PRIVATE CELLULAR SYSTEM WITH AUTO-REGISTRATION FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20100330955A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Ying, Min, Liang, Hong Bin, Chan, Siu Bun
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a private cellular system provides private cellular service and public cellular service using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN). The system is configured to have a predetermined phone number that a subscriber who is using the public cellular service via the private cellular system and who is not registered to use the private cellular service provided by the system can call in order to register to use the private cellular service provided by the system and, in response thereto, the system captures a subscriber identity number associated with the subscriber and assigns a private telephone number to the subscriber that is used in connection with providing private cellular service. Another embodiment is directed to a method of enabling a prepaid hybrid subscriber to make a call using a private cellular system while outside of a coverage area associated with the private cellular system. Another embodiment is directed to a private cellular network comprising a plurality of private cellular systems to provide private cellular service and public cellular service using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN). In that embodiment, a gateway function in each of the plurality of private cellular systems is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system.

Claims

1. A private cellular system to provide private cellular service and public cellular service, the system comprising:

a base station subsystem to communicate with mobile units using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN);

a private network switching subsystem to provide switching for the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system; and

a multiplexer function that couples the BSS to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN in connection with providing the public cellular service using the private cellular system and that couples the BSS to the private network switching subsystem in connection with providing the private cellular service using the private cellular system; and

wherein the system is configured to have a predetermined phone number that a subscriber who is using the public cellular service via the private cellular system and who is not registered to use the private cellular service provided by the system can call in order to register to use the private cellular service provided by the system and, in response thereto, the system captures a subscriber identity number associated with the subscriber and assigns a private telephone number to the subscriber that is used in connection with providing private cellular service.

2. The private cellular system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular system is configured to provide the subscriber who calls the predetermined phone number and registers to use the private cellular service provided by the system with an option to recharge a prepaid account that is created for the subscriber.

3. The private cellular system of claim 2, further comprising a prepaid system (PPS) to maintain prepaid accounts.

4. The private cellular system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular system is configured to assign a class of service (COS) to prepaid accounts of subscribers who are able to use the public cellular service and who have registered to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system.

5. The private cellular system of claim 4, wherein the private cellular system is configured to have a first COS that is assigned to prepaid accounts of subscribers who are able to use the public cellular service and who have registered to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system but who have not recharged their respective prepaid accounts, and wherein the private cellular system is configured to have a at least one other COS that is assigned to prepaid accounts of subscribers who are able to use the public cellular service and who have registered to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system and have recharged their respective prepaid accounts.

6. The private cellular system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular system is configured to enable the private telephone number assigned to a subscriber who is registered to use the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system to be changed.

7. The private cellular system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular system is configured to support at least the following types of subscribers:

private subscribers to whom the private cellular system provides only private cellular service, public subscribers to whom the private cellular system provides only public cellular service, and hybrid subscribers to whom the private cellular system provides both private cellular service and public cellular service.

8. The private cellular system of claim 7, wherein the private cellular system is configured to have a predetermined phone number that hybrid subscribers who have prepaid accounts can call in order to use the prepaid account as a calling card.

9. The private cellular system of claim 1, comprising multiple base station controllers.

10. The private cellular system of claim 1, further comprising a trunk router function that couples the private cellular system to the PLMN using one or more trunk groups.

11. The private cellular system of claim 10, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

12. The private cellular system of claim 10, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a plurality of public land mobile networks.

13. A method of automatically registering a subscriber using public cellular service provided by a private cellular system to use private cellular service also provided by the private cellular system, the private cellular system using licensed radio frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN) to provide the public cellular service and to provide the private cellular service, the method comprising:

receiving a call from the subscriber made to a predetermined phone number associated with the private cellular system;

capturing a subscriber identity number associated with the subscriber;

assigning a local private telephone number to the subscriber for use in connection with the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system; and

creating a prepaid account for the subscriber that the private cellular system uses for billing in connection with providing the private cellular service to the subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

routing the call to a private networking switching system included in the private cellular system.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of playing an audio welcome message to the subscriber and sending a short message service (SMS) welcome message to the subscriber, the audio welcome message and the SMS welcome message including the private telephone number and a password associated with the prepaid account.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

giving the subscriber an option to recharge the prepaid account; and

if the subscriber wishes to recharge the prepaid account, receiving a prepaid recharge number from the subscriber; and

if the prepaid recharge number is valid, recharging and activating the account.

17. A method of enabling a prepaid hybrid subscriber to make a call using a private cellular system while outside of a coverage area associated with the private cellular system, wherein the private cellular system provides public cellular service and private cellular service using licensed radio frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN), wherein the prepaid hybrid subscriber is registered to use both the public cellular service and the private cellular service, wherein the prepaid hybrid subscriber has a private telephone number assigned thereto for use in connection with the private cellular service, and wherein the prepaid hybrid subscriber has an associated prepaid account that the private cellular system uses for billing in connection with the private cellular service, wherein the prepaid account has a password associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving a call from the prepaid hybrid subscriber made to a predetermined phone number associated with the private cellular system;

prompting the prepaid hybrid subscriber to enter the private telephone number and the password;

if the private telephone number and the password are valid, receiving a called number;

if the prepaid account has sufficient credit, making a call to the called number using the private cellular system.

18. A private cellular network comprising:

a plurality of private cellular systems to provide private cellular service and public cellular service, each private cellular system comprising;

a respective base station subsystem (BSS) to communicate with mobile units using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN);

a respective private network switching subsystem to provide switching for the private cellular service provided by that private cellular system;

a gateway function; and

a multiplexer function that couples the respective BSS, via the gateway function, to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN in connection with providing the public cellular service using that private cellular system and that couples the respective BSS to the respective private network switching subsystem in connection with providing the private cellular service using that private cellular system;

wherein a central private cellular system included in the plurality of private cellular systems is directly coupled to the PLMN and wherein at least one subordinate private cellular system included in the plurality of private cellular systems is indirectly coupled the PLMN via the central private cellular system;

wherein the gateway function in each of the plurality of private cellular systems is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system.

19. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein the gateway function in the central private cellular system is used to connect the central private cellular system to the PLMN and to connect the central private cellular system to the gateway function in at least one subordinate private cellular system.

20. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein first subordinate private cellular system is connected to the central private cellular system indirectly via one or more other subordinate private cellular systems.

21. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein the gateway function in each of the plurality of private cellular systems includes:

an upstream interface for coupling the respective private cellular to the central private cellular system, a subordinate private cellular system, or to the PLMN; and

one or more downstream interfaces for coupling the respective private cellular system to one or more of subordinate private cellular systems.

22. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein the private cellular network includes an accurate paging function to direct a paging request received from the PLMN to an appropriate one of the private cellular systems.

23. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein each of the private cellular systems includes a respective accurate paging function that maintains a table that identifies the location of each subscriber that is able to use the public cellular service and that is currently located within (i) a coverage associated with that private cellular system or (ii) any downstream coverage area associated with any downstream subordinate private cellular system that is downstream from that private cellular system.

24. The private cellular network of claim 23, wherein the accurate paging function in each of the private cellular systems:

determines if a paging request received at that private cellular system is intended for a subscriber located within the coverage area associated with that private cellular system; and

if it is, forwards the paging request to a base station controller included in that private cellular system; and

if it is not, forwards the paging request to a downstream subordinate private cellular system.

25. The private cellular network of claim 24, wherein if a paging request received at a private cellular system is not intended for a subscriber located within the coverage area associated with that private cellular system, that private cellular system determines in which downstream coverage area the subscriber for whom the paging request is intended is located and forwards the paging request to the downstream private cellular system that is associated with that downstream coverage area.

26. The private cellular network of claim 18, wherein paging responses that are received at a private cellular system from a downstream private cellular system that is downstream from that private cellular system or from a base station controller that is included in the private cellular system are forwarded upstream by the gateway function included in that private cellular system.

27. The private cellular network of claim 18, further comprising a trunk router function that couples the private cellular system to the PLMN using one or more trunk groups.

28. The private cellular network of claim 27, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

29. The private cellular network of claim 27, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a plurality of public land mobile networks.

30. A private cellular system to provide private cellular service and public cellular service as a part of a private cellular network that includes a plurality of private cellular systems, the private cellular system comprising:

a base station subsystem to communicate with mobile units using licensed frequency spectrum associated with a public land mobile network (PLMN);

a private network switching subsystem to provide switching for the private cellular service provided by the private cellular system;

a gateway function; and

a multiplexer function that couples the respective BSS, via the gateway function, to a public network switching subsystem included in the PLMN in connection with providing the public cellular service using that private cellular system and that couples the respective BSS to the respective private network switching subsystem in connection with providing the private cellular service using that private cellular system;

wherein the gateway function comprises an upstream interface to couple the private cellular system to the PLMN or to another one of the private cellular systems;

wherein the gateway function is configured to make the private cellular network appear, to the PLMN, as though it is implemented using only a single private cellular system.

31. The private cellular system of claim 30, wherein the private cellular system includes an accurate paging function to direct a paging request received from the PLMN to an appropriate one of the private cellular systems.

32. The private cellular system of claim 31, wherein the accurate paging function maintains a table that identifies the location of each subscriber that is able to use the public cellular service and that is currently located within (i) a coverage associated with that private cellular system or (ii) any downstream coverage area associated with any downstream private cellular system that is downstream from that private cellular system.

33. The private cellular system of claim 32, wherein the accurate paging function:

determines if a paging request received at the private cellular system is intended for a subscriber located within the coverage area associated with the private cellular system; and

if it is, forwards the paging request to the base station subsystem; and

if it is not, forwards the paging request to another private cellular system that is downstream from that private cellular system.

34. The private cellular system of claim 33, wherein if a paging request received at the private cellular system is not intended for a subscriber located within the coverage area associated with the private cellular system, the private cellular system determines in which downstream coverage area the subscriber for whom the paging request is intended is located and forwards the paging request to the downstream private cellular system that is associated with that downstream coverage area.

35. The private cellular system of claim 30, wherein paging responses that are received at the private cellular system from another private cellular system that is downstream from the private cellular system or from a base station controller that is included in the base station subsystem are forwarded upstream by the gateway function included in the private cellular system.

36. The private cellular system of claim 30, further comprising a trunk router function that couples the private cellular system to the PLMN using one or more trunk groups.

37. The private cellular system of claim 36, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

38. The private cellular system of claim 36, wherein the trunk router function couples the private cellular system to a plurality of public land mobile networks.