Handover messaging in an unlicensed mobile access telecommunications system
First Claim
1. A method for performing a handover from a first radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) to a second radio access network, the method comprising:
- establishing a dedicated connection between a mobile station (MS) and the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC);
determining that a handover from the UMAN is applicable;
sending a URR (UMA Radio Resource) HANDOVER REQUIRED message from the MS to the UNC; and
returning a URR HANDOVER COMMAND from the UNC to the MS,wherein each of the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message and the URR HANDOVER COMMAND message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including,a protocol discriminator;
a skip indicator; and
a message type via which the message may be identified,and wherein the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message further includes at least one IE that identifies one or more cells operating in the second radio access network to which the MS may connect to complete the handover from the UMAN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and messages for performing handovers between an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) comprising a first radio access network and a second radio access network. URR (UMA radio resource) handover messages are exchanged between a mobile station (MS) and a UMA network controller (UNC) operating in the UMAN. The MS may access the UMAN via a wireless access point (AP) that is communicatively coupled to the UNC via an IP network. The URR handover messages are sent between the MS and the UNC using an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP transport. The handover methods include both handover from a UMAN to the second radio access network, and handover from the second radio access network to the UMAN.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for performing a handover from a first radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) to a second radio access network, the method comprising:
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establishing a dedicated connection between a mobile station (MS) and the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC); determining that a handover from the UMAN is applicable; sending a URR (UMA Radio Resource) HANDOVER REQUIRED message from the MS to the UNC; and returning a URR HANDOVER COMMAND from the UNC to the MS, wherein each of the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message and the URR HANDOVER COMMAND message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified, and wherein the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message further includes at least one IE that identifies one or more cells operating in the second radio access network to which the MS may connect to complete the handover from the UMAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for performing a handover from a first radio access network to a second radio access network comprising a unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN), the method comprising:
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establishing a UMA connection between a mobile station (MS) and the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC); registering into the UMAN via the UNC; sending a URR (UMA Radio Resource) HANDOVER ACCESS message from the MS to the UNC; establishing a channel between the MS and the UNC; sending a URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message from the MS to the UNC, wherein each of the URR HANDOVER ACCESS message and the URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified; and wherein the URR HANDOVER ACCESS message further includes an IE containing an embedded Handover command layer 3 message. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC) to operate in a UMA network (UMAN) comprising a first radio access network, comprising:
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a first network interface comprising an IP (Internet Protocol) Network interface; a second network interface comprising an Up interface, via which UMA messages are to be transmitted to and received from a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the MS and the UNC, the Up interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the IP network interface; a third network interface, via which the UNC may be connected to a core network that is accessible to a second radio access network; and means for generating and processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to perform handovers between the UMAN and the second radio access network including, a URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message; a URR HANDOVER COMMAND message; and a URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message; wherein each of the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message, the URR HANDOVER COMMAND message, and the URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A mobile station (MS), comprising:
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a first wireless interface, to access a first radio access network; a second wireless interface, to access a second radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) via an access point (AP) using an unlicensed radio frequency; an Up interface to communicate with the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC) communicatively coupled to the AP via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and means for generating and processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to perform handovers between the first wireless network and the UMAN including, a URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message; a URR HANDOVER COMMAND message; and a URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message; wherein each of the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message, the URR HANDOVER COMMAND message, and the URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-readable storage medium, to provide respective portions of instructions to be executed on a mobile station (MS) and an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC), wherein the computer-readable storage medium is a physical storage medium and not propagated signals, said instructions to perform a handover from a first radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) to a second radio access network by performing operations including:
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generating and processing a plurality of UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Radio Resource (URR) handover messages to be transmitted between the MS and the UNC via an access point (AP) communicatively coupled between the MS and the UNC, the URR handover messages including a URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message, wherein each of the URR handover messages includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified; and wherein the URR HANDOVER REQUIRED message further includes at least one IE that identifies one or more cells operating in the second radio access network to which the MS may connect to complete the handover from the UMAN. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-readable storage medium, to provide respective portions of instructions to be executed on a mobile station (MS) and a unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC), wherein the computer-readable storage medium is a physical storage medium and not propagated signals, said instructions to perform a handover from a first radio access network to a second radio access network comprising a unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) by performing operations including:
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establishing a UMA connection between the mobile station and the UMAN via the (UNC); registering into the UMAN via the UNC; sending a URR (UMA Radio Resource) HANDOVER ACCESS message from the MS to the UNC; obtaining a traffic channel assignment for the MS; and sending a URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message from the MS to the UNC, wherein each of the URR HANDOVER ACCESS message and the URR HANDOVER COMPLETE message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including, a protocol discriminator; a skip indicator; and a message type via which the message may be identified; and wherein the URR HANDOVER ACCESS message further includes an IE containing an embedded Handover command layer 3 message. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification