Apparatus, system and method of interfacing between a cellular manager and a wlan access device

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of interfacing between a cellular manager and a Wireless Local Area network (WLAN) access device. For example, a WLAN access device, e.g., an Access Point (AP) or an Access Controller (AC), and a cellular manager, e.g., an evolved Node B (eNB) or a Radio Network Controller (RNC), may be configured to communicate via a direct link between the cellular manager and the WLAN access device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An evolved Node B (eNB) comprising:
 a vertical interface to communicate with a Core Network (CN);   an air interface to communicate with a User Equipment (UE) via a cellular link; and   an access device interface to communicate directly with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access device, the WLAN access device including a WLAN Access Point (AP) or a WLAN Access Controller (AC).   
     
     
         2 . The eNB of  claim 1 , wherein said access device interface is to communicate with said WLAN access device user plane traffic corresponding to said UE. 
     
     
         3 . The eNB of  claim 1 , wherein, during handover of said UE from said eNB, said access device interface is to send to said WLAN access device downlink traffic for said UE. 
     
     
         4 . The eNB of  claim 1 , wherein said access device interface is to send to said WLAN access device first downlink traffic for said UE, and said air interface is to send second downlink traffic to said UE via said cellular link. 
     
     
         5 . The eNB of  claim 1 , wherein said access device interface is to receive from said WLAN access device downlink traffic for said UE during handover of said UE from said WLAN access device. 
     
     
         6 . The eNB of  claim 1 , wherein said access device interface is to communicate one or more control plane messages with said WLAN access device. 
     
     
         7 . The eNB of  claim 6 , wherein said access device interface is to receive from said WLAN access device a control plane message including load-related information corresponding to a load of said WLAN AP. 
     
     
         8 . The eNB of any  claim 6 , wherein said access device interface is to send to said WLAN access device a control plane message including UE context information corresponding to said UE. 
     
     
         9 . The eNB of  claim 6 , wherein said control plane messages comprise one or more booster cell management messages to manage said WLAN access device as a booster cell. 
     
     
         10 . The eNB of  claim 1  comprising:
 a plurality of antennas; 
 a memory; and 
 a processor. 
 
     
     
         11 . A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access device comprising:
 an Evolved Node B (eNB) interface to communicate user plane traffic with an eNB over a direct link between said WLAN access device and said eNB, the user plane traffic including traffic between a Core Network (CN) and a User Equipment (UE); and   a network interface to communicate network traffic between said UE and a wired network.   
     
     
         12 . The WLAN access device of  claim 11  being an Access Point (AP), the AP including a WLAN radio to communicate said user plane traffic with said UE via a WLAN link. 
     
     
         13 . The WLAN access device of  claim 12 , wherein said eNB interface is to receive downlink traffic from said eNB, and said WLAN radio is to transmit said downlink traffic to said UE. 
     
     
         14 . The WLAN access device of  claim 13 , wherein said eNB interface is to receive said downlink traffic from said eNB during handover of said UE. 
     
     
         15 . The WLAN access device of  claim 11  being an Access Controller (AC), the AC to communicate said user plane traffic with an Access Point (AP). 
     
     
         16 . The WLAN access device of  claim 11 , wherein said network interface is to receive downlink traffic for said UE, and said eNB interface is to send said downlink traffic to said eNB. 
     
     
         17 . The WLAN access device of  claim 11 , wherein said eNB interface is to communicate one or more control plane messages with said eNB. 
     
     
         18 . The WLAN access device of  claim 11  comprising:
 one or more antennas; 
 a memory; and 
 a processor. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method performed by a cellular manager, the method comprising:
 communicating traffic between a Core Network (CN) and a User Equipment (UE);   configuring a Point-to-Point (P2P) link between the cellular manager and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access device; and   communicating one or more messages with the WLAN access device via the P2P link, the one or more messages including at least one message selected from the group consisting of a user plane message corresponding to said UE, and a control plane message.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  comprising sending to said WLAN access device first downlink traffic for said UE via said P2P link, and sending second downlink traffic to said UE via a cellular network. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  comprising sending to said WLAN access device a control plane message including UE context information corresponding to said UE. 
     
     
         22 . A product including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement at a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access device a method comprising:
 communicating user plane traffic with a cellular manager over a direct link between said WLAN access device and said cellular manager, the user plane traffic including traffic between a Core Network (CN) and a User Equipment (UE); and   communicating network traffic between said UE and a wired network.   
     
     
         23 . The product of  claim 22 , wherein the method comprises communicating said user plane traffic with said UE via a WLAN link. 
     
     
         24 . The product of  claim 22 , wherein the method comprises receiving downlink traffic for said UE, and sending said downlink traffic to said cellular manager via said direct link. 
     
     
         25 . The product of  claim 22 , wherein the method comprises communicating one or more control plane messages with said cellular manager via said direct link.