Method and apparatus for inter-cell handover in wireless networks using multiple protocols

• US 6,993,359 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sayers, Ian Leslie, Long, Paul Jan, Nelakanti, Bhavannarayana Sri Nrusimha
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/561,100
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 455/554.1, 455/555, 455/426.1, 455/461, 455/433, 455/445, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/442, 455/552.1, 455/554.2, 379/156, 379/157, 379/161, 379/167.01, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/554.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/142 over the same radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

A communication system formed by a private wireless network that can be used with public wireless networks using a public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and typically includes public networks, such as PSTN, ISDN and the Internet, using a wired-packet protocol, such as IP. The private network also typically includes a local area network (LAN) and the private network typically connects to the public networks using the wired-packet protocol, such as IP. The public and private wireless networks operate with the same public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and the private wireless network additionally operates with the wired-packet protocol, such as IP. In this environment, multiple wireless cells are present and inter-cell handovers employ multiple protocols including the wired-packet protocol.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

two or more wireless networks, each of said wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, said wireless networks including two or more wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said wireless cells including a base transceiver station that defines the radio boundary of each wireless cell, each of said wireless networks including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations,

at least one wireless network further comprising;

signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol,

a connection unit that interconnects voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the voice and data traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

an interworking unit that interconnects signaling traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the signaling traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

an interface for interfacing the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells, and

a controller for controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said wireless protocol is one of GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA and IS 136 TDMA.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said wired-packet protocol is Internet Protocol.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said traffic links include one or more local area networks and connect the wireless networks to said connection unit and interworking unit.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein said wireless networks include a public wireless network and a private wireless network and said connection unit connects the public wireless network and the private wireless network for communications by said wireless stations between the public wireless network and the private wireless network.

6. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising public networks having a public wireless network and private networks having a private wireless network, and wherein:

one of said two or more wireless networks is said public wireless network and one of said two or more wireless networks is a private wireless network,

said traffic links include one or more local area networks,

said connection unit connects said local area networks of the private wireless networks to the public networks including the public wireless network, and

said interface means interfaces the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said public network includes one or more of the Internet, PSTN, N-ISDN and B-ISDN.

8. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said traffic links connect to wired terminals via a local area network to provide integrated voice and data communications between said mobile stations and said wired terminals using said wired-packet protocol.

9. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said public wireless network includes a public BTS, a public BSC, a public MSC and a public HLR for mobile stations making calls using said public wireless network.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said mobile stations do not require use of said public BTS, said public BSC, said public MSC or said public HLR for calls using said private wireless networks.

11. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said wireless networks include a plurality of private wireless networks, a plurality of private base transceiver stations, each private base transceiver station establishing wireless communication, using said wireless protocol, with said mobile stations located in one or more cells within a corresponding one of the private wireless networks, and wherein said connection unit includes a hub for connecting said plurality of private base transceiver stations together in a local area network.

12. The communication system of claim 11 including a gatekeeper connected in said local area network for providing control functions for operation of the mobile stations according to the private wired-packet protocol.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database and an encoder/decoder for registration, administration and status messages.

14. The communication system of claim 11 including a router connected in said local area network for providing control functions for routing calls between the private networks and the public networks.

15. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said public network includes one or more of the Internet, PSTN, N-ISDN and B-ISDN.

16. The communication system of claim 15 wherein said connection unit includes one or more gateways for providing control functions for the mobile stations for converting the wired packet protocol to a public network protocol for said public networks.

17. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said wireless protocol is GSM and has a wireless call build/teardown sequence and said wired-packet protocol includes H.225, H.245 and H.323 and has a wired-packet call build/teardown sequence and wherein said interface means integrates said wireless call build/teardown sequence with said wired-packet call build/teardown sequence.

18. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said controller controls which ones of the wireless cells service which ones of the wireless stations.

19. The communication system of claim 18 wherein said controller is effected by the coordination of a gateway, gatekeeper, and Multi-conference unit that control handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to other of said wireless cells.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said wireless networks include a plurality of private wireless networks, a plurality of private base transceiver stations, each private base transceiver station establishing wireless communication, using said wireless protocol, with said mobile stations located in one or more cells within a corresponding one of the private wireless networks, and wherein said connection unit includes a hub for connecting said plurality of private base transceiver stations together in a local area network.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

providing control functions via a gatekeeper connected in said local area network, the control functions for operation of the mobile stations according to the private wired-packet protocol.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database and an encoder/decoder for further steps of providing registration, administration and status messages.

23. The method of claim 20 further including:

routing, via said local area network, said control functions for routing calls between the private networks and the public networks.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said public network includes one or more of the Internet, PSTN, N-ISDN and B-ISDN.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said connecting step further comprises:

providing one or more gatekeeper database for implementing control functions for the mobile stations for converting the wired packet protocol to a public network protocol for said public networks.

26. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said wireless networks include one or more base transceiver stations, each base transceiver station establishing wireless communication, using said wireless protocol, with said mobile stations located in a cell.

27. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said one or more wireless networks includes one or more private wireless networks, one or more of said private wireless networks having two or more private cells including a first private cell and a second private cell where mobile stations in each of said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell and a second private base station for said second private cell and where a handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell is controlled by a handover from said first private base station to said second private base station using a wired-packet protocol.

28. The communication system of claim 27 wherein said first private base station and said second private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said handover establishes a traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

29. The communication system of claim 27 wherein said connection unit and interface enable connection of said first private base station and said second private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired-packet protocol.

30. The communication system of claim 29 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

31. The communication system of claim 27 wherein, after said handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell, a back handover of mobile stations from said second private cell to said first private cell is controlled by a handover from said second private base station to said first private base station.

32. The communication system of claim 31 wherein said first private base station and said second private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said back handover breaks any traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

33. The communication system of claim 27 wherein, after said handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell, a second handover of mobile stations from said second private cell to a third private cell is controlled by a handover from said second private base station to a third private base station.

34. The communication system of claim 33 wherein said first private base station, said second private base station and said third private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said second handover establishes a traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said third private base station and breaks any traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

35. The communication system of claim 33 wherein said connection unit and interface enable connection of said first private base station and said second private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired-packet protocol.

36. The communication system of claim 35 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

37. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said one or more wireless networks further comprises:

one or more private wireless networks, each of said private wireless networks having one or more private cells, including a first private cell, where mobile stations in said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell,

one or more public wireless networks, each of said public wireless networks having one or more public cells including a first public cell where mobile stations in said public cells are under control of public base stations for said public cells including a first public base station for said first public cell,

and where a handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell is controlled by a handover from said first private base station to said first public base station using said wired-packet protocol.

38. The communication system of claim 37 wherein said connection unit, interworking unit, and interface enable connection of said first private base station and said first public base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired packet protocol.

39. The communication system of claim 38 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

40. The communication system of claim 37 wherein, after a handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell, a back handover from said first public cell to said first private cell is controlled by a handover from said first public base station to said first private base station.

41. The communication system of claim 37 wherein after a handover of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell, a handover from said first public cell to a second public cell is controlled by a handover from said first public base station to said second public base station.

42. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said one or more wireless networks further comprises:

one or more private wireless networks, each of said private wireless networks having one or more private cells, including a first private cell, where mobile stations in said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell,

one or more public wireless networks, each of said public wireless networks having one or more public cells including a first public cell where mobile stations in said public cells are under control of public base stations for said public cells including a first public base station for said first public cell,

and wherein a handover of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell is controlled by a handover from said first public base station to said first private base station using said wired-packet protocol.

43. The communication system of claim 42 wherein said connection unit, interworking unit, and interface enable connection of said first public base station and said first private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired packet protocol.

44. The communication system of claim 43 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

45. The communication system of claim 42 wherein after a handover of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell, a back handover from said first private cell to said first public cell is controlled by a handover from said first private base station to said first public base station.

46. The communication system of claim 42 wherein, after a handover of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell, a handover from said first private cell to a second public cell is controlled by a handover from said first private base station to said second public base station.

47. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the signaling, voice and data traffic links enable network communications directly and indirectly between base transceiver stations and any one or combination of MSCs, BSCs, HLRs, AUCs, VLRs, EIRs, interworking units, connection units, hubs, gateways, gatekeepers and routers.

48. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the interworking unit further interconnects voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the voice and data traffic links of one or more wireless networks.

49. A method for wireless communication comprising:

providing connections to two or more wireless networks, each of said wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, said wireless networks including two or more wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said wireless cells including a base transceiver station that defines the radio boundary of each wireless cell, each of said wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations,

with at least one wireless network further

providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol,

interconnecting voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the voice and data traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interconnecting via an interworking unit, signaling traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the signaling traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interfacing the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells, and

controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said wireless protocol is one of GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA and IS 136 TDMA.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein said wired-packet protocol is Internet Protocol.

52. The method of claim 49 wherein said traffic links include one or more local area networks, to further implement a step of connecting the wireless networks to said connection unit and interworking unit.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein said wireless networks include a public wireless network and a private wireless network and said connecting step connects the public wireless network and the private wireless network for communications by said wireless stations between the public wireless network and the private wireless network.

54. The method of claim 49 further including public networks having a public wireless network and private networks having a private wireless network, wherein, one of said two or more wireless networks is said public wireless network and one of said two or more wireless networks is a private wireless network, and said traffic links include one or more local area networks,

and further comprising:

connecting said local area networks of the private wireless networks to the public networks via the public wireless network, and

interfacing the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein said public network includes one or more of the Internet, PSTN, N-ISDN and B-ISDN.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein said traffic links connect to wired terminals via a local area network to provide integrated voice and data communications between said mobile stations and said wired terminals using said wired-packet protocol.

57. The method of claim 54 wherein said public wireless network includes a public BTS, a public BSC, a public MSC and a public HLR for mobile stations making calls using said public wireless network.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein said mobile stations do not require use of said public BTS, said public BSC, said public MSC or said public HLR for calls using said private wireless networks.

59. The method of claim 49 wherein said wireless protocol is GSM and has a wireless call build/teardown sequence and said wired-packet protocol includes H.225, H.245 and H.323 and has a wired-packet call build/teardown sequence and wherein said interfacing stop further integrates said wireless call build/teardown sequence with said wired-packet call build/teardown sequence.

60. The method of claim 49 wherein said controlling stop controls which ones of the wireless cells service which ones of the wireless stations.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein said controlling step is effected by the coordination of a gateway, gatekeeper, and Multi-conference unit that control handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to other of said wireless cells.

62. The method of claim 49 wherein said wireless networks include one or more base transceiver stations, each base transceiver station establishing wireless communication, using said wireless protocol, with said mobile stations located in a cell.

63. The method of claim 49 wherein said one or more wireless networks includes one or more private wireless networks, one or more of said private wireless networks having two or more private cells including a first private cell and a second private cell where mobile stations in each of said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell and a second private base station for said second private cell and further comprising:

handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell via a handover from said first private base station to said second private base station using a wired-packet protocol.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein said first private base station and said second private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said handing over step further establishes a traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein said connection unit and interface means enable connection of said first private base station and said second private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired-packet protocol.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

67. The method of claim 63 further comprises, after said step of handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell, a further back handing over of mobile stations from said second private cell to said first private cell controlled by handing over from said second private base station to said first private base station.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein said first private base station and said second private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said back handing over step further breaks any traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

69. The method of claim 63 wherein, after said step of handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said second private cell,

performing a second step of handing over of mobile stations from said second private cell to a third private cell, controlled by a handing over from said second private base station to a third private base station.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein said first private base station, said second private base station and said third private base station have ports that support an RTP protocol and said second step of handing over establishes a traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said third private base station, and breaks any traffic connection using said RTP protocol between said first private base station and said second private base station.

71. The method of claim 69 wherein said connecting step and interfacing steps enable connecting of said first private base station and said second private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for a further step of providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired-packet protocol.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

73. The method of claim 49 wherein said one or more wireless networks includes,

one or more private wireless networks, each of said private wireless networks having one or more private cells, including a first private cell, where mobile stations in said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell,

one or more public wireless networks, each of said public wireless networks having one or more public cells including a first public cell where mobile stations in said public cells are under control of public base stations for said public cells including a first public base station for said first public cell,

and where a step of handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell is controlled by handing over from said first private base station to said first public base station using said wired-packet protocol.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein said connect step, interworking step, and interface step enable connecting of said first private base station and said first public base station, and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers for a step of providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired packet protocol.

75. The method of claim 74 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

76. The method of claim 73 wherein, after handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell,

back handing over from said first public cell to said first private cell, by handing over from said first public base station to said first private base station.

77. The method of claim 73 wherein after handing over of mobile stations from said first private cell to said first public cell,

handing over from said first public cell to a second public cell by handing over from said first public base station to said second public base station.

78. The method of claim 49 wherein said one or more wireless networks further comprises:

one or more private wireless networks, each of said private wireless networks having one or more private cells, including a first private cell, where mobile stations in said private cells are under control of private base stations for said private cells including a first private base station for said first private cell,

one or more public wireless networks, each of said public wireless networks having one or more public cells including a first public cell where mobile stations in said public cells are under control of public base stations for said public cells including a first public base station for said first public cell,

and where handing over of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell is provided by handing over from said first public base station to said first private base station using said wired-packet protocol.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein said connecting step, interworking step, and interfacing step enable connecting of said first public base station and said first private base station and wherein said private wireless networks include one or more gatekeepers that implement a step of providing control functions for the mobile stations using said wired packet protocol.

80. The method of claim 79 wherein said gatekeeper includes a gatekeeper database providing wired-packet addresses.

81. The method of claim 78 wherein after a handing-over of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell, a step of back handing over from said first private cell to said first public cell is provided by a handing over from said first private base station to said first public base station.

82. The method of claim 78 wherein, after a handing over of mobile stations from said first public cell to said first private cell, a handing over from said first private cell to a second public cell is provided by a handing over from said first private base station to said second public base station.

83. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium for storing information;

a set of computer program instructions embedded on the computer readable medium, comprising instructions for

providing connections to two or more wireless networks, each of said wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, said wireless networks also including two or more wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said wireless cells including a base transceiver station that defines the radio boundary of each wireless cell, each of said wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations,

with computer program instructions for at least one wireless network further

providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol,

interconnecting voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the voice and data traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interconnecting via an interworking unit, signaling traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the signaling traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interfacing the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells, and

controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.

84. A communication system comprising:

two or more wireless networks, each of said wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, said wireless networks including two or more wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said wireless cells including a base transceiver station that defines the radio boundary of each wireless cell, each of said wireless networks including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations,

at least one wireless network comprising;

means for providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol,

connection means for interconnecting the voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the voice and data traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interworking means for interconnecting signaling traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with the signaling traffic links of one or more wireless networks,

interface means for interfacing the wireless protocol and the wired-packet protocol whereby base transceiver stations communicate with mobile stations using the wireless protocol and use the wired-packet protocol to enable handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells, and

controls means for controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said wireless cells to another one of said wireless cells.