Method and apparatus for inter-cell handover in wireless networks using multiple protocols
First Claim
1. A method for performing a handoff of a wireless mobile station from an anchor BTS to a target BTS, the method carried out in a wireless network,wherein the wireless network is one of an interconnected plurality of wireless networks, each of said plurality of wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including a plurality of wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations;
- with at least one wireless network in said plurality of wireless networks further;
providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol;
interconnecting at least one of the voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with at least one of 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 plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; and
controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells, the handover being further controlled by the steps of;
identifying the target BTS using measurement data from the mobile station;
issuing a request message to the target BTS to request that the target BTS allocate resources at the target BTS to accommodate the mobile station; and
instructing the mobile station to handoff to the target BTS.
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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.
56 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for performing a handoff of a wireless mobile station from an anchor BTS to a target BTS, the method carried out in a wireless network,
wherein the wireless network is one of an interconnected plurality of wireless networks, each of said plurality of wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including a plurality of wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations; with at least one wireless network in said plurality of wireless networks further; providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol; interconnecting at least one of the voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with at least one of 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 plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; and controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells, the handover being further controlled by the steps of; identifying the target BTS using measurement data from the mobile station; issuing a request message to the target BTS to request that the target BTS allocate resources at the target BTS to accommodate the mobile station; and instructing the mobile station to handoff to the target BTS. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for performing a handoff of a wireless mobile station from an anchor base station transceiver (BTS) to a target BTS, the apparatus being in a wireless network;
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wherein the wireless network is one of an interconnected plurality of wireless networks, each of said plurality of wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including a plurality of wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations; with at least one wireless network in said plurality of wireless networks further; providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol; interconnecting at least one of the voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with at least one of 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 plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; and controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; with the apparatus further comprising; means for determining the target BTS using measurement data from the mobile station; means for issuing a request message to the target BTS to request that the target BTS allocate resources at the target BTS to accommodate the mobile station; and means for instructing the mobile station to handoff to the target BTS.
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16. An anchor base station transceiver (BTS) for performing a handoff of a wireless mobile station from the BTS to a target BTS, the apparatus being in a wireless network;
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wherein the wireless network is one of an interconnected plurality of wireless networks, each of said plurality of wireless networks operating with a wireless protocol for communications with mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including a plurality of wireless cells for providing communications to said mobile stations, each of said plurality of wireless networks also including signaling, voice, and data traffic links that enable network communications with base transceiver stations; with at least one wireless network in said plurality of wireless networks further; providing signaling, voice, and data traffic links using a wired-packet protocol; interconnecting at least one of the voice and data traffic links using the wired-packet protocol with at least one of 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 plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; and controlling the handover of mobile stations from one of said plurality of wireless cells to another one of said plurality of wireless cells; with the apparatus further comprising; means for identifying the target BTS using measurement data from a mobile station; a call control (CC) module configured to issue a request message to the target BTS to request that the target BTS allocate resources at the target BTS to accommodate the mobile station; and a radio resource (RR) module configured to instruct the mobile station to handoff to the target BTS. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification