Local switching of calls setup by multimedia core network

• US 20060268900A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Larsson, Anders, Backstrom, Martin Lars
• Application Number:
  US11/314,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/06 between gateways and public network devices

Abstract

A gateway (70, 70(2), 70(3)) of a telecommunications network (20) is arranged for performing protocol signaling conversion for communicating call setup signaling to an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) (40), and upon completion of call setup is arranged to route user traffic between local mobile stations (22) involved in a connection without routing the user traffic to the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) (40). In an example implementation, the signaling protocol is suitable for use over an interface between a circuit switch domain core network node and a radio access network includes GSM 24.008 signaling and the signaling protocol for a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling. The gateway can be situated in any of several locations such as, for example, at a mobile switching center (MSC) node (60), at a base station controller node (50) of the radio access network (RAN) (24), or at a node distinct from a mobile switching center node (MSC) and a base station controller (BSC) node, e.g., at a dedicated gateway node.

Claims

1. Telecommunications network apparatus arranged for:

(1) performing conversion of call setup signaling between (a) a signaling protocol suitable for use in conjunction with a radio access network for setting up a circuit switch connection and (b) a signaling protocol for a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS);

(2) routing the call setup signaling between the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and a node of the radio access network (RAN), and, after completion of call setup for a connection;

(3) switching user traffic of the connection locally without routing the user traffic of the connection to the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signaling protocol suitable for use in conjunction with the radio access network includes GSM 24.008 signaling and the signaling protocol for a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is situated at a mobile switching center node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is situated at a base station controller node or a radio network controller node of the radio access network (RAN).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is situated at a node distinct from a mobile switching center node and a base station system.

6. A telecommunications system comprising:

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for performing call setup for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection between two mobile stations;

a gateway arranged for;

(1) performing conversion of call setup signaling between (a) a signaling protocol suitable for use in conjunction with a radio access network for setting up a circuit switch connection and (b) a signaling protocol for the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS);

(2) routing the call setup signaling between the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and a node of the radio access network (RAN), and, after completion of call setup for a connection between the two mobile stations;

(3) switching user traffic of the connection locally between the two mobile stations without routing the user traffic of the connection to the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gateway is situated at a mobile switching center node.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gateway is situated at a base station controller node or a radio network controller node of the radio access network (RAN).

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gateway is situated at a node distinct from a mobile switching center node and a base station system.

10. A method of operating a telecommunications network comprising:

(1) performing conversion of call setup signaling between (a) a signaling protocol suitable for use in conjunction with a radio access network for setting up a circuit switch connection and (b) a signaling protocol for a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS);

(2) routing the call setup signaling between the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and a node of the radio access network (RAN), and, after completion of call setup for a connection;

(3) switching user traffic of the connection locally without routing the user traffic of the connection to the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the signaling protocol suitable for use in conjunction with the radio access network includes GSM 24.008 signaling and the signaling protocol for a IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing steps (1)-(3) at a mobile switching center node.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing steps (1)-(3) at a base station controller node or a radio network controller node of the radio access network (RAN).

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing steps (1)-(3) at a node distinct from a mobile switching center node and a base station system.