Network controller messaging for channel activation in an unlicensed wireless communication system

• US 7,773,993 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• 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:
  US12/192,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455/436, 455/422.1, 455/552.1, 455/448, 455/446, 455/432.2, 455450-451, 455/452.1, 455/426.1, 370/331, 370328-329, 370/338
• 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 comprising:

at a network controller of a first communication network that communicatively couples a plurality of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network, establishing a Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection between the network controller and a telecommunication device that is at a particular service region of the first communication network;

from the network controller, sending a channel activation message to the telecommunication device over the TCP/IP connection;

through an activated channel, receiving at the network controller communication session data from the telecommunication device for routing to the licensed wireless second communication network; and

from the network controller, sending a release message to the telecommunication device at the particular service region over the TCP/IP connection, said release message causing the telecommunication device to terminate a communication session by releasing the activated channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session data comprises voice communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed wireless network, wherein the telecommunication device is a dual mode device comprising a first mode for communicating with the licensed wireless second communication network using licensed wireless frequencies and a second mode for communicating with the first communication network using unlicensed wireless frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication device comprises a device for communicatively coupling to a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated channel communicatively couples the telecommunication device to the network controller through the Internet using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the licensed wireless second communication network provides circuit switched services to the communicatively coupled service regions of the first communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the TCP/IP connection comprises establishing a secure link between the network controller and the telecommunication device before sending the channel activation message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secure link is IP security (IPSec), wherein establishing the TCP/IP connection further comprises establishing a TCP session over the secure link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel activation message causes an allocation of a channel to facilitate the communication session that involves the telecommunication device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at the network controller a response to the channel activation message over the TCP/IP connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the activated channel permits the telecommunication device to access bearer services of the licensed wireless second communication network through the first communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bearer services comprise services for facilitating voice communications.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed communication network.

14. A method comprising:

a) from a network controller of a first communication network that communicatively couples a plurality of service regions of the first communication network to a licensed wireless second communication network, sending a first message to page a telecommunication device in a particular service region; and

b) from the network controller, sending to the particular service region a second message to activate a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication channel between the network controller and the telecommunication device, wherein through the activated VoIP communication channel, the network controller receives communication session data from the telecommunication device for routing to the licensed wireless second communication network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising routing said communication session data from the network controller to the licensed wireless second communication network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein routing the communication session data to the licensed wireless second communication network comprises routing said data over a time division multiplexing (TDM) interface.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving at the network controller the communication session data from the licensed wireless second communication network for routing to the particular service region.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a paging response from the particular service region before sending the second message.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message comprises an identifier for identifying a telecommunication device with which to establish a communication session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the identifier for identifying the telecommunication device comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the telecommunication device.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the second message to activate the VoIP communication channel comprises a message for facilitating voice bearer services between the network controller and the particular service region through the Internet using VoIP.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the first communication network is an unlicensed communication network further comprising an access point between the network controller and the telecommunication device, said access point supporting generic IP connectivity and not supporting an unlicensed wireless communication network specific functionality.

23. 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 network controller, the unlicensed wireless communication system having a service region that has an unlicensed wireless link with a telecommunication device using an unlicensed frequency, the licensed wireless communication system comprising a mobile switching center (MSC), a method for assigning a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless communication system via 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 telecommunication device;

b) receiving an assignment request at the unlicensed network controller from the MSC; and

c) at the unlicensed network controller, exchanging a set of unlicensed channel activation messages with the telecommunication device to assign the VoIP voice bearer channel, wherein the set of unlicensed channel activation messages includes;

an activate channel message sent from the unlicensed network controller to the telecommunication device triggering an establishment of the VoIP voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

a) sending an activate channel acknowledgment message by the telecommunication device in response to receiving the activate channel message; and

b) receiving of a channel assignment acknowledgment message at the unlicensed network controller.

25. In a communication system that includes a licensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to a telecommunication device using a licensed wireless frequency and an unlicensed wireless communication system for communicatively connecting to the telecommunication device using an unlicensed wireless frequency, a computer readable storage medium of an unlicensed wireless network controller, said computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by said unlicensed wireless network controller, said computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

a) connecting to a service region, said service region communicatively coupled to the telecommunication device using the unlicensed wireless frequency; and

b) generating, transmitting, and processing a set of unlicensed messages to support assigning a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless communication system via the unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of unlicensed messages comprises;

an activate channel message sent by the unlicensed network controller and received at the telecommunication device, wherein the receipt of the activate channel message by the telecommunication device triggers an establishment of the VoIP voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein said computer program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving an activate channel acknowledgment message sent from the telecommunication device in response to said telecommunication device receiving the activate channel message.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the activate channel message is sent through an access point, said access point supporting generic IP connectivity and not supporting an unlicensed wireless communication network specific functionality.

28. A network controller of a first communication system for communicatively coupling a plurality of service regions of the first communication system to a licensed wireless second communication system, the network controller comprising:

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

b) a second network interface for sending messages to and receiving messages from a telecommunication device through a particular service region, the interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the broadband access network interface;

c) a third network interface, for connecting the network controller to the licensed wireless second communication system, wherein said licensed wireless second communication system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC); and

d) circuits for generating, transmitting, and processing a set of messages transmitted over the second network interface to support assigning a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless second communication system via the first communication system.

29. The network controller of claim 28, wherein the set of messages comprises an activate channel message sent from the network controller and received by the telecommunication device, wherein the receipt of the activate channel message by the telecommunication device triggers establishment of the VoIP voice bearer channel for the telecommunication device.

30. The network controller of claim 29, wherein the set of messages further comprises:

an activate channel acknowledgment message sent by the telecommunication device in response to receiving the activate channel message and received at the network controller.

31. The network controller of claim 28, wherein the particular service region comprises an access point, said access point supporting generic IP connectivity and not supporting an unlicensed wireless communication network specific functionality.

32. The network controller of claim 28 further comprising circuits for receiving an assignment request from the MSC.