Private cellular system with auto-registration functionality
First Claim
1. A private cellular system to provide private cellular service and public cellular service, the private cellular system comprising:
- a base station subsystem (BSS), the BSS being configured to communicate with a plurality of public mobile units, each having a public telephone number, and a plurality of private mobile units, each having a private telephone number, and each of the public and private mobile units operating within a licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN), the BSS being communicatively coupled to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN which provides switching for the plurality of public mobile units using the public cellular service;
a private network switching subsystem which provides switching for the plurality of private mobile units using the private cellular service; and
a multiplexer configured to route communications traffic for the plurality of public mobile units from the BSS to the public network switching subsystem, and to route communications traffic for the plurality of private mobile units from the BSS to the private network switching subsystem,wherein the private network switching subsystem includes a registration phone number accessible by a subscriber using a public mobile unit having a first public phone number, for registering the public mobile unit to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system, andwherein the private network switching subsystem is configured to electronically capture a subscriber identity number from the public mobile unit when the subscriber calls the registration phone number with the public mobile unit, and to assign a first private telephone number to the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit that is used in connection with providing private cellular service.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a private cellular system provides private cellular service and public cellular service using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN). The system is configured to have a predetermined phone number that a subscriber who is using the public cellular service via the private cellular system and who is not registered to use the private cellular service provided by the system can call in order to register to use the private cellular service provided by the system and, in response thereto, the system captures a subscriber identity number associated with the subscriber and assigns a private telephone number to the subscriber that is used in connection with providing private cellular service. Another embodiment is directed to a method of enabling a prepaid hybrid subscriber to make a call using a private cellular system while outside of a coverage area associated with the private cellular system. Another embodiment is directed to a private cellular network comprising a plurality of private cellular systems to provide private cellular service and public cellular service using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN). In that embodiment, a gateway function in each of the plurality of private cellular systems is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system.
85 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A private cellular system to provide private cellular service and public cellular service, the private cellular system comprising:
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a base station subsystem (BSS), the BSS being configured to communicate with a plurality of public mobile units, each having a public telephone number, and a plurality of private mobile units, each having a private telephone number, and each of the public and private mobile units operating within a licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN), the BSS being communicatively coupled to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN which provides switching for the plurality of public mobile units using the public cellular service; a private network switching subsystem which provides switching for the plurality of private mobile units using the private cellular service; and a multiplexer configured to route communications traffic for the plurality of public mobile units from the BSS to the public network switching subsystem, and to route communications traffic for the plurality of private mobile units from the BSS to the private network switching subsystem, wherein the private network switching subsystem includes a registration phone number accessible by a subscriber using a public mobile unit having a first public phone number, for registering the public mobile unit to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system, and wherein the private network switching subsystem is configured to electronically capture a subscriber identity number from the public mobile unit when the subscriber calls the registration phone number with the public mobile unit, and to assign a first private telephone number to the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit that is used in connection with providing private cellular service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of automatically registering a subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit using public cellular service provided by a private cellular system to use private cellular service also provided by the private cellular system, the private cellular system using licensed radio frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) to provide the public cellular service to a plurality of public mobile units, each having a public telephone number and to provide the private cellular service to a plurality of private mobile units, each having a private phone number, the method comprising:
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receiving a call from the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit made to a registration phone number associated with the private cellular system; electronically capturing a subscriber identity number from the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit; assigning an additional private telephone number to the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit for use in connection with the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system; and creating a prepaid account for the subscriber that the private cellular system uses for billing in connection with providing the private cellular service to the subscriber'"'"'s public mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A private cellular network comprising:
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a plurality of private cellular systems to provide private cellular service to a plurality of private mobile units and to provide public cellular service to a plurality of public mobile units, each private cellular system including; a respective base station subsystem (BSS) to communicate with both the public and private mobile units using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN); a respective private network switching subsystem to provide switching for the private mobile units using the private cellular service provided by that private cellular system; a gateway function; and a multiplexer function that communicatively couples the respective BSS, via the gateway function, to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN in connection with providing the public cellular service to the public mobile units using that private cellular system, and that communicatively couples the respective BSS to the respective private network switching subsystem in connection with providing the private cellular service to the private mobile units using that private cellular system; wherein a central private cellular system included in the plurality of private cellular systems is directly communicatively coupled to the PLMN and wherein at least one subordinate private cellular system included in the plurality of private cellular systems is indirectly communicatively coupled to the PLMN via the central private cellular system; wherein each of the private cellular systems includes a respective accurate paging function, the accurate paging function being configured to; maintain a table that identifies a location of each mobile unit that is currently located within a coverage area associated with that private cellular system or that is currently located within a downstream coverage area associated with at least one private cellular system that is subordinate to that private cellular system; determine when a paging request received at that private cellular system is intended for a mobile unit located within the downstream coverage area associated with the private cellular system that is subordinate to that private cellular system; and forward the paging request to a base station controller included in the private cellular system that is subordinate to that private cellular system; and wherein the gateway function in each of the plurality of private cellular systems is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A private cellular system to provide private cellular service to a plurality of private mobile units and to provide public cellular service to a plurality of public mobile units, the private cellular system being part of a private cellular network that includes a plurality of private cellular systems, the private cellular system comprising:
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a base station subsystem (BSS) to communicate with the plurality of private mobile units and the plurality of public mobile units using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN); a private network switching subsystem to provide switching for the private mobile units using the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system; a gateway function, the gateway function including; an upstream interface configured to communicatively couple the private cellular system to at least one of the PLMN and another one of the private cellular systems; and an accurate paging function that maintains a table that identifies a location of each mobile unit that is currently located within a coverage associated with the private cellular system or that is currently located within a downstream coverage area associated with at least one private cellular system that is subordinate to the private cellular system, the accurate paging function being configured to; determine when a paging request received at that private cellular system is intended for a mobile unit located within the downstream coverage area associated with the private cellular system that is subordinate to that private cellular system; and forward the paging request to a base station controller included in the private cellular system that is subordinate to that private cellular system; and a multiplexer function that communicatively couples the BSS, via the gateway function, to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN in connection with providing the public cellular service to the public mobile units using the private cellular system, and that communicatively couples the BSS to the private network switching subsystem in connection with providing the private cellular service to the private mobile units using the private cellular system, wherein the gateway function is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification