Patent ID: 7843900
Filing Date: 2010-11-30
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. An unlicensed network controller (UNC) to operate in an unlicensed wireless communication system comprising a first radio access network, the UNC comprising: a first network interface comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface; a second network interface comprising a Up interface for communicating messages with a mobile station (MS) via an access point communicatively coupled between the UNC 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 UNC 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-PS (packet-switched) interface to communicate with a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN) in the UMTS core network, the third network interface supporting signaling protocols for packet-switched service while inter-working with the UMTS core network via the Iu-PS 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-PS control plane lower layers; and one or more processing units for generating and/or processing a plurality of messages transmitted over the third network interface between the UNC and the UMTS core network, wherein the UNC appears to the UMTS core network as a UTRAN Radio Network Controller (RNC).