Messaging in an unlicensed mobile access telecommunications system

• US 20050272449A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baranowski, Joseph G., Gupta, Rajeev, Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan, Shi, Jianxiong (Jason)
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for performing messaging between mobile stations (MSs) and UMA network controllers (UNCs) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN). URR (UMA radio resource) messages are exchanged between an MS and one or more UNCs to perform various operations associated with UMAN. The MS may access the UMAN via a wireless access point (AP) that is communicatively coupled to the UNC via an IP network. The URR messages are sent between MSs and UNCs using an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP transport.

Claims

1. A method for releasing a URR (UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Radio Resource) connection between a mobile station (MS) and a UMA network controller (UNC) initiated by the MS, comprising:

sending a URR CLEAR REQUEST message from the MS to the UNC, the URR CLEAR REQUEST message including a plurality of information elements (lEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type identifying the message as a URR CLEAR REQUEST message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request from the UNC to a core network employed by a licensed radio access network whose services are accessed by the MS via the UNC to release resources used for the URR connection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

releasing appropriate resources employed by the core network to support the URR connection.

4. A method for releasing a URR (UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Radio Resource) connection between a mobile station (MS) and a UMA network controller (UNC) via initiation of the release by the UNC, comprising:

sending a URR RELEASE message from the UNC to the MS; and

returning a URR RELEASE COMPLETE message from the MS to the UNC,

wherein each of the URR RELEASE and URR RELEASE COMPLETE messages includes a plurality of information elements (IEs), including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type from which the message can be identified.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a UMA RR CAUSE IE containing a value from which a cause for the URR release may be determined via a UMA cause values lookup table.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Resumption IE.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

releasing all URR resources and any traffic channel resources at the MS; and

having the MS enter a URR-IDLE state.

8. A method for paging a mobile station (MS) via a unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) including a UMA network controller (UNC) via which the MS has a URR connection to the UMAN, comprising:

sending a URR PAGING REQUEST message from the UNC to the MS; and

returning a URR PAGING RESPONSE message from the MS to the UNC,

wherein each of the URR PAGING REQUEST and URR PAGING RESPONSE messages includes a plurality of information elements (lEs), including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type from which the message can be identified,

and wherein the PAGING REQUEST message further includes a Channel Needed IE identifying a needed channel and a Mobile Identify IE identifying the MS.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Ciphering Key Sequence Number IE that specifies a ciphering key sequence number.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that specifies the capabilities for the MS.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS can be identified.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the UNC, a PAGING REQUEST message over an A-interface used to support communication between the UNC and a core network accessible to a licensed radio access network issuing the PAGING REQUEST message;

determining an identity of an MS to be paged that is identified in the PAGING REQUEST message;

generating a URR PAGING REQUEST message for the MS that is identified; and

sending the URR PAGING REQUEST message to that MS.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the UNC, a Paging CS message over an Gb-interface used to support communication between the UNC and a core network accessible to a licensed radio access network issuing the Paging CS message;

determining an identity of an MS to be paged that is identified in the Paging CS message;

generating a URR PAGING REQUEST message for the MS that is identified; and

sending the URR PAGING REQUEST message to that MS.

14. A method for performing a classmark interrogation of a mobile station (MS) accessing an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) via a UMA network controller (UNC), comprising:

establishing a URR (UMA Radio Resource) connection between the MS and the UNC;

sending a URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message from the UNC to the MS; and

returning a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message from the MS to the UNC, wherein each of the URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY and URR CLASSMARK CHANGE messages includes a plurality of information elements (lEs), including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type from which the message can be identified.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 2 standard.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes an Additional Mobile Station Classmark Information IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 3 standard.

17. A method for providing classmark information for a mobile station (MS) accessing an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) via a UMA network controller (UNC), comprising:

establishing a URR (UMA Radio Resource) connection between the MS and the UNC;

sending a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message from the MS to the UNC, the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message includes a plurality of information elements (lEs), including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type identifying the message as a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message; and

a Mobile Station Classmark IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 2 standard.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes an Additional Mobile Station Classmark Information IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 3 standard.

19. An unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC) to operate in a UMA network (UMAN) comprising a first radio access network, comprising:

a first network interface comprising an IP (Internet Protocol) Network interface;

a second network interface comprising an Up interface, via which UMA messages are to be transmitted to and received from a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the MS and the UNC, the Up interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the IP network interface;

a third network interface, via which the UNC may be connected to a core network that is accessible to a second radio access network; and

means for generating and/or processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to support server-side URR communications with one or more MS clients in the UMAN, wherein each of the URR messages includes a set of basic information elements (lEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

20. The UNC of claim 19, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLEAR REQUEST message sent from the MS to the UNC to request release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC,

wherein in response to receiving the URR CLEAR REQUEST, the UNC processes the messages and sends a request to a core network employed by a licensed radio access network whose services are accessed by the MS via the UNC to release resources used for the URR connection.

21. The UNC of claim 19, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR RELEASE message generated by and sent from the UNC to the MS to initiate release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC; and

a URR RELEASE COMPLETE message received from the MS in response to the URR RELEASE message and processed by the UNC.

22. The UNC of claim 21, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a UMA RR CAUSE IE containing a value from which a cause for the URR release may be determined via a UMA cause values lookup table.

23. The UNC of claim 21, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Resumption IE.

24. The UNC of claim 19, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR PAGING REQUEST message generated by and sent from the UNC to the MS; and

a URR PAGING RESPONSE message returned in response to the URR PAGING REQUEST from the MS to the UNC to be processed by the UNC.

25. The UNC of claim 24, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Ciphering Key Sequence Number IE that specifies a ciphering key sequence number.

26. The UNC of claim 24, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that specifies the capabilities for the MS.

27. The UNC of claim 24, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS can be identified.

28. The UNC of claim 24, wherein the UNC further includes means for:

receiving a PAGING REQUEST message from the core network over an A-interface employed by the third interface;

determining an identity of an MS to be paged that is identified in the PAGING REQUEST message;

generating a URR PAGING REQUEST message for the MS that is identified; and

sending the URR PAGING REQUEST message to that MS.

29. The UNC of claim 24, wherein the UNC further includes means for:

receiving a Paging CS message from the core network over an Gb-interface employed by the third interface;

determining an identity of an MS to be paged that is identified in the Paging CS message;

generating a URR PAGING REQUEST message for the MS that is identified; and

sending the URR PAGING REQUEST message to that MS.

30. The UNC of claim 19, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message generated by and sent from the UNC to the MS; and

a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message returned from the MS in response to the URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message from the MS to the UNC to be processed by the UNC.

31. The UNC of claim 30, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 2 standard.

32. The UNC of claim 31, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes an Additional Mobile Station Classmark Information IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 3 standard.

33. A mobile station (MS), comprising:

a first wireless interface, to access a first radio access network;

a second wireless interface, to access a second radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) via an access point (AP) using an unlicensed radio frequency;

an Up interface to communicate with the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC) communicatively coupled to the AP via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

means for generating and/or processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to support client-side URR communications with one or more UNC servers in the UMAN, wherein each of the URR messages includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

34. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLEAR REQUEST message generated by and sent from the MS to an UNC to request release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC.

35. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR RELEASE message sent from the UNC to the MS to initiate release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC; and

a URR RELEASE COMPLETE message generated by the MS and returned to the UNC from the MS in response to the URR RELEASE message.

36. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein in response to the URR RELEASE message the mobile station performs operations including:

releasing all URR resources and any traffic channel resources associated with the URR connection; and

entering a URR-IDLE state.

37. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Resumption IE, and in response to the URR RELEASE message the mobile station performs operations including:

storing GPRS information contained in the GPRS Resumption IE; and

employing the GPRS information when re-establishing GPRS services via the UMAN.

38. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR PAGING REQUEST message sent from the UNC to the MS; and

a URR PAGING RESPONSE message generated by the MS in response to the URR PAGING REQUEST and returned from the MS to the UNC.

39. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Ciphering Key Sequence Number IE that specifies a ciphering key sequence number.

40. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that specifies the capabilities for the MS.

41. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS can be identified.

42. The mobile station of claim 33, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message sent from the UNC to the MS; and

a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message generated by and returned from the MS to the UNC in response to the URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message.

43. The mobile station of claim 42, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 2 standard.

44. The mobile station of claim 42, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes an Additional Mobile Station Classmark Information IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 3 standard.

45. A machine readable medium, to provide respective portions of instructions to be executed on a mobile station (MS) and a unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC) to perform operations comprising:

generating and processing a plurality of UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Radio Resource (URR) messages to support communication between the MS and the UNC via an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP (Internet Protocol) transport, the underlying IP transport facilitated by a wireless link between the MS and an wireless access point (AP) to which the UNC is communicatively-coupled via an IP network, each URR message having a format including a set of basic information elements, including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, to provide further instructions to facilitate UNC server-side aspects of the Up interface.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, to provide further instructions to facilitate MS client-side aspects of the Up interface.

48. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLEAR REQUEST message generated by and sent from an MS to an UNC to request release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC.

49. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR RELEASE message sent from a UNC to an MS to initiate release of resources corresponding to a URR connection established between the MS and the UNC; and

a URR RELEASE COMPLETE message generated by the MS and returned to the UNC from the MS in response to the URR RELEASE message.

50. The machine-readable medium of claim 49, to provide further instructions that if executed on a mobile station perform operations in response to the URR RELEASE message, including:

releasing all URR resources and any traffic channel resources associated with the URR connection; and

entering a URR-IDLE state.

51. The machine-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the URR RELEASE message further includes a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Resumption IE, and wherein the machine-readable medium provides further instructions that if executed on a mobile station perform further operations in response to the URR RELEASE message, including:

storing GPRS information contained in the GPRS Resumption IE; and

employing the GPRS information when re-establishing GPRS services via the UMAN.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR PAGING REQUEST message generated by and sent from a UNC to an MS; and

a URR PAGING RESPONSE message generated by the MS in response to the URR PAGING REQUEST and returned from the MS to the UNC.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 52, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Ciphering Key Sequence Number IE that specifies a ciphering key sequence number.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 52, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that capabilities for the MS.

55. The machine-readable medium of claim 52, wherein the URR PAGING RESPONSE message further includes a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS can be identified.

56. The machine-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the URR messages include:

a URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message generated by and sent from the UNC to the MS; and

a URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message generated by and returned from the MS to the UNC in response to the URR CLASSMARK ENQUIRY message.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes a Mobile Station Classmark IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 2 standard.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the URR CLASSMARK CHANGE message further includes an Additional Mobile Station Classmark Information IE that contains information defining capabilities for the MS as defined by the Mobile Station Classmark 3 standard.