Enhanced X2 protocol

1. A system providing an enhanced X2 interface in a mobile operator core network, comprising:

a Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network packet data network gateway (PGW), the LTE PGW being part of the mobile operator core network;

an evolved NodeB (eNodeB) connected to the LTE PGW;

a Wi-Fi access point (AP) connected to the LTE PGW via a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller; and

a coordination node coupled to the Wi-Fi AP via an enhanced X2 interface and providing gateway functionality between the LTE PGW and the eNodeB, and providing gateway functionality between the LTE PGW and the Wi-Fi AP, the coordination node further comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) virtualization module providing network address translation (NAT);

a protocol module communicating to the eNodeB and the Wi-Fi AP to request inter-radio technology (inter-RAT) handovers of a user equipment (UE) and to forward packets intended for the UE to the UE; and

an access technology virtualization proxy hiding an underlying radio access technology (RAT) of an access network from the mobile operator core network and presenting interfaces corresponding to the underlying radio access technology to the core network, wherein the coordination node provides a virtualized RAN that reduces interoperability concerns, enables heterogeneity at the RAN layer, and enables inter-RAT handovers without interworking towards the core network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protocol module communicates to the eNodeB and the Wi-Fi AP to request inter-RAT handovers of the UE from the eNodeB to the Wi-Fi AP and to forward packets intended for the UE from the eNodeB to the Wi-Fi AP.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an S2/S2a interface module coupled to a Wi-Fi access network gateway, and an S1 interface module coupled to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, at the coordination node, a trusted wireless access gateway (TWAG) or evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) to enable a Wi-Fi access network to securely connect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network.

5. A system providing an enhanced X2 interface in a mobile operator core network, comprising:

a coordination node positioned as a gateway between a Long Term Evolution (LTE) packet gateway (PGW) and an LTE eNodeB, and positioned as a gateway between the LTE PGW and a Wi-Fi AP connected to the LTE PGW via a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller, the coordination node coupled to a Wi-Fi AP via an enhanced X2 interface, the coordination node further comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) virtualization module providing network address translation (NAT);

an enhanced X2 protocol module communicating to the eNodeB and the Wi-Fi AP to request inter-radio technology (inter-RAT) handovers of a user equipment (UE) between the eNodeB and the Wi-Fi AP and to forward packets intended for the UE between the eNodeB and the Wi-Fi AP; and

an access technology virtualization proxy hiding an underlying radio access technology (RAT) of an access network from the mobile operator core network and at the coordination node and presenting interfaces corresponding to the underlying radio access technology to the core network wherein the coordination node provides a virtualized RAN that reduces interoperability concerns, enabling heterogeneity at the RAN layer, and enabling inter-RAT handovers without interworking towards the core network.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising, at the coordination node, an S2/S2a interface module coupled to a Wi-Fi access network gateway, and an S1 interface module coupled to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network and at the coordination node, a trusted wireless access gateway (TWAG) or evolved packet data network gateway (ePDG) to enable a Wi-Fi access network to securely connect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node share radio link quality, backhaul link quality, or load across radio access technologies.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node provides proxying functionality for a plurality of access networks using a plurality of RATs between a radio access network (RAN) and mobile operator core network.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node receives information from a plurality of access networks with multiple access technologies at the coordination node; and provides coordination and self-organizing network (SON) functionality for a plurality of access networks being coordinated by the coordination node.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node provides power control among neighbors, traffic admission control, and load balancing for a plurality of access networks being coordinated by the coordination node and wherein the coordination node provides power level adjustment, centralized assignment of power levels, load balancing, traffic steering, and assignment of attachment ordering policies to networks.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node manages both 3GPP and Wi-Fi access network nodes.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node bi-directional load balancing between WLAN and 3GPP radio access networks.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node acts as a mobility anchor for the UE at the coordination node to enable the UE to perform a handover from a 3GPP access network to a Wi-Fi access network and to enable the UE to perform a handover from the Wi-Fi access network to the 3GPP access network.

14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node detects that a handover of the UE is being performed; provides a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) function to a Wi-Fi radio access network; assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address via DHCP to the UE that preserves a prior IP address of the UE; and performs network address translation (NAT) to deliver packet flows to and from the UE.

15. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) for the UE.

16. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node further uses a co-located access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) to: inform a Wi-Fi access point (AP) of nearby Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeBs, update connection policies at the Wi-Fi AP, and coordinate handovers into and out of the Wi-Fi AP's access network.

17. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node further uses, at the coordination node, an S2/S2a interface with a core network to provide Wi-Fi access network connectivity to a core network, and an S1 interface to provide Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network connectivity to the mobile operator core network.

18. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node initiates or coordinates inter-RAT handovers.

19. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node passes information for an inter-RAT handover from a handover source node to a handover target node, the passed information further comprising information about a mobile device being handed over, packet flows, and open connections or bearers.

20. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node controls mobile device admission report on handover statistics, or provide interference mitigation and sharing interference information across access networks.

21. The system of claim 5 , wherein the coordination node outage compensation greenfield usage shutdown or traffic steering and admission control based on congestion.