Mechanisms to extend UMA or GAN to inter-work with UMTS core network

• US 8,045,493 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sonus Networks Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, Michael D., Markovic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US12/916,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/423, 455/41.2, 370/335, 370/338, 370/469, 375/130
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A network controller operates in an unlicensed wireless communication system including a first radio access network. The network controller includes a Up interface for communicating with a mobile station and an IP network interface. The network controller includes a network interface for connecting the network controller to a UMTS core network that is accessible to a second radio access network that includes a UTRAN. The network interface includes an Iu-CS interface to communicate with a MSC in the UMTS core network. The network interface supports signaling protocols for circuit-switched services while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol that includes a RANAP layer over a SCCP layer and several Iu-CS control plane lower layers. The network controller includes modules for generating and/or processing messages transmitted over the network interface. The network controller appears to the UMTS core network as a UTRAN RNC.

Claims

1. A network controller to operate in an unlicensed wireless communication system comprising a first radio access network, the network controller comprising:

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

a second network interface comprising a Up interface for communicating with a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the network controller and the MS, the Up interface including a plurality of protocol layers implemented over the IP network interface;

a third network interface for connecting the network controller to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) core network that is accessible to a second radio access network comprising a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), the third network interface comprising an Iu-CS (circuit-switched) interface to communicate with a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the UMTS core network, the third network interface supporting signaling protocols for circuit-switched services while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol that includes a Radio Access Node Application Part (RANAP) layer over a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) layer and a plurality of Iu-CS control plane lower layers; and

one or more modules for generating and/or processing a plurality of messages transmitted over the third network interface between the network controller and the UMTS core network, wherein the network controller appears to the UMTS core network as a UTRAN Radio Network Controller (RNC).

2. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the third network interface further supports a CS user plane transport while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol that includes a remote IP layer over a plurality of Iu-CS user plane lower layers.

3. The network controller of claim 1, wherein the third network interface further comprises an Iu-PS (packet-switched) interface to support data messages for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol that includes a remote IP layer over a plurality of Iu-PS user plane lower layers.

4. The network controller of claim 1 further comprising a security gateway (SGW), wherein the SGW comprises:

a first network interface for connecting the SGW to the first radio access network;

a second network interface for connecting the SGW to the UMTS core network.

5. The network controller of claim 4, wherein the SGW further comprises a third network interface for connecting the SGW to an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server in the UMTS core network.

6. The network controller of claim 4, wherein the second network interface of the SGW includes an Iu-CS user plane interface.

7. The network controller of claim 4, wherein the second network interface of the SGW includes an Iu-PS user plane interface.

8. The network controller of claim 4, wherein the network controller further comprises an indoor network controller (INC), wherein the SGW further comprises a fourth network interface for connecting the SGW to the INC.

9. A mobile station operable to communicate with a Universal Model Telecommunications System (UMTS) telecommunications network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and an unlicensed wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area,

wherein the mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier for use when the mobile station is in a licensed wireless access area, and associated with an unlicensed wireless network identifier and an unlicensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the unlicensed wireless access area,

wherein the mobile station employs a plurality of protocol layers to access an unlicensed wireless service and a UMTS core network, the protocol layers being used to support communication with an unlicensed wireless network controller over a Up interface and the UMTS core network via an Iu-PS interface,

wherein the mobile station supports signaling protocols for packet-switched services while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol, the layered protocol including a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Mobility Management/Session Management/Short Message Service (GMM/SM/SMS) layer, an unlicensed wireless communication radio resource (RR) layer, and a transmission control protocol (TCP) layer, and

wherein the layered protocol further includes a remote IP layer, a security layer, a transport IP layer, and a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

10. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the unlicensed wireless access area comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN).

11. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the unlicensed wireless access area comprises a Bluetooth personal local area network (PLAN).

12. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station supports circuit-switched (CS) user plane transport while inter-working with the UMTS core network via an Iu-CS interface using a layered protocol including an Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) codec layer, and Real-Time Protocol/User Datagram Protocol (RTP/UDP) layers.

13. The mobile station of claim 12, wherein the layered protocol further includes a remote IP layer, a security layer, a transport IP layer, and a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

14. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station supports data messages for packet-switched (PS) user plane service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS interface using a layered protocol, the layered protocol including an IP layer, a GPRS tunneling protocol-User (GTP-U) layer, and a UDP layer.

15. The mobile station of claim 14, wherein the layered protocol further includes a remote IP layer, a security layer, a transport IP layer, and a plurality of unlicensed lower layers.

16. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station comprises one of a wireless phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, and a mobile computer.

17. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station comprises a fixed wireless device providing a set of terminal adapter functions for connecting Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) terminals to the unlicensed wireless communication channel.

18. The mobile station of claim 9, wherein the mobile station and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) relay data messages directly by a security gateway (SGW) and bypassing an indoor network controller (INC).