the intermediary network.
22. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device is in a first femtozone and the home network is in a second femtozone.
23. A system for use in wireless communication, the system comprising:
a cellular network connectivity function (CNCF) comprising a CNCF server and a CNCF client and configured to enable communication between a home network and a mobile device in a cellular network different from the home network,
wherein the CNCF server is on a first femtocell, the CNCF client is on the mobile device, and the first femtocell comprises an access point configured to transmit communications between the mobile device and the cellular network via an intermediary network, the mobile device being configured to communicate using a cellular wireless protocol and the intermediary network supporting communication using a first network protocol,
wherein the home network is different from the intermediary network,
wherein the home network supports communication using a second network protocol that is different from the first network protocol and the cellular wireless protocol,
wherein the home network is accessible for communication either directly or through the intermediary network,
wherein the CNCF server is configured to convert communications from the mobile device to the home network from the cellular wireless protocol to the second network protocol, and to convert communications from the home network to the mobile device from the second network protocol to the cellular wireless protocol, and
wherein enabling communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the CNCF server determining if a media format used by a device in the home network is compatible with a media format that is used by a device in the cellular network and, if not compatible, the CNCF server performing a transcoding process to adapt the media format used by the device in the home network to the media format that is used by the device in the cellular network.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the CNCF server communicates with the CNCF client using a protocol having a higher priority level than the cellular wireless protocol.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the mobile device and the home network are in a same femtozone of the first femtocell and communicate directly through the access point not through other networks including the intermediary network.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the mobile device is in a femtozone of the first femtocell and the home cellular network is in a femtozone of a second femtocell.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the first and second femtocells communicate via the Internet, the Internet being part of the intermediary network.
28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the first and second femtocells communicate via a macro base transceiver station.
29. A method comprising:
using a cellular network connectivity function (CNCF) server on a first femtocell and a CNCF client on a mobile device to effect communication between the mobile device and the first femtocell; wherein the first femtocell is an access point that transmits communications between the mobile device and a cellular network via an intermediary network, the mobile device being configured to communicate using a cellular wireless protocol and the intermediary network supporting communication using a first network protocol; and
transmitting communications between the mobile device and a home network using the CNCF server and the CNCF client, wherein the home network is different from the intermediary network and the cellular network, wherein the home network supports communication using a second network protocol that is different from the first network protocol and the cellular wireless protocol, wherein the home network is accessible for communication either directly or through the intermediary network, wherein the CNCF server is configured to convert communications from the mobile device to the home network from the cellular wireless protocol to the second network protocol, and to convert communications from the home network to the mobile device from the second network protocol to the cellular wireless protocol, wherein transmitting communications between the mobile device and the home network comprises the CNCF server determining if a media format used by a device in the home network is compatible with a media format that is used by a device in the cellular network and, if not compatible, the CNCF server performing a transcoding process to adapt the media format used by the device in the home network to the media format that is used by the device in the cellular network.
30. The method of claim 26 , wherein the mobile device and the home network are in a same femtozone of the first femtocell and communicate directly through the access point not through other networks including the intermediary network.
31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the mobile device is in a femtozone of the first femtocell and the home cellular network is in a femtozone of a second femtocell.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the first and second femtocells communicate via the Internet, the Internet being part of the intermediary network.
33. The system of claim 31 , wherein the first and second femtocells communicate via a macro base transceiver station.