GATEWAY APPARATUS AND METHOD AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110320192A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A gateway apparatus receives a call control signal and/or a packet with voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol from a packet transfer apparatus on a mobile high-speed network and converts the received protocol into a circuit-switched protocol used when an RNC connects to a circuit switching equipment on a mobile circuit-switched network, for output to the circuit switching equipment The gateway apparatus, on receipt of a call process signal and/or a voice signal, from the circuit switching equipment, converts the received protocol for output to the packet transfer apparatus.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus that is connected to a packet transfer apparatus provided on a mobile high-speed network and is connected to a preset node provided on a mobile circuit switched network to perform voice communication therebetween, 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 packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network, and

converts at least one of said call control signal and said protocol or said payload format, when deciding that a conversion thereof is necessary, 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, wherein said conversion section

receives 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, from said preset node, and

converts at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said audio signal received, for output to said packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network.

2. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion section further comprises

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

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

a security processing unit that strengthens a security function in order to exchange a packet with said mobile high-speed network.

4. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein said mobile high-speed network comprises at least one of LTE (Long Term Evolution), EPC (Evolved Packet Core), Home NodeB, and Home eNodeB.

5. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said preset node comprises

a circuit switching equipment.

6. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said preset node comprises

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

7. A gateway method by a gateway apparatus that is connected to a packet transfer apparatus provided on a mobile high-speed network and is connected to a preset node provided on a mobile circuit-switched network to achieve voice communication therebetween, 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 packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network; and

converting at least one of said call control signal and said protocol or said payload format, when deciding that a conversion thereof is necessary, 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 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, from said preset node; and

converting at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said audio signal received, for output to said packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network.

8. The gateway method according to claim 7;

wherein said preset node comprises at least one of

a circuit switching equipment; and

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

11. The gateway method according to claim 7, comprising

converting an audio compression-encoding scheme for a voice signal.

12. The gateway method according to claim 7, comprising

enhancing a security function for exchange of a packet with said mobile high-speed network.

9. A communication system, comprising:

a packet transfer apparatus provided on a mobile high-speed network;

a preset node provided on a mobile circuit-switched network; and

a gateway apparatus that is connected to said packet transfer apparatus and is connected to said preset node to achieve voice communication therebetween, wherein said gateway apparatus comprises 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 packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network, and

converts at least one of said call control signal and said protocol or said payload format, when deciding that a conversion thereof is necessary, 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, wherein said conversion section

receives 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, from said preset node, and

converts at least one protocol of said call processing signal and said audio signal received, for output to said packet transfer apparatus on said mobile high-speed network.

10. The communication system according to claim 9, wherein said preset node comprises at least one of

a circuit switching equipment;

and

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