Implementation of wireless terminal roaming capability via a wired terminal registration feature

• US 5,873,031 A
• Filed: 06/10/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nienaber, Michael Lee, Petty, Norman Wesley, Griffith, Gary Len
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/872,375
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/331, 370/352, 370/402, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/412, 455/455, 455/555
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• 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 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A switch arrangement that employs features which already exist in the switch to otherwise realize capabilities for wired terminals employing the same features to realize capabilities for wireless terminals. In particular, one capability that is necessary for wireless operations is the ability to track the terminals as they roam anywhere within the permissible area. This capability is achieved herein through the "registration" feature of the switch that is designed to handle wired terminals. Tracking is achieved with this feature by causing all wired terminals to send a similar information string, at regular intervals. As the wireless terminal roams, it is acquired by different base stations that are connected to different line ports of the switch and the base stations, effectively, inform the switch of the wireless terminal'"'"'s wherabouts. Tracking across different switches is also achieved through the registration feature.

Claims

1. A switching arrangement including a telecommunications switch having line ports for serving wired terminals, and a plurality of wired terminals, each connected to one of said line ports, comprising:

a plurality of base stations included among said wired terminals, each connected to one of said line ports for serving wired terminals, which base stations include circuitry for communicating in a wireless manner with wireless terminals that include circuitry for associating themselves with any one of the base stations;

registration means within said switch for effectuating a registration feature for said wired terminals such that in response to receipt, from an individual wired terminal that is connected to an individual one of said line ports for serving wired terminals, of an identification of said individual wired terminal, the registration means associates the identification of said individual wired terminal with a line appearance at said individual one of said line ports of said switch; and

means in each base station responsive to an individual wireless terminal communicating with said base station, for sending a terminal identification corresponding to said wireless terminal to said registration means for association by the registration means of said terminal identification with a line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected, to effectuate a roaming capability for wireless terminals, where the roaming capability enables the switch to communicate with wireless terminals that change their communicating with a base station from one of the base stations to another of the base stations.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 where the roaming capability includes the capability of tracking the association of the wireless terminals with said base stations.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 where the roaming capability includes the capability of tracking the association of the wireless terminals with said base stations, and the capability of transferring communication of a wireless terminal from passage through one of said base stations to passage through another of said base stations.

4. A switching arrangement including a first switch having line ports for serving wired terminals and wired terminals connected to said line ports, which switch includes terminal registration means for receiving registration information from said wired terminals that are connected to said line ports and in response associating said wired terminals with line appearances at said line ports of said first switch, comprising:

at least one wireless base station included among said wired terminals and coupled to a line port for serving wired terminals of the first switch,

first means within the base station, for communicating with wireless terminals, and

second means within the base station, for receiving terminal registration information from a wireless terminal, formatting the registration information of the wireless terminal to a format acceptable to said terminal registration means, and sending the formatted registration information to said terminal registration means to cause the terminal registration means to associate said wireless terminal with a line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected, to effectuate a roaming capability for the wireless terminals that enable the wireless terminals to change their communicating with a base station to and from said base station.

5. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein the second means sends the registration information of wireless terminals to the terminal registration means in the same format as the format of registration information sent by the wired terminals to the terminal registration means.

6. The arrangement of claim 4 where the first switch includes association buffer means, responsive to said terminal registration means, for a) maintaining information that associates wireless terminals with the base stations with which the wireless terminals are communicating, and b) maintaining information that associates wired terminals with the first switch line ports connected to the wired terminals.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 where there is at least a second base station coupled to a port of the first switch, and the terminal registration means changes the association or a wireless terminal from an association with one of the base stations to an association with another of the base stations.

8. The arrangement of claim 6, including a second switch with a base station coupled to a port of the second switch, where the terminal registration means changes the association of a wireless terminal from an association with a base station connected to the first switch to an association with the base station connected to said second switch.

9. The arrangement of claim 4 where the wireless terminal sends wireless ID information that corresponds to said registration information from wired terminals.

10. The arrangement of claim 4 where the registration information is sent by the wireless terminals in response to a request from the base stations.

11. The arrangement of claim 4 where the registration information is sent by the wireless terminals in response to a request from the switch.

12. The arrangement of claim 9 where the format of the wireless ID information sent by the wireless corresponds to the format of the registration signals sent by the base station.

13. The arrangement of claim 9 where the base stations include means for translating the wireless ID information sent by the wireless terminal into the registration signals sent by the base stations.

14. The arrangement of claim 9 where the wireless terminal sends the wireless ID information regardless of whether the wireless terminal is in the midst of an active call or is dormant.

15. The arrangement of claim 9 where the wireless terminal sends the wireless ID information, even while a call is in progress over the wireless terminal.

16. The arrangement of claim 4 where the first switch further comprises means for handing off calls from one base station to another base station.

17. The arrangement of claim 4 further comprising a passive bus for connecting said base stations to the switch.

18. The arrangement of claim 4 further comprising a second switch having a first number of output ports connected to ports of the first switch and having a second number of output ports connected solely to wired terminals.

19. A base station for communicating with wireless terminals in a communications system that includes a switch having line ports for serving wired terminals and wired terminals including said base station connected to said line ports, which switch includes terminal registration means for receiving registration information from said wired terminals that are connected to said line ports and in response associating said wired terminals with line appearances at the line ports of said switch to which the wired terminals are connected, the base station comprising:

means for coupling the base station to a line port for serving wired terminals of the switch;

means for communicating with wireless terminals; and

means interconnecting the communicating means with the coupling means, for receiving terminal registration information from a wireless terminal, formatting the registration information of the wireless terminal to a format acceptable to said terminal registration means, and sending the formatted registration information to said terminal registration means to cause the terminal registration means to associate said wireless terminal with a line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected, to effectuate a roaming capability for the wireless terminals that enables the wireless terminals to change their communicating with a base station to and from said base station.

20. The base station of claim 19 wherein:

the receiving formatting and sending means are responsive to receiving the terminal registration information from the wireless terminal upon the wireless terminal commencing to communicate with the base station by formatting and sending the terminal registration information to said registration means, and are further responsive to the wireless terminal ceasing to communicate with the base station by sending information to said terminal registration means to cause the terminal registration means to disassociate said wireless terminal from the line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected.

21. A base station for communicating with wireless terminals in a communications system that includes a switch having line ports for serving wired terminals and wired terminals including said base station connected to said line ports, which switch includes terminal registration means for effectuating a registration feature for said wired terminals such that in response to receipt, from an individual wired terminal that is connected to an individual one of said line ports for serving wired terminals, of an identification of said individual wired terminal, the registration means associates the identification of said individual wired terminal with a line appearance at said individual one of said line ports of said switch, the base station comprising:

circuitry for coupling the base station to a line port for serving wired terminals of the switch;

circuitry for communicating with wireless terminals; and

circuitry interconnecting the communicating circuitry with the coupling circuitry, responsive to an individual wireless terminal communicating with the base station, for sending a terminal identification corresponding to said wireless terminal to the registration means for association by the registration means of said terminal identification with a line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected, to effectuate a roaming capability for wireless terminals, where the roaming capability enables the switch to communicate with wireless terminals that change their communicating with a base station to and from the base station.

22. The base station of claim 21 wherein:

the sending circuitry is responsive to the individual wireless terminal commencing to communicate with the base station by sending the terminal identification to the registration means, and is further responsive to the individual wireless terminal ceasing to communicate with the base station by sending information to the registration means to cause the registration means to disassociate said individual wireless terminal from the line appearance at the line port to which the base station is connected.

23. A base station for communicating with wireless terminals in a communications system that includes a switch connected by line ports to wired terminals including said base station, which switch includes terminal registration means that respond to receipt, from one of the wired terminals that is connected to one of the line ports, of an identification of the one wired terminal by associating the one wired terminal with the one line port, the base station comprising:

circuitry responsive to any one of a plurality of wireless terminals commencing to communicate with the base station, for sending a terminal identification corresponding to said one wireless terminal to the registration means for association of said one wireless terminal by the registration means with the one line port connected to the base station; and

circuitry responsive to the one wireless terminal ceasing to communicate with the base station, for sending information to the registration means to cause the registration means to disassociate said one wireless terminal from the one line port connected to the base station;

to effectuate a roaming capability for wireless terminals that enables the wireless terminals to change their communicating with a base station to and from said base station.

24. The base station of claim 23 wherein:

the circuitry for sending a terminal identification sends the terminal identification corresponding to said one wireless terminal instead of terminal identification corresponding to the base station to cause the registration means to associate said one wireless terminal instead of the base station with the one line port.