Method and apparatus for fast inter-system handover

• US 9,049,629 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahmavaara, Kalle I., Casaccia, Lorenzo, Tsirtsis, George, Granzow, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, GUANG W
• Application Number:
  US12/140,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,541 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate inter-system handover in a wireless communication system. Various aspects described herein provide for handover techniques that enable a target system to be prepared by a mobile device via a source system in order to minimize specific changes required to source system and/or target system. Techniques are described herein in which the radio link of a source system can be utilized to tunnel signaling messages which are in a format understood by a destination node in a target system. Further, fast inter-access handover can be facilitated by establishing a simple generic transmission tunnel between respective network nodes in source and target systems that handle intra-system mobility and providing a Layer 2 (L2) tunneling mechanism over the radio interface of each involved system technology.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

establishing communication by a mobile device with a first system utilizing a first radio access technology;

identifying by the mobile device a handover of the mobile device from the first system utilizing the first radio access technology to a second system utilizing a second radio access technology disparate from the first radio access technology;

preparing resources of the second system for the handover of the mobile device to the second system by tunneling handover preparation signaling to the second system via the first system, wherein the tunneling comprises communicating the handover preparation signaling through a Mobile Management Entity (MME) of the first system using a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel, and wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises signaling associated with the second radio access technology and comprising at least a portion of an access authentication procedure within the second system; and

encapsulating the handover preparation signaling by the mobile device into a number of messages directed to the second system, wherein the encapsulating comprises forming one or more signaling messages associated with the first radio access technology that include information directed to the MME.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication with the second system by the mobile device upon completing preparing the resources at the second system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating access authentication data associated with the mobile device for the second system;

wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises the access authentication data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a format associated with the second radio access technology; and

formatting the handover preparation signaling according to the format associated with the second radio access technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second system comprises a CDMA2000 network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving system resource allocation information from the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an IP address for the mobile device on the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

9. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory of a mobile device that stores data relating to a first system, a first radio access technology utilized by the first system, a second system, and a second radio access technology utilized by the second system that is disparate from the first radio access technology; and

a processor of the mobile device configured to;

identify a handover of the mobile device from the first system utilizing the first radio access technology to the second system utilizing the second radio access technology;

prepare resources of the second system for the handover of the mobile device to the second system by tunneling handover preparation signaling to the second system via the first system, wherein the tunneling comprises communicating the handover preparation signaling through a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the first system using a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel, and wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises signaling associated with the second radio access technology and comprising at least a portion of an access authentication procedure within the second system; and

encapsulate the handover preparation signaling by the mobile device into a number of messages directed to the second system by forming one or more signaling messages associated with the first radio accessing technology that include information directed to the MME.

10. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the handover preparation signaling through to the MME in accordance with a generic protocol that is independent of a first protocol of the first radio access technology utilized by the first system and a second the protocol of the second radio access technology utilized by the second system.

11. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to establish communication with the second system upon preparing resources for the handover thereto.

12. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate access authentication data associated with the mobile device for the second system;

wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises the access authentication data.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a format associated with the second radio access technology; and

format the handover preparation signaling according to the format associated with the second radio access technology.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first system comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second system comprises a CDMA2000 network.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive system resource allocation information from the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an IP address for the mobile device on the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

18. An apparatus that facilitates handover of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating signaling to a first system utilizing a first radio access technology;

means for identifying a second system utilizing a second radio access technology disparate from the first radio access technology;

means for preparing resources of the second system for the handover of the mobile device to the second system by tunneling handover preparation signaling from the mobile device to the second system via the first system, wherein the tunneling comprises communicating the handover preparation signaling through to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the first system over a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel, and wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises signaling associated with the second radio access technology and comprising at least a portion of an access authentication procedure within the second system; and

means for encapsulating the handover preparation signaling into a number of messages directed to the second system, wherein the encapsulating comprises forming one or more signaling messages associated with the first radio access technology that include information directed to the MME.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating access authentication data associated with the mobile device for the second system;

wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises the access authentication data.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for identifying a format associated with the second radio access technology; and

means for formatting the handover preparation signaling according to the format associated with the second radio access technology.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first system comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second system comprises a CDMA2000 network.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving system resource allocation information from the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means receiving an IP address for the mobile device on the second system over at least the L2 tunnel.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon, the computer-readable program code comprising:

code for establishing communication by a mobile device with a first system utilizing a first radio access technology;

code for identifying a handover of a mobile device from the first system utilizing the first radio access technology to a second system utilizing a second radio access technology disparate from the first radio access technology;

code for preparing resources of the second system for the handover of the mobile device to the second system by tunneling handover preparation signaling to the second system via the first system, wherein the tunneling comprises communicating the handover preparation signaling through to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the first system using a L2 tunnel, and wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises signaling associated with the second radio access technology and comprising at least a portion of an access authentication procedure within the second system; and

code for encapsulating the handover preparation signaling into a number of messages directed to the second system, wherein the encapsulating comprises forming one or more signaling messages associated with the first radio access technology that include information directed to the MME.

26. An integrated circuit adapted for use in a mobile device and configured to execute computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

establishing communication with a first system utilizing a first radio access technology;

identifying a handover of the mobile device from the first system utilizing the first radio access technology to a second system utilizing a second radio access technology disparate from the first radio access technology;

preparing resources of the second system for the handover of the mobile device to the second system by tunneling handover preparation signaling from the mobile device to the second system via the first system, wherein the tunneling comprises communicating the handover preparation signaling through a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the first system using a Layer 2 (L2) tunnel, and wherein the handover preparation signaling comprises signaling associated with the second radio access technology and comprising at least a portion of an access authentication procedure within the second system; and

encapsulating the handover preparation signaling by the mobile device into a number of messages directed to the second system, wherein the encapsulating comprises forming one or more signaling messages associated with the first radio access technology that include information directed to the MME.