Messaging in an unlicensed mobile access telecommunications system

• US 7,953,423 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baranowski, Joseph G., Shi, Jianxiong, Gupta, Rajeev, Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/129,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455/459, 455/422.1, 455/424, 455/425, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/524, 455/525, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/436, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for performing messaging between mobile stations (MSs) and UMA network controllers (UNCs) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN). URR (UMA radio resource) messages are exchanged between an MS and one or more UNCs to perform various operations associated with UMAN. The MS may access the UMAN via a wireless access point (AP) that is communicatively coupled to the UNC via an IP network. The URR messages are sent between MSs and UNCs using an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP transport.

Claims

1. A method for releasing a connection between a mobile station (MS) and an unlicensed network controller (UNC) initiated by the MS, comprising:

sending a CLEAR REQUEST message from the MS to the UNC to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC, the CLEAR REQUEST message including a plurality of information elements (IEs) including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type identifying the message as the CLEAR REQUEST message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the CLEAR REQUEST message is for causing the UNC to send a request to a core network employed by a licensed radio access network whose services are accessed by the MS via the UNC to release resources used for the connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request sent from the UNC to the core network is for releasing appropriate resources employed by the core network to support the connection.

4. A method for releasing a connection between a mobile station (MS) and an unlicensed network controller (UNC) initiated by the UNC, comprising:

sending a RELEASE message from the UNC to the MS; and

receiving a RELEASE COMPLETE message at the UNC from the MS,

wherein each of the RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages includes a plurality of information elements (IEs), including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type from which the message can be identified.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a cause IE containing a value from which a cause for the release may be determined via a cause values lookup table.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Resumption IE.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the RELEASE message is for the MS to release all resources and any traffic channel resources at the MS and have the MS enter an IDLE state.

8. An unlicensed mobile access network controller (UNC) to operate in an unlicensed wireless network comprising a first radio access network, comprising:

a first network interface comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface;

a second network interface comprising an Up interface, via which messages are to be transmitted to and received from a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the MS and the UNC, the Up interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the IP network interface;

a third network interface, via which the UNC may be connected to a core network that is accessible to a second radio access network; and

one or more modules for generating and/or processing a plurality of messages transmitted over the Up interface to support server-side communications with one or more MS clients in the unlicensed wireless network, the messages comprising;

a RELEASE message generated by and sent from the UNC to the MS to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the UNC and the MS;

a RELEASE COMPLETE message received at the UNC from the MS in response to the RELEASE message and processed by the UNC,

wherein each of the RELEASE and the RELEASE COMPLETE messages includes a plurality of information elements (IEs) including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

9. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the messages further include:

a CLEAR REQUEST message received at the UNC from the MS to request release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC,

wherein in response to receiving the CLEAR REQUEST, the UNC processes the messages and sends a request to a core network employed by a licensed radio access network whose services are accessed by the MS via the UNC to release resources used for the connection.

10. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a cause IE containing a value from which a cause for the release may be determined via a cause values lookup table.

11. The UNC of claim 8, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Resumption IE.

12. A mobile station (MS), comprising:

a first wireless interface to access a first radio access network;

a second wireless interface to access a second radio access network comprising an unlicensed wireless network via an access point (AP) using an unlicensed radio frequency;

an Up interface to communicate with the unlicensed wireless network via an unlicensed network controller (UNC) communicatively coupled to the AP via an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

one or more modules for generating and/or processing a plurality of messages transmitted over the Up interface to support client-side communications with one or more UNC servers in the unlicensed wireless network, the messages comprising;

a CLEAR REQUEST message generated by and sent from the MS to the UNC to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC, the CLEAR REQUEST message including a plurality of information elements (IEs) including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

13. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein the messages further include:

a RELEASE message received at the MS from the UNC to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC; and

a RELEASE COMPLETE message generated by the MS and sent to the UNC from the MS in response to the RELEASE message,

wherein each of the RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages includes a plurality of information elements (IEs) including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type from which the message can be identified.

14. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein in response to the RELEASE message the mobile station performs operations including:

releasing all resources and any traffic channel resources associated with the connection; and

entering an IDLE state.

15. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Resumption IE, and in response to the RELEASE message the MS performs operations including:

storing GPRS information contained in the GPRS Resumption IE; and

employing the GPRS information when re-establishing GPRS services via the unlicensed wireless network.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium of a mobile station (MS), wherein the computer readable medium is a physical storage medium and not propagated signals, the computer readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

generating and processing a plurality of messages to support communication between the MS and an unlicensed network controller (UNC) via an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying Internet Protocol (IP) transport, the underlying IP transport facilitated by a wireless link between the MS and a wireless access point (AP) to which the UNC is communicatively coupled via an IP network, the messages comprising;

a CLEAR REQUEST message generated by and sent from the MS to the UNC to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC, the CLEAR REQUEST message including a plurality of information elements (IEs), including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising sets of instructions to facilitate MS client-side aspects of the Up interface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the messages further include:

a RELEASE message received at the MS from the UNC to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the MS and the UNC; and

a RELEASE COMPLETE message generated by the MS and sent to the UNC from the MS in response to the RELEASE message.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising sets of instructions for performing operations in response to the RELEASE message, including:

releasing all resources and any traffic channel resources associated with the connection; and

entering an IDLE state.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the RELEASE message further includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Resumption IE, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises instructions for performing further operations in response to the RELEASE message, including:

storing GPRS information contained in the GPRS Resumption IE; and

employing the GPRS information when re-establishing GPRS services via an unlicensed wireless network.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium of an unlicensed network controller (UNC), wherein the computer readable medium is a physical storage medium and not propagated signals, the computer readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

generating and processing a plurality of messages to support communication between the UNC and a mobile station (MS) via an Up interface comprising a set of layered protocols over an underlying IP (Internet Protocol) transport, the underlying IP transport facilitated by a wireless link between the MS and a wireless access point (AP) to which the UNC is communicatively coupled via an IP network, comprising;

a RELEASE message sent from the UNC to the MS to initiate release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the UNC and the MS; and

a RELEASE COMPLETE message received at the UNC from the MS in response to the RELEASE message,

wherein each of the RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages includes a plurality of information elements (IEs), including;

a protocol discriminator;

a skip indicator; and

a message type via which the message may be identified.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising sets of instructions to facilitate UNC server-side aspects of the Up interface.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the messages further include:

a CLEAR REQUEST message received at the UNC from the MS to request release of resources corresponding to a connection established between the UNC and the MS.