Mobile station messaging for channel activation in an unlicensed wireless communication system

• US 8,054,165 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• 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): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/906,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20110038337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.1, 340/286.02, 455/436, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/450, 370/331, 370/352, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/339
• US Class Current: 340/286.02
• 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

A method is presented that establishes, at a telecommunication device that is at a particular service region of a first communication network, a Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and a network controller that communicatively couples several service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network. The method receives a channel activation message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection. The channel activation message initiates the telecommunication device to activate a channel for a communication session. The method sends communication session data through an activated channel to the network controller for routing to the licensed wireless second communication network. The method receives a release message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection. The release message causes the telecommunication device to terminate the communication session by releasing the activated channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a telecommunication device that is at a particular service region of a first communication network, establishing a Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and a network controller that communicatively couples a plurality of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network;

at the telecommunication device, receiving a channel activation message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection, said channel activation message initiating the telecommunication device to activate a channel for a communication session;

through an activated channel, sending communication session data from the telecommunication device to the network controller for routing to the licensed wireless second communication network; and

at the telecommunication device, receiving a release message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection, said release message causing the telecommunication device to terminate the communication session by releasing the activated channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session data comprises voice communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed wireless network, wherein the telecommunication device is a dual mode device comprising a first mode for communicating with the licensed wireless second communication network using licensed wireless frequencies and a second mode for communicating with the first communication network using unlicensed wireless frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication device comprises a device for communicatively coupling to a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated channel communicatively couples the telecommunication device to the network controller through the Internet using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the licensed wireless second communication network provides circuit switched services to the communicatively coupled service regions of the first communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the TCP/IP connection comprises establishing a secure link between the telecommunication device and the network controller before receiving the channel activation message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secure link is IP security (IPSec), wherein establishing the TCP/IP connection further comprises establishing a TCP session over the secure link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel activation message causes an allocation of a channel to facilitate the communication session that involves the telecommunication device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising a response to the channel activation message from the telecommunication device to the network controller over the TCP/IP connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated channel permits the telecommunication device to access bearer services of the licensed wireless second communication network through the first communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bearer services comprise services for facilitating voice communications.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed communication network.

14. A method comprising:

at a telecommunication device that is at a particular service region of a first communication network, receiving a first message to page the telecommunication device from a network controller that communicatively couples a plurality of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network;

at the telecommunication device, receiving a second message to activate a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication channel between the telecommunication device and the network controller, wherein through the activated VoIP communication channel, the telecommunication device sends communication session data to the network controller for routing to the licensed wireless second communication network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein routing the communication session data to the licensed wireless second communication network comprises routing said data over a time division multiplexing (TDM) interface.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending a paging response from the telecommunication device to the network controller before receiving the second message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message comprises an identifier for identifying a telecommunication device with which to establish a communication session.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifier for identifying the telecommunication device comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the telecommunication device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second message to activate the VoIP communication channel comprises a message for facilitating voice bearer services between the telecommunication device and the network controller through the Internet using VoIP.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed communication network further comprising an access point between the telecommunication device and the network controller, said access point supporting generic IP connectivity and not supporting an unlicensed wireless communication network specific functionality.

21. In a communication system comprising a licensed wireless communication system and an unlicensed wireless communication system, the unlicensed wireless communication system having an unlicensed region served by an unlicensed network controller, the unlicensed wireless communication system having a service region that has an unlicensed wireless link with a telecommunication device using an unlicensed frequency, the licensed wireless communication system comprising a mobile switching center (MSC), a method for assigning a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless communication system via the unlicensed wireless communication system, the method comprising:

through the unlicensed wireless link, establishing at the telecommunication device a secure link with the unlicensed network controller;

at the telecommunication device, exchanging a set of unlicensed channel activation messages with the network controller to assign the VoIP voice bearer channel, wherein the set of unlicensed channel activation messages includes;

an activate channel message received at the telecommunication device from the unlicensed network controller triggering an establishment of the VoIP voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising sending an activate channel acknowledgment message from the telecommunication device to the network controller.

23. In a communication system that includes a licensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to a telecommunication device using a licensed wireless frequency and an unlicensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to the telecommunication device using an unlicensed wireless frequency, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium of a telecommunication device, said computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by said telecommunication device, said computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

establishing, at the telecommunication device, a connection with an unlicensed network controller using the unlicensed wireless frequency; and

generating, transmitting, and processing a set of unlicensed messages to support assigning a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless communication system via the unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of unlicensed messages comprises;

an activate channel message received at the telecommunication device from the unlicensed network controller, wherein the receipt of the activate channel message by the telecommunication device triggers an establishment of the VoIP voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein said computer program further comprises a set of instructions for sending an activate channel acknowledgment message from the telecommunication device to the network controller in response to said telecommunication device receiving the activate channel message.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the activate channel message is sent through an access point, said access point supporting generic IP connectivity and not supporting an unlicensed wireless communication network specific functionality.