Interoperable voice and data wireless network

• US 7,383,042 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamb, James A., Piper, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/417,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20040209615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/411, 455/419, 455/553.1, 455/461, 455/435, 455/418, 455/432.3, 455/445, 455/432.34, 455/417, 455/566, 455/567, 455/554.1, 455/560, 455/435.1, 455/412.2, 370/356, 370/310, 370/349, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless architecture having a mobile device, a voice network, a data network, and a home location register (HLR). The HLR is operably connected to the voice network and the data network. The HLR is operable to initiate a message to the mobile device, via the data network, that a voice session is waiting to be transmitted to the mobile device via the voice network.

Claims

1. A wireless system, comprising:

a voice network;

a data network provided separately from the voice network;

a home location register (HLR) in communication with the voice network and the separately provided data network; and

wherein the HLR is operable to;

initiate a message to a mobile device, via the separately provided data network, that a voice session is waiting to be transmitted to the mobile device via the voice network;

initiate a suspend data activity request through the data network to a mobile device; and

initiate a route request in parallel with the suspend data activity request to a mobile switching center (MSC).

2. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein a mobile device includes a handheld multifunction device capable of one network connection at a time.

3. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the HLR includes an HLR/authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA) database capable of registering subscriber information for both a voice network and a separately provided data network.

4. The wireless system of claim 3, wherein a mobile device is registered in both the voice network and the separately provided data network simultaneously.

5. The wireless system of claim 4, wherein the voice network includes a code division multiple access (CDMA) radio access interface.

6. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the separately provided data network includes an 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN).

7. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the separately provided data network includes a Bluetooth radio access interface.

8. A wireless architecture, comprising:

a mobile device operable to receive voice information via a voice network and data information via a data network that is provided separately from the voice network; and

a home location register/authentication, authorization, accounting (HLR/AAA) database operably coupled to both the voice network and the separately provided data network and operable to perform HLR functions and AAA functions for both the voice network and the separately provided data network; and

wherein the HLR/AAA database is operable to, based on a location request message received from a gateway mobile switching center (MSC);

initiate a suspend data activity request through the data network to the mobile device; and

initiate a route request in parallel with the suspend data activity request to a serving mobile switching center (MSC).

9. The wireless architecture of claim 8, wherein the voice network includes a base station, in communication with the serving mobile switching center (MSC) connected by a signaling system to a signal transfer point, the signal transfer point connected by the signaling system to the HLR/AAA and the gateway MSC having a connection to a telephone network.

10. The wireless architecture of claim 8, wherein the separately provided data network includes a data network having an access point connected to an access point controller (APC) via an Internet Protocol link (IP), the APC connected to an Internet connection, and the Internet connection provisioned by an Internet service provider (ISP) of the mobile device.

11. The wireless architecture of claim 8, wherein the HLR/AAA includes an HLR/AAA operable to initiate a message to the mobile device, via the separately provided data network, indicating that a voice session is waiting to be terminated to the mobile device via the voice network.

12. The wireless architecture of claim 8, wherein the voice network includes a global system for mobile (GSM) communications network.

13. The wireless architecture of claim 8, wherein the HLR/AAA is interfaced through a firewall to an Internet connection.

14. A wireless architecture, comprising:

a voice network operable to connect to a mobile device;

a data network provided separately from the voice network and operable to connect to the mobile device; and

logic means operable to;

maintain registration of mobile device subscriber information for both the voice network and the separately provided data network;

initiate a suspend data activity request through the data network to the mobile device; and

initiate a route request in parallel with the suspend data activity request to a serving mobile switching center (MSC).

15. The wireless architecture of claim 14, wherein logic means includes logic means operable to signal the mobile device, via the data interface, that a voice session is waiting to be connected to the mobile device.

16. A method for wireless operation between a voice network and a data network, comprising;

interfacing a voice network to a mobile device;

signaling the mobile device, via a wireless data network that is provided separately from the voice network, that a voice call is attempting to connect with the mobile device via the voice network; and

wherein, based on a location request message received from a mobile switching center, initiating a suspend data activity message in parallel with a route request message from a home location register (HLR).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes providing concurrent registration of the mobile device, accessible by both the voice and the separately provided data network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing concurrent registration of the mobile device, accessible by both the voice and the separately provided data network, includes registering a data network location for the mobile device in an HLR/AAA.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein registering the data network location includes registering an IP address assigned to the mobile device upon connection to the separately provided data network.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:

receiving the location request message from a gateway mobile switching center;

sending the suspend data activity message from the home location register (HLR) to the mobile device;

sending the route request message from the HLR to a serving mobile switching center; and

connecting the call to the mobile device via the voice network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein initiating a suspend data activity message from an HLR includes initiating a suspend data activity from an HLR/ authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA) device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein initiating a route request message from the HLR includes initiating a route request message from an HLR/AAA device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein connecting the call to the mobile device via the voice network includes queuing suspended data activity.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein connecting the call to the mobile device via the voice network includes provisioning a temporary local directory number (TLDN) from the serving mobile switching center (MSC) to an HLR/AAA.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further includes;

providing a location response message from the HLR/AAA to the gateway MSC;

connecting the call to the serving MSC; and

paging the mobile device on the voice network.

26. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions capable of being executed by a computer for causing a device to perform a method, comprising:

signaling a suspend data activity request from an HLR/AAA through a data network to a mobile device;

signaling a route request to a mobile switching center (MSC) in parallel with the suspend data activity request; and

connecting a call to the mobile device via a voice network that is provided separately from the data network.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the method further includes:

signaling a suspend result from the mobile device to the HLR/AAA;

signaling a route request in parallel with the suspend data activity request from the HLR/AAA to a serving mobile switching center (MSC); and

signaling a route response from the serving MSC to the HLR/AAA.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the method further includes;

signaling a location response from the HLR/AAA to a gateway MSC;

signaling an initial address message (IAM) from the gateway MSC to the serving MSC; and

signaling a page from the serving MSC to the mobile device.

29. The medium of claim 26, wherein the medium further includes instructions to:

signal a client registration from the mobile device to the HLR/AAA; and

signal a registration response from the HLR/AAA to the mobile device.

30. The medium of claim 26, wherein the medium further includes instructions to:

transmit an authentication request from the mobile device to an access point controller (APC);

transmit an access request from the APC to the HLR/AAA;

transmit a challenge from the HLR/AAA to the APC;

transmit a device challenge from the APC to the mobile device; and

transmit a challenge result from the mobile device to the APC.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the medium further includes instructions to:

transmit an access request from the APC to the HLR/AAA;

transmit an access result from the HLR/AAA to the APC; and

transmit an authentication response from the APC to the mobile device.