METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING AN ACCESS POINT

• US 20080076412A1
• Filed: 09/22/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Galagher, Michael, Tao, Patrick, Gupta, Rajeev, Markovic, Milan, Khetawat, Amit
• Application Number:
  US11/859,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Some embodiments are implemented in a communication system that includes a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system that includes a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller that can communicatively couple the FAP to the first wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the network controller can communicatively couple to the first wireless communication system through a UTRAN Iu interface. In some embodiments, the FAP can communicatively couple to a user equipment using a short-range licensed wireless frequency. Some embodiments provide a method that registers a Femtocell access point (FAP). The method sends a register request message that includes a registration type from the FAP to the network controller. The registration type identifies the FAP as a device to be registered with network controller. When the register request message is acceptable by the network controller, the FAP receives a register accept message.

Claims

1. A method of registering a Femtocell access point (FAP) in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising the FAP and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) sending a register request message comprising a registration type from the FAP to the network controller, wherein the registration type identifies the FAP as a device to be registered with the network controller; and

b) receiving a register accept message at the FAP when the network controller determiners that the network controller can accept a register request from the FAP.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a register request message comprising a registration type from the FAP to the network controller, wherein the registration type identifies a user equipment communicatively coupled to the FAP as a device to be registered with the network controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the register accept message comprises a set of operating parameters associated with services at a current location of the FAP.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said operating parameters comprise a mobile country code, a mobile network code, and a location area code corresponding to a region served by the FAP.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said operating parameters comprise a location area identification (LAI) associated with a Femtocell service at a current location of the FAP.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said operating parameters comprise a cell identification (Cell-Id) associated with a Femtocell service at a current location of the FAP.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising sending said operating parameters from the FAP to the UE over a broadcast control channel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the FAP providing service access control (SAC) and accounting functions for the UE.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said SAC functions comprise access point (AP) restriction.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said SAC functions comprise redirection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the FAP is a first FAP, wherein the register request message comprises information regarding a set of FAPs neighboring the first FAP.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of neighboring FAPs comprises a set of FAPs operating in a same operating frequency as the first FAP.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of neighboring FAPs comprises a set of FAPs operating in a same public land mobile network (PLMN)

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the register request message comprises a cell identification of a neighboring wireless communication system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the register request message comprises media access control (MAC) address of the FAP and an international mobile subscriber identity of the FAP.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a register reject message comprising a rejection cause at the FAP when the network controller determines that the network controller cannot accept a register request from the FAP.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller is a first network controller, the method further comprising receiving at the FAP a register redirect message comprising an identification of a second network controller when the first network controller determines that a redirection of the FAP to the second network controller is needed.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.