METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FAST INTER-SYSTEM HANDOVER

• US 20090016300A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsirtsis, George (Georgios), Casaccia, Lorenzo, Ahmavaara, Kalle I., Granzow, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate inter-system handover in a wireless communication system. Various aspects described herein provide for handover techniques that enable a target system to be prepared by a mobile device via a source system in order to minimize specific changes required to source system and/or target system. Techniques are described herein in which the radio link of a source system can be utilized to tunnel signaling messages which are in a format understood by a destination node in a target system. Further, fast inter-access handover can be facilitated by establishing a simple generic transmission tunnel between respective network nodes in source and target systems that handle intra-system mobility and providing a Layer 2 (L2) tunneling mechanism over the radio interface of each involved system technology.

Claims

1. A method for managing a handover in a wireless communication system, comprising:

identifying signaling communicated based on a signaling method associated with a target network;

establishing a communication link to the target network; and

preparing resources for a handover to the target network by providing the identified signaling using the established communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preparing comprises providing the identified signaling using a protocol that is independent of the signaling method associated with the target network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises identifying signaling communicated that is directed to the target network and encapsulated as one or more data packets, and the preparing comprises forwarding the one or more data packets to the target network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preparing comprises providing signaling to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the target network using the established communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing comprises establishing a communication link to the target network based on a generic Internet Protocol (IP) transport protocol that is independent of the signaling method of the target network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises identifying one or more Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling messages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing comprises:

determining whether a handover to the target network is required; and

establishing a communication link to the target network upon a positive determination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises identifying signaling communicated over a Layer 2 (L2) communication tunnel.

9. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a target system and a radio access protocol associated with the target system; and

a processor configured to identify one or more messages communicated utilizing the radio access protocol associated with the target system and to prepare resources for a handover to the target system by tunneling the identified messages to the target system.

10. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to tunnel the identified messages to the target system using a protocol that is disparate from the radio access protocol associated with the target system and a radio access protocol associated with the wireless communications apparatus.

11. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more messages provided in respective data packets and to tunnel the data packets to the target network utilizing Internet Protocol (IP) signaling.

12. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to tunnel the identified messages to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the target system.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to establish a generic IP tunnel with the target system that is independent of the radio access protocol associated with the target system.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to establish the tunnel with the target system upon a determination that a handover to the target system is required.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory stores data relating to one or more Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling messages.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more messages communicated over a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel.

17. An apparatus that facilitates handoff preparation and management in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving signaling based on an access method of a target network;

means for determining whether communication service is to be transferred to the target network; and

means for tunneling the received signaling to the target network to facilitate preparation of resources therein upon a positive determination.

18. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for identifying a first communication protocol;

code for identifying a second communication protocol, disparate from the first communication protocol, associated with a network for which communication service is to be transferred;

code for receiving signaling formatted according to the second communication protocol; and

code for tunneling the received signaling to the network for which communication service is to be established.

19. An integrated circuit that executes computer-executable instructions for managing a prepared handover, the instructions comprising:

identifying one or more Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling messages based on an access method associated with a target network;

establishing a communication tunnel with the target network; and

preparing resources for a handover to the target network by providing the identified NAS signaling messages thereto using the established communication tunnel.

20. A method for preparing resources for communication, comprising:

establishing a communication link with a source network;

receiving relayed signaling initially communicated from the source network via the communication link; and

preparing resources for communication based on the received signaling.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the establishing comprises establishing a generic Internet Protocol (IP) packet transport tunnel with the source network.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the source network is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the relayed signaling from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the source network.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the relayed signaling using a protocol independent of a protocol associated with the source network.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the relayed signaling comprises one or more Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling messages.

26. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a communication tunnel with a base station and a system access method; and

a processor configured to receive signaling that utilizes the system access method stored by the memory and is directed to the wireless communications apparatus from the base station over the communication tunnel.

27. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to prepare resources for communication pursuant to a handover from the base station based on the received signaling.

28. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to establish a generic Internet Protocol (IP) transport tunnel with the base station that is independent of a system access method associated therewith.

29. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the base station is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

30. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the signaling from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the base station over the communication tunnel.

31. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with the base station over the communication tunnel using a communication method that is independent of the system access method stored by the memory and a system access method associated with the base station.

32. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to receive one or more Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling messages via the communication tunnel with the base station.

33. An apparatus that facilitates resource preparation for a handover, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing resources for a communication link with a source system;

means for receiving information via the source system over the communication link; and

means for establishing resources for communication based on the received information.

34. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for establishing resources corresponding to a communication tunnel with a source network in association with a handover of communication service from the source network;

code for identifying one or more signaling messages relayed by the source network over the communication tunnel; and

code for preparing resources for communication based on the identified signaling messages.

35. An integrated circuit that executes computer-executable instructions for preparing a handover of communication service, the instructions comprising:

allocating communication resources corresponding to a tunnel with a communication system on an interface therewith;

receiving one or more handover preparation messages via the tunnel with the communication system; and

preparing resources for a handover from the communication system based on the received messages.

36. A method for preparing a handover from a first network to a second network, comprising:

establishing communication with a first network using a first access method;

identifying a required change in communication service from the first network to a second network that utilizes a second access method disparate from the first access method; and

preparing resources at the second network by communicating signaling to the first network that is based on the second access method and directed to the second network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the preparing comprises communicating signaling to the first network over a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the first network comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and the preparing further comprises communicating signaling to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the first network.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the communicating signaling to a MME comprises communicating signaling to the MME over an L2 tunnel.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the communicating signaling to an MME comprises communicating signaling to the E-TRAN at the first network over a first L2 tunnel for subsequent forwarding to the MME over a second L2 tunnel.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the preparing comprises:

encapsulating signaling that is based on the second access method and directed to the second network into respective data packets; and

communicating the respective data packets to the first network.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising establishing communication with the second network upon preparing resources at the second network.

43. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a first system, a first radio access method utilized by the first system, a second system, and a second radio access method utilized by the second system; and

a processor configured to identify a required handover from the first system to the second system and to prepare resources for the handover to the second system by communicating handover preparation signaling to the first system that utilizes the second radio access method and is directed to the second system.

44. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 43, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate handover preparation signaling to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) at the first system.

45. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate handover preparation signaling to the MME over a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel to the MME.

46. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate handover preparation signaling to the first system over a first L2 tunnel for subsequent tunneling to the MME over a second L2 tunnel.

47. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 43, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the handover preparation signaling to the first system as one or more data packets.

48. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 43, wherein the processor is further configured to establish communication with the second system upon preparing resources for the handover thereto.

49. An apparatus that facilitates inter-access system preparation for a handover, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a source system using a first communication method;

means for identifying a target system using a second communication method; and

means for preparing resources for a change in communication service from the source system to the target system by providing setup information directed to the second system and utilizing the second communication method to the first system.

50. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for identifying a required handoff from a source communication network to a target communication network and an access type utilized by the target communication network; and

code for preparing resources at the target communication network by providing setup information that is directed to the target communication network and utilizes the access type utilized by the target communication network to the source communication network.

51. An integrated circuit that executes computer-executable instructions for handover preparation in a wireless communication system, the instructions comprising:

establishing communication with a first system;

identifying a second system and a communication protocol associated with the second system; and

preparing resources at the second system for a handover thereto by tunneling signaling to the first system using the communication protocol associated with the second system.