Mobile station messaging for registration in an unlicensed wireless communication system

• US 7,769,385 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• 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:
  US12/328,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/410, 455/411, 455/436, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/440, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/442, 455/432.2, 370/331, 370/328, 370/338, 370/437, 370/431
• 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. A method of operating a telecommunication device, the method comprising:

providing a first wireless interface for communicating with a licensed first communication system through a licensed first wireless communication channel, the licensed first communication system comprising (i) a licensed radio access network and (ii) a core network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC); and

providing a second wireless interface for communicating with a second communication system through a second wireless communication channel, the second communication system comprising a network controller that provides access to the core network through the MSC,

wherein communicating with the second communication system comprises (i) establishing a transmission control protocol over Internet protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and the network controller, (ii) sending a registration message to the network controller for registering the telecommunication device to access communication services of the second communication system, and (iii) after registering the telecommunication device, receiving a paging message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second communication system further comprises receiving a message at the telecommunication device to cause an establishment of a communication channel between the telecommunication device and the network controller to facilitate the communication services with the second communication system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration message comprises a location of the telecommunication device in the licensed first communication system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said location of the telecommunication device is identified by a location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed first communication system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said location of the telecommunication device is further identified by a cell identifier, said LAI and said cell identifier for identifying a particular service region of the licensed first communication system last visited by the telecommunication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the registration message comprises sending an identity of the telecommunication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identity of the telecommunication device comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second communication system further comprises receiving a registration acknowledgment message from the network controller when the telecommunication device is authorized to access the communication services of the second communication system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second communication system further comprises receiving, at the telecommunication device, a set of ciphering parameters for encrypting a communication session when the communication session is handed over from the second communication system to the licensed first communication system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller communicatively couples a plurality of service regions of the second communication system to the licensed first communication system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication system is an unlicensed wireless communication system.

12. A telecommunication device operable with (i) a licensed first wireless communication network comprising a licensed wireless radio access network and a core network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC) and (ii) a second wireless communication network comprising a network controller that provides access to the core network through the MSC, the telecommunication device comprising:

a first module to implement protocols for facilitating communications with the licensed first wireless communication network; and

a second module to implement protocols for facilitating communications with the second wireless communication network by (i) establishing a transmission control protocol over Internet protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and the network controller, (ii) sending a registration message to the network controller for registering the telecommunication device to access communication services of the second wireless communication network, and (iii) after registering the telecommunication device, receiving a paging message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection.

13. The telecommunication device of claim 12, wherein the second module is further for facilitating communications by receiving a registration acknowledgement from the network controller when said telecommunication device is authorized to access the communication services of the second wireless communication network.

14. The telecommunication device of claim 12, wherein the second module is further for facilitating communications by receiving an activate channel request message for establishing a communication session with the second wireless communication network.

15. The telecommunication device of claim 12, wherein the telecommunication device comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, and a mobile computer.

16. The telecommunication device of claim 12 further comprising a processor and a memory storing the first module and the second module, the memory operatively connected to the processor and including computer instructions for implementing the first module and the second module.

17. The telecommunication device of claim 12, wherein the second wireless communication system is an unlicensed wireless communication system.

18. A computer readable storage medium of a telecommunications device, said computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for execution by said telecommunication device, said computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

establishing a first wireless interface for communicating with a licensed first communication system through a licensed first wireless communication channel, the licensed first communication system comprising (i) a licensed wireless radio access network and (ii) a core network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC); and

establishing a second wireless interface for communicating with a second communication system through a second wireless communication channel, the second communication system comprising a network controller that provides access to the core network through the MSC, wherein the set of instructions for establishing the second wireless interface comprises (i) a set of instructions for establishing a transmission control protocol over Internet protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and the network controller, (ii) a set of instructions for sending a registration message to the network controller for registering the telecommunication device to access communication services of the second communication system, and (iii) a set of instructions for receiving a paging message from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection after registering the telecommunication device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the registration message comprises a location of the telecommunication device in the licensed first communication system.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said location of the telecommunication device is identified by a location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed first communication system.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the registration message comprises an identity of the telecommunication device.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the identity of the telecommunication device comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

23. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the second wireless communication system is an unlicensed wireless communication system.

24. A method of operating a telecommunication device, the method comprising:

providing a first wireless interface for communicating with a licensed first communication system through a licensed first wireless communication channel, the licensed first communication system comprising (i) a licensed wireless radio access network and (ii) a core network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC); and

providing a second wireless interface for communicating with a second communication system through a second wireless communication channel, the second communication system comprising a network controller that provides access to the core network through the MSC,

wherein communicating with the second communication system comprises (i) sending a registration message to the network controller for registering the telecommunication device to access communication services of the second communication system, and (ii) after registering the telecommunication device, receiving a channel activation message to activate a channel for facilitating said communication services, said channel activation message sent to the telecommunication device from the network controller in response to an assignment request message received at the network controller from the MSC, wherein the activated channel uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

25. The method of claim 24, wherein communicating with the second communication system further comprises passing communication session data to the network controller over the activated channel.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein communicating with the second communication system further comprises sending a channel activation acknowledge message from the telecommunication device to the network controller after establishing the channel.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the second wireless communication system is an unlicensed wireless communication system.

28. A method of operating a telecommunication device, the method comprising:

providing a first wireless interface for communicating with a licensed communication system through a licensed wireless communication channel, the licensed communication system comprising (i) a licensed wireless radio access network and (ii) a core network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC); and

providing a second wireless interface for communicating with an unlicensed communication system through an unlicensed wireless communication channel, the second communication system comprising a network controller that provides access to the core network through the MSC,

wherein communicating with the unlicensed communication system comprises (i) establishing a transmission control protocol over Internet protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the telecommunication device and the network controller, (ii) sending a registration message from the telecommunication device to the network controller for registering the telecommunication device to access communication services of the unlicensed communication system, and (iii) after registering the telecommunication device, receiving a ciphering mode message at the telecommunication device from the network controller over the TCP/IP connection to enable ciphering when a communication session of the telecommunication device is handed over from the unlicensed communication system to the licensed communication system.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the registration message comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the telecommunication device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the registration message comprises a location area identifier (LAI) of the licensed first communication system for identifying a location of the telecommunication device.