Radio resources messaging in an unlicensed wireless communication system

A method for assigning a voice bearer channel for a mobile station to access voice bearer services of a licensed wireless communication system via an unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the licensed wireless communication system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC), the method comprising:

• a) establishing a wireless link between the mobile station and an unlicensed wireless base station utilizing an unlicensed wireless frequency;
• b) through the wireless link, establishing a secure link between the mobile station and an unlicensed network controller communicatively coupled to the base station;
• c) receiving an assignment request at the network controller from the MSC;
• and
• d) exchanging a set of unlicensed radio resources (RR) channel activation messages between the mobile station and the network controller to assign the voice bearer channel, wherein the set of unlicensed RR channel activation messages includes:
• an activate channel message sent by the network controller and received at the mobile station triggering establishment of the voice bearer channel for the mobile station.

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;
• b) a second network interface via which messages are to be transmitted to and from a mobile station via an access point communicatively coupled between the mobile station and the network controller, the interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the broadband network interface;
• c) a third network interface, via which the network controller may be connected to a telecommunications network employed by a licensed wireless communication system comprising a mobile switching center (MSC);
• d) circuits for receiving an assignment request from the MSC;
• and
• e) circuits for generating, transmitting, and processing a set of unlicensed radio resource (RR) messages transmitted over the second interface to support assigning a voice bearer channel for the mobile station to access voice bearer services of the licensed wireless communication system via the unlicensed wireless communication system, wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages comprises:
• an activate channel message sent by the network controller and received by the mobile station, wherein the receipt of the active channel message by the mobile station triggers establishment of the voice bearer channel for the mobile station.

A method of paging a mobile station via an unlicensed wireless communication system comprising an unlicensed wireless base and an unlicensed network controller communicatively coupled to the base station, the method comprising:

• a) establishing a link via A-interface and Gb-interface between the network controller and a telecommunication network employed by a licensed wireless communication system whose services are accessed by the mobile station via the network controller;
• b) receiving a paging message at the network controller from the licensed wireless communication system wherein the paging message identifies the mobile station;
• and
• c) sending a PAGING REQUEST message from the network controller to the identified mobile station.

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;
• b) a second network interface via which messages are to be transmitted to and from a mobile station via an access point communicatively coupled between the mobile station and the network controller, the interface including a plurality of layers implemented over the broadband network interface;
• c) a third network interface, via which the network controller may be connected to a telecommunications network employed by a licensed wireless communication system;
• and
• d) circuits for handling a set of unlicensed radio resource (RR) messages transmitted over the second interface to support paging of one or more mobile stations via the unlicensed wireless communications system, wherein the set of unlicensed RR messages includes:
• a) a paging message received by the network controller that identifies a mobile station;
• b) a PAGING REQUEST message sent from the network controller to the identified mobile station.