Method of Providing Improved Integrated Communication System Data Service

• US 20070243872A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tao, Patrick, Markovic, Milan, Gallagher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method and apparatus for seamlessly providing voice and data services across a licensed wireless network while accessing a second different communication network through a user equipment. The first and second communication networks include licensed wireless networks, unlicensed wireless networks, or Internet Protocol (IP) networks, to name a few. Furthermore, some embodiments of the second communication network include a modified interface for directly interfacing with components of the first communication network in order to pass and retrieve data packets from the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) at a network controller of a first communication network, providing circuit switched voice services for user equipment;

b) establishing at least one session between the network controller and a gateway to a packet services network, wherein said gateway is a component of a licensed wireless second communication network;

c) through said session, providing packet switched data services for the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one session does not pass through a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the second communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one session comprises a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel between the network controller and the gateway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) of the second communication network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing packet switched data services comprises routing data packets received from the user equipment through the network controller to the gateway.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data packets sent from the user equipment identify the gateway as a destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein routing the data packets comprises forwarding the data packets from the network controller to the gateway without modifying said packets.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the gateway routes said data packets to the packet services network.

9. The method claim 1, wherein the at least one session comprises at least two sessions.

10. For a network controller of a first communication network, the network controller comprising circuit switched and packet switched interfaces, a method comprising:

a) receiving voice and data service requests from a user equipment;

b) processing said voice service requests through the network controller'"'"'s circuit switched interface to a licensed wireless second communication network; and

c) processing said data service requests through the network controller'"'"'s packet switched interface to a gateway to a packet services network, wherein said gateway is a component of the second communication network, wherein processing the data service request comprises establishing at least one session for passing and receiving data packets from the network controller to the gateway.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second communication system comprises one of a GSM/GPRS system, a GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), and a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one session does not pass through a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the second communication network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one session comprises a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel between the network controller and the gateway.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the gateway is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) of the second communication network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the gateway passes and receives data packets from the network controller to the packet services network.

16. A method of operating a network controller of a first communication network, the method comprising:

a) establishing a first secure session with a user equipment;

b) receiving over the first secure session, a plurality of data service requests from the user equipment;

c) for each of the data service requests, establishing a separate session with a gateway to a packet services network, wherein said gateway is a component of a licensed wireless second communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first secure session is established using an IP security (IPSec) protocol.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the session with the gateway comprises a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel between the network controller and the gateway.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving over the first secure session a voice service request, wherein the network controller processes said voice service request through a circuit switched interface, wherein said circuit switched interface links the network controller to a switching center of the second communication network.

20. A method of operating a network controller of a first communication network, the method comprising:

a) establishing a first secure session between a user equipment and the network controller;

b) establishing a second session between the network controller and a gateway to a packet services network, wherein said gateway is a component of a licensed wireless second communication network;

c) receiving over the first secure session, Internet Protocol (IP) data packets from the user equipment; and

d) routing over the second session, said IP packets to the gateway.

21. The method of claim 21, wherein the IP data packets sent from the user equipment identify the gateway as a destination.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein routing the IP packets over the second session comprises replacing the header information of said data packets prior to routing the IP packets to the gateway.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the gateway routes said IP packets to the packet services network.

22. The method of claim 22, wherein routing the IP packets over the first and second sessions does not require modifying said IP packets.

25. A readable storage medium storing a set of instructions for execution by one electronic component, the readable storage medium comprising sets of instructions for:

a) providing circuit switched voice services for user equipment;

b) establishing at least one session with a gateway to a packet services network, wherein said gateway is a component of a licensed wireless second communication network; and

c) through said session, providing packet switched data services for the user equipment.

26. The readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein providing packet switched data services comprises routing the IP data packets from the user equipment to the gateway.

27. The readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein routing the IP data packets does not require modifying said IP packets.

28. The readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the at least one session does not pass through a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the licensed wireless communication network.

29. The readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one session with the gateway comprises a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel.

30. The readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the gateway is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) of the licensed wireless communication network.

31. The readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein providing circuit switched voice services comprises sets of instructions for communicating with a switching center of the licensed wireless communication network.