Mechanisms to extend UMA or GAN to inter-work with UMTS core network

• US 20070041360A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Markovic, Milan, Gallagher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Mechanisms to extend UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) or GAN (General Access Network) to inter-work with a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) core network. A UMA network controller (UNC) is provided to interface between a UMA network and a UMTS core network using the standard Iu-CS and Iu-PS interfaces. From the viewpoint of the UMTS core network, the UNC appears as another Radio Network Controller (RNC). Protocol layer schemes are disclosed for mobile stations, UNCs, SGSNs and MSCs to support signaling and data messaging in both the packet-switched and connection-switched domains. The mobile stations provide dual-mode operation, such that they are able to access the UMTS core network via unlicensed service when in a UMA access area, and to access the UMTS core network via licensed service when outside of a UMA access area and in a UTRAN service area.

Claims

1. 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 UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) core network that is accessible to a second radio access network comprising a UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN); and

means for generating and/or processing a plurality messages transmitted over the third network interface between the UNC and the UMTS core network,

wherein the UNC appears to the UMTS core network as a UTRAN Radio Network Controller (RNC)

2. The UNC of claim 1, wherein the third network interface includes an Iu-CS (circuit-switched) interface to communicate with an MSC (Mobile Switching Center) in the UMTS core network.

3. The UNC of claim 2, wherein the third network interface supports signaling protocols for circuit-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol including:

a Radio Access Node Application Part (RANAP) layer;

over

a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) layer;

over

a plurality of Iu-CS control plane lower layers.

4. The UNC of claim 2, wherein the third network interface supports CS user plane transport while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol including:

a remote IP (Internet Protocol) layer;

over

a plurality of Iu-CS user plane lower layers.

5. The UNC of claim 1, wherein the third network interface includes an Iu-PS (packet-switched) interface to communicate with an SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) in the UMTS core network.

6. The UNC of claim 5, wherein the third network interface supports signaling protocols for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol including:

a Radio Access Node Application Part (RANAP) layer;

over

a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) layer;

over

a plurality of Iu-PS control plane lower layers.

7. The UNC of claim 5, wherein the third network interface supports data messages for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol including:

a remote IP (Internet Protocol) layer;

over

a plurality of Iu-PS user plane lower layers.

8. The UNC of claim 1, further comprising:

a security gateway (SGW) server, including,

a first network interface comprising an IP network interface;

a second network interface via which the SGW server may be connected to the UMTS core network to connect to the access network.

9. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the SGW server further includes a third network interface via which the SGW may be connected to a AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) server in the UMTS core network.

10. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the second network interface includes an Iu-CS interface.

11. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the second network interface includes an Iu-PS interface.

12. A system comprising:

a network controller operable to communicate with a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) core network and communicably coupled to one or more unlicensed wireless base stations comprising one or more unlicensed wireless access areas and wherein each unlicensed wireless access area is mapped to one or more licensed wireless access areas in a UMTS Radio Area Network (UTRAN);

a mobile station operable to communicate with the UMTS core network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by the UTRAN in a licensed wireless access area and an unlicensed wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area,

wherein the mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier for use when the mobile station is in the licensed wireless access area, and wherein the mobile station is configured with an unlicensed wireless network identifier and an unlicensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the unlicensed wireless access area.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network controller provides the functions of a UTRAN Radio Network Controller (RNC), the unlicensed wireless access identifier comprises a UMTS international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and the unlicensed wireless location identifier is a UMTS cell location identifier.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the unlicensed wireless access area comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN).

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the base station comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless access point, and the unlicensed wireless access identifier comprises an IEEE 802.11 media access control (MAC) address.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless access area comprises a Bluetooth personal LAN (PLAN).

17. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile station operable to communicate with a UMTS (Universal Model Telecommunications System) telecommunications network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by the UMTS telecommunications network in a licensed wireless access area and an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area,

wherein the mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier for use when the mobile station is in a licensed wireless access area, and

wherein the mobile station is configured with an UMA network identifier and an UMA location identifier when the mobile station is in an unlicensed wireless access area.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the unlicensed wireless access area comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN).

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wireless access area comprises a Bluetooth personal LAN (PLAN)

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mobile station employs a plurality of protocol layers to access UMA service and the UMTS core network, the protocol layers used to support communication with a UMA network controller over an Up interface and the UMTS core network via an Iu-CS interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the mobile station supports signaling protocols for circuit-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol including:

a CM (Connection Management) layer;

over

an MM (Mobility Management) layer;

over

a UMA-RR (Radio Resource) layer;

over

a TCP (transmission control protocol) layer.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the layered protocol further includes:

a Remote IP (Internet Protocol) layer;

a security protocol layer;

a transport IP layer; and

a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the mobile station supports CS user plane transport while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol including:

an AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) Codecs layer;

over

an RTP/UDP (Real-Time Protocol/User Datagram Protocol) layer

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mobile station further employs protocol layers including:

a remote IP layer;

a security layer;

a transport IP layer; and

a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the protocol layers further include layers to support communication with the UMTS core network via an Iu-PS interface.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the mobile station supports signaling protocols for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol including:

a GMM/SM/SMS (GPRS mobility management)/(Session Management)/(Short Message Service) layer;

over

a UMA Radio Resource (UMA-RR) layer;

over

a TCP layer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the mobile station further employs layers including:

a remote IP layer;

a security layer;

a transport IP layer; and

a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the mobile station supports data messages for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol including:

an IP layer;

over

a GTP-U (GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) tunneling protocol-User) layer;

over

a UDP layer.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the mobile station further employs layers including:

a remote IP layer;

a security layer;

a transport IP layer; and

a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.