UE mobility across super-cells
Systems and methods are disclosed for a 3G gateway. In a first embodiment, a method is disclosed for a network, comprising: receiving a first relocation request message at a home nodeB gateway (HNBGW), the HNBGW coupled to an operator core network, the first relocation request message including a target super cell identifier and a user equipment (UE) identifier; sending a second relocation request message from the HNBGW to a coordinating node, the coordinating node identifier being the target super cell identifier; querying a lookup table at the coordinating node using the UE identifier to determine a target cell identifier; replacing, in the second relocation request message, the target super cell identifier with the target cell identifier to create a third relocation request message; and sending the third relocation request message to a target cell identified by the target cell identifier.
1 . A method, comprising:
receiving a first relocation request message at a home eNodeB gateway (HeNBGW), the HeNBGW coupled to an operator core network, the first relocation request message includes a target super cell identifier and a user equipment (UE) identifier; and
sending a second relocation request message including the UE identifier from the HeNBGW to a coordinating node, the coordinating node identifier being the target super cell identifier;
wherein the coordinating node queries a lookup table using the UE identifier to determine a target cell identifier;
wherein the coordinating node replaces, in the second relocation request message, the target super cell identifier with the target cell identifier to create a third relocation request message;
wherein the coordinating node sends the third relocation request message to a target cell identified by the target cell identifier,
wherein cells are clustered, virtualized, and represented as a logical super cell at the HeNBGW; and
wherein the logical super cell is configured to allow cells connected to the logical super cell to remain hidden from the HeNBGW.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first relocation request message is received at the HeNBGW via a signaling connection with the coordinating node.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinating node proxies requests to relocate a UE to the target cell.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE identifier is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinating node is a virtualization server configured to act as a proxy and back-to-back user agent for connecting a plurality of cells to the operator core network.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinating node maintains a list of cell identifiers for a plurality of cells.
7 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request from a home eNodeB gateway (HeNBGW), by a coordinating node, the request having a user equipment (UE) identifier and having a destination address that is an address managed by the coordinating node;
querying a lookup table by the coordinating node using the UE identifier to retrieve a target cell identifier of a target cell, visibility of the target cell being managed by the coordinating node;
by the coordinating node, swapping, in a message, the destination address for the target cell identifier; and
forwarding the message by the coordinating node to the target cell,
wherein cells are clustered, virtualized, and represented as a logical super cell at the HeNBGW, and
wherein the logical super cell is configured to allow cells connected to the logical super cell to remain hidden from the HeNBGW.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the address managed by the coordinating node is a radio network controller (RNC) identifier.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the request is a handover request or a radio access network application part (RANAP) relocation request.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the UE identifier is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and wherein the coordinating node is a virtualization server configured to act as a proxy and back-to-back user agent for coupling a plurality of cells to an operator core network, and wherein the coordinating node is a HetNet gateway (HNG).