Handover information sent over a public wide area network (e.g. internet)
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mobile communications network, comprising:
- a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), comprising a plurality of network nodes;
a core network anchor node; and
an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, and configured to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, handover information is sent between the access point and the other of the network nodes of the PLMN over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A basestation (50) in a mobile communications network is connected to the core network of the mobile communications network over a public wide area network. In the event of a handover between the basestation and another of the network nodes of the PLMW (120), handover information (130, 132, 134) is sent between the basestation and the core network over the public wide area network, for example embedded in a SIP message or in a UMA message.
40 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A mobile communications network, comprising:
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a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), comprising a plurality of network nodes; a core network anchor node; and an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, and configured to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, handover information is sent between the access point and the other of the network nodes of the PLMN over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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9. A core network node for use in a mobile communications network, wherein the core network node comprises an IP Multimedia Subsystem-Mobile Switching Center (IMS-MSC), the IMS-MSC being adapted to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the core network node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), handover information is sent between the access point and the IMS-MSC over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point.
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10. A core network node for use in a mobile communications network, wherein the core network node comprises a Session Initiation Protocol-Mobile Switching Center (SIP-MSC), the SIP-MSC being adapted to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the core network node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), handover information is sent between the access point and the SIP-MSC over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point.
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11. A core network node for use in a mobile communications network, wherein the core network node comprises a Licensed Generic Access Network Controller (L-GANC), the L-GANC being adapted to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the core network node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), handover information is sent between the access point and the L-GANC over the public wide area network, wherein the handover information is sent through the tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point.
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12. A method of achieving a handover in a mobile communications network, wherein the mobile communications network comprises a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), having a plurality of network nodes, a core network anchor node, and an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the basestation is connected over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, the method comprising:
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determining in the access point that a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN is required, and sending handover information between the access point and the core network anchor node over the public wide area network, the handover information sent through a tunneling connection over the public wide area network rather than over a dedicated line, wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point, wherein the handover information initiates and controls the handover, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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24. A mobile communications network, comprising:
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a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), comprising a plurality of network nodes; a core network anchor node; and an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the core network anchor node is connected to said network nodes by Mobile Application Part (MAP) interfaces, wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface adapted to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point, wherein the core network anchor node provides an interworking function between said tunneling connection and said MAP interfaces, and wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, handover information is sent between the access point and the other of the network nodes of the PLMN over the public wide area network. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A core network node for use in a mobile communications network comprising a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), wherein the core network node comprises an IP Multimedia Subsystem-Mobile Switching Centre (IMS-MSC),
wherein the IMS-MSC is adapted to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network and configured to establish a tunneling connection over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point, wherein the core network node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point, wherein the IMS-MSC is adapted to establish connections over MAP interfaces to other network nodes of the PLMN, and wherein the IMS-MSC provides an interworking function between the functions of the IMS-MSC and the MAP interfaces, such that, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, handover information is sent between the access point and the IMS-MSC over the public wide area network.
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33. A method of achieving a handover in mobile communications network, wherein the mobile communications network comprises:
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a PLMN, having a plurality of network nodes, a core network anchor node, wherein the core network anchor node is connected to said network nodes by MAP interfaces, and an access point, serving as a basestation in the mobile communications network, wherein the basestation is connected over a public wide area network to the core network anchor node, wherein the core network anchor node provides an interworking function between said tunneling connection and said MAP interfaces, and wherein the core network anchor node is configured to establish signaling and bearer connections with the access point, and wherein the access point has a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) interface, with a tunneling connection to the core network anchor node while the access point is active, such that the core network anchor node is able to send handover information to the access point using said tunneling connection, without requiring a mobile device to perform a registration procedure with the access point before handover from the other of the network nodes of the PLMN to the access point, the method comprising, in the event of a handover between the access point and another of the network nodes of the PLMN, sending handover information between the access point and the core network anchor node over the public wide area network. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification