Relay Wireless Device Multi-Access Point Data Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current relay wireless devices are limited in their ability to serve multiple relay access points due to limitations in the number of bearers available for use between relay wireless devices and network nodes, particularly with the advent of 5G and high-bandwidth devices, which restricts their potential and prevents the termination of additional relay access points.
Innovation Solution
Assigning private network addresses to multiple access points and using network address translation (NAT) on relay wireless devices to aggregate multiple relay nodes into a limited number of bearers, allowing the relay wireless device to distinguish traffic flows and route data effectively to multiple endpoints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If relay wireless devices use traditional bearer-based addressing for each relay access point, then each access point can be served individually, but the number of bearers available limits the ability to serve multiple relay access points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple relay access point connections into a single bearer by implementing network address translation (NAT) functionality. The relay wireless device assigns private network addresses to multiple relay access points and translates these private addresses to a shared public address, allowing multiple access points to be served through one bearer connection to the core network.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay wireless device is enhanced with multi-functional capabilities, including NAT gateway functionality and private network address assignment, allowing it to serve multiple relay access points through a single bearer. This universal approach enables the device to handle both traditional single-access-point scenarios and multi-access-point scenarios without requiring separate bearers for each access point.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional bearers are added to serve more relay access points, then more access points can be connected, but the current state of the art limits relay wireless devices from utilizing new bearers
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple relay access point connections are merged into a single bearer through NAT functionality. The relay wireless device maintains a mapping between private network addresses assigned to multiple access points and a shared public address, consolidating multiple connections into one bearer while preserving the ability to distinguish and route traffic for each access point.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay wireless device acts as an intermediary NAT gateway between relay access points and the core network. It translates private network addresses of multiple access points to a shared public address, enabling multiple access points to communicate through a single bearer while the relay device maintains address mapping tables to route responses back to the correct access points.
3Adaptability or versatility
If private network addresses are assigned to multiple access points and NAT is implemented, then bearer limitations are overcome, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay wireless device performs self-service by automatically assigning private network addresses to relay access points and maintaining the necessary NAT mapping tables. The device autonomously handles address translation, connection tracking, and packet routing without requiring external controller intervention for each address assignment or translation operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay wireless device functions as an intermediary NAT gateway, introducing address translation functionality between the relay access points and the core network. This intermediary layer enables multiple access points to share a single bearer while the relay device manages the complexity of address mapping and traffic routing internally.
Data Source
AI summary
Relaying data comprises assigning a first network address to a relay wireless device attached to an access node, wherein the relay wireless device is communicatively coupled to one or more wireless access points (WAPs); and instructing the relay wireless device to correspondingly assign one or more additional network addresses to the one or more WAPs, wherein the relay wireless device is configured to relay data between the access node and one or more end-user wireless devices attached to any of the one or more WAPs. Port NAT and DHCP are leveraged at the relay UE according to embodiments described herein.