Packet-switched core network architecture for voice services on second- and third-generation wireless access networks
View Patent ↗Communications systems and methods with an evolved packet-switched core network architecture to enable voice services on second- and third-generation wireless access networks. The systems and methods permit unmodified 2G and 3G mobile devices to conduct voice calls using conventional circuit-switched user-plane and control-plane protocols at the air interface while the voice calls are switched at the back-end using a packet-switched core network. The system may include a translation module at a controller component that is configured to provide both user-plane and control-plane translation functions between an unmodified 2G/3G mobile device that utilizes circuit-switched protocols for a voice call and the packet-switched core network that utilizes packet-switched protocols to switch the voice call.
1. In a wireless telecommunications system having a packet-switched core network, a subsystem for conveying voice traffic within the telecommunications system from mobile devices that send uplink voice data using a circuit-switched protocol, the subsystem comprising:
a memory storing computer executable instructions of:
a user-plane translation module configured to:
convert circuit-switched format uplink voice data into uplink packets, the uplink voice data originating from a mobile device that sends the uplink voice data over an air interface via a circuit-switched protocol;
transmit the uplink packets to the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;
convert packet-switched downlink voice data packets into circuit-switched format downlink voice data, the packet-switched downlink voice data packets being received from the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols; and
transmit the circuit-switched format downlink voice data to the mobile device via the air interface using circuit-switched protocols; and
a control-plane translation module configured to:
convert circuit-switched format signaling messages received from the mobile device into analogous packet-switched format signaling messages; and
transmit the analogous packet-switched format signaling messages to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using packet-switched protocols,
wherein the user-plane translation module and control-plane translation module are associated with a controller component; and
a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions.
2. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the controller component does not transmit voice call data or voice call signaling messages to a mobile switching center or receive voice call data or voice call signaling messages from a mobile switching center.
3. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the circuit-switched format uplink voice data is uplink voice data formatted in accordance with a frame protocol.
4. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the packet-switched downlink voice data is downlink voice data formatted in accordance with an Internet Protocol.
5. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores at least one of an SGSN, GGSN, and controller component configured to implement a packet-switched paging mechanism to facilitate voice calls at the mobile device.
6. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores a circuit-switched charging module configured to generate a charging data record for a voice call terminating in or originating from the mobile device, the charging data record being generated based on an analysis of packet-switched messages.
7. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is associated with a user who is not a subscriber of a mobile service provider that operates the communications system, but instead is a subscriber of a different mobile service provider that operates another different communications system, the memory further storing a roaming module configured to interact with the other communications system in order to implement mobility management functions, the roaming module mimicking signaling used by a mobile switching center.
8. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the communications system is operated by a mobile service provider that provides service subscriptions to one or more subscribers, the memory further storing a roaming module configured to interact with another different communications system in order to implement mobility management functions, the roaming module mimicking signaling used by a mobile switching center and interacting with the other communications system when a mobile device associated with a subscriber roams into the other communications system.
9. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the control-plane translation module is further configured to:
convert packet-switched format signaling messages received from the SIP voice control network into analogous circuit-switched format signaling messages; and,
transmit the analogous circuit-switched format signaling messages to the mobile device via the air interface using circuit-switched protocols.
10. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the analogous packet-switched format signaling messages are in a SIP format.
11. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the SIP voice control network is an IP Multimedia Subsystem.
12. A method in a communications system for providing voice services to a mobile device that sends and receives voice data over an air interface via a circuit-switched protocol, the method comprising:
receiving uplink voice data from the mobile device over an air interface via the circuit-switched protocol;
converting the received circuit-switched protocol uplink voice data into uplink packets;
transmitting the uplink packets to a packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;
receiving packet-switched downlink voice data packets transmitted over the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;
converting the received packet-switched downlink voice data packets into circuit-switched format downlink voice data;
transmitting the circuit-switched format downlink voice data to the mobile device via the air interface using circuit-switched protocols;
converting circuit-switched format signaling messages received from the mobile device into analogous packet-switched format signaling messages; and,
transmitting the analogous packet-switched format signaling messages to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using packet-switched protocols.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
converting packet-switched format signaling messages received from the packet-switched core network into analogous circuit-switched format signaling messages; and,
transmitting the analogous circuit-switched format signaling messages to the mobile device over the air interface using circuit-switched protocols.
14. A method in a communications system for conveying a voice call from a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a circuit-switched signaling protocol, a first signaling message from the mobile device related to controlling the voice call, the mobile device transmitting circuit-switched format uplink voice data for the voice call over an air interface to the communications system using a circuit-switched protocol;
translating the received first signaling message into a second packet-switched format signaling message that is analogous to the received first signaling message; and
sending the second packet-switched format signaling message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using a packet-switched protocol.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a third signaling message from the SIP voice control network related to controlling the voice call, wherein the third signaling message is received using a packet-switched signaling protocol;
translating the received third signaling message into a fourth circuit-switched format signaling message that is analogous to the third signaling message received; and,
sending the fourth circuit-switched format signaling message to the mobile device via the air interface using a circuit-switched protocol.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising assigning a media bearer to the voice call, separate from a signaling bearer for the voice call, to carry packet-switched voice data for the voice call, the assigned media bearer providing a higher quality of service than the communications system provides for packet-switched non-voice data.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the packet-switched format is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) format.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the mobile device is associated with a user who is not a subscriber of a mobile service provider that operates the communications system, but instead is a subscriber of a different mobile service provider that operates another different communications system, the method further comprising implementing mobility management functions to mimic the signaling of a mobile switching center.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the SIP voice control network is an IP Multimedia Subsystem.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform a method in a communications system for controlling a voice call on a mobile device, the method comprising:
converting, at a translation module associated with a controller component, circuit-switched format uplink voice data into uplink packets, the uplink voice data originating from the mobile device sending the uplink voice data over an air interface via a circuit-switched protocol;
transmitting the uplink packets to a packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;
converting packet-switched downlink voice data packets into circuit-switched format downlink voice data, the packet-switched downlink voice data packets being received from the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;
transmitting the circuit-switched format downlink voice data to the mobile device via the air interface using circuit-switched protocols;
converting circuit-switched format signaling messages received from the mobile device into analogous packet-switched format signaling messages; and,
transmitting the analogous packet-switched format signaling messages to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using packet-switched protocols.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the translation module, a third signaling message from the SIP voice control network related to controlling the voice call, wherein the third signaling message is received using a packet-switched signaling protocol;
translating the received third signaling message into a fourth circuit-switched format signaling message that is analogous to the third signaling message received; and,
sending the fourth circuit-switched format signaling message to the mobile device via the air interface using a circuit-switched protocol.
22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for conveying a voice call from a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a circuit-switched signaling protocol, a first signaling message from the mobile device related to controlling the voice call, the mobile device transmitting circuit-switched format uplink voice data for the voice call over an air interface to a communications system using a circuit-switched protocol;
translating the received first signaling message into a second packet-switched format signaling message that is analogous to the received first signaling message; and
sending the second packet-switched format signaling message to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using a packet-switched protocol.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , further comprising:
receiving a third signaling message from the SIP voice control network related to controlling the voice call, wherein the third signaling message is received using a packet-switched signaling protocol;
translating the received third signaling message into a fourth circuit-switched format signaling message that is analogous to the third signaling message received; and,
sending the fourth circuit-switched format signaling message to the mobile device via the air interface using a circuit-switched protocol.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , further comprising assigning a media bearer to the voice call, separate from a signaling bearer for the voice call, to carry packet-switched voice data for the voice call, the assigned media bearer providing a higher quality of service than the communications system provides for packet-switched non-voice data.