Access system for a cellular network

• US 20050101245A1
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ahmavaara, Kalle
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing access to a cellular network (8), wherein a terminal device (1) is connected to an access device (2) according to access specifications of a broadband access network (12) which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of cellular network (8). The terminal device (1) indicates to the access device (2) that it wishes to be connected to the cellular network (8), and a session or call and a radio bearer is setup between the terminal device (1) and the cellular network (8). To achieve this, a service node (5) provided in the cellular network (8) requests a suitable access bearer from the access network (12) and the access device (2) sets up a corresponding access channel towards the terminal device (1). The terminal device (1) then associates the access channel to the correct radio bearer by using a corresponding identification. Thereby, service functions of the cellular network, e.g. UMTS services, can be distributed via any access network and existing broadband or high-speed access networks can be implemented in new cellular network structures. A huge capacity enhancement can thus be offered to the network operators of the cellular network without any standardization effort or license fee and at very small investment and maintenance costs.

Claims

1. A system for providing access to a cellular network, said system comprising:

a) at least one access device for establishing a connection to said cellular network via an access network which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network; and

b) a service node specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network and arranged to request an access bearer from said access network in response to a setup request received from said at least one access device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said connection is established to a terminal device arranged to connect said at least one access device according to the access specifications of said access network.

3. A system according to claim 1 I, wherein said access network is a radio access network or a broadband radio access network, operating in a non-licensed frequency band.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device is arranged to indicate a connection request to said at least one access device by using an adaptation layer signaling of said cellular network, said adaptation layer signaling being adapted to provide a mapping functionality between the lower layer protocols of said access network and the higher layer protocols of said cellular network.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said adaptation layer signaling is a UMTS conversion layer signaling.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device and said cellular network are arranged to set up a session or call and a radio bearer.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said session or call is set up by an SM or SIP signaling, and said radio bearer is set up by an RRC signaling.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said service node is a broadband service node arranged to request said access bearer by initiating a bearer setup procedure according to a signaling protocol specified between said access network and the cellular network.

9. A system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device is arranged to associate an access channel set up by said access device to a correct transport channel or other similar cellular network resource of said cellular network by using a transport channel or similar cellular resource identification.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access bearer is selected from an agreed set.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein a UDP transport means is set up between said access device and said service node.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one access device or another network device of said access network is arranged to monitor resource usage by an active connection between a terminal device and a cellular network and to report the monitoring result to a centralized network device which is arranged to sort the resource usage according the originating cellular network and to increase an access resource charging bill for the operator of said originating cellular network according to predetermined rules agreed for the setup access bearer type, and to allocate a corresponding capacity for the data transmission.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein said service node is arranged to distribute a broadcast information of said cellular network to said centralized network device, and said centralized network device is arranged to distribute said broadcast information to connected access devices.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said service node provides predetermined functions of the cellular network, comprising radio bearer management, encryption, IP-header compression, RLC level segmentation and/or retransmission, and MAC multiplexing.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said service node is split into separate user plane gateway and control plane servers.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said service node is connected to an SGSN by a standard lu interface and/or to other service or switching nodes by an lur signaling interface for supporting seamless interservice node and interaccess system handovers.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is a network arranged separately from the communication system on which said cellular network is based.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is arranged to be used for accessing several ones of said cellular network.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said cellular network is a UMTS infrastructure network.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is arranged to use bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 a/b, IEEE 802.15, or BRAN HL2 based radio technology.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is arranged to be used for establishing a connection to other types of networks which differ from said cellular network.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is arranged to provide alternative methods specific to said access network so as to realize lower layer protocol function of integrated access networks specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is a multipurpose access network adapted to offer transport services for said cellular network, and said cellular network is an access independent network adapted to be able to utilize transport services provided by several types of access networks.

24. A system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device is arranged to scan the signal strength of other access devices and to perform handover by starting a normal connection establishment procedure towards a new access device.

25. A system according to claim 1, wherein transport channel data streams to said cellular network are transported on top of transport bearers between said access network and said cellular network and on top of the communication channels provided by the access technology of said access network between a terminal device and the access network.

26. A system according to claim 1, wherein only dedicated transport channels of said cellular network are used in integrated system parts specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network, when a connection is established via said access network.

27. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access network is arranged to map dedicated transport channel data streams of said cellular network to the communication channels provided by the access network.

28. A system according to claim 1, wherein said cellular network is arranged to map a desired service quality to the communication channel characteristics of the access network, and to use the mapped communication channel characteristics to request a transport service form the access network for a data stream to be established.

29. A system according to claim 1, wherein said access device uses an indicated scheduling information and defined mapping rules between time references and its internal clock for scheduling broadcast messages of said cellular network.

30. A method of providing access to a cellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing communication means between a terminal device and an non-integrated access network which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network;

b) indicating by said terminal device to said access network that a connection to said cellular network is required;

c) sending a request for connection setup form said non integrated access network to said cellular network;

d) establishing a data transfer means between said access network and said cellular network;

e) indicating to said terminal device that a communication with said cellular network is enabled and optionally modifying the communication means between said terminal device and said non integrated access network based on an information received from said cellular network; and

f) using said established data transfer means for exchanging a signaling between said terminal device and said cellular network.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein an association between a particular data stream of said cellular network between said terminal device and said cellular network and a particular communication channel between said terminal device and said access network is achieved by transferring a binding information both directly from said cellular network to said terminal device and from said cellular network via said access network to said terminal device upon setting up said data stream and communication channel, respectively.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein a signaling specific to said cellular network is carried out via said setup bearer transparently through said access network which is arranged to only allocate the respective capacity.

33. A method according to claim 30, wherein broadcasting and paging channels are multiplexed to one access specific channel.

34. A method according to claim 30, wherein a broadcasting channel with the same address or logical location is used for a group of access devices of said access network, and wherein said terminal device is arranged to listen to only one channel while changing between access devices of the same group.

35. A method according to claim 30, wherein a set of lower layer functions to said cellular network is disabled and the corresponding functions of the access network are used instead, when said connection is set up.

36. A method according to claim 30, wherein the identify utilized by the cellular network for the user of said terminal device and/or for said terminal device itself is not notified to said access network.

37. A method according to claim 30, wherein a timing reference of the infrastructure of said cellular network is mapped to specific timing references of said access network.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein said timing reference of said cellular network is an SFN.

39. A method according to claim 30, wherein a broadcast channel of said access network is adapted to broadcast broadcast information originating from said cellular network.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the scheduling of said broadcast information of said cellular network by said access network is compatible to the scheduling of said broadcast information of said cellular network by an integrated access network.

41. A method according to claim 39, wherein said access network receives from said cellular network messages to be broadcasted together with a scheduling information used for broadcasting.

42. A method according to claim 41, wherein said scheduling information indicates time references of said cellular network at which the broadcast message shall be sent by the access network.

43. A terminal device for providing an access to a cellular network, said terminal device comprising:

a) higher layer protocol means for providing a signaling function to said cellular network;

b) lower layer protocol means for providing a signaling function to an access network which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network; and

c) adaptation means for providing an adaptation between said lower layer protocol means and said higher layer protocol means so as to establish a transparent connection to said cellular network through said access network.

44. A terminal device according to claim 43, wherein said higher layer protocol functions of said cellular network, and said lower layer protocol means provides lower layer protocol functions specific to said access network.

45. A terminal device according to claim 43, wherein said higher layer protocol functions are based on UMTS protocol functions that operate on top of the UMTS transport channels in the UMTS protocol architecture.

46. A terminal device according to claim 43, wherein said terminal device is arranged to establish a new connection with said access network, which is not associated to a previous connection by said access network, when said terminal device moves from the coverage of one access device to the coverage of another access device of said access network.

47. A terminal device according to claim 43, wherein said terminal device is arranged to inform only an identifier of said cellular network to said access network, when said terminal device contacts said access network for accessing said cellular network.

48. A terminal device according to claim 43, wherein said terminal device is arranged to use its power saving features specific to said cellular network when monitoring a broadcast information of said cellular network via said access network, by determining compatible transmission times for pieces of broadcast system information of said cellular network and by activating its receiver functions only at required time instances.

49. A network node for providing access to a cellular network, said network node comprising:

a) higher layer protocol means for communicating with a terminal device via an access network which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network; and

b) lower layer protocol means for signaling with said access network to request a suitable access bearer from said access network;

c) wherein said suitable access bearer is used to establish a transparent connection between said terminal device and said network node through said access network.

50. A network node according to claim 49, wherein said network node is a broadband service node, and said access network is a broadband radio access network.

51. An access device for providing access to a cellular network, said access device comprising:

a) higher layer protocol means specific to said cellular network, for receiving from a terminal device a signaling indicating a request for a connection to said cellular network; and

b) lower layer protocol means specific to an access network which is not specifically designed to be used as a part of said cellular network, said lower layer protocol means being arranged to handle the setup of a connection to a service node of said cellular network via said access network in response to the receipt of the signaling and to setup a requested type of access channel towards said terminal device, which has been requested by said service node.

52. An access device according to claim 51, wherein said access device is an access point, and said access network is a broadband radio access network.