Registration messaging in an unlicensed mobile access telecommunications system

• US 20050272424A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonus Networks Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baranowski, Joseph G., Gupta, Rajeev, Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan, Shi, Jianxiong (Jason)
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods and messages for performing registration of mobile stations (MS) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN). URR (UMA radio resource) registration messages are exchanged between an MS and a UMA network controller (UNC) operating in the UMAN to register the MS. The MS may access the UMAN via a wireless access point (AP) that is communicatively coupled to the UNC via an IP network. The URR registration messages are sent between the MS and the UNC using an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP transport.

Claims

1. A method for registering a mobile station (MS) with an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN), comprising:

establishing a wireless local area network (WLAN) link between the MS and an wireless access point (AP);

establishing a first TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) session between the MS and a first UMA network controller (UNC) communicatively coupled to the AP; and

sending a plurality of URR (UMA Radio Resource) registration messages between the MS and the first UNC over the first TCP session including a URR REGISTER REQUEST message sent from the MS to the first UNC;

wherein each of the URR registration messages includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified;

and wherein the URR REGISTER REQUEST message further includes, a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS may be identified;

a GSM Radio Resource (RR) state IE defining whether the MS is in a GSM RR idle or dedicated state; and

an AP Identifier IE.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a URR REGISTER REJECT message from the first UNC to the MS to indicate the registration of the MS has been rejected by the UMAN

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second UNC is better suited for serving the MS;

sending a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including information for accessing the second UNC;

releasing the connection to the first UNC;

establishing a second TCP session with the second UNC; and

sending a URR REGISTER REQUEST message from the MS to the second UNC via the second TCP session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information for accessing the second UNC includes at least one of:

a first IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for the second UNC; and

a second IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for a security gateway hosted by the second UNC.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a URR REGISTER ACK message from the first UNC to the MS to indicate the registration of the MS has been accepted by the UMAN.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a change in one of cell information or a change in the AP serving the MS since one of a last registration or update; and

sending a URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message from the MS to the first UNC containing information corresponding to the change in the cell information or serving AP.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including information to redirect the MS to a second UNC.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message is sent in response in a change to a new AP serving the MS, and the URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message includes an AP location IE identifying a location of the new AP.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning a URR DEREGISTER message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR DEREGISTER message including information identifying why the registration update was rejected.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a network-initiated update event;

sending a URR REGISTER UPDATE DOWNLINK message from the first UNC to the MS.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

returning a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including information to redirect the MS to a second UNC.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a URR DEREGISTER message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR DEREGISTER message including an IE from which a cause for the deregistration may be identified.

13. An unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controller (UNC) to operate in a UMA network (UMAN) comprising a first radio access network, comprising:

a first network interface comprising an IP (Internet Protocol) Network interface;

a second network interface comprising an Up interface, via which UMA messages are to be transmitted to and received from a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the MS and the UNC, the Up interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the IP network interface;

a third network interface, via which the UNC may be connected to a core network that is accessible to a second radio access network; and

means for generating and/or processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to support registration of mobile stations in the UMAN, including,

a URR REGISTER REQUEST message;

a URR REGISTER ACK message; and

a URR REGISTER REJECT message;

wherein each of the URR REGISTER REQUEST message, the URR REGISTER ACK message, and the URR REGISTER REJECT message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified,

and wherein the URR REGISTER REQUEST message further includes,

a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS may be identified;

a GSM Radio Resource (RR) state IE defining whether the MS is in a GSM RR idle or dedicated state; and

an AP Identifier IE.

14. The UNC of claim 13, further comprising means for generating a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including at least one of:

a first IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for the second UNC; and

a second IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for a security gateway hosted by the second UNC.

15. The UNC of claim 13, wherein the URR REGISTER REJECT message further includes:

an IE including information from which a cause for the rejection of the registration can be identified.

16. The UNC of claim 13, further comprising means for generating a URR REGISTER UPDATE DOWNLINK message.

17. The UNC of claim 13, further comprising means for generating a URR DEREGISTER message.

18. The UNC of claim 13, wherein the third network interface comprises an interface to a GERAN core network.

19. A mobile station (MS), comprising:

a first wireless interface, to access a first radio access network;

a second wireless interface, to access a second radio access network comprising an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) via an access point (AP) using an unlicensed radio frequency;

an Up interface to communicate with the UMAN via a UMA network controller (UNC) communicatively coupled to the AP via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

means for generating and/or processing a plurality of UMA radio resource (URR) messages transmitted over the Up interface to support registration of the MS in the UMAN, including,

a URR REGISTER REQUEST message;

a URR REGISTER ACK message; and

a URR REGISTER REJECT message;

wherein each of the URR REGISTER REQUEST message, the URR REGISTER ACK message, and the URR REGISTER REJECT message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs) including,

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified,

and wherein the URR REGISTER REQUEST message further includes,

a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS may be identified;

a GSM Radio Resource (RR) state IE defining whether the MS is in a GSM RR idle or dedicated state; and

an AP Identifier IE.

20. The mobile station of claim 19, further comprising:

means for detecting a change in one of licenced cell information or a change in the AP serving the MS since one of a last registration or update; and

means for generating a URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message to be sent to the UNC, the URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message containing information corresponding to the change in the licensed cell information or serving AP.

21. The mobile station of claim 19, further comprising:

means for performing a DNS (Domain Name Server) query for UNCs in the UMAN that may be accessed via the AP.

22. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein the first radio access network comprises a GERAN (GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) EDGE Radio Access Network).

23. A machine-readable medium, to provide respective portions of instructions to be executed on a mobile station (MS) and one or more unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network controllers (UNCs) to perform operations comprising:

generating and processing a plurality of UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Radio Resource (URR) registration messages exchanged between the MS and one or more UNCs to support registration of the MS in a UMA network (UMAN), the URR registration messages sent over a Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols implemented over an underlying IP (Internet Protocol) transport, the underlying IP transport facilitated by a wireless link between the MS and a wireless access point (AP) to which the one or more UNCs are communicatively-coupled via an IP network, the message exchange including sending a URR REGISTER REQUEST message generated by the MS from the MS to a first UNC,

wherein each URR message includes a set of basic information elements (IEs), including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the IEs in the URR REGISTER REQUEST message further include:

a Mobile Identity IE via which the MS may be identified;

a GSM Radio Resource (RR) state IE defining whether the MS is in a GSM RR idle or dedicated state; and

an AP Identifier IE.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the URR registration messages further include:

a URR REGISTER REJECT message that is generated by a UNC and sent to an MS to indicate the registration of the MS has been rejected by the UMAN.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, further providing instructions that if executed perform operations including:

establishing a wireless local area network (WLAN) link between the MS and a wireless access point (AP);

establishing a first TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) session between the MS and a first UNC communicatively coupled to the AP;

sending a first URR REGISTER REQUEST message from the MS to the first UNC via the first TCP session;

determining that a second UNC is better suited for serving the MS;

sending a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including information for accessing the second UNC;

releasing the connection to the first UNC;

establishing a second TCP session with the second UNC; and

sending a URR REGISTER REQUEST message from the MS to the second UNC via the second TCP session.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the information for accessing the second UNC includes at least one of:

a first IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for the second UNC; and

a second IE having a value that is a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address for a security gateway hosted by the second UNC.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the URR registration messages further include:

a URR REGISTER ACK message sent from a UNC to an MS to indicate the registration of the MS has been accepted by the UMAN.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the URR registration messages further include:

a URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message sent from an MS to a UNC to containing information corresponding to a change in licensed cell information or serving AP.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message is sent in response in a change to a new AP serving the MS, and the URR REGISTER UPDATE UPLINK message includes an AP location IE identifying a location of the new AP.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, further providing instructions that if executed perform operations including:

determining that a second UNC is better suited for serving the MS than the first UNC; and

returning a URR REGISTER REDIRECT message from the first UNC to the MS, the URR REGISTER REDIRECT message including information to redirect the MS to the second UNC.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the URR registration messages further include:

a URR REGISTER UPDATE DOWNLINK message generated by a UNC and sent from the UNC to an MS.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, to provide further instructions to facilitate UNC server-side aspects of the Up interface.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, to provide further instructions to facilitate MS client-side aspects of the Up interface.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the URR registration messages further include:

a URR DEREGISTER message that is generated by a UNC and sent to an MS to initiate deregistration of the MS, the URR DEREGISTER message including an IE from which a cause for the deregistration may be identified.