Low-cost radio access network enabling local switching
First Claim
1. An access-point node to a network cell of a radio access network, the access-point node comprising:
- a call-processing unit that is configured to ascertain whether an incoming communication request originates from an originating terminal device located inside the network cell and whether the incoming communication request is directed to the terminating terminal device located inside the network cell, a local-switching unit that is connected with the call processing unit and configured to establish, maintain, and release upon reception of a communication request originating and terminating inside the network cell a local user-data radio channel consisting of a first local channel section having as endpoints a first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and of a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell, and establish, maintain, and release the first local channel section upon the reception of a communication request that is either originating from or terminating at the first terminal device inside the network cell, and a non-local-switching unit that is connected with the call-processing unit and configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device located in the network cell and a third terminal device located outside the network cell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An access-point node to a first network cell of a radio access network, to an access-center node and to a radio access network enable local service providers in rural areas to provide mobile telecommunication at low cost for end users. The access-point node of the invention is configured to establish, maintain, and release a local user-data radio channel, which consists of a first local channel section having as endpoints a first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and of a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell. The access-point node is configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device and a third terminal device located outside the network cell. Link cost between the radio access network and the core network may be strongly reduced.
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Citations
69 Claims
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1. An access-point node to a network cell of a radio access network, the access-point node comprising:
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a call-processing unit that is configured to ascertain whether an incoming communication request originates from an originating terminal device located inside the network cell and whether the incoming communication request is directed to the terminating terminal device located inside the network cell, a local-switching unit that is connected with the call processing unit and configured to establish, maintain, and release upon reception of a communication request originating and terminating inside the network cell a local user-data radio channel consisting of a first local channel section having as endpoints a first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and of a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell, and establish, maintain, and release the first local channel section upon the reception of a communication request that is either originating from or terminating at the first terminal device inside the network cell, and a non-local-switching unit that is connected with the call-processing unit and configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device located in the network cell and a third terminal device located outside the network cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An access-point module for implementation in a base transceiver station of a radio access network, the access-point module comprising:
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a call-processing unit configured to ascertain whether an incoming communication request originates from an originating terminal device located inside a network cell and whether the incoming communication request is directed to a terminating terminal device located inside the network cell, a local-switching unit configured to establish, maintain, and release a local user-data radio channel, consisting of a first local channel section having as endpoints a first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell, a non-local switching unit configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device and a third terminal device located outside the network cell, and an interface unit connected with the call processing unit, the local-switching unit and the non-local switching unit and configured to connect with the base transceiver station and to exchange control data and user data with the base transceiver station. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. An access-center node for providing communication between at least two assigned subordinate access-point nodes to network cells of a radio access network, or between an assigned subordinate access-point node and an assigned superordinate core-network node, the access-center node comprising:
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a call-control unit configured to ascertain whether an incoming communication request originates from an originating terminal device in a network cell of an assigned subordinate access-point node and whether the incoming communication request is directed to a terminating terminal device located inside the network cell of the assigned subordinate access-point node, a regional-switching unit connected to the call-control unit and configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned subordinate first access-point node to a first network cell and with an assigned subordinate second access-point node to a second network cell to establish, maintain and release a predefined transmission capacity for a regional packet-switched user-data transmission path consisting of a first regional transmission path section having as endpoints the first access-point node and the access-center node, and further consisting of a second regional transmission path section having as endpoints the access-center node and the second access-point node, for establishing communication between a first terminal device located in the first network cell and a second terminal device located in the second network cell, and a wide-area switching unit is connected to the call control unit and configured to exchange the packetized user data and control data with the first access-point node and with an assigned superordinate core network node in a core network for establishing, maintaining and releasing a wide-area user-data transmission path section consisting of the first regional transmission path section and a third regional transmission path section having as endpoints the access-center node and the core-network node. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An access-center module for connection with a base transceiver station or a base station controller of a radio access network and for providing communication between at least two assigned subordinate access-point nodes to network cells of a radio access network or between one assigned subordinate access-point node and an assigned superordinate core network node, the access-point module configured to
ascertain whether an incoming communication request is directed to a terminal device located inside a network cell of an assigned subordinate access-point node, exchange packetized user data and control messages with an assigned subordinate first access-point node to a first network cell and with an assigned subordinate second access-point node to a second network cell, establish, maintain and release a predefined transmission capacity for a regional packet-switched user-data transmission path consisting of a first regional transmission path section having as endpoints the first access-point node and the access-center node and of a second regional transmission path section having as endpoints the access-center node and the second access-point node, for establishing communication between a first terminal device located in the first network cell and a second terminal device located in the second network cell, and exchange the packetized user data and control messages with the first access-point node and with an assigned superordinate gateway node of a core network for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device located in the first network cell and a fourth terminal device located in a third network cell of a third access-point node, that is not assigned to the access-center node, or in a network cell outside a radio access network.
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48. A radio access network comprising:
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a plurality of access-point nodes wherein at least one node of the plurality of access-point nodes includes a call-processing unit that is configured to ascertain whether an incoming communication request originates from an originating terminal device located inside a network cell and-whether the incoming communication request is directed to a terminating terminal device located inside the network cell, a local-switching unit that is connected with the call processing unit and configured to establish, maintain, and release upon reception of a communication request originating and terminating inside the network cell a local user-data radio channel consisting of a first local channel section having as endpoints a first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and further consisting of a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell, and establish, maintain, and release the first local channel section upon the reception of a communication request that is either originating from or terminating at the first terminal device inside the network cell, and a non-local-switching unit that is connected with the call-processing unit and configured to exchange packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device located in the network cell and a third terminal device located outside the network cell. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 49)
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50. A method for providing wireless communication capability to a first terminal device located in a network cell of a radio access network, the method comprising the steps of:
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ascertaining at an access-point node located in the network cell of the first terminal device whether an incoming communication request originates from the first terminal device and whether the incoming communication request is directed to the second terminal device located inside the network cell, upon reception of the communication request originating and terminating inside the network cell, establishing and maintaining a local user-data radio channel consisting of a first local channel section having as endpoints the first terminal device located in the network cell and the access-point node, and of a second local channel section having as endpoints the access-point node and a second terminal device located in the network cell, and upon reception of a communication request originating from or terminating at the first terminal device inside the network cell,establishing and maintaining the first local channel section, and exchanging packetized user data and control data with an assigned superordinate access-center node for establishing, maintaining and releasing communication between the first terminal device and a third terminal device located outside the network cell. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification