Gateway apparatus, method and system

1. A gateway apparatus that is configured to be arranged between a mobile circuit switching network and a packet communication network, said apparatus comprising:

a conversion unit configured to perform mutual conversion between a circuit switching protocol and a packet communication protocol to execute voice communication, wherein said conversion unit is configured to exercise control such that at least one of a sequence number and a timestamp in a packet destined to a first terminal and for output to said packet communication network, is configured to be made to vary continuously before and after movement of said first terminal, in case said first terminal connected to said packet communication network or another network beyond said packet communication network, moves the first terminal's location, and

a call control unit configured to receive information regarding a location of said first terminal and deciding whether or not an IP address of a packet of a corresponding channel transmitted from said gateway apparatus to said packet communication network changes due to movement of said first terminal, wherein

said call control unit is further configured to output an instruction to change a destination IP address to said packetizing unit and to output a movement completion notification to said sequence number/timestamp changing unit, when an IP address of said packet of said corresponding channel changes, and said call control unit is further configured to output information on a call control signal received from said mobile circuit switching network and said packet communication network to a control and analysis unit of said conversion unit.

2. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said conversion unit includes:

a reception buffer configured to receive the packet; and

a jitter buffer configured to eliminate a variation of delay from the received packet, said conversion unit is further configured to exercise control to receive the packet after clearing at least one of: the reception buffer that receives said packet, the jitter buffer, the timestamp, and the sequence number, when movement of said first terminal is completed, and

in case said first terminal moves the first terminal's location when on receipt of said packet from said packet communication network, said conversion unit converts said packet into a circuit switching protocol frame to output the circuit switching protocol frame.

3. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said conversion unit is further configured to exercise control such that at least one of the sequence number and the timestamp in a packet destined to said first terminal and for output to said packet communication network, is configured to be made to vary continuously before and after movement of a second terminal which is connected to said mobile circuit switching network, the perform voice communication with said first terminal and moves the second terminal's location on said mobile circuit switching network.

4. The gateway apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said conversion unit is further configured to exercise control such that a number of a frame on said circuit switching protocol destined to said second terminal and output to said mobile circuit switching network is configured to be made to vary continuously before and after movement of said second terminal which is configured to move the second terminal's location on said mobile circuit switching network.

5. The gateway apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said conversion unit is configured to perform conversion of audio compression encoding scheme, in case said second terminal and said first terminal have audio compression encoding schemes different from each other.

6. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising the call control unit, and wherein:

said conversion unit includes:

the control and analysis unit;

a protocol conversion unit configured to perform protocol conversion between said packet communication network and said mobile circuit switching network;

a sequence number/timestamp changing unit configured to change the sequence number and the timestamp of the packet to said packet communication network;

a packetizing unit configured to packetize transmission data;

a packet reception unit configured to receive a reception packet from said packet communication network; and

a jitter buffer unit configured to eliminate a variation of delay from a received packet,

said call control unit is further configured to convert a call control signal received from one of said packet communication network and said mobile circuit switching network into the call control signal of other network for output to said other network,

said control and analysis unit is further configured to decide whether or not protocol conversion is necessary, based on the information received from said call control unit, and to output conversion information to said protocol conversion unit for each channel, when protocol conversion is needed,

said sequence number/timestamp changing unit is further configured to hold the sequence number or timestamp preceding by one,

said sequence number/timestamp changing unit, when said first terminal moves and the IP address thereof is changed, is further configured to receive a movement completion notification from said control and analysis unit, and to set so that the sequence number or the timestamp in a packet which is configured to be sent to a different IP address, on receipt of the movement completion notification, is further configured to be continuously varied from said sequence number or the timestamp held, and

said packetizing unit is further configured to receive a changed IP address from said control and analysis unit and to transmit a packet to said changed IP address when said first terminal moves and changes the IP address.

7. The gateway apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:

said call control unit is further configured to receive information regarding a location of said first terminal and decides whether or not a source IP address of a packet of a corresponding channel received from said packet communication network side is changed due to movement of said first terminal,

said call control unit, in case said source IP address is to be changed, is further configured to output an instruction to change said source IP address to said packet reception unit and to output a movement completion notification to said jitter buffer unit,

said packet reception unit is further configured to receive a packet from said packet communication network, and when said source IP address is changed due to movement of said first terminal, said packet reception unit is further configured to receive a changed IP address from said control and analysis unit and to receive a packet after switching a route of a receiving node, and

said jitter buffer unit is further configured to receive a packet from said packet reception unit,

in case said first terminal moves and the IP address is changed, said jitter buffer unit is further configured to receive the movement completion notification from said control and analysis unit, said jitter buffer unit is further configured to receive a packet from said packet reception unit after clearing at least one of said jitter buffer unit, a timestamp, and a sequence number, when said movement completion notification is received,

said jitter buffer unit is further configured to output said packet from said packet reception unit to said protocol conversion unit.

8. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

said packet communication network includes an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network, and

said first terminal is configured to be connected to another mobile circuit switching network beyond said IMS network side.

9. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said packet communication network is configured to include a mobile high-speed network, and

said first terminal is configured to be connected to said mobile high-speed network.

10. A communication system that comprises:

a mobile circuit switching network configured to be connected to a terminal by circuit switching;

a packet communication network configured to perform packet communication;

a gateway apparatus configured to arrange between said mobile circuit switching network and said packet communication network and including a conversion unit configured to perform a mutual conversion between a circuit switching protocol and a packet communication protocol to perform voice communication, wherein said conversion unit is further configured to exercise control such that at least one of a sequence number and a timestamp in a packet destined to a first terminal and for output to said packet communication network is configured to be made to vary continuously before and after movement of said first terminal, when said first terminal connected to said packet communication network or another network beyond said packet communication network, moves the first terminal's location, and

a call control unit configured to receive information regarding a location of said first terminal and deciding whether or not an IP address of a packet of a corresponding channel transmitted from said gateway apparatus to said packet communication network changes due to movement of said first terminal,

wherein said call control unit is further configured to:

output an instruction to change a destination IP address to said packetizing unit;

output a movement completion notification to said sequence number/timestamp changing unit, when an IP address of said packet of said corresponding channel changes, and

output information on a call control signal received from said mobile circuit switching network and said packet communication network to a control and analysis unit of said conversion unit.

11. A method performed by a gateway comprising:

performing mutual conversion between a circuit switching protocol and a packet communication protocol to perform voice communication between a mobile circuit switching network and a packet communication network, said method further comprising,

exercising control such that at least one of a sequence number and a timestamp in a packet destined to a first terminal and for output to said packet communication network is made to vary continuously before and after movement of said first terminal, in case said first terminal connected to said packet communication network or another network beyond said packet communication network, moves the first terminal's location,

receiving information regarding location of said first terminal and deciding whether or not an IP address of a packet of a corresponding channel transmitted from a gateway apparatus to the packet communication network changes due to movement of the first terminal,

outputting an instruction to change a destination IP address to said packetizing unit,

outputting a movement completion notification when an IP address of said packet of said corresponding channel changes, and

outputting information on a call control signal received from said mobile circuit switching network and said packet communication network.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising exercising control to receive a packet after clearing at least one of a reception buffer that receives said packet, a jitter buffer that eliminates a variation of delay from a received packet, the timestamp, and the sequence number, when movement of said first terminal is completed, in case said first terminal moves the first terminal's location, when said gateway receives said packet from said packet communication network and converts said packet into a circuit switching protocol frame to output the circuit switching protocol frame.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising

exercising control such that at least one of a sequence number and a timestamp in a packet destined to said first terminal and for output to said packet communication network, is made to vary continuously before and after movement of a second terminal, in case the second terminal connected to said mobile circuit switching network performs voice communication with said first terminal and moves the second terminal's location on said mobile circuit switching network.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising

exercising control such that a number of a frame on said circuit switching protocol destined to said second terminal and output to said mobile circuit switching network is made to vary continuously before and after movement of said second terminal, in case said second terminal connected to said mobile circuit switching network moves the second terminal's location on said mobile circuit switching network.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said packet communication network includes at least one of:

a mobile high-speed network and said first terminal is connected to said mobile high-speed network, and

an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) network and said first terminal is connected to another mobile circuit switching network on said IMS network side.