Method of providing improved integrated communication system data service

• US 8,165,086 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, Michael D., Tao, Patrick, Markovic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, NGHI H
• Application Number:
  US11/737,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20070243872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/328, 370/338, 455/414.1, 455/424, 455/425
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• 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 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method and apparatus for seamlessly providing voice and data services across a licensed wireless network while accessing a second different communication network through a user equipment. The first and second communication networks include licensed wireless networks, unlicensed wireless networks, or Internet Protocol (IP) networks, to name a few. Furthermore, some embodiments of the second communication network include a modified interface for directly interfacing with components of the first communication network in order to pass and retrieve data packets from the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method of providing packet switched data services in a communication system comprising a first communication system and a second communication system, the first communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network comprising a Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (GGSN) for interfacing to a packet services network and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) for interfacing the licensed radio access network to the GGSN, the second communication system comprising a network controller that communicatively couples a user equipment in a service region of the second communication system to the core network of the first communication system, the method comprising:

establishing a secure tunnel between the network controller and the user equipment;

receiving a data service session request from the user equipment over the secure tunnel;

establishing a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel between the network controller and the GGSN, the GTP tunnel bypassing the SGSN, the network controller emulating the SGSN to the GGSN; and

through the GTP tunnel, providing packet switched data services of the packet services network to the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a plurality of GTP tunnels between the network controller and the GGSN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the packet switched data services comprises relaying data packets received from the GGSN to the user equipment through the network controller, wherein relaying the data packets comprises forwarding the data packets from the network controller to the user equipment without modifying said data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the packet switched data services comprises relaying data packets received from the user equipment through the network controller to the GGSN.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data packets that are sent from the user equipment identify the GGSN as a destination.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein relaying the data packets comprises forwarding the data packets from the network controller to the GGSN without modifying said data packets.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the GGSN routes said data packets to the packet services network.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing computer program for execution by a network controller of a first communication system in a communication system comprising the first communication system and a second communication system, the second communication system comprising a licensed radio access network and a core network comprising a Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (GGSN) for interfacing to a packet services network and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) for interfacing the licensed radio access network to the GGSN, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

establishing a secure tunnel between the network controller and a user equipment;

receiving a data service session request from the user equipment over the secure tunnel;

establishing at least one GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) tunnel between the network controller and the GGSN, the GTP tunnel bypassing the SGSN, the network controller emulating the SGSN to the GGSN; and

providing, through the GTP tunnel, packet switched data services of the packet services network to the user equipment.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for providing circuit switched voice services for the user equipment through a switching center of the core network of the second communication system.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for establishing a plurality of GTP tunnels between the network controller and the GGSN.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions for providing the packet switched data services comprises a set of instructions for relaying Internet Protocol (IP) data packets from the user equipment to the GGSN.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein relaying the IP data packets does not require modifying said IP data packets.