Abstract:
The teachings herein provide authorization control enabling the co-existence of legacy mobile terminals (20) that do not support Closed Subscriber Groups (CSGs), and non-legacy mobile terminals (20) that do. New behaviors are defined for a CSG femtocell base station (10) (referred to as a Home NodeB or HNB), and for a base station gateway (14) (referred to as a HNB Gateway or HNB GW) that couples the HNB (10) to a Core Network (CN) (22). The HNB (10) and/or the HNB GW (14) determine whether a terminal (20) attempting to gain connection through the HNB (10) supports CSGs. If not, the HNB GW (14) performs access control and rejects the connection attempt if authorization fails. If the terminal (20) is recognized as supporting CSGs, the HNB GW (14) defers access control to the CN (22) by automatically accepting registration/connection requests from the HNB (10) for CSG-capable terminals (20). In such cases, the CN (22) is relied upon for access control, including any CSG authorization of the terminal (20). The HNB GW (14) indicates to the CN (22) whether or not access control was performed for the terminal (20).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method in a node for ordering a handover process to handover a user equipment, being in active mode, from a first cell of a first frequency to second cell of a second frequency, being different than the first frequency, comprising the steps of: receiving (82, 92) data relating to a third cell of a third frequency, being the same as the first frequency, from the user equipment, determining (84, 94), based on the received data, that the third cell is a cell to which a soft handover cannot be performed, and, that being the case, ordering a handover process (86, 97) to handover the user equipment to the second cell in order to prevent interference with the third cell.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a user equipment (600) comprising a receiving unit (606) arranged to receive, when the user equipment (600) is in idle mode, data from a base station indicating an identification of a second cell of a second frequency, a control unit (610) arranged to determine, based on the received data, that the user equipment (600) is not allowed access to the second cell, and, upon determination that the user equipment is not allowed access to the second cell, to perform a cell selection process to change from a present camped first cell of a first frequency to a third cell of a third frequency being different than the first frequency.
Abstract:
There is provided a method of determining latency in a remote network element of a telecommunications network. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a message at a network element, the message comprising a time stamp of the time at which it was sent from a source network element. On receiving the message, the network element obtains another time stamp, and so may determine the time for the message to be sent between the network elements. In further embodiments, a source network element may gain an implicit indication of the workload of the remote network element by sending a first message to the remote network element and determining a length of time before the remote network element sends a second message back to the source network element.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a network node arrangement comprising a server node (1 4 ) adapted to handle control signalling for circuit switched calls and being connected to a gateway node (2 4 ) adapted to handle user plane traffic under control of said server node, said server node (1 4 ) further being adapted to control connections between mobile stations (8 4 , 9 4 ) over a radio network. The server node (1 4 ) is adapted to, for a first and second call leg of a requested call connection between a first mobile station and a second mobile station, provide information to the gateway node (2 4 ) about radio network node handling the first call leg and the second call leg and circuit information about circuit resources for said first and second call legs. The gateway node (2 4 ) comprises analyzing means (21 4 ) adapted to detect if for the requested call the first and second mobile station are handled by a common radio network node (5 4 ) and, if yes in generation means generate, and provide, interconnection information in a message to the server node (1 4 ) including information about channel or circuit resources. The server node (1 4 ) is adapted to forward interconnection information to the radio network node (5 4 ) such that switching of user plane traffic can be controlled to take place in a common radio network node (5 4 ) or in the gateway node (2 4 ).
Abstract:
A method of operating a mobile station within one or more radio access networks. The method comprises receiving system information messages broadcast by a radio access network, these messages indicating support within the broadcasting network for a packet switched handover procedure, and using the indicated support for packet switched handover as a factor in selecting a cell of a radio access network/technology and/or a Routing Area of a radio access network within which to camp.
Abstract:
A method of handing over an ongoing real-time call from a current cell to a target cell belonging to one or more radio access networks, where the ongoing call was established using the services of an IP Multimedia Subsystem and is transported in the current cell over a packet switched bearer. The method comprises, at the radio access network responsible for said current cell, identifying one or more target cells for the handover, and, if a packet switched handover of the ongoing call cannot be performed to the target cell or a preferred one of the target cells, signalling to the IP Multimedia Subsystem the identity of the target cell or the preferred target cell. A handover instruction is then sent to the radio access network responsible for the target cell or the preferred target cell and a circuit switched bearer to which the ongoing call can be transferred is established within the target cell or preferred target cell.
Abstract:
An identifier, required by a radio access network controller in order to support resource allocation associated with a predetermined condition, is sent from a core network to the radio access network controller independently of the predetermined condition. The identifier is thus available to the radio access network controller for verification of mobile user identity, regardless of whether it is needed to support resource allocation. A radio access network controller can receive an identifier in a communication sent by a core network according to a communication protocol. The radio access network controller terminates the communication protocol to access the communication, and uses the identifier for verification of mobile user identity.
Abstract:
An unlicensed radio access network controller is proposed that is adapted to communicate with the core network portion of at least one public licensed mobile communication network. It is connected to a broadband packet switched network and is adapted to exchange messages with mobile stations communicating via an unlicensed radio interface with access points that are also connected to the broadband packet-switched network. The access controller is furthermore adapted to selectively communicate with a plurality of mobile service switching nodes within the core network portion and comprises a selection module arranged to select an individual one of the plurality of nodes for communicating with a mobile station via said access network controller. The provision of a connection with several mobile service switching nodes for routing traffic to and from mobile station connected to the unlicensed radio access network enables the access controller to better distribute traffic over the core network, so improving its efficiency.
Abstract:
A method of authentication of access points in an unlicensed radio access network is described. The access network includes an access controller that is adapted to communicate with the core network portion of a public mobile communications network and is connected to a broadband packet-switched network, and a plurality of access points connected to the broadband packet switched network and adapted to communicate with mobile stations over an unlicensed-radio interface. The method includes the steps of: the mobile station establishing a radio link with an access point and retrieving an identifier for the access point; the mobile station transmitting a registration request to the access controller via the access point, the registration request containing the access point identifier; the access controller using the access point identifier to verify the authorisation of the access point and sending a return message to said mobile station indicating whether registration is accepted or denied.