Femtocell Voice Call Processing via Convergence Server Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular systems face limitations in processing mobile-originated voice calls efficiently within femtocell systems, as they rely heavily on the capacity-limited macrocellular network infrastructure, leading to challenges in scaling and increased communications overhead.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that facilitates mobile-originated voice call processing by broadcasting authentication requirements, sending a service request message to a convergence server, and receiving a global challenge response to validate the mobile station, allowing for efficient call setup within the femtocell system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mobile-originated voice calls are processed through the macrocellular network infrastructure, then call connectivity is maintained, but the capacity of the macrocellular network is exceeded and communications overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the voice call processing function from the macrocellular network by introducing a femtocell access point that handles authentication and call setup locally. The macrocellular network only needs to establish external connections, while the femtocell manages internal voice communications, thereby reducing the macrocellular network's processing load and communications overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The femtocell access point acts as an intermediary between mobile stations and the macrocellular network. It receives authentication requests from mobile stations, performs local authentication against stored credentials, and only contacts the macrocellular network for external call routing, thus reducing repeated communications overhead with the core network.
2Reliability
If authentication is performed for each call origination in the femtocell system, then security is enhanced, but processing time and signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication during the call origination phase rather than during call establishment. The femtocell access point authenticates the mobile station's identity and credentials before allowing the voice call to proceed, ensuring security is established in advance without delaying the actual call setup process.
3Productivity
If the femtocell system offloads traffic from the macrocellular network, then subscriber capacity increases, but the femtocell system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The femtocell access point is designed to perform multiple functions including authentication, encryption/decryption of voice traffic, and call setup management. By consolidating these functions in a single device, the system increases subscriber capacity without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer readable medium that facilitates processing of a mobile-originated voice call for a mobile station attached with a femtocell system are provided. The femtocell system may broadcast a notification that authentication is required for all system access via an overhead message train. The femtocell system receives a call origination request from the mobile station and, in turn, issues a service request message to a convergence server deployed in a core network. The convergence server then engages in an authentication procedure with the mobile station's mobile core network and returns a global challenge response to the femtocell system. The convergence server may then determine if the mobile station is to be validated and, if so, may continue call set up for the call origination request.