METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING ROVE-OUT

• US 20080076411A1
• Filed: 09/22/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tao, Patrick, Gupta, Rajeev, Markovic, Milan, Khetawat, Amit, Gallagher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/06 De-registration or detaching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Some embodiments are implemented in a communication system that includes a first wireless communication system that includes a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller that can communicatively couple the FAP to a second wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the network controller can communicatively couple to the second wireless communication system through a UTRAN Iu interface. In some embodiments, the FAP can communicatively couple to a user equipment using a short-range licensed wireless frequency. Some embodiments provide method that determines whether a user equipment (UE) has roved-out of the first wireless communication system. The method receives a periodic message at the FAP from the UE. When the FAP fails to receive a pre-determined number of the periodic messages, the method sends a deregister message to the network controller over a unique connection dedicated to the UE and releases the dedicated connection.

Claims

1. A method of determining that a user equipment (UE) has roved out of a first wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to a second wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) receiving a periodic message at the FAP from the UE; and

b) when failing to receive at the FAP a pre-determined number of said periodic messages;

i) sending a deregister message to the network controller over a unique connection between the FAP and the network controller, said connection dedicated to the UE; and

ii) releasing the connection dedicated to the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an enablement and a period of said periodic message are controlled by issuing a system information broadcast from the FAP to the UE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic message is a location update message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing a context associated with the UE upon receiving said deregister message over the dedicated connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a context associated with a UE comprises information the first wireless communication system keeps for each UE which is registered with the first wireless communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection between the FAP and the network controller dedicated to the UE is a TCP connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the second wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.

10. A method of releasing resources after a loss of connectivity in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) sending a periodic message from the FAP to the network controller over a connection between the FAP and the network controller, said periodic message for determining whether the connection is lost; and

b) when determining at the FAP that the connection is lost;

i) deregistering a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled to the FAP; and

ii) forcing the UE to perform a cell reselection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the lost connection is a first unique connection dedicated to the FAP, wherein there is a second unique connection between the FAP and the network controller dedicated to the UE, the method further comprising:

after said determining by the FAP that the connection dedicated to the FAP is lost and before said deregistering of the UE;

i) attempting to re-establish the first connection between the FAP and the network controller; and

ii) performing said deregistering of the UE by the FAP only when said attempt to re-establish the first connection fails.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

a) recognizing by the network controller a successful re-establishment of said first connection; and

b) releasing resources dedicated by the network controller to said first connection prior to said connection being lost.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the lost connection is a first unique connection dedicated to the UE, wherein there is a second unique connection between the FAP and the network controller dedicated to the FAP, wherein the FAP deregisters the UE without attempting to re-establish said first connection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the periodic message is a keep alive message.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the connection is a TCP connection.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.