Granted Patent B2

US 8,644,223 · App. 13/588,172 · Granted Feb 4, 2014

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A mobile switching subsystem (MSS) for use with a base station subsystem (BSS) deployed on a premises of an enterprise to provide wireless service within a coverage area associated with the enterprise using licensed radio frequency spectrum as a part of an enterprise mobile network having local subscribers thereof, the licensed radio frequency spectrum used by a public land mobile network to provide wireless service to public subscribers of the public land mobile network and to roaming subscribers, the MSS comprising:

switching functionality that comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy function, a SIP redirect function, and a SIP register function;

a visitor location register (VLR) function that comprises a SIP location function; and

a home location register (HLR) that is configured to store SIP profiles;

wherein the switching functionality, VLR function, and HLR function are configured to provide the wireless service within the coverage area within the enterprise using the licensed radio frequency spectrum to the local subscribers of the enterprise mobile network as a part of the enterprise mobile network and to the public subscribers and the roaming subscribers as a part of the public land mobile network.

2. The MSS of claim 1 , wherein the MSS further comprises an authentication center (AUC) function that is configured to support SIP authentication algorithms.

3. The MSS of claim 1 , wherein the MSS is communicatively coupled to at least one SIP device using an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

4. The MSS of claim 3 , wherein the SIP devices include SIP phones and an IP private branch exchange (PBX).

5. The MSS of claim 4 , wherein the MSS is configured to provide GSM services to the SIP devices.

6. The MSS of claim 5 , wherein the GSM services comprises basic call support, mobility management, supplementary services, prepaid services, call data record/call statistics, voice announcements, and voice mail.

7. The MSS of claim 1 , wherein the mobile switching subsystem is configured to function as a mobile switching center (MSC) and visitor location register (VLR) for the roaming subscribers and the local subscribers of the enterprise mobile network; and

wherein the mobile switching subsystem is configured to function as a home location register (HLR) and gateway mobile switching center (GMSC) for the local subscribers of the enterprise mobile network.

8. The MSS of claim 1 , wherein the BSS is communicatively coupled to a distributed antenna system (DAS).

9. The MSS of claim 8 , wherein the distributed antenna system comprises a hub unit located on the premises of the enterprise and a plurality of remote antenna units located on the premises of the enterprise, wherein the remote antenna units are located remotely from the hub unit and each of the plurality of antennas are coupled to at least one of a plurality of remote antenna units.

10. The MSS of claim 9 , wherein the hub unit is communicatively coupled to the remote antenna units, at least in part, using at least one of unshielded twisted pair cabling, cable television cabling, optical fiber, and coaxial cabling.

11. The MSS of claim 9 , wherein the hub and at least one of the plurality of remote antenna units are communicatively coupled to one another via an expansion hub.

12. The MSS of claim 11 , wherein the expansion hub is communicatively coupled to the remote antenna units, at least in part, using at least one of unshielded twisted pair cabling, cable television cabling, optical fiber, and coaxial cabling.

13. A method of providing a mobile switching subsystem (MSS) for use with a base station subsystem (BSS) deployed on a premises of an enterprise to provide wireless service within a coverage area associated with the enterprise using licensed radio frequency spectrum as a part of an enterprise mobile network having local subscribers thereof, the licensed radio frequency spectrum used by a public land mobile network to provide wireless service to public subscribers of the public land mobile network and to roaming subscribers, the method comprising:

using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy function, a SIP redirect function, and a SIP register function to implement switching functionality in the MSS;

using a SIP location function to implement a visitor location register (VLR) function;

storing SIP profiles as a part of a home location register (HLR) function; and

providing, using the switching functionality, VLR function, and HLR function, the wireless service within the coverage area within the enterprise using the licensed radio frequency spectrum to the local subscribers of the enterprise mobile network as a part of the enterprise mobile network and to the public subscribers and the roaming subscribers as a part of the public land mobile network.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising supporting SIP authentication algorithms using an authentication center (AUC) function included in the MSS.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using an Internet Protocol (IP) network to communicatively couple the MSS to at least one SIP device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the SIP devices include SIP phones and an IP private branch exchange (PBX).

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing GSM services to the SIP devices using the MSS.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the GSM services comprises basic call support, mobility management, supplementary services, prepaid services, call data record/call statistics, voice announcements, and voice mail.

19. A program product for providing a mobile switching subsystem (MSS) for use with a base station subsystem (BSS) deployed on a premises of an enterprise to provide wireless service within a coverage area associated with the enterprise using licensed radio frequency spectrum as a part of an enterprise mobile network having local subscribers thereof, the licensed radio frequency spectrum used by a public land mobile network to provide wireless service to public subscribers of the public land mobile network and to roaming subscribers, wherein the program product is tangibly stored on a non-transitory storage medium and comprises instructions operable to cause at least one programmable processor to:

use a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy function, a SIP redirect function, and a SIP register function to implement switching functionality in the MSS;

use a SIP location function to implement a visitor location register (VLR) function;

store SIP profiles as a part of a home location register (HLR) function; and

provide, using the switching functionality, VLR function, and HLR function, the wireless service within the coverage area within the enterprise using the licensed radio frequency spectrum to the local subscribers of the enterprise mobile network as a part of the enterprise mobile network and to the public subscribers and the roaming subscribers as a part of the public land mobile network.

20. The program product of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause at least one programmable processor to: support SIP authentication algorithms using an authentication center (AUC) function included in the MSS.

Assignments (22)