Granted Patent B2

US 7,215,963 · App. 10/785,602 · Granted May 8, 2007

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A wireless communication network comprising:

a call processing system in a mobile switching center (MSC) coupled to a backhaul network;

a translator system coupled to the backhaul network and to the call processing system;

a first base station system coupled to the backhaul network, the first base station system, responsive to receiving communications for a call from a wireless communication device, transfers first call traffic for the call in a first format over the backhaul network to the call processing system;

a second base station system coupled to the translator system by the backhaul network, the second base station system, responsive to receiving the communications for the call from the wireless communication device, transfers second call traffic for the call in a second format over the backhaul network to the translator system wherein the second format is different than the first format;

the translator system, responsive to receiving the second call traffic in the second format from the second base station system, converts the second call traffic from the second format to the first format and transfers the second call traffic in the first format to the call processing system;

the call processing system, responsive to receiving the first call traffic and the second call traffic, processes the first call traffic and the second call traffic;

the first base station system, responsive to receiving the communications for the call from the wireless communication device, transfers third call traffic in the first format over the backhaul network to the translator system; and

the translator system, responsive to receiving the third call traffic in the first format over the backhaul network, converts the third call traffic in the first format to the second format and transfers the third call traffic in the second format to another call processing system.

2. The wireless communication network of claim 1 wherein the call processing system, responsive to receiving the first call traffic and the second call traffic, determines if the second call traffic is delayed compared to the first call traffic.

3. The wireless communication network of claim 2 wherein the call processing system, responsive to a determination that the second call traffic is delayed, buffers the first call traffic to synchronize the first call traffic and the second call traffic.

4. The wireless communication network of claim 3 wherein the call processing system selects either the first call traffic or the second call traffic based on a quality of the first call traffic and a quality of the second call traffic.

5. The wireless communication network of claim 1 wherein the call processing system, the translator system, and the first base station system are from a first vendor, and the second base station system is from a second vendor.

6. The wireless communication network of claim 1 wherein the first format comprises a proprietary format and the second format comprises an Inter-vendor Operating System (IOS) format.

7. A method of operating a wireless communication network for wireless communications wherein the wireless communication network comprises a call processing system in a mobile switching center (MSC) coupled to a backhaul network, a translator system coupled to the call processing system and the backhaul network, a first base station system coupled to the backhaul network, and a second base station system coupled to the backhaul network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving communications for a call in the first base station system from a wireless communication device;

transferring first call traffic for the call in a first format from the first base station over the backhaul network to the call processing system in the MSC;

receiving communications for the call in the second base station from the communication device;

transferring second call traffic for the call in a second format from the second base station over the backhaul network to the translator system, wherein the second format is different than the first format;

receiving the second call traffic in the second format from the second base station system in the translator system;

converting the second call traffic from the second format to the first format in the translator system;

transferring the second call traffic in the first format from the translator system to the call processing system in the MSC;

receiving the first call traffic and the second call traffic in the call processing system and processing the first call traffic and the second call traffic;

transferring third call traffic in the first format over the backhaul network to the translator system;

receiving the third call traffic from the wireless communication device in the first format in the translator system;

converting the third call traffic in the first format to the second format; and

transferring the third call traffic in the second format to another call processing system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

receiving the first call traffic and the second call traffic in the call processing system and determining if the second call traffic is delayed compared to the first call traffic.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

responsive to determining that the second call traffic is delayed, buffering the first call traffic to synchronize the first call traffic with the second call traffic.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

selecting either the first call traffic or the second call traffic based on a quality of the first call traffic and a quality of the second call traffic.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the call processing system, the translator system, and the first base station system are from a first vendor, and wherein the second base station system is from a second vendor.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the first format comprises a proprietary format and wherein the second format comprises an Inter-vendor Operating System (IOS) format.

Assignments (9)