US 6,539,237 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for integrated wireless communications in private and public network environments

AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.

InventorsIan Leslie Sayers, Paul Jan Long, Sheausong Yang

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Abstract

A communication system formed by a private network that includes a private wireless network. The communication system includes a public wireless network using a public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and includes public networks, such as PSTN, ISDN and the Internet, using a wired protocol, such as IP. The private network also includes a local area network (LAN) and the private network connects to the public networks using a wired packet protocol, such as IP. The public and private wireless networks operate with the same public wireless protocol, such as GSM, and the private wireless network additionally operates with a wired packet protocol, such as IP. The communication system permits users to operate freely in both public and private wireless networks using standard mobile stations while achieving high private network data rates. The communication system uses normal wireless handsets or other mobile or fixed stations without need for any modifications.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for allowing a Mobile Station (MS) to communicate in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);
forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer providing communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;
at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;
forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;
receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;
at the wireless system gatekeeper, formulating a response message to the external control message, and forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS;
and
at the P-BTS, receiving the response message and reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer;
and
forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

7 more elements

A computer program product having computer program code for allowing a Mobile Station (MS) to communicate in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, comprising:

computer program code for receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);
computer program code for forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer providing communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;
computer program code for, at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;
computer program code for forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;
computer program code for receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;
computer program code for, at the wireless system gatekeeper, formulating a response message to the external control message, and forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS;
and
computer program code at the P-BTS for receiving the response message and reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer;
and
computer program code for forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

7 more elements

A wireless communication system including a plurality of Private Base Transceiver Stations (P-BTS), the P-BTSs having radio transceivers that communicate data and signaling information with the MSs, the P-BTSs also having Mobility Management (MM) protocol and call control processing layers contained within them, the P-BTSs interconnected by a packet data network, thereby eliminating the need for the P-BTS to connect to central call management facilities over wireline circuit switched telephony networks, comprising:

a P-BTS operable to receive a call control message at the P-BTS and pass the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);
a packet interface layer in the P-BTS operable to receive the forwarded call control message internally within the P-BTS, the packet interface layer further operable to provide communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;
an external control message formatted at the packet interface layer and intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;
a packet data network operable to forward the external control message;
and
a wireless system gatekeeper operable to receive the external control message, the wireless system gatekeeper further operable to formulate a response message to the external control message, and forward said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS, the P-BTS further operable to receive the response message and reformat the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer and forward the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

3 more elements

means for receiving a call control message at the P-BTS and for passing the call control message to the Mobility Management (MM) layer resident within the P-BTS, without forwarding the call control message to a Base Station Controller (BSC), the call control message including a control function identifier and a Mobile Station Identifier (MSI);
means for forwarding the call control message internally within the P-BTS to a packet interface layer in the P-BTS, the packet interface layer operable to provide communication between the P-BTS and other nodes connected to the packet data network;
means for, at the packet interface layer, formatting an external control message intended for transmission over the packet data network, the formatted external control message indicating an alias identifier corresponding to the MSI;
means for forwarding the external control message across the packet data network;
means for receiving the external control message at a wireless system gatekeeper;
means for formulating, at the wireless system gatekeeper, a response message to the external control message, and for forwarding said response message back over the packet switched network to the packet interface layer associated with the P-BTS;
and
means for receiving, at the P-BTS, the response message and for reformatting the response message as a reformatted internal message at the packet interface layer;
and
means for forwarding the reformatted response message to the MM layer associated with the P-BTS.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/188,856Filed 9 Nov 1998
Granted: 25 Mar 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04W 88/08
Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices: access point devices
H04L 69/16
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
H04L 69/169
Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]: special…
H04W 8/02
Network data management: processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location…