Base station grouping for topology hiding

• US 10,237,908 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parallel Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parallel Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Cao, Yang, Lubenski, Zeev, Agarwal, Kaitki, Rao, Prashanth, Atri, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): George, Ayanah S
• Application Number:
  US15/470,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/187 combining circuit and packet-switched, e.g. GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 : Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method for topology hiding is disclosed, comprising: receiving, at a gateway, the gateway positioned between a core network and a radio access network, a configuration information request from a base station; analyzing, at the gateway, a topology of the radio access network, the radio access network including the base station; grouping, at the gateway, the base station into a first group based on the topology; sending, from the gateway to the base station, a grouping message to indicate that the base station be placed in the first group; and terminating connections from the core network to one or more base stations in the first group at the gateway as a back-to-back proxy, thereby hiding the topology of the radio access network from the core network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway, the gateway positioned between a core network and a radio access network, a configuration information request from a base station;

analyzing, at the gateway, a topology of the radio access network, the radio access network including the base station;

grouping, at the gateway, the base station into a first group based on the topology;

sending, from the gateway to the base station, a grouping message to indicate that the base station be placed in the first group; and

terminating connections from the core network to one or more base stations in the first group at the gateway as a back-to-back proxy,

thereby hiding the topology of the radio access network from the core network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the core network is a radio network controller (RNC) or a plurality of RNCs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the core network is a System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core network or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station is a multi-radio access technology (multi-RAT) base station having Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G radio capability.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising interworking communications from the base station to the core network via an S2a or S2b protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the topology further comprises determining adjacent base stations of the base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the topology further comprises using latitude and longitude location data of the base station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the topology further comprises using latitude and longitude location data of the base station using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station is a home nodeB or eNodeB hidden from a core network, and wherein the adjacent base stations are nodeBs or eNodeBs visible to the core network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping is determining a second group of base stations, the first group of base stations each coupled to a core network via a point to point Iu protocol connection terminating at the core network, the second group of base stations each coupled to a core network via a point to point Iu protocol connection terminating at the gateway.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a user equipment (UE) handover from the first group of base stations to the second group of base stations.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a user equipment (UE) handover from the second group of base stations to the first group of base stations.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating a location area code (LAC), a service area code (SAC), and a routing area code (RAC) to the base station.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating a location area code (LAC), a service area code (SAC), and a routing area code (RAC) to the base station from a pool of LACs, SACs, or RACs.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising reallocating a location area code (LAC), a service area code (SAC), or a routing area code (RAC) from the base station to another base station in the first group.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising proxying, at the gateway, one or more interfaces for presenting the first group as a single base station toward the core network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising proxying, at the gateway, one or more interfaces for presenting the first group as a virtual radio access network (vRAN) toward the core network.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising proxying, at the gateway, one or more interfaces for presenting the first group as a single umbrella cell toward the core network.

19. A system, comprising:

a gateway positioned between a core network and a radio access network, the radio access network including a base station;

wherein the gateway is configured to;

receive, at the gateway, a configuration information request from the base station;

analyze, at the gateway, a topology of the radio access network;

group, at the gateway, the base station into a first group based on the topology;

send, from the gateway to the base station, a grouping message to indicate that the base station be placed in the first group; and

terminate connections from the core network to one or more base stations in the first group at the gateway as a back-to-back proxy,

thereby hiding the topology of the radio access network from the core network.