GATEWAY APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110292878A1
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A gateway apparatus receives a call control signal and/or a packet that has voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol or payload format from an access point, converts a protocol of the call control signal and/or a protocol or payload format of the packet into a circuit switched protocol used when an RNC connects to the circuit switching equipment for output to the circuit switching equipment, receives a call processing signal that uses the protocol as that used when the circuit switching equipment outputs to the RNC and a voice signal that uses the same protocol, converts protocol of the call processing signal and/or the voice signal for output to the access point.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus that connects an access point to a preset node on a mobile circuit switched network to perform mutual communication, said gateway apparatus comprising

a conversion section that receives at least one of a call control signal and a packet that has voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol or payload format from said access point, and

converts at least one of a protocol of said call control signal and a protocol or a payload format of said packet into a protocol being same as a circuit switched protocol which is used when a radio network controller (RNC) on said mobile circuit switched network connects to said preset node, for output to said preset node,

said conversion section

receiving at least one of a call processing signal that uses a protocol being same as a protocol which is used when said preset node outputs to said radio network controller, and a voice signal that uses said same protocol, and

converting at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said voice signal received, for output to said access point.

2. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said preset node includes at least one of a circuit switching equipment provided on said mobile circuit switched network, and

a second gateway apparatus that interconnects said mobile circuit switched network and an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network.

3. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion section includes

an audio transcoder unit that converts an audio compression encoding scheme of a voice signal.

4. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, where said conversion section comprise

a security processing unit connected via a mobile high-speed network to said access point, said security processing unit performing security processing on a packet exchanged with said mobile high-speed network.

5. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said access point includes at least one of a femtocell, Home NodeB, and Home eNodeB.

6. A network system comprising:

an access point; and

a gateway apparatus that connects said access point to a preset node on a mobile circuit switched network to perform mutual communication, wherein said gateway apparatus includes

a conversion section that

receives at least one of a call control signal and a packet that has voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol or payload format from said access point, and

converts at least one of a protocol of said call control signal and a protocol or payload format of said packet into the a protocol being same as a circuit switched protocol which is used when a radio network controller (RNC) on said mobile circuit switched network, connects to said preset node, for output to said preset node, said conversion section

receiving at least one of a call processing signal that uses a protocol same as a protocol which is used when said preset node outputs to said radio network controller and a voice signal that uses said same protocol, and converting at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said voice signal received, for output to said access point.

7. The network system according to claim 6, wherein said preset node includes at least one of a circuit switching equipment provided on said mobile circuit switched network;

and

a second gateway apparatus that interconnects said mobile circuit switched network and an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network.

8. The network system according to claim 6, wherein said access point includes at least one of a femtocell, Home NodeB, and Home eNodeB.

9. A gateway method by a gateway apparatus that connects an access point to a preset node on a mobile circuit switched network to perform mutual communication, said method comprising:

receiving at least one of a call control signal and a packet that has voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol or payload format from said access point; and

converting at least one of a protocol of said call control signal and a protocol or payload format of said packet into a protocol being same as a circuit switched protocol which is used when a radio network controller (RNC) on said mobile circuit switched network connects to said preset node, for output to said preset node, said method further comprising;

receiving at least one of a call processing signal using a protocol being same as a protocol used when said preset node outputs to said radio network controller and a voice signal that uses said same protocol; and

converting at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said voice signal received, for output to said access point.

10. The gateway method according to claim 9, wherein said preset node includes at least one of a circuit switching equipment provided on said mobile circuit switched network, and a second gateway apparatus that interconnects said mobile circuit switched network and an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network.