Method and apparatus for integrated wireless communications in private and public network environments

• US 6,539,237 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sayers, Ian Leslie, Yang, Sheausong, Long, Paul Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry W
• Application Number:
  US09/188,856
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/555, 455/554, 455/426, 455/435, 455/445, 455/455, 455/422, 370/338, 370/401, 370/389, 370/466
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• 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 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A communication system formed by a private network that includes a private wireless network. The communication system includes a public wireless network using a public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and includes public networks, such as PSTN, ISDN and the Internet, using a wired protocol, such as IP. The private network also includes a local area network (LAN) and the private network connects to the public networks using a wired packet protocol, such as IP. The public and private wireless networks operate with the same public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and the private wireless network additionally operates with a wired packet protocol, such as IP. The communication system permits users to operate freely in both public and private wireless networks using standard mobile stations while achieving high private network data rates. The communication system uses normal wireless handsets or other mobile or fixed stations without need for any modifications.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a Mobile Station (MS) to communicate in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);

forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer providing communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;

at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;

forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;

receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;

at the wireless system gatekeeper, formulating a response message to the external control message, and forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS; and

at the P-BTS, receiving the response message and reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer; and

forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

2. A method as in claim 1 in which the call control message is a Location Update Request message received from a mobile station (MS) at the P-BTS and being passed to an MM layer entity resident within the P-BTS additionally comprising:

reformatting the Location Update Request message as an external Registration Request (RRQ) message by the packet interface layer, the registration request message specifying the MSI;

sending the external RRQ message from the packet interface layer to the gatekeeper, the RRQ message traveling from the P-BTS over a packet switched data network; and

returning from the wireless system gatekeeper a Registration Confirmation (RCF) message over the packet data network, the RCF message including both a packet network identifier for the Mobile Station (MS) and an endpoint identifier for the gatekeeper, the packet data network operable for direct communication with a public wireless network.

3. A method as in claim 2 additionally comprising:

before the step of sending a Location Update Request message, issuing a channel request message from the Mobile Station (MS) to the RR layer resident within the P-BTS; and

returning an immediate channel assignment message from the RR layer to the MS.

4. A method as in claim 3 additionally comprising:

returning an Acknowledgment Confirmation (ACF) message from the packet data network indicating call parameters provided from the wireless system gatekeeper as an encapsulated packet network message.

5. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising a method for establishing a connection for a mobile station initiated call, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a call setup message from the mobile station to the P-BTS, the setup message being received at an MM layer implemented in the P-BTS and not in an MM layer implemented in a separate Base Station Controller (BSC), the call setup message indicating a called party number (CPN);

forming an internal setup message in a CM layer associated with the P-BTS, and forwarding this internal setup message to the packet data layer of the P-BTS; and

forming an Acknowledgment Request (ARQ) message from the internal setup message, and forwarding the ARQ message across the packet switched data network from the P-BTS layer to the wireless system gatekeeper connected to the packet data network.

6. A method as in claim 5 additionally comprising:

sending a setup message from the P-BTS to the gatekeeper, the setup message including an indicator of the Called Party Number (CPN) to be used by the Mobile Station (MS);

in response thereto, receiving, at the P-BTS, a call proceeding message from the gatekeeper;

forwarding the call proceeding message internally to a Connection Manager (CM) layer within the P-BTS; and

forwarding a call proceeding message from the CM layer through to the MM layer, to the Mobile Station (MS).

7. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising a method for terminating a call at a mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the wireless system gatekeeper over the packet data network, a setup message encapsulated in a data network;

forwarding the setup message through an internal protocol stack as an internal setup message indicating a Called Party Number (CPN) and other configuration information to a Connection Manager (CM) layer in the P-BTS; and

sending an internal page request message from the CM layer to the RR layer within the P-BTS.

8. A method as in claim 7 additionally comprising:

the RR layer issuing a paging request message to the MS; and

in response thereto, the MS returning a paging response message indicating a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI) to the MM layer to initiate a begin call sequence.

9. A method as in claim 8 additionally comprising:

after the call setup message is received at the CM layer;

providing a begin call internal message from the CM layer to the packet data layer, the begin call message initiating an Acknowledgment Request (ARQ) message that includes the MSI number and Called Party Number;

the gatekeeper then returning an Acknowledgment Confirmation (ACF) message indicating connection information; and

At the P-BTS, the received ACF message then generating an internal accepted call message within the P-BTS to establish the ability to receive a call.

10. A method as in claim 9 additionally comprising:

in response to receiving the accepted call message at a CM layer, generating a setup message to the Mobile Station (MS), the setup message indicating a CPN and channel number;

returning a call confirmed message from the mobile station to the CM layer;

generating an internal call confirmed message from the CM layer to the packet data interface; and

generating an open channel message from the packet data interface to the wireless system gatekeeper to open channels for information transfer.

11. A method as in claim 1 in which the call control messages indicate a handover of servicing a Mobile Station (MS) from a serving P-BTS to a target P-BTS, the method further comprising:

passing a handover request message from an internal CM layer within the P-BTS to the packet data interface;

generating a location request (LRQ) message indicating the P-BTS identifier and called party number; and

returning from the wireless system gatekeeper a Location Confirmation (LCF) message indicating handover processing information.

12. A method as in claim 11 additionally comprising:

forwarding a handover message from the packet network interface as a nonstandard packet network message indicating a handover request; and

receiving a handover acceptance message as a nonstandard packet network message.

13. A method as in claim 12 additionally comprising:

upon receipt of a connection message from the target P-BTS reporting on allocation of resources, bridging a release complete message received from the target P-BTS at the serving P-BTS from the packet interface to a CM layer;

bridging the release complete message from the CM layer to the MM layer; and

forwarding a handover command from the MM layer to the Mobile Station (MS).

14. A computer program product having computer program code for allowing a Mobile Station (MS) to communicate in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, comprising:

computer program code for receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);

computer program code for forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer providing communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;

computer program code for, at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;

computer program code for forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;

computer program code for receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;

computer program code for, at the wireless system gatekeeper, formulating a response message to the external control message, and forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS; and

computer program code at the P-BTS for receiving the response message and reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer; and

computer program code for forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

15. A wireless communication system including a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, comprising:

a P-BTS operable to receive a call control message at the P-BTS and pass the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);

a packet interface layer in the P-BTS operable to receive the forwarded call control message internally within the P-BTS, the packet interface layer further operable to provide communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;

an external control message formatted at the packet interface layer and intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;

a packet data network operable to forward the external control message; and

a wireless system gatekeeper operable to receive the external control message, the wireless system gatekeeper further operable to formulate a response message to the external control message, and forward said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS, the P-BTS further operable to receive the response message and reformat the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer and forward the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

16. A wireless communication system including a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks comprising:

means for receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and for passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);

means for forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer operable to provide communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;

means for, at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;

means for forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;

means for receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;

means for formulating, at the wireless system gatekeeper, a response message to the external control message, and for forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS; and

means for receiving, at the P-BTS, the response message and for reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer; and

means for forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.