Abstract:
A public land mobile network (PLMN)/private wireless network-integrated service network and a system for the service network. The service network according to the present invention can interwork with any PLMN with no dependence on an upper system. In the present invention, there is no need for a public BSC and a separate private BSC. The novel BSC handles both public and private data and voice calls placed from or placed to a mobile station or terminal. The novel BSC enables a wireless phone or terminal to place and receive calls using either the public communications network or the private communications network. Thus, the need for a redundant private BSC is eliminated while providing the diversity of services to mobile stations.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
         [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to my application entitled “PUBLIC LAND MOBILE NETWORK/PRIVATE WIRELESS NETWORK-INTEGRATED SERVICE NETWORK AND SYSTEM FOR THE SAME”, filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 28, 2001 and assigned Serial No. 2001-74585, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a mobile telecommunications service, and more particularly to a mobile telecommunications service network in which there is an interworking between a public land mobile network (PLMN) and a wired/wireless private switched network.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Generally, it is impossible for a public land mobile network (PLMN) to interwork with a wired/wireless private network, and subscribers suffer the inconvenience of having to be provided with a mobile telecommunications service only from their registered network, one of the PLMN and the wireless private network. There has been developed a service system in which the PLMN interworks with the wired/wireless private switched network such that the subscriber can be provided with the mobile telecommunications service from either one of the networks with a mobile telecommunications terminal, or a mobile station (MS). Examples of this service system are disclosed in a Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-9932 published on Jan. 5, 2001 (entitled “Method for processing in extension terminal terminating call between mobile telecommunications network and private switched network”) and a Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-16835 published on Mar. 5, 2001 (entitled “Method for processing in mobile terminal terminating call between mobile telecommunications network and private wireless network”).  
           [0006]    What is needed is an arrangement where a private network can work with any PLMN. Also, what is needed is to eliminate the need for a public and a private BSC thus eliminating redundant elements and providing both public and private mobile communications to mobile stations and terminals.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a PLMN/private wireless network-integrated service network, which can interwork with any PLMN with no dependence on an upper system, and a system for the service network.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a PLMN/private wireless network-integrated service network with no need for a BSC of a PLMN and a private BSC to be separately provided, and a system for the service network.  
           [0009]    It is further an object of the present invention to efficiently provide both public and private mobile communication services to mobile stations and terminals for both data calls and voice calls.  
           [0010]    These and other objects can be achieved by having a novel public BSC interface to both a public mobile communication system and a private mobile communication system enabling mobile stations and terminals to have access to both public and private mobile communication services. The mobile station or a terminal is in wireless communication with a BTS. The BTS is in communication with the novel BSC enabling the mobile station to send and receive both voice calls and data calls using either a public network or a private network. The novel BSC and the MSC work together for public voice calls, the BSC and the PBX work together for private voice calls, the BSC and the PSDN work together for public data calls and the BSC and the intranet work together for private data calls. Therefore, the novel BSC has interface circuitry and is connected to each of the MSC, PDSN, PBX and the intranet.  
           [0011]    The novel BSC includes two transcoder/MSC link interface boards, one connected to the public MSC via either T1 or E1 connection and the other connected to the private PBX via LAN (or Local Area Network) connection to handle voice calls. The BSC further includes two radio packet interface boards, one connected to the public PSDN and the other connected to the private intranet to handle data calls. The novel BSC further includes a BTS interface board that is connected to the BTS&#39;s and a control board. The control board, the BTS interface board, the two transcoder/MSC link interface boards and the two radio packet interface boards are all connected to an inner switch disposed within the MSC. The novel control board disposed within the novel BSC induces a public call process module, a private call process module, a message routing module, a private HLR and a private MSC module. The novel BSC handles public network originating calls (or public calls originating from MS  210 ), private network originating calls (or private calls originating from MS  210 ), private network terminating calls (or private calls handled by the private network to MS  210 ) and public network terminating calls (or calls handled by the public network to MS  210 ). All of the above calls can be either voice calls or data calls. Depending on the above eight types of calls, the BSC interworks with one of the public MSC, the public PSDN, the private PBX and the private intranet. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of a service network in which there is an interworking between a public land mobile network (PLMN) and a wired/wireless private switched network;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a service network integrating a PLMN and a private wireless network and a system for the service network according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of control board  222  illustrated in FIG.  2  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 4 through 6 are flow charts respectively illustrating procedures of processing calls according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of a service network in which there is an interworking between the PLMN and the wired/wireless private switched network. As shown in this drawing, the wired/wireless private switched network  100  interworks with the PLMN  102  while being connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN)  104  and an Internet protocol (IP) network  106 . The PLMN  102  includes a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs)  118  and  132 , a plurality of base station controllers (BSCs)  122  and  124  connected to the MSC  118 , and a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs)  126  and  128  connected to the BSC  122 . With this construction, the PLMN  102  can provide mobile telecommunications services to a mobile station (MS)  130 . The MSC  118  is connected to a home location register/visitor location register (HLR/VLR)  120 . FIG. 1 simply shows, for the convenience of description, connections between the MSC  118  and the HLR/VLR  120  and between the MSC  118  and the plurality of the BSCs  122  and  124 , and connections between the BSC  122  and the plurality of the BTSs  126  and  128 . However, although not shown, it will be appreciated that the MSC  152  may have connections to the HLR/VLR  120  and other BSCs, and the BSC  124  may have connections to other BTSs. Further, each of the MSCs  118  and  132  may be connected to the PSTN  104  and the IP network  106  using an interworking function (IWF), although not shown in this drawing.  
         [0018]    The wired/wireless private switched network  100  interworking with the PLMN  102  has a structure in which a system  108  has a private branch exchange (PBX)  112  and a private BSC (pBSC)  110  and is connected to a private BTS (pBTS)  114  in order to provide the mobile telecommunications services to an MS  116  registered in the networks  100  and  102 . Further, the wired/wireless private switched network  100  is connected to the PSTN  104  through the PBX  112  while being connected to the IP network  106  through the pBSC  110 . The functions of the system  108  and pBTS  114  may be performed by an InfoMobile-3G system, which is manufactured and sold by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in Korea.  
         [0019]    As well as the BSC  122  and BTS  126  and  128 , the BSC  124  and pBSC  110  communicate with each other using inter-processor communications (IPCs) while the MSC  118  and BSCs  122  and  124  communicate with each other according to a standard protocol. On the other hand, the pBSC  110  is connected to the PSTN  104  according to a protocol such as T1, E1, PRI, SS7 or the like, and connected to the IP network  106  according to a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) or a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP).  
         [0020]    The pBSC  110  interworks with the PBX  112  and PLMN  102  and performs a routing process for a wireless call to the MS  116 . In other words, the pBSC  110  performs a routing process with respect to the wireless call via the BSC  124  to the MS  116  if the wireless call is a public network call while performing services via the pBTS  114  if the wireless call is a private network call.  
         [0021]    As described above, the pBSC operates between the BSC and the BTS without use of the standard protocol and is dependent on a base station subsystem (BSS), which includes the BSC and BTS, so that it cannot independently interwork with other PLMNs. As described above, the pBSC performs a routing process with respect to the public network call via a public network and, on the other hand, performs a service with respect to a private network call via the pBTS. That is, in order to provide the two similar services, the BSC are the pBSC are both needed, which are respectively upper and lower systems and perform a similar function. Further, a problem may happen in a management of the BTS because the lower private network is managed under the condition that a base station manager (BSM) and the BSC in the PLMN do not recognize the existence of the private network.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a service network integrating a PLMN and a private wireless network and a system for the network according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the public land mobile network (PLMN) according to the present invention employs an MSC  202 , a BSC  200 , BTSs  206  and  208  and an MS  210  similarly to the PLMN  102  illustrated in FIG. 1. The BSC  200  (or PLMN/private wireless network-integrated service system) according to the present invention has a hardware construction of the same type as a BSC of the PLMN  102  illustrated in FIG. 1. However, the PLMN and the BSC  200  in FIG. 2 are configured suitably to the service network in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, a system separated from the PLMN  102  in FIG. 1 is not employed. The service network integrates the PLMN  102  and private wireless network in such a manner that the BSC  124  of the PLMN  102  and the pBSC  110  of a private wireless network is integrated to be the BSC  200 , which BSC  124  and pBSC  110  have a similar function with the same hardware form. Namely, the pBSC  110  of the private wireless network is removed, and the BSC  200  interworks with a PBX which has interworked with the pBSC  110 . The network as shown in FIG. 2 has functions of the PLMN and has a construction in which the network can be connected to a public data service network (PDSN)  204  through the BSC  200 . Further, the network can be connected to a private voice network using the PBX  212  and to a private data network such as an intranet  216 . With this construction, the PLMN network can be connected to any private network without dependence on a BSS which is an upper system. The PBX  212  and the intranet  216  in a private area  220  are connected to a PSTN  214  and the Internet  218 , respectively.  
         [0023]    The BSC  200  is an example of one used in a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, and has the same hardware form as the BSC of the PLMN  102  illustrated in FIG. 1. The BSC  200  according to the present invention includes a control board  222 , transcoder/MSC link interface boards  224  and  226 , radio packet interface boards  228  and  230 , a BTS link interface board  232  and an inner switch  234 . The control board  222  functions to process signals of voice and data calls and signals in a traffic state. Both of the transcoder/MSC link interface boards  224  and  226  are system resources and have a voice coder/decoders (VOCODER) to convert PCM data into qualcomm code-excited linear predictive coding (QCELP) data and vice versa in order to communicate with a BTS channel. Further, each of the transcoder/MSC link interface boards  224  and  226  has an E1 or T1 link to be connected to the MSC  202 . Both of the radio packet interface boards  228  and  230  are system resources for data services and perform a radio link protocol (RLP) function. The inner switch  234  functions to enable IPCs (inter-processor communications) among the control board  222 , transcoder/MSC link interface boards  224  and  226 , radio packet interface boards  228  and  230 , BTS link interface board  232  and inner switch  234 . The inner switch  234  may be, for example, an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch, a high-level data link control (HDLC) switch or the like.  
         [0024]    As described above, the BSC  200  has a similar construction to the BSC of the PLMN  102  illustrated in FIG. 1. However, in the present invention, the transcoder/MSC link interface board  224  is connected to the MSC  202  through the E1 or T1 link and is allocated for public use while the transcoder/MSC link interface board  226  is connected to the PBX  212  through a local area network (LAN) and allocated for a local use. Namely, the transcoder/MSC link interface board  224  for public use provides an interface between the BSC  200  and the MSC  202 , and the transcoder/MSC link interface board  226  for the local use provides an interface between the BSC  200  and the PBX  212 . On the other hand, the radio packet interface board  228  connected to the PDSN  204  is allocated for public use while the radio packet interface board  230  connected to the intranet  216  is allocated for a local use. Namely, the radio packet interface board  228  provides an interface between the BSC  200  and the PDSN  204 , and the radio packet interface board  230  provides an interface between the BSC  200  and the intranet  216 . The control board  222  controls a public network originating call (a call originating from MS  210  and utilizing the public communications network) from the MS  210  by interworking with the MSC  202  if there is a public network originating call process request transmitted through the BTS  206  or  208  from the MS  210 . Further the control board  222  controls a private network originating call (a call originating from MS  210  and utilizing the private communications network) from the MS  210  by interworking with the PBX  212  if there is a private network originating call process request transmitted from the MS  210  through the BTS  206  or  208 . On the other hand, the control board  222  controls respective public network and private network terminating call processes (calls to MS  210  utilizing the public communications network and the private communications network, respectively) requested from the MSC  202  and PBX  212 , respectively through the BTS  206  or  208  to MS  210 . Also, the control board  222  controls public and private terminating call processes requested from MSC  202  and PBX  212 , respectively, through the PDSN  204  and the intranet  216 , respectively.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of control board  222  depicted in FIG. 2 according to the principles of the present invention. In order to perform the call processes as described above, the control board  222  has two types of software differently from the BSC of the PLMN  102  illustrated in FIG. 1. That is, one is a public call process module  302  for controlling the public call and the other is a private call process module  304  for controlling the private call. The public call process module  302  processes the public network originating and terminating calls by interworking with the MSC  202 , and processes a data call through the PDSN  204 . The private call process module  304  processes the private network originating and terminating calls by interworking with the PBX  212  through a private MSC module  306 , and processes a data call through the intranet  216 . A private HLR  308  for the private call process manages information about subscribers registered in a private wireless network. The private MSC module  306  is connected to the private HLR  308  and enables an interworking between the private call process module  304  and the PBX  212 . A message routing module  300  is connected to the public call process module  302 , private call process module  304  and the private HLR  308 . The message routing module  300  performs a routing process through the public call process module  302  with respect to the public network originating and terminating calls from and to the MS  210 , respectively. The message routing module  300  also performs a routing process through the private call process module  304  with respect to the private network originating and terminating calls from and to the MS  210 , respectively. Further, the message routing module  300  performs a routing process with respect to the data call to provide the data services through the PDSN  204  or the intranet  216 .  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIGS.  4  to  6 , call processing procedures will be described below. FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure (S 400  to S 410 ) of processing an originating call from the MS  210  or a terminating call to the MS  210  in the message routing module  300 . FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure (S 500  to S 506 ) of processing an originating call from the MS  210  or a terminating call to the MS  210  in the public call module  302 . FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure (S 600  to S 606 ) of processing an originating call from the MS  210  or a terminating call to the MS  210  in the private call module  304 . First, referring to FIG. 4, if the message routing module  300  receives a public network terminating call process request from the MSC  202  (S 400  and S 402 ), it then processes a corresponding public network terminating call to the MS  210  through the BTS  206  or  208  (S 410 ). If the message routing module  300  receives a public network originating call process request from the MS  210  (S 400 , S 402  and S 404 ), it then transfers the received call process request to the public call process module  302  (S 406 ). Upon receiving the call process request from the message routing module  300  (S 500  and S 502 ), the public call process module  302  processes a corresponding public network originating call by interworking with the MSC  202  (S 506 ). On the other hand, if the message routing module  300  receives a private network originating call process request from the MS  210 , it then analyzes corresponding information in the private HLR  308  and a corresponding calling number (S 400 , S 402  and S 404 ). Then, the message routing module  300  transfers the received the call process request to the private call process module  304  (S 408 ). Upon receiving the private network originating call process request from the message routing module  300  (S 600  and S 602 ), the private call process module  304  processes a corresponding private network originating call by interworking with the PBX  212 .  
         [0027]    On the other hand, if the public call process module  302  receives a public network terminating call process request from the MSC  202  (S 500  and S 502 ), it then processes a corresponding public network terminating call to the MS  210  by interworking with the BTS  206  or  208  (S 504 ). If the private call process module  304  receives a private network terminating call process request from the PBX  212  (S 600  and S 602 ), it then processes a corresponding private network terminating call to the MS  210  by interworking with the BTS  206  or  208 .  
         [0028]    Although voice calls have been described in detail, this invention is by no means limited to just voice calls. The scope of this invention also encompasses data calls. For example, a private network originating data call is a call placed by MS  210  to intranet  216 . In a private network originating data call, BSC  200  interworks with intranet  216  to connect MS  210  with intranet  216  using only the private communications network. A public network originating data call is a call placed by MS  210  to PDSN  204 . In such a call, BSC  200  interworks with PSDN  204  to connect MS  210  with PDSN  204  via the public communications network. A private network terminating data call is a call with the MS  210  being the destination, said call requiring the interworking of BSC  200  with intranet  216  and use of only the private communications network. A public network terminating data call is a call with the MS  210  being the destination, said call requiring the interworking of BSC  200  with PDSN  204  to open communication between PDSN  204  and MS  210  and use of only the public communications network.  
         [0029]    As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, an integrated service network can be configured to be connected to any network with on dependence on a BSS which is an upper system using a new BSC in which a BSC of a PLMN and a pBSC of a private wireless network are integrated to be one, which BSC and pBSC have the same hardware form and a similar function. Further, in the present invention, because the new BSC has a function of the pBSC as well, it is possible to manage the network smoothly.  
         [0030]    Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. For example, although data services are provided through the PDSN  204  and the intranet  216  in the above embodiment of the present invention, the data services do not have to be provided. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.