Method and apparatus for implementing a blanket wireless local area network control plane

Abstract

A method and apparatus for maintaining a connection between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) are described. An inter-working function (IWF) entity in a given network access point (NAP) of the BWLAN maintains lists of WTRUs in respective states. Furthermore, the given NAP maintains a list of neighbor NAPs, and operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol. The states may include a “not aware” (NA) state in which the given NAP is actually not aware of a particular WTRU, an “active transmit” (AT) state in which the given NAP is actively transmitting to a particular WTRU, and a “neighbor range” (NR) state for WTRUs indicated in an update report from neighbor (URN) message that the given NAP was not aware of. The WTRU mobility protocol may be a push mobility protocol or a poll mobility protocol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for use in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) comprising a plurality of network access points (NAPs), the method comprising:
 associating, at a first NAP of the plurality of NAPs, with a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) via a wireless interface using a virtual basic service set identifier (BSSID), wherein each of the plurality of NAPs in the BWLAN is associated with a same virtual BSSID;   receiving, at the first NAP from a gateway function, a list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID;   receiving, at the first NAP from a first neighboring NAP of the plurality of NAPs, a first message indicating the first neighboring NAP is aware of the WTRU; and   transmitting, from the first NAP to the gateway function, information associated with the first neighboring NAP to enable the gateway function to update the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the first NAP from a second neighboring NAP of the plurality of NAPs, a second message indicating the second neighboring NAP is no longer aware of the WTRU; and   transmitting, from the first NAP to the gateway function, information associated with the second neighboring NAP to enable the gateway function to update the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the gateway function resides in the first NAP. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 periodically transmitting, from the gateway function to the plurality of NAPs, the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID as the WTRU moves amongst the plurality of NAPs.   
     
     
         5 . A blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) network access point (NAP), the NAP comprising:
 a processor configured to associate with a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) via a wireless interface using a virtual basic service set identifier (BSSID), wherein each of a plurality of NAPs in the BWLAN is associated with a same virtual BSSID;   a receiver configured to receive, from a gateway function of the BWLAN, a list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID;   the receiver further configured to receive, from a first neighboring NAP of the plurality of NAPs, a first message indicating the first neighboring NAP is aware of the WTRU; and   a transmitter configured to transmit, to the gateway function, information associated with the first neighboring NAP to enable the gateway function to update the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID.   
     
     
         6 . The NAP of  claim 5 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive from a second neighboring NAP of the plurality of NAPs, a second message indicating the second neighboring NAP is no longer aware of the WTRU, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit, to the gateway function, information associated with the second neighboring NAP to enable the gateway function to update the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID. 
     
     
         7 . The NAP of  claim 6 , wherein the NAP further comprises:
 a processor configured to implement the gateway function.   
     
     
         8 . The NAP of  claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to periodically transmit, to the plurality of NAPs, the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID as the WTRU moves amongst the plurality of NAPs. 
     
     
         9 . A method for use in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) comprising a plurality of network access points (NAPs), the method comprising:
 monitoring, at a first NAP, a wireless medium for communications from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU);   comparing, at the first NAP, a virtual basic service set identifier (BSSID) included in a received communication of the WTRU with a list of virtual BSSIDs received from a gateway node; and   on a condition that the virtual BSSID included in the received communication of the WTRU matches the list of virtual BSSIDs received from the gateway node, transmitting a first message, from the first NAP to the gateway node, indicating the first NAP is aware of the WTRU.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first message is transmitted to the gateway node via a second NAP of the BWLAN. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the first NAP from the gateway node, a list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 on a condition that the first NAP has not communicated with the WTRU for a predetermined period of time, transmitting a second message, from the first NAP to the gateway node, indicating the first NAP is no longer aware of the WTRU.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first message and the second message enable the gateway node to periodically transmit the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID as the WTRU moves amongst the plurality of NAPs of the BWLAN. 
     
     
         14 . A network access point (NAP) for use in a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) comprising a plurality of network access points (NAPs), the NAP comprising:
 a first receiver configured to monitor a wireless medium for a communication from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU);   a second receive configured to receive a list of virtual basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) comprising the BWLAN from a gateway node;   a processor configured to compare a virtual basic service set identifier (BSSID) included in a received communication of the WTRU with the list of virtual BSSIDs received from the gateway node; and   a transmitter configured to transmit, on a condition that the virtual BSSID included in the received communication of the WTRU matches the list of virtual BSSIDs received from the gateway node, a first message indicating the NAP is aware of the WTRU.   
     
     
         15 . The NAP of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the first message to the gateway node via a second NAP of the BWLAN. 
     
     
         16 . The NAP of  claim 14 , wherein the second receiver is further configured to receive from the gateway node a list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID. 
     
     
         17 . The NAP of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter is further configured,
 on a condition that the NAP has not communicated with the WTRU for a predetermined period of time, a second message to the gateway node indicating the NAP is no longer aware of the WTRU.   
     
     
         18 . The NAP of  claim 17 , wherein the first message and the second message enable the gateway node to periodically transmit the list of neighboring NAPs that are associated with the virtual BSSID as the WTRU moves amongst the plurality of NAPs of the BWLAN.