Cellular mobile communication system and method using heterogeneous wireless network

• US 20060019669A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-Won, Moon, Sang-Jun
• Application Number:
  US11/185,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019669A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A cellular mobile communication system and method using a heterogeneous wireless network are provided. The system includes a first wireless network providing a wireless resource using a first wireless frequency band, a first device of a cellular network connected with the first wireless network through a wire network, and a terminal setting a tunnel with the first device of the cellular network using the wireless resource of the first wireless network and connected to the cellular network through the set tunnel to perform cell processing.

Claims

1. A cellular mobile communication system comprising:

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) comprising a wireless resource using a WLAN-dedicated frequency band;

a base station of a cellular network connected to the WLAN through a wired network; and

a terminal setting a tunnel with the base station of the cellular network using the wireless resource of the WLAN, and connected to the cellular network through the set tunnel to perform call processing.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal sets the tunnel with the base stationusing at least one of a User Datagram Protocol (UPD), a Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE) protocol, and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

3. A terminal for a cellular mobile communication system, the terminal comprising:

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interface module assigned a wireless resource provided from a WLAN and communicating with the WLAN using a WLAN-dedicated frequency band;

a tunnel processor which sets and manages a tunnel with a base station of a cellular network connected to the WLAN through a wired network, using the wireless resource provided from the WLAN through the WLAN interface module; and

a call processor connected to the cellular network through the set tunnel, and performing call processing.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a cellular interface module assigned the wireless resource provided from the cellular network and communicating with the cellular network using a cellular-dedicated frequency band.

5. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the tunnel processor sets the tunnel with the base station using at least one of a User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE) protocol, and a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

6. A cellular mobile communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by a terminal, a tunnel set request message to a base station of a cellular network, which is connected to a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) through a wired network using a wireless resource assigned from the Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN);

storing, by the base station of the cellular network, terminal information extracted from the received request message and setting the tunnel with the terminal in response to the tunnel set request message from the terminal; and

connecting, by the terminal, to the cellular network through the tunnel, which is set between the terminal and the base station, and performing call processing.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of periodically transceiving data for determining whether or not tunnel setting is maintained between the terminal and the base station of the cellular network.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the message comprises at least one of information on a terminal ID, a user ID, and a type of data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the terminal ID is an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user ID is a Network Access Identifier (NAI).

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the type of data comprises at least one of CS signaling, CS data, PS signaling, and PS data.

12. A cellular mobile communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by a terminal, a tunnel set request message to an enhanced Base Station Controller (eBSC) of a cellular network, which is connected to a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) through a wired network using a wireless resource assigned from the Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN);

storing, by the eBSC of the cellular network, terminal information extracted from the received request message and setting the tunnel with the terminal in response to the tunnel set request message received from the terminal; and

connecting, by the terminal, to the cellular network through the tunnel, which is set between the terminal and the eBSC, and performing call processing.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the performing of the call processing comprises the steps of:

when a predetermined terminal is called by a party, downloading, by an Mobile Station Controller (MSC), a channel assignment message to the eBSC;

uploading, by the eBSC, a channel assignment confirmation message to the MSC in response to the channel assignment message; and

transmitting, by the MSC, the channel assignment confirmation message to the party, and initiating voice signal communication.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the performing of the call processing comprises the steps of:

transmitting, by the terminal, a call outgoing message to the eBSC using a predetermined tunnel;

requesting, by the eBSC, the MSC of the cellular network to set a trunk channel, setting a channel between the eBSC and the MSC, and transmitting a message comprising User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port information to be used for a new traffic channel to the terminal;

receiving, by the terminal, the message from the eBSC, storing the UDP port information of the eBSC, determining a UDP port to be used for voice signal transmission, and transmitting a traffic channel assignment confirmation message comprising the determined UDP port information to the eBSC; and

storing, by the eBSC, corresponding UDP port information, completing a preparation operation for transmitting a voice signal to the terminal using the corresponding UDP port, and transmitting a traffic channel assignment completion message to the MSC.

15. A cellular mobile communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by a terminal, a tunnel set request message to an enhanced Base Transceiver Station (eBTS) of a cellular network, which is connected to a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) through a wired network using a wireless resource assigned from the Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN);

storing, by the eBTS of the cellular network, terminal information extracted from the received request message and setting the tunnel with the terminal, according to the tunnel set request message received from the terminal; and

connecting, by the terminal, to the cellular network through the tunnel, which is set between the terminal and the eBTS, and performing call processing.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the performing of the call processing comprises the steps of:

when a predetermined terminal is called by a party, downloading, by an Mobile Station Controller (MSC), a channel assignment message to the eBTS through a Base Station Controller (BSC);

uploading, by the eBTS, a channel assignment response message to the MSC through the BSC, in response to the channel assignment message; and

transmitting, by the MSC, the channel assignment response message to the party, and initiating voice signal communication.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the performing of the call processing comprises the steps of:

transmitting, by the terminal, a call outgoing message to the BSC of the cellular network via the eBTS using a predetermined tunnel;

requesting, by the BSC, the MSC of the cellular network to set a trunk channel, setting a channel between the BSC and the MSC, and transmitting a channel assignment message to the eBTS;

transmitting, by the eBTS, a message comprising User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port information to the terminal through the tunnel;

receiving, by the terminal, the message from the eBTS, storing the UDP port information of the eBTS using the received message, determining a UDP port to be used for voice signal transmission, and transmitting a traffic channel assignment confirmation message comprising the determined UDP port information to the eBTS; and

storing, by the eBTS, corresponding UDP port information, completing a preparation operation for transmitting a voice signal to the terminal using the corresponding UDP port, and transmitting a traffic channel assignment completion message to the MSC through the BSC.