System, method, and computer-readable medium for user equipment handoff within an IP-femtocell network

• US 9,191,948 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Osborn, Christopher Martin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US13/969,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 provisioning communication services by an IP-based femtocell network is provided. Service of a user equipment may be transferred from one femtocell to another femtocell via a femtocell handoff procedure. Femtocell systems of the femtocell network perform link quality measurements and may distribute the link quality measurements to neighbor femtocells. A femtocell system may periodically evaluate the link quality with the user equipment. If an evaluation is made that the user equipment needs to be transferred to another site, the servicing femtocell site may evaluate the most recent link quality measurements received from neighboring femtocell sites and select a femtocell site for handoff. In the event that the femtocell network is deployed in an area serviced by a macrocellular network, handoff routines may provide preference for transferring the user equipment to a target femtocell system rather than a macrocell site.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring a first radio interface quality between a user equipment and a first femtocell system;

measuring a second radio interface quality between the user equipment and a second femtocell system;

transmitting an indication of the second radio interface quality from the second femtocell system to the first femtocell system; and

invoking a handoff procedure from the first femtocell system to the second femtocell system;

wherein the first femotocell and the second femtocell are connected to the internet via a same internet access device, wherein the internet access device is a packet-switched backhaul, and wherein at least one of the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system periodically transmit one or more link quality metrics to one another via the packet-switched backhaul that enables the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system to communicate with one another without communicating via the internet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first femtocell system, that the first radio interface quality is below a predefined quality threshold; and

determining, by the first femtocell system, that the second radio interface quality is sufficient for the handoff.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first femtocell system, a request for handoff to the second femtocell system; and

receiving, by the first femtocell system, a response accepting the handoff from the second femtocell system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating, by the second femtocell system, a user agent for the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, by the second femtocell system, a registration message to a location service on behalf of the user equipment, wherein the registration message includes an Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system as a contact for the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the registration message by the location service; and

updating, by the location service, a location associated with the user equipment that specifies an Internet Protocol address assigned to the first femtocell system to the Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining, by the first femtocell system, radio interface quality measurements for evaluation of a candidate femtocell system for handoff when the first radio interface quality is determined to be less than a quality threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the first radio interface quality is performed by the user equipment, the method further comprising transmitting, by the user equipment, a request for handoff to the first femtocell system.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer-executable instructions for:

measuring a first radio interface quality between a user equipment and a first femtocell system;

measuring a second radio interface quality between the user equipment and a second femtocell system;

transmitting an indication of the second radio interface quality from the second femtocell system to the first femtocell system; and

invoking a handoff procedure from the first femtocell system to the second femtocell system;

wherein the first femotocell and the second femtocell are connected to the internet via a same internet access device, wherein the internet access device is a packet-switched backhaul, and wherein at least one of the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system periodically transmit one or more link quality metrics to one another via the packet-switched backhaul that enables the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system to communicate with one another without communicating via the internet.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

determining, by the first femtocell system, that the first radio interface quality is below a predefined quality threshold; and

determining, by the first femtocell system, that the second radio interface quality is sufficient for the handoff.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

transmitting, by the first femtocell system, a request for handoff to the second femtocell system; and

receiving, by the first femtocell system, a response accepting the handoff from the second femtocell system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for transmitting, by the second femtocell system, a registration message to a location service on behalf of the user equipment, wherein the registration message includes an Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system as a contact for the user equipment.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

receiving the registration message by the location service; and

updating, by the location service, a location associated with the user equipment that specifies an Internet Protocol address assigned to the first femtocell system to the Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comparing instructions for maintaining, by the first femtocell system, radio interface quality measurements respectively obtained by at least a subset of the plurality of femtocell systems for evaluation of a candidate femtocell system for handoff when the first radio interface quality is determined to be less than a quality threshold.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein measuring the first radio interface quality is performed by the user equipment, the method further comprising transmitting, by the user equipment, a request for handoff to the first femtocell system.

16. A system, comprising:

a packet-switched network with which a user equipment has a session initiation protocol service subscription;

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

a femtocell network including a first femtocell system and a second femtocell system, wherein the femtocell network;

measures a second radio interface quality between the user equipment and a second femtocell system;

transmits an indication of the second radio interface quality from the second femtocell system to the first femtocell system; and

invokes a handoff procedure from the first femtocell system to the second femtocell system;

wherein the first femotocell and the second femtocell are connected to the internet via a same internet access device, wherein the internet access device is a packet-switched backhaul, and wherein at least one of the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system periodically transmit one or more link quality metrics to one another via the packet-switched backhaul that enables the first femtocell system and the second femtocell system to communicate with one another without communicating via the internet.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first femtocell system determines that the first radio interface quality is below a predefined quality threshold and determines that the second radio interface quality is sufficient for the handoff.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first femtocell system transmits a request for handoff to the second femtocell system and receives a response accepting the handoff from the second femtocell system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the second femtocell system submits a registration message to a location service on behalf of the user equipment, wherein the registration message includes an Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system as a contact for the user equipment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the location service receives the registration message and updates a location associated with the user equipment that specifies an Internet Protocol address assigned with the first femtocell system to the Internet Protocol address assigned to the second femtocell system.