Mobility management apparatus and methods

• US 20060111112A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Santera Systems LLC
• Inventors: Maveddat, Payam
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A wireless mobility management system including a visitor location register configured to store a visiting user profile and communicate with a mobile switching center to route a wireless call supporting a user-session, a home location register configured to store a home user profile and update a user location associated with the home user profile, and a wireless media gateway (WMG) configured to create a user-session interconnection between a first wireless network and at least one of a second wireless network, a wireline packet network and a public-switched telephone network, including providing physical resources for the user-session. A WMG controller integrated with a wireless softswitch is configured to control the WMG to allocate resources and establish connections as required by the user session. A performance-based mobility manager is configured to receive user-session performance data from the WMG and make a handoff decision based on the performance data.

Claims

1. A wireless mobility management system, comprising:

a visitor location register configured to store a visiting user profile and communicate with a mobile switching center to route a wireless call supporting a user-session;

a home location register configured to store a home user profile and update a user location associated with the home user profile;

a wireless media gateway (WMG) configured to create a user-session interconnection between a first wireless network and at least one of a second wireless network, a wireline packet network and a public-switched telephone network, including providing physical resources for the user-session;

a WMG controller integrated with a wireless softswitch and configured to control the WMG to allocate resources and establish connections as required by the user session; and

a performance-based mobility manager configured to receive user-session performance data from at least one of the WMG and the WMG controller, and thereafter make a handoff decision based on the received performance data.

2. The wireless mobility management system of claim 1 wherein the mobility manager is configured to receive the performance data directly from the WMG.

3. The wireless mobility management system of claim 1 wherein the mobility manager is configured to receive the performance data from the WMG indirectly.

4. The wireless mobility management system of claim 1 wherein the mobility manager is configured to compared the received performance data with a predetermined threshold to make the handoff decision.

5. The wireless mobility management system of claim 4 wherein the received performance data upon which the handoff decision is based includes packet media performance data received from the WMG.

6. The wireless mobility management system of claim 4 wherein the received performance data upon which the handoff decision is based includes signaling level performance data received from the WMG controller.

7. The wireless mobility management system of claim 1 wherein the mobility manager is further configured to initiate handoff based on the handoff decision.

8. A mobility management system, comprising:

a location management module configured to update a location and profile of a wireless subscriber and determine a serving visitor location register (VLR) and location of a called party; and

a handoff management module configured to initiate handoff based on performance data of a subscriber-session, establish a new connection for the subscriber-session, and transfer the subscriber-session from an existing connection to the new connection.

9. The wireless media gateway of claim 8 wherein the handoff management module is configured to monitor the performance data and initiate handoff based on comparison of the monitored performance data with a predetermined performance threshold.

10. The wireless media gateway of claim 9 where the monitored performance data includes packet media performance data and the handoff management module is configured to initiate handoff based on comparison of the monitored packet media performance data with a predetermined packet media performance threshold.

11. The wireless media gateway of claim 9 where the monitored performance data includes signaling level performance data and the handoff management module is configured to initiate handoff based on comparison of the monitored signaling level performance data with a predetermined signaling level performance threshold.

12. The wireless media gateway of claim 8 wherein the initiated handoff is between a cellular network and an unlicensed wireless network.

13. The wireless media gateway of claim 12 wherein the cellular network is configured to support at least one of GSM, GPRS, GERAN, CDMA, and UMTS.

14. The wireless media gateway of claim 12 wherein the unlicensed wireless network is configured to support at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and UWB.

15. The wireless media gateway of claim 12 further comprising means for interfacing with at least one media gateway controller of the cellular network.

16. The wireless media gateway of claim 15 wherein the means for interfacing with at least one media gateway controller of the cellular network includes means for interfacing by session initiation protocol (SIP).

17. The wireless media gateway of claim 8 further comprising means for receiving, switching and sending data between GSM, GPRS, GERAN, CDMA, UMTS, IEEE 802.11, and TDM transmission facilities.

18. A method for performance-triggered handoff of a wireless call, comprising:

monitoring performance data, including at least one of;

packet media performance data of the wireless call at a wireless media gateway;

signaling level performance data of the wireless call at a wireless media gateway controller;

sending a notification message to a mobility manager module when the monitored performance data indicates performance deterioration beyond a predetermined threshold;

initiating handoff of the wireless call based on the monitored performance data and receipt of the notification message by the mobility manager module;

sending a first handoff message to an MSC/VLR module configured to operate as both a mobile switching center and a visitor location register; and

sending a second handoff message to a mobile terminal of the wireless call.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein sending the notification message to the mobility manager module includes sending the notification message to the mobility manager module directly when the monitored performance data indicates deterioration beyond the predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein sending the notification message to the mobility manager module includes sending the notification message to the mobility manager module indirectly via a wireless media gateway controller when the monitored performance data indicates deterioration beyond the predetermined threshold.