Method and apparatus for conducting mobile communication over IP networks

• US 6,693,886 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia IP, Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pruuden, Peeter, Haikonen, Janne
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLINARI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US09/498,643
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 455/515, 455/517, 455/439, 455/560, 455/426, 370/329, 370/338, 370/401, 370/466, 370/467, 370/328, 370/400, 370/352, 370/354, 370/356
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/06 between gateways and public network devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for permitting mobile communications between a Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC) and a Mobile Station (MS) and between MSs by establishing for each transaction, including a call, an Internet Protocol (IP) connection in an IP network. In the invention a call to a MS is initiated by sending from the MSC to the MS, via the IP network, a call initiation message causing the MS to send a response message which includes a mobile identity that can be used as a session identifier identifying the MS. Responsive to the response message, the MSC sends a call set up message to establish an IP connection in the IP network upon which a transaction including the call is to be conducted. The call set up message includes a transaction ID which identifies the transaction. The IP network stores the transaction ID and maps the transaction ID with respect to the session identifier and the IP connection to be established. The IP connection is established in the IP network according to data stored and mapped in the IP network. Another call to the MS from another MS, while the previous call is active, is handled by establishing another IP connection and mapping a different value for the transaction ID for the other call for at least a second leg of the other IP connection to avoid clashes with the previously mapped transaction ID.

Claims

1. A method of permitting mobile communications between a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and a Mobile Station (MS) and between MSs by establishing for each transaction including a call an Internet Protocol (IP) connection in an IP network which includes a Gateway (GW), coupled to said MSC, for translating between said IP network and a circuit switched network, a Gatekeeper (GK), coupled to said GW, for performing call control functions, and a plurality of Internet Mobile Clusters (IMCs), each effecting wireless communications with said MSs via a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), said method comprising:

initiating a call to a MS by sending from said MSC to said MS, via said GW, GK, IMCs, and BTSs, a call initiation message causing said MS to send a response message to an IMC via a BTS, said response message includes a mobile identity which identifies said MS;

storing in said IMC said mobile identity and mapping said mobile identity with respect to a wireless connection established with said MS via said BTS;

sending a first IP communication including said response message from said IMC to said GK;

storing in said GK said mobile identity from said first IP communication and forwarding said first IP communication to said GW;

storing in said GW said mobile identity from said first IP communication, mapping said mobile identity with respect to a wireline connection established with said MSC and forwarding said response message from said first IP communication to said MSC;

responsive to said response message, sending from said MSC to said GW a call set up message to establish an IP connection in said IP network upon which a transaction including said call is to be conducted, said call set up message including a transaction ID which identifies said transaction;

storing in said GW said transaction ID from said call setup message, mapping said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity, said wireline connection and said IP connection to be established, and sending a second IP communication including said call setup message from said GW to said GK;

storing in said GK said transaction ID from said second IP communication including said call setup message, mapping said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity and said IP connection to be established, and forwarding said second IP communication from said GK to said IMC;

storing in said IMC said transaction ID from said second IP communication including said call setup message, mapping said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity, said wireless connection and said IP connection to be established; and

establishing said IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in each of said GW, GK and IMC, thereby permitting mobile communications between said MSC and said MS over said IP network.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating another call to said MS from another MS when said call is active by sending from said another MS to another IMC, via another BTS, a service request message including another mobile identity which identifies said another MS;

storing in said another IMC said another mobile identity from said service request message and mapping said another mobile identity with respect to a wireless connection established with said another MS via said another BTS;

sending a third IP communication including said service request message from said IMC to said GK;

storing in said GK said another mobile identity from said third IP communication and in response, sending a fourth IP communication including a service accept message to said another IMC;

receiving in said another IMC said fourth IP communication including said service accept message and forwarding said service accept message to said another MS via said another BTS;

responsive to said service accept message, sending from said another MS to said another IMC a call set up message to establish another IP connection in said IP network upon which another transaction including said another call is to be conducted, said another call set up message including another transaction ID which identifies said another transaction;

storing in said another IMC said another transaction ID from said another call setup message, mapping said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity, said wireless connection and said another IP connection to be established, and sending a fifth IP communication including said call setup message from said another IMC to said GK;

storing in said GK said another transaction ID from said fifth IP communication, mapping said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity and a first leg of said another IP connection to be established between said another IMC and said GK, and mapping a different value for said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity and a second leg of said another IP connection to be established between said GK and said IMC to avoid clashes with said previously mapped transaction ID; and

establishing said another IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in each of said GK and said another IMC, thereby permitting mobile communications between said another MS and said MS over said IP network.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said call from said MSC is initiated by sending a paging request message from said GK to each of said IMCs which in turn cause a wireless paging signal to be sent over a paging channel to each of said MSs via said BTSs.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein each MS monitors said paging channel so that a response message can be sent to an IMC when said wireless paging signal is directed to said MS.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said third IP communication includes another location area information (LAI) representing a location of said another MS, said another LAI including information identifying said another IMC.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said GK stores said another mobile identity along with said another LAI and maps said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity, said another LAI, and said first and second legs of said another IP connection to be established in a manner to avoid clashes with said previously mapped transaction ID.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said different value is chosen for said another transaction ID according to a procedure where a highest unused value for said transaction ID is used.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein said different value is chosen for said another transaction ID according to a procedure where a lowest unused value for said transaction ID is used.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first IP communication includes location area information (LAI) representing a location of MS, said LAI including information identifying said IMC.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said GK stores said mobile identity along with said LAI and maps said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity, said LAI and said IP connection to be established.

11. A method of permitting mobile communications between a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and a Mobile Station (MS) and between MSs by establishing for each transaction including a call an Internet Protocol (IP) connection in an IP network, said method comprising:

initiating a call to a MS by sending from said MSC to said MS, via said IP network, a call initiation message causing said MS to send a response message to said MSC, said response message includes a mobile identity which identifies said MS;

responsive to said response message, sending from said MSC to said MS a call set up message to establish an IP connection in said IP network upon which a transaction including said call is to be conducted, said call set up message including a transaction ID which identifies said transaction;

storing in said IP network said transaction ID from said call setup message, and mapping said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity and said IP connection to be established;

establishing said IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in said IP network, thereby permitting mobile communications between said MSC and said MS over said IP network;

initiating another call to said MS from another MS when said call is active by sending from said another MS to said IP network a service request message including another mobile identity which identifies said another MS;

storing in said IP network said another mobile identity from said service request message and sending from said IP network to said another MS a service accept message;

responsive to said service accept message, sending from said another MS to said IP network a call set up message to establish another IP connection in said IP network upon which another transaction including said another call is to be conducted, said another call set up message including another transaction ID which identifies said another transaction;

storing in said IP network said another transaction ID from said another call setup message, mapping said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity and a first leg of said another IP connection to be established between said another MS and said IP network, and mapping a different value for said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity and a second leg of said another IP connection to be established between said IP network and said MS to avoid clashes with said previously mapped transaction ID; and

establishing said another IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in said IP network, thereby permitting mobile communications between said another MS and said MS over said IP network.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said call is initiated by sending from said IP network to each of said MSs a wireless paging signal over a paging channel.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein each MS monitors said paging channel so that a response message can be sent when said wireless paging signal is directed to said MS.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein said response message includes location area information (LAI) representing a location of said MS.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said IP network stores said mobile identity along with said LAI and maps said transaction ID with respect to said mobile identity, said LAI and said IP connection to be established.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said service request message includes another location area information (LAI) representing a location of said another MS.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said IP network stores said another mobile identity along with said another LAI and maps said another transaction ID with respect to said another mobile identity, said another LAI, and said first and second legs of said another IP connection to be established in a manner to avoid clashes with said previously mapped transaction ID.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein said different value is chosen for said another transaction ID according to a procedure where a highest unused value for said transaction ID is used.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein said different value is chosen for said another transaction ID according to a procedure where a lowest unused value for said transaction ID is used.

20. A method of permitting mobile communications between a Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC) and a Mobile Station (MS) and between MSs by establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) connection in an IP network on which a plurality of transactions, each including a call, are to be conducted, said method comprising:

initiating a call to a MS by sending from said MSC to said MS, via said IP network, a call initiation message causing said MS to send a response message to said MSC, said response message includes a mobile identity that can be used as a session identifier which identifies said MS;

responsive to said response message, sending from said MSC to said MS a call set up message to establish an IP connection in said IP network upon which a transaction including said call is to be conducted, said call set up message including a transaction ID which identifies said transaction;

storing in said IP network said transaction ID from said call setup message, and mapping said transaction ID with respect to said session identifier and said IP connection to be established;

establishing said IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in said IP network;

initiating another call to said MS from another MS when said call is active by sending from said another MS to said IP network a service request message including another mobile identity that can be used as a session identifier which identifies said another MS;

storing in said IP network said another session identifier from said service request message and sending from said IP network to said another MS a service accept message;

responsive to said service accept message, sending from said another MS to said IP network another call set up message to conduct at least a portion of said another call over said IP connection previously established in said IP network for said call between said MS and said MSC, said another call set up message including another transaction ID which identifies said another transaction;

storing in said IP network said another transaction ID from said another call setup message, mapping said another transaction ID with respect to said another session identifier and another IP connection to be established between said another MS and said IP network and mapping a different value for said another transaction ID with respect to said another session identifier and another IP connection to be established between said IP network and said another MS to avoid clashes with said previously mapped transaction ID;

establishing said another IP connection in said IP network according to data stored and mapped in said IP network; and

conducting at least a portion of said another call along with said call over said IP connection previously established in said IP network for said call between said MS and said MSC.