Methods and apparatus for connecting calls in a hierarchical cellular network

An apparatus for facilitating cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• a mobile services switching center, said mobile services center having a first switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station said mobile services switching center including a call control circuit for receiving call control information from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• a base station controller coupled to said mobile services switching center, said mobile services switching center and said base station controller are coupled to a common backplane of a common chassis, said base station controller having a second switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
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• a base transceiver station coupled to said base station controller, said base transceiver station having a third switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, wherein said call control circuit determines, responsive to said call control information received from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, at which of said mobile services switching center, base station controller, and base transceiver station an optimum cross connect point for cross-connecting an end-to-end connection between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station resides.

An apparatus for facilitating cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• a mobile services switching center, said mobile services center having a first switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station said mobile services switching center including a call control circuit for receiving call control information from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• a base station controller coupled to said mobile services switching center, both said mobile services switching center and said base station controller being implemented via a single processor, said base station controller having a second switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• and
• a base transceiver station coupled to said base station controller, said base transceiver station having a third switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, wherein said call control circuit determines, responsive to said call control information received from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, at which of said mobile services switching center, base station controller, and base transceiver station an optimum cross connect point for cross-connecting an end-to-end connection between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station resides.

An apparatus for facilitating cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• a call control circuit, said call control circuit receiving call control information from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• a mobile services switching center coupled to said call control circuit, said mobile services switching center having a first switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, said mobile services switching center being configured for coupling with a base station controller having a second switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, said base station controller being configured for coupling with a base transceiver station having a third switching circuit for performing connection cross-connects for calls between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, wherein said call control circuit determines, responsive to said call control information received from said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, at which of said mobile services switching center, base station controller, and base transceiver station an optimum cross connect point for cross-connecting an end-to-end connection between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station resides and wherein said optimum cross connect point is employed as a highest node in said end-to-end connection if there are sufficient resources on nodes along said end-to-end connection to facilitate said cellular communication.

A mobile services switching center configured for coupling to a cellular network having a base station controller and a base transceiver station, said mobile services switching center facilitates cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• a first circuit configured for receiving at said mobile services switching center call control information from said origination mobile station;
• a second circuit configured for receiving at said mobile services switching center call control information from said destination mobile station;
• a third circuit configured for computing, responsive to said call control information received from said origination mobile station and said call control information received from said destination mobile station through said first circuit and said second circuit respectively, an optimum connection point for cross-connecting an end-to-end connection, said computed optimum connection point represents one of said mobile services switching center, base station controller, and base transceiver station, said end-to-end connection representing a computed shortest communication route that satisfies resource requirements for enabling said cellular communication between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
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• a fourth circuit configured for sending instructions to said computed optimum connection point to enable said end-to-end connection to be cross-connected at said computed optimum connection point if said end-to-end connection, when cross-connected at said computed optimum connection point, in fact contains all necessary resources for enabling said cellular communication between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station.

In a base station controller configured for coupling to a cellular network having a mobile services switching center and a base transceiver station, a method for facilitating cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• receiving at a first circuit from said mobile services switching center cross-connect data, said cross-connect data identifying whether said base station controller is designated a computed optimum cross-connection point for cross connecting an end-to-end connection between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, said end-to-end connection, when cross-connected at said computed optimum cross-connection theoretically represents the shortest communication route between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station that satisfies resource requirements for enabling cellular communication between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• and
• cross-connecting, using a switching circuit at said base station controller, an incoming path with an outgoing path, thereby completing said end-to-end connection if resources at nodes along said incoming path and outgoing path satisfy said resource requirements, said incoming path representing a path between said base station controller and said origination mobile station, said outgoing path representing a path between said base station controller and said destination mobile station.

A base station controller configured for coupling to a cellular network having a mobile services switching center and a base transceiver station, and for facilitating cellular communication between an origination mobile station and a destination mobile station, comprising:

• a first circuit configurable for receiving from said mobile services switching center cross-connect data, said cross-connect data identifying whether said base station controller is designated a computed optimum cross-connection point for cross connecting an end-to-end connection between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station, said end-to-end connection, when cross-connected at said computed optimum cross-connection theoretically represents the shortest communication route between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station that satisfies resource requirements for enabling cellular communication between said origination mobile station and said destination mobile station;
• and
• a switching circuit coupled to said first circuit, said switching circuit configurable for cross-connecting an incoming path with an outgoing path, thereby completing said end-to-end connection if resources at nodes along said incoming path and outgoing path satisfy said resource requirements, said incoming path representing a path between said base station controller and said origination mobile station, said outgoing path representing a path between said base station controller and said destination mobile station.