Method and apparatus for IP encapsulated tandem hard handoff in CDMA networks

• US 8,588,786 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Weeresinghe, Ranjith T.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/306,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20130137439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-445, 455560-561, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a mobile switching center (MSC) performs a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network. The serving MSC receives a handoff request from a serving base station (BS) for a handoff to a target BS of a target MSC. When the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks, the serving MSC sends a tandem handoff request to a tandem MSC.

Claims

1. A method in a serving mobile switching center (MSC) for performing a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the serving MSC, a handoff request from a serving base station (BS) for a handoff to a target BS of a target MSC; and

sending, by the serving MSC, a tandem handoff request to a tandem MSC when the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tandem handoff request comprises information for identifying the target MSC and information for responding to the tandem handoff request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a tandem handoff request acknowledgment from the tandem MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is able to perform the handoff; and

sending a handoff command to the serving base station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a tandem handoff request negative acknowledgment from the tandem MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is unable to perform the handoff.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving base station is one of a femto base station and a macro base station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a Tandem Mobile On Channel message from the tandem MSC when the handoff to the target base station is successful; and

sending a clear command to the serving base station.

7. An apparatus in a serving mobile switching center (MSC) for performing a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a handoff request from a serving base station (BS) for a handoff to a target BS of a target MSC; and

a controller configured to generate a tandem handoff request and cause the tandem handoff request to be sent to a tandem MSC when the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tandem handoff request comprises information for identifying the target MSC and information for responding to the tandem handoff request.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a tandem handoff request acknowledgment from the tandem MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is able to perform the handoff, and send a handoff command to the serving base station.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a tandem handoff request negative acknowledgment from the tandem MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is unable to perform the handoff.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the serving base station is one of a femto base station and a macro base station.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a Tandem Mobile On Channel message from the tandem MSC when the handoff to the target base station is successful, and send a clear command to the serving base station.

13. A method in a mobile switching center (MSC) for performing a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the MSC, a tandem handoff request from a serving MSC;

determining, by the MSC, a target MSC based on the tandem handoff request; and

sending, from the MSC, a hard handoff request to the target MSC when the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tandem handoff request comprises information for identifying the target MSC and information for responding to the tandem handoff request.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein when the MSC is a femtocell convergence (FC) MSC, sending the hard handoff request to the target MSC comprises routing the hard handoff request through a media gateway.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a hard handoff request acknowledgment from the target MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is able to perform the handoff; and

sending a tandem handoff request acknowledgment to the serving MSC.

17. An apparatus in a mobile switching center (MSC) for performing a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a tandem handoff request from a serving MSC; and

a controller configured to determine a target MSC based on the tandem handoff request, and control the communication interface to send a hard handoff request to the target MSC when the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the tandem handoff request comprises information for identifying the target MSC and information for responding to the tandem handoff request.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication interface to route the hard handoff request through a media gateway when the MSC is a femtocell convergence (FC) MSC.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a hard handoff request acknowledgment from the target MSC when the target BS of the target MSC is able to perform the handoff, and send a tandem handoff request acknowledgment to the serving MSC.