INTERWORKING FUNCTION (IWF) AS LOGICAL RADIO NETWORK CONTROLLER (RNC) FOR HYBRID COUPLING IN AN INTERWORKING BETWEEN WLAN AND A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

THERE IS PROVIDED A METHOD FOR SUPPORTING AN INTERWORKING BETWEEN A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (WLAN) AND A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. THE INTERWORKING IS FACILITATED BY AN INTERWORKING FUNCTION (IWF) DISPOSED ON A WLAN SIDE OF THE INTERWORKING. THE METHOD COMPRISES THE STEP OF CONNECTING THE WLAN TO THE MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK BY EMPLOYING THE IWF AS AN AUXILIARY RADIO NETWORK CONTROLLER FOR THE MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, IN PARTICULAR, A DRIFT RADIO NETWORK CONTROLLER (DRNC) IN A UMTS NETWORK.