System, method, and computer-readable medium for user equipment handoff from a macrocellular network to an IP-femtocell network

• US 8,848,655 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: UbeeAirwalk, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Osborn, Christopher Martin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US12/252,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for handoff of a user equipment from a macrocellular system to a femtocell system is provided. A micro-pilot assisted handoff routine may be implemented to facilitate handoff of a user equipment from a macrocellular system to a femtocell system. The femtocell system may transmit very low power pilot, paging, and synch channels on a common frequency used by the macrocellular system. In another embodiment, a mobile assisted handoff routine facilitates handoff of a user equipment from a macrocellular system to a femtocell system. The user equipment'"'"'s preferred roaming list includes an entry for the femtocell system and specifies a SID/NID and pseudo-noise offset for the femtocell system. The user equipment is configured to periodically enter a search mode to attempt to locate the femtocell system by switching to a femto carrier that is specified in the preferred roaming list.

Claims

1. A method of handoff of a user equipment from a macrocellular system to a femtocell system, comprising:

provisioning the user equipment with a preferred roaming list that includes an entry allocated for the femtocell system that specifies a system identification number and network identification number associated with the femtocell system, the system identification number and network identification number being transmitted by the femtocell on a second carrier frequency that is different than a first carrier frequency used by the macrocellular system;

wherein the preferred roaming list specifies the second carrier frequency as associated with the femtocell system;

detecting, by the user equipment, the system identification number and network identification number over an air interface;

evaluating the preferred roaming list to determine whether the detected system identification number and network identification number match the system identification number and the network identification number associated with the femtocell system;

reading a pseudo-noise offset associated with the femtocell system from the preferred roaming list, wherein detecting the system identification number and network identification number comprises switching, at a predefined interval, from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency to attempt detection of the system identification number and the network identification number and detecting the system identification number and network identification number at the pseudo-noise offset;

decoding, by the user equipment, the system identification number and the network identification number and determining whether the system identification number and the network identification number is assigned to the femtocell system;

comparing, by the user equipment, the system identification number and the network identification number with the preferred roaming list entry to determine if the system identification number and the network identification number match the preferred roaming list entry; and

when the system identification number and the network identification number match the preferred roaming list entry, registering the user equipment with the femtocell system; and

identifying a service provider prioritized list from the preferred roaming list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the system identification number and network identification number comprises detecting a pilot, paging, and sync channel that includes the system identification number and network identification number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pilot, paging, and synch channel is transmitted, by the femtocell system, on a common carrier frequency used by the macrocellular system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pilot, paging, and synch channel is transmitted, by the femtocell system, on the second carrier frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating an entry for the femtocell system in the preferred roaming list, where the entry is allocated as a preferred network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the preferred roaming list results in determining the detected system identification number and network identification number match the system identification number and the network identification number associated with the femtocell system, the method further comprising registering with the femtocell system.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for facilitating handoff of a user equipment from a macrocellular system to a femtocell system, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions for:

provisioning the user equipment with a preferred roaming list that includes an entry allocated for the femtocell system that specifies a system identification number and network identification number associated with the femtocell system, the system identification number and network identification number being transmitted by the femtocell on a second carrier frequency that is different than a first carrier frequency used by the macrocellular system;

wherein the preferred roaming list specifies the second carrier frequency as associated with the femtocell system;

reading a pseudo-noise offset associated with the femtocell system from the preferred roaming list;

detecting, by the user equipment, the system identification number and network identification number over an air interface at the pseudo-noise offset

evaluating the preferred roaming list to determine whether the detected system identification number and network identification number match the system identification number and the network identification number associated with the femtocell system;

reading a pseudo-noise offset associated with the femtocell system from the preferred roaming list, wherein detecting the system identification number and network identification number comprises switching, at a predefined interval, from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency to attempt detection of the system identification number and the network identification number and detecting the system identification number and network identification number at the pseudo-noise offset;

when the system identification number and the network identification number match the preferred roaming list entry, registering the user equipment with the femtocell system; and

identifying a service provider prioritized list from the preferred roaming list.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions for detecting the system identification number and network identification number comprise instructions for detecting a pilot, paging, and sync channel that includes the system identification number and network identification number.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the pilot, paging, and synch channel is transmitted, by the femtocell system, on a common carrier frequency used by the macrocellular system.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the pilot, paging, and synch channel is transmitted, by the femtocell system, on the second carrier frequency.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions for allocating an entry for the femtocell system in the preferred roaming list, where the entry is allocated as a preferred network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions for evaluating the preferred roaming list determine the detected system identification number and network identification number match the system identification number and the network identification number associated with the femtocell system, the computer-readable medium further comprising instructions for registering the user equipment with the femtocell system.

13. A system configured for macrocellular to femtocell system handoff, comprising:

a packet-switched network;

an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem communicatively interfaced with the packet-switched network;

a macrocellular system with which a user equipment has authorized access; and

a femtocell system communicatively coupled with the packet-switched network adapted to provide a radio interface with the user equipment, wherein the femtocell system is configured with an electronic serial number of the user equipment and is configured to transmit the system identification number and network identification number on a second carrier frequency that is different than a first carrier frequency used by the macrocellular system, wherein the preferred roaming list specifies the second carrier frequency as associated with the femtocell system, wherein the user equipment is provisioned with a preferred roaming list that includes an entry allocated for the femtocell system that specifies a system identification number and network identification number associated with the femtocell system, wherein the user equipment is configured to switch, at a predefined interval, from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency to attempt detection of the system identification number and the network identification number, when the system identification number and the network identification number match the preferred roaming list entry, register the user equipment with the femtocell system;

wherein the femtocell system transmits the system identification number and network identification number that is detected by the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment evaluates the preferred roaming list to determine whether the detected system identification number and network identification number match the system identification number and the network identification number associated with the femtocell system, and wherein the user equipment identifies a service provider prioritized list from the preferred roaming list, wherein the user equipment reads a pseudo-noise offset associated with the femtocell system from the preferred roaming list, and wherein the user equipment detects the system identification number and network identification number at the pseudo-noise offset.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user equipment determines the detected system identification number and network identification number matches the system identification number and network identification number associated with the femtocell system and attempts to register with the femtocell system, and wherein the femtocell system completes registration of the user equipment by verifying an electronic serial number of the user equipment matches the electronic serial number configured in the femtocell system.