Routing of calls to core network based on the location of the femto cell

• US 8,599,792 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gautam, Sandeep, Oswal, Anand, Srivastava, Anal, Karnavat, Mahavir
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alexander, Jenee
• Application Number:
  US12/564,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A femto gateway maintains information about the location of femto cells and areas served by mobile switching centers. The gateway maintains a mapping so that it selects a desired mobile switching center (MSC) and SGSN that is likely to be used if the user equipment leaves the coverage area of the femto cell and enters a macro cell or vice versa.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a femto gateway configured to communicate with a femto cell and a plurality of mobile switching centers, wherein the femto gateway is further configured to;

receive a registration request from the femto cell, wherein the registration request includes information indicative of geographical location of the femto cell, and wherein the femto cell is in communication with a user equipment,

determine, based on the information indicative of geographical location of the femto cell and information indicative of the plurality of mobile switching centers, one of the plurality of mobile switching centers that would likely serve the user equipment in case the user equipment moves to a macro cellular network;

maintain a mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers, and

responsive to a request for service from the user equipment received via the femto cell, cause the user equipment to communicate with the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the registration request further includes a local area code or a routing area code of the femto cell, and wherein the femto gateway is further configured to use the local area code or the routing area code to determine the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to maintain the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers using a local configuration of the femto gateway.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to maintain the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers using a Home NodeB Management System (HMS) interface.

5. A method for use by a femto gateway comprising:

receiving, at the femto gateway from a femto cell, registration information including geographical location information of the femto cell, wherein the femto cell is in communication with a user equipment;

maintaining, at the gateway, information about locations of a plurality of mobile switching centers with which the gateway can communicate;

determining, based on the geographical location information of the femto cell and the information about locations of the plurality of mobile switching centers, one of the plurality of mobile switching centers that is likely to serve the user equipment if the user equipment moves from the femto cell to a macro cellular network; and

maintaining a mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers; and

responsive to a request for service from the user equipment received via the femto cell, causing the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers to communicate with the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the femto cell registration information further includes a local area code or a routing area code of the femto cell, and wherein determining the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers further includes determining the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers based on the local area code or the routing area code of the femto cell, the geographical location information of the femto cell, and the information about locations of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the geographical location information of the femto cell includes a global positioning system (GPS) location information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the geographical location information of the femto cell includes a cell identification of the femto cell.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers to communicate with the user equipment includes forwarding a location update message received from the user equipment to the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein maintaining the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers includes maintaining the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers using a local configuration of the femto gateway.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein maintaining the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers includes maintaining the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers using a Home NodeB Management System (HMS) interface.

12. Logic encoded on one or more non-transitory media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive, at a femto gateway from a femto cell, registration information including geographical location information of the femto cell, wherein the femto cell is in communication with a user equipment;

maintain information about locations of a plurality of mobile switching centers with which the gateway can communicate;

determine, based on the geographical location information of the femto cell and the information about locations of the plurality of mobile switching centers, one of the plurality of mobile switching centers that is likely to serve the user equipment if the user equipment moves from the femto cell to a macro cellular network; and

responsive to a request for service from the user equipment received via the femto cell, cause the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers to communicate with the user equipment.

13. The logic of claim 12, wherein the registration information further includes a local area code or a routing area code of the femto cell, and wherein the logic is further operable to determine the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers based on the local area code or the routing area code of the femto cell, the geographical location information of the femto cell, and the information about locations of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

14. The logic of claim 12, wherein the logic operable to cause the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers to communicate with the user equipment includes logic operable to forward a location update message, received from the user equipment, the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers.

15. The logic of claim 12, further comprising logic operable to maintain a mapping between the femto cell and the one of the mobile switching centers.

16. The logic of claim 15, wherein the logic is operable to maintain the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers using a Home NodeB Management System (HMS) interface.

17. The logic of claim 15, wherein the logic is operable to maintain the mapping between the femto cell and the one of the plurality of mobile switching centers using a local configuration maintained at the femto gateway.

18. The logic of claim 12, wherein the geographical location information of the femto cell includes a cell identification of the femto cell.