Registration messaging for an unlicensed wireless communication system

• US 7,209,744 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baranowski, Joseph G., Mohammed, Jahangir, Shi, Jianxiong, Shekhar, Madhu C., Elam, Thomas G., Powell, Mark, Kolderup, Kenneth M., Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J.
• Application Number:
  US11/225,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 455/448, 455/446, 455/432.2, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/435.1, 455/552.1, 455/445, 455/421, 455/462, 455/465, 455/432.1, 455/436, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• 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 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/06 between gateways and public network devices

Abstract

An unlicensed wireless service is adapted to generate the interface protocols of a licensed wireless service to provide transparent transition of communication sessions between a licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. In one embodiment, a mobile station includes level 1, level 2, and level 3 protocols for licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. An indoor base station and indoor network controller provide protocol conversion for the unlicensed wireless service into a standard base station controller interface of the licensed wireless service.

Claims

1. In a communication system comprising a licensed wireless communication system and an unlicensed wireless communication system, the unlicensed wireless communication system having an unlicensed region served by an unlicensed wireless network controller, the unlicensed wireless communication system having an unlicensed wireless base station that has an unlicensed wireless link with a mobile station using an unlicensed frequency, a method of registering a mobile station with the unlicensed wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) through the unlicensed wireless link, establishing at the unlicensed network controller a secure link with the mobile station; and

b) at the unlicensed network controller, exchanging a set of unlicensed radio resource (RR) registration messages with the mobile station to register the mobile station with unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of RR registration messages includes;

a register message received at the unlicensed network controller from the mobile station for enabling the unlicensed network controller to start monitoring for paging requests targeted at the mobile station, said register message sent by the mobile station while located in the unlicensed region served by the unlicensed network controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said register message includes the current location of the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the location of the mobile station is identified by at least one of location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed wireless communication system and routing area identifier (RAI) of the licensed wireless communication system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said register message further includes the identity of the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the identity of the mobile station includes international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) sending a register acknowledge message from the unlicensed network controller in response to receiving the register message; and

b) receiving the register acknowledge message at the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the unlicensed network controller utilizes the register acknowledge message to provide the mobile station with the operating parameters associated with the unlicensed wireless communication system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) receiving a DEREGISTER message by the unlicensed network controller; and

b) the unlicensed wireless communication system releasing any resources assigned to the mobile station.

9. An unlicensed wireless network controller to operate in an unlicensed wireless communication system comprising a first radio access network, comprising:

a) a first network interface comprising a broadband access network interface;

b) a second network interface through which messages are sent to and received from a mobile station via an unlicensed wireless base station communicatively coupled between the mobile station and the unlicensed network controller, said second network interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the first network interface;

c) a third network interface for connecting the unlicensed network controller to a telecommunications network employed by a licensed wireless communication system;

d) circuits for handling a set of unlicensed radio resource (RR) messages transmitted over the second interface to support registering and deregistering of the mobile station to and from the unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages includes;

a register message received at the unlicensed network controller from the mobile station for enabling the unlicensed network controller to start monitoring for paging requests targeted at the mobile station, said register message sent by the mobile station while located in an unlicensed region served by the unlicensed network controller.

10. The unlicensed network controller of claim 9 wherein said register message includes the current location of the mobile station.

11. The unlicensed network controller of claim 10 wherein the location of the mobile station is identified by at least one of location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed wireless communication system and routing area identifier (RAI) of the licensed wireless communication system.

12. The unlicensed network controller of claim 9 wherein said register message further includes the identity of the mobile station.

13. The unlicensed network controller of claim 12 wherein the identity of the mobile station includes international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

14. The unlicensed network controller of claim 9 wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages further includes:

a register acknowledge message sent from the unlicensed network controller in response to receiving the register message and received by the mobile station.

15. The unlicensed network contoller of claim 14 wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages further includes:

a DEREGISTER message received by the unlicensed network controller.

16. In a communication system that includes a licensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to a mobile station using a licensed wireless frequency and an unlicensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to the mobile station using an unlicensed wireless frequency, a computer readable medium of an unlicensed wireless network controller, said computer readable medium storing a set of instructions, which when executed by the unlicensed network controller causes the unlicensed network controller to:

a) have a connection to an unlicensed wireless base station, said base station communicatively coupled to the mobile station using the unlicensed wireless frequency;

b) generate, transmit, and process a set of unlicensed radio resource (RR) messages to support registering and deregistering of the mobile station to and from the unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages comprises;

a register message received at the unlicensed network controller from the mobile station for enabling the unlicensed network controller to start monitoring for paging requests targeted at the mobile station, said register message sent by the mobile station while located in an unlicensed region served by the unlicensed network controller.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said register message includes the current location of the mobile station.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the location of the mobile station is identified by at least one of location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed wireless communication system and routing area identifier (RAI) of the licensed wireless communication system.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said register message further includes the identity of the mobile station.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the identity of the mobile station includes international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages further includes:

a register acknowledge message sent from the unlicensed network controller in response to receiving the register message from the mobile station.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages further includes:

a DEREGISTER message received by the unlicensed network controller.