METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• US 20080076425A1
• 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: Tao, Patrick, Gupta, Rajeev, Markovic, Milan, Khetawat, Amit, Gallagher, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/859,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/04 Interfaces between hierarchically different network devices

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. Some embodiments provide a resource management method that determines that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP. The FAP includes a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer. The method creates a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the GA-RC protocol sub-layer. The method also sets the GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state to indicate that the UE is not registered to use the services of the wireless communication system.

Claims

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

a) determining that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP, wherein the FAP comprises a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer;

b) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in said GA-RC protocol sub-layer; and

c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state, said deregistered state indicating that the UE is not registered to use the services of the second wireless communication system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a registered state upon a successful registration of the UE by the FAP with the network controller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the FAP and the network controller maintain a shared secure tunnel for exchanging said set of signaling messages for a plurality of UEs successfully registered by the FAP with the network controller.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon a loss of said secure tunnel.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

a) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP; and

b) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when the GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP is in a deregistered state.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

a) upon a loss of said connection dedicated to the UE, reestablishing the connection between the FAP and the network controller;

b) when said reestablishing the connection is successful, keeping said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the registered state; and

c) when said reestablishing the connection is unsuccessful, setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon execution of a de-registration procedure.

8. 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).

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

10. 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.

11. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution, the computer program for providing resource management in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

a) determining that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP, wherein the FAP comprises a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer;

b) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in said GA-RC protocol sub-layer; and

c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state, said deregistered state indicating that the UE is not registered to use the services of the second wireless communication system.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a registered state upon a successful registration of the UE by the FAP with the network controller.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the FAP and the network controller maintain a shared secure tunnel for exchanging said set of signaling messages for a plurality of UEs successfully registered by the FAP with the network controller.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon a loss of said secure tunnel.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for:

a) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP; and

b) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when the GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP is in a deregistered state.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for:

a) reestablishing the connection between the FAP and the network controller upon a loss of said connection dedicated to the UE;

b) keeping said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the registered state when said reestablishing the connection is successful; and

c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when said reestablishing the connection is unsuccessful.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon execution of a de-registration procedure.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the network controller is communication coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.