Method and apparatus for enabling communication between a mobile device and universal plug and play devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9008120-B2
Application number	US-201113580137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2011
Priority date	Feb 19, 2010
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for enabling communication between a mobile device and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices. In one embodiment, a communication gateway includes a home base station for receiving a data communication request from a mobile device associated with a radio network, where the data communication request indicates type of communication. The communication gateway also includes a mediation entity for signalling an UPnP router that the data communication request is associated with an UPnP type communication. Moreover, the communication gateway includes an UPnP router for providing data communication from the mobile device to one or more UPnP devices connected to the UPnP router.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of a base station for enabling a mobile device to access at least one universal plug and play (UPnP) device in a communication network, comprising:
receiving, from the mobile device, a data communication request including information about a communication type;
if the communication type according to the information is an UPnP type for accessing the at least one UPnP device, transmitting, to an UPnP router, the data communication request via a mediation entity, wherein the mediation entity converts a format of a signal including the data communication request received from the base station according to a UPnP compatible format; and
establishing a bearer between the base station and the UPnP router for data communication between the mobile device and the at least one UPnP device through the mediation entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if the communication type according to the information is not the UPnP type, transmitting the data communication request to a core network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information includes an identifier indicating one of an UPnP type communication and a local type communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the data communication request comprises:
establishing a radio bearer between the mobile device and the base station;
transmitting the data communication request to a core network proxy, wherein the core network proxy performs proxy functions of core network entities beyond the base station; and
receiving, from the core network proxy, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the data communication request comprises:
receiving the data communication request from the mobile device via a packet data network (PDN); and
receiving, from the PDN, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data communication request is one of a radio resource connection (RRC) request and a non-access stratum (NAS) request.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein for enabling a mobile device to access at least one universal plug and play (UPnP) device in a communication network, the instructions configured to, when executed by a base station, cause the base station to perform a method comprising:
receiving, from the mobile device, a data communication request including information about a communication type;
if the communication type according to the information is an UPnP type for accessing the at least one UPnP device, transmitting, to an UPnP router, the data communication request via a mediation entity, wherein the mediation entity converts a format of a signal including the data communication request received from the base station according to a UPnP compatible format; and
establishing a bearer between the base station and the UPnP router for data communication between the mobile device and the at least one UPnP device through the mediation entity.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
if the communication type according to the information is not the UPnP type, transmitting the data communication request to a core network.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the information includes an identifier indicating one of an UPnP type communication and a local type communication.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions to receive the data communication request comprise:
establishing a radio bearer between the mobile device and the base station;
transmitting the data communication request to a core network proxy, wherein the core network proxy performs proxy functions of core network entities beyond the base station; and
receiving, from the core network proxy, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions to receive the data communication request comprise:
receiving the data communication request from the mobile device via a packet data network (PDN); and
receiving, from the PDN, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the data communication request is one of a radio resource connection (RRC) request and a non-access stratum (NAS) request.

13. A base station in a communication network, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive, from a mobile device, a data communication request including information about a communication type;
a transmitter configured to, if the communication type according to the information is an UPnP type for accessing the at least one UPnP device, transmit to an universal plug and play (UPnP) router, the data communication request via a mediation entity, wherein the mediation entity is configured to convert a format of a signal including the data communication request, received from the base station according to a UPnP compatible format; and
a controller configured to establish a bearer between the base station and the UPnP router for data communication between the mobile device and the at least one UPnP device through the mediation entity.

14. The base station of claim 13 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the data communication request to a core network, if the communication type according to the information is not the UPnP type.

15. The base station of claim 13 , wherein the information includes an identifier indicating one of an UPnP type communication and a local type communication.

16. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control the receiver for receiving the data communication request from the mobile device, to establish a radio bearer between the mobile device and the base station, to control the transmitter for transmitting the data communication request to a core network proxy, wherein the core network proxy performs proxy functions of core network entities beyond the base station, and to receive, from the core network proxy, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type, by controlling the receiver.

17. The base station of claim 13 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the data communication request from the mobile device via a packet data network (PDN), and receive, from the PDN, information indicating whether the communication type according to the information is the UPnP type.

18. The base station of claim 13 , wherein the data communication request is one of a radio resource connection (RRC) request and a non-access stratum (NAS) request.

Assignees

• Jamadagni Satish Nanjunda Swamy
• Vedula Kiran Bharadwaj
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jamadagni Satish Nanjunda Swamy
• Vedula Kiran Bharadwaj

Classifications

• H04L12/2818 Primary

  from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007) · CPC title

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04W76/022

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M7/125

  Details of gateway equipment · CPC title

• H04L12/2836

  Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network (controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24) · CPC title