Vodafone Group Plc.

Vodafone IP Licensing Limited

Vodaphone IP Licensing Limited

Gavin Wong

Christopher Pudney

David Andrew Fox

Peter Cosimini

John Moughton

Nick Russell

Anthony Sammut

Dave Fox

Timothy Frost

Jonathon Batkin

Tim Frost

Assen Mahaboon Khan Golaup

John Mahony Watson

Assen Mahaboob Khan Golaup

Robert Edward Banks

Assen Golaup

Timothy Faulkner Frost

Peter Robert Dawes

Jose-Luis Carrizo Martinez

Jose-Luis Carrizo-Martinez

Peter Dawes

Christopher David Pudney

Tony Sammut

Daniel Warren

A mobile telecommunications network includes a core and a radio access network having radio means for wireless communication with mobile terminals registered with the network, wherein the radio access network includes control meansoperable to control the use of network resources by the mobile terminals. The control means processes control plane signalling.

Telecommunication networks

A GSM, UMTS or LTE mobile telecommunications network includes a radio access network comprising base stations, and further includes one or more additional access points. An access point may be connected to the network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to the mobile terminal as a base station. Arrangements are disclosed which allow the network to restrict access to the network via these access points whilst also minimizing signaling requirements. The access points may be excluded from traditional Tracking Areas, but associated therewith by a network controller in a mapping in order to notify authorized mobile terminals of the Access Point's existence.

Apparatus and method for controlling access to a telecommunications network

The invention relates to operating a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) device for communication with a cellular radio network. A transmission is made from the MTC device to the cellular radio network to register the MTC device with the cellular radio network. The transmission includes a message from the MTC device to the cellular radio network, identifying the MTC device as an MTC device to the cellular radio network. Also, the MTC device has an associated HPLMN. An instruction is received at the MTC device from the network not to make a transmission from the MTC device for accessing the network. The instruction specifies a criteria for the MTC device's HPLMN or preferred list of networks. The MTC Device compares the criteria with the HPLMN associated with the MTC device and avoids making a transmission to access the network for a period of time based on the result comparing step.

Operation of machine-type communication devices

A GSM, UMTS or LTE mobile telecommunications network includes a radio access network comprising base stations, and further includes one or more additional access points. An access point may be connected to the network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to the mobile terminal as a base station. Arrangements are disclosed which allow the network to restrict access to the network via these access points while also minimizing signaling requirements. The access points may be excluded from traditional Tracking Areas, but associated therewith by a network controller in a mapping in order to notify authorized mobile terminals of the Access Point's existence.

A method and system for routing a voice connection over a cellular network to a mobile station is disclosed. The cellular network comprises a plurality of base stations, some of which have capability to provide the voice connection to the mobile station using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). A voice connection for the mobile station is identified at an Application Server of the cellular network. A request message is sent from the Application Server to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), or Home Location Register (HLR), of the cellular network. The request message requests an indication ds to whether the mobile station is being served by a base station having capability to provide a voice connection using VoIP.

Voice over internet protocol provision

This disclosure concerns systems and methods for implementing location based services in communications networks. In one example, when the GMLC of a telecommunications network receives a request for the location of a mobile terminal, an SMLC is interrogated to obtain therefrom, if available, data indicative of the location of the relevant mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may be caused to selectively switch between a GSM radio access network and another access network if no location information is derivable from one of the access networks currently used by the device.

Location based services in communications networks

A mobile telecommunications network includes a core network and a radio access network. The radio access network has a network node that wirelessly communicates with a mobile terminal registered with the radio access network. The radio access network includes a controller that controls the use of network resources by the mobile terminal and processes control plane signaling. The controller includes an applicator that receives policy information and/or routing information from the core network and provides instructions to the network node to act in accordance with the received information. The network node includes an enforcer that enforces the instructions received from the controller so as to control whether the terminal uplink user plane traffic and control plane signalling messages are passed to the core network, routed to the controller, or duplicated and provided to both the core network and the controller.

A mobile station is operated within at least one radio network having a plurality of base stations. Only some of the plurality of base stations support a Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP, service. The mobile station is registered with a first base station of the plurality of base stations. The mobile station may be registered with a second base station. The mobile station determines that one of the first base station and the second base station has functionality to support VoIP and the other does not. A Routing Area Update Request message or Tracking Area Update Request message is sent from the mobile station to the second base station in response to determining support for VoIP.

Mobile voice over internet protocol operation

A method of routing legacy messages between a message center and a mobile telecommunications device registered with a mobile telecommunications network, which mobile telecommunications network includes a plurality of base stations each serving a plurality of mobile telecommunications devices, and a plurality of mobility management entities, each serving a plurality of said base stations, the mobility management entities (being adapted to communicate using a legacy protocol with a legacy network for routing the legacy messages between the message center and the mobile telecommunications device via the legacy network. A legacy message interworking function communicates with the mobility management entities using the legacy protocol and directly routes messages between the mobility management entities and the message center without routing the messages via the legacy network.

Messaging in mobile telecommunications networks

An SAE/LTE or 4G cellular telecommunications network is disclosed which comprises a plurality of eNodeBsand a network core. A plurality of mobile telecommunications devicesare registered with the network and communicate with the network corevia the eNodeBs. A joining relayand at least one other relayis provided between the eNodeBand the mobile telecommunications deviceto extend the radio coverage provided by the eNodeB. The joining relayanalyses the characteristics of the path between the joining relay and the eNodeBand selectively changes the path to optimise the path.

Telecommunications networks

A system and method for restricting public access to a mobile telecommunications network in order to prevent congestion. The system and method are particularly useful in situations where the number of end users exceeds, or is likely to exceed, network capacity, for example in emergency situations or for large public gatherings, such as sporting events or New Years Eve celebrations. The system and method disclosed uses filtering by network elements, such as the base stations and MSCs. In particular the system and method can filter low data messages, such as SMS, from more demanding services, such as voice calls, so that all low data messages are transmitted, while the more demanding services are terminated, unless special conditions are met.

Implementation of telecommunications network access restrictions

A mobile radio communication system and method of initiating a circuit-switched service at a mobile station over a System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core network using packet-switched communications between the mobile station and the SAE core network is provided. The method includes communicating service handling information between a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) and the mobile station through a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the SAE core network; sending instructions from the MSC for setting up the circuit-switched service through a Media Gateway, coupled to at least one network external to the SAE core network; providing packet-switched addressing information for the Media Gateway to the mobile station; and initiating the circuit-switched service at the mobile station over the SAE core network and through the Media Gateway.

Circuit-switched services over LTE

A system and method for use in a telecommunications network may utilize Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS), specifically, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network may utilize MBMS and eHSPA technology. IP multicast connections directly between the eHSPA Node Bs and an IP address are utilized to reduce the amount of transport bearers that need to be established. Further, the RNC functionality for setting up an MBMS communication is divided between the eHSPA Node Bs and a legacy RNC, utilized as a CRNC. In particular, this arrangement enables the user plane to be effectively established from the enhanced node B, whilst still allowing the second RNC to have control of the control plane decisions. This therefore also allows the resources used in establishing the MBMS communication to be minimized.

Growing community of inventors

Newbury, United Kingdom

Gavin Wong