Label switched packet transfer device

摘要

A device for connecting base station(s) to a cellular label switched network in a cellular network. The cellular network includes: base station(s), the connecting device(s); cellular label switched network(s); and service area(s). The base station(s) communicates with mobile terminals using wireless technology. The wireless technology uses a protocol layer architecture that includes at least one of the following: a wireless physical layer; a wireless medium access control protocol layer; a radio link control layer; and a network layer. The connecting device(s) include: a first interface to connect to the base station(s); a second interface to connect to cellular label switched network(s); and a label forwarding layer that: forwards packets between base station(s) and cellular label switched network(s); attaches label(s) to packets and removes label(s) from packets. A service area divided into a multitude of cells through which mobile terminals can move through and communicate with base station(s).

主权项

1. A communications network comprising:
a label switching node that configures network layer packets to be communicated over one or more label switched paths by performing label switching on the network layer packets; and a network node located at a cell site having a base station and operable to forward the network layer packets between the label switching node and the base station, wherein the network node comprises a label switching component including an outgoing forwarding component operable to:
receive a first network layer packet from the base station,attach, to the first network layer packet, a first label associated with a first label switched path, andforward the first network layer packet with the attached first label to the label switching node.