Mobile station implementation for switching between licensed and unlicensed wireless systems

• US 7,324,818 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baranowski, Joseph G., Mohammed, Jahangir, Shi, Jianxiong, Shekhar, Madhu C., Elam, Thomas G., Powell, Mark, Kolderup, Kenneth M., Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J.
• Application Number:
  US11/227,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 455/448, 455/446, 455/432.2, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/435.1, 455/552.1, 455/445, 455/436, 455/462, 455/465, 455/432.1, 455/421, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• 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

An unlicensed wireless service is adapted to generate the interface protocols of a licensed wireless service to provide transparent transition of communication sessions between a licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. In one embodiment, a mobile station includes level 1, level 2, and level 3 protocols for licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. An indoor base station and indoor network controller provide protocol conversion for the unlicensed wireless service into a standard base station controller interface of the licensed wireless service.

Claims

1. A mobile station having a licensed wireless mode for accessing a licensed wireless communication system and an unlicensed wireless mode for accessing an unlicensed wireless communication system, the mobile station comprising:

a) a mobility management protocol (MM) layer for managing mobile station mobility;

b) an access mode switch for switching between the licensed wireless mode and the unlicensed wireless mode;

c) an unlicensed radio resource management entity;

d) a licensed radio resource management entity, wherein the licensed radio resource management entity and the unlicensed radio resource management entity directly coordinate with each other for switching between said licensed wireless mode and said unlicensed wireless mode and for handover of communication between said licensed wireless communication system and said unlicensed wireless communication system; and

e) a radio resource management service access point (RR-SAP) interface through which the unlicensed radio resource management entity and the licensed radio resource management entity communicate with the MM layer.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the licensed wireless communication system is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

3. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the RR-SAP behaves identically when communicating with the unlicensed radio resource management entity and when communicating with the licensed radio resource management entity.

4. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein the access mode switch switches signaling functions between the unlicensed wireless mode and the licensed wireless mode.

5. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein:

a) the RR-SAP communicates with the licensed radio resource management entity by use of a set of licensed wireless communication system primitives; and

b) the RR-SAP communicates with the unlicensed radio resource management entity by use of said set of licensed wireless communication system primitives.

6. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein:

a) the unlicensed radio resource management entity provides coordination with the licensed radio resource management entity through an unlicensed network-licensed network service access point (SAP); and

b) the licensed radio resource management entity provides coordination with the unlicensed radio resource management entity through a licensed network-unlicensed network service access point (SAP).

7. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station accesses the unlicensed wireless communication system using a Bluetooth wireless standard.

8. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station accesses the unlicensed wireless communication system using an IEEE 802.11 wireless standard.

9. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the access mode switch performs a handover by switching communications between the unlicensed wireless mode and the licensed wireless mode.

10. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein said handover is seamless.

11. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein the mobile station further comprises a plurality of protocol layers.

12. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the mobile station further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) layer.

13. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the unlicensed wireless communication system is transparent to the MM layer.

14. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the unlicensed wireless communication system is not transparent to the unlicensed radio resource management entity.

15. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the mobile station further comprises a group of protocol layers above the MM layer.

16. The mobile station of claim 15, wherein the unlicensed wireless communication system is transparent to the group of protocol layers above the MM layer.

17. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the mobile station further comprises a connection management protocol layer (CM) above the MM layer.

18. The mobile station of claim 17, wherein the unlicensed wireless communication system is transparent to the CM layer.

19. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station accesses the unlicensed wireless communication system using a wireless local area network protocol.

20. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station accesses the unlicensed wireless communication system using generic IP connectivity.

21. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station accesses the unlicensed wireless communication system through an unlicensed access point that supports generic IP connectivity.

22. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein said direct coordination between the licensed radio resource management entity and the unlicensed radio resource management entity is done through an unlicensed network to licensed network service access point (SAP) and a licensed network to unlicensed network SAP.