JP2015146539A - Wireless communication terminal and method of connecting to mobile wireless communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless communication terminal capable of using even in an area out of a service area of a contracted mobile wireless communication provider or in an area where the use of mobile wireless communication is prohibited.SOLUTION: The wireless communication terminal includes: a mobile function section that has a telecommunication function as a wireless terminal; a base station function section that performs an operation as a base station and has a function to transmit/receive a communication protocol which is transmitted/received by a base station with a core network via a wired line; a memory that stores base station information and base station management information; and a mode changeover section that switches between a first operation mode in which communication is made as a wireless terminal and a second operation mode in which the operation is made as a base station. When the second mode is selected based on user's operation, the base station function section receives recognition as a base station via the wired line to connect to the core network.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication terminal and a connection method to a wireless communication network.

  Due to the rapid increase in wireless communication terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals, the capacity of mobile wireless communication carriers to accommodate wireless communication terminals is becoming tight. Moreover, the frequency with which a user uses a wireless communication terminal is increasing, and the service area is required to be connected without interruption. One method for solving the shortage of radio communication terminal capacity and covering areas where radio waves are difficult to reach is to install femtocells. A femtocell is a small radio base station, and it is assumed that a user installs it in a place where radio waves from a base station installed by a mobile radio communication provider are difficult to reach. The femtocell communicates with a wireless communication terminal by connecting to a broadband line and connecting to a mobile wireless communication operator's network via the Internet or the like.

  Wireless LAN (Local Area Network) systems are also installed in places where radio waves from base stations installed by mobile wireless communication carriers are difficult to reach or where traffic exceeding the capacity of mobile radio communication base stations is expected. In the same manner as the femtocell, wireless communication is provided via the Internet or the like. Many wireless communication terminals have both mobile wireless communication and wireless LAN communication functions, and it is possible to cover the shortage of mobile wireless communication base station capacity by switching the connection destination from the mobile wireless communication system to the wireless LAN system. .

  Service discontinuity due to re-authentication and functional differences between systems when a wireless communication terminal having both mobile wireless communication and wireless LAN communication functions switches the connection destination from the mobile wireless communication system to the wireless LAN system As a technique for solving this problem, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1. In Patent Literature 1, a wireless communication terminal is provided with a communication protocol processing function of a base station of a mobile wireless communication system in addition to a communication function with a mobile wireless communication system and a communication function with a wireless LAN system. Even when a handover is performed from a system base station to a wireless LAN base station, it is possible to eliminate the need for re-authentication of wireless communication terminals and to eliminate service discontinuity between systems by pretending to be a handover within a mobile wireless communication system. Yes.

JP 2013-131793 A

  In any of the cases described in the above background art, there is a user in the base station service area of the mobile radio carrier to which the user has a contract, or the base of the mobile radio carrier to which the user has a contract. Even if there is a user outside the station service area, if the mobile radio communication system is not within the service area of the operator that is affiliated with the roaming service to the system of the mobile radio operator with which the user has a contract, Connection is impossible.

  Further, even within the service area of a mobile wireless communication provider, use of wireless communication is prohibited in hospitals and the like, and connection via a wireless line is impossible.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is out of the service area of a contracted mobile radio communication carrier or roaming service partner or even in a place where the use of mobile radio communication is prohibited. An object of the present invention is to enable use of a wireless communication terminal.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, as an example, an antenna, a mobile function unit having a communication function as a terminal with the mobile radio communication system, and a base station of the mobile radio communication system are provided. Base station function unit having a function of transmitting / receiving a communication protocol transmitted / received by the base station to / from the core network of the mobile radio communication system via a wired line, and base station information for operating as a base station And a memory for storing management information, an operation mode switching unit that switches between a first operation mode in which wireless communication is performed via an antenna or a second operation mode in which communication is performed by operating a base station function unit via a wired line; The second mode is selected based on a user operation input from the user interface unit. Case, in which the base station function unit is a wireless communication terminal, characterized in that connected to a core network of a mobile radio communication system certified as a base station via a wired line.

  Further, the base station function unit is connected to the core network of the mobile wireless communication system via a wired line, and then connected to a monitoring device that monitors each device of the mobile wireless communication system to acquire device information from the monitoring device. , Stored in a memory, and operated as a base station based on device information.

  According to the present invention, if there is an environment that can be connected to the Internet even outside the service area of a contracted mobile radio communication provider or roaming service partner or where mobile radio communication is prohibited. Voice communication and data communication using the same wireless communication terminal and the same telephone number are possible.

It is a figure explaining the structure of the whole system in one Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the structure of the radio | wireless communication terminal in one Example of this invention. It is a sequence diagram explaining switching operation | movement to the core network connection mode in one Example of this invention. It is a sequence diagram explaining the process after switching to the core network connection mode in one Example of this invention. It is a sequence diagram explaining the authentication process of a radio | wireless communication terminal. It is a sequence diagram explaining the process at the time of transmission in a voice call. It is a sequence diagram explaining the process at the time of the incoming call in a voice call. It is a sequence diagram explaining the process at the time of the connection establishment in a data call. It is a figure explaining the structure of the whole system in one Example of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the wireless communication terminal 10 is connected to the broadband router 20 by wire will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the system shown in FIG. 1, a wireless communication terminal 10, a broadband router 20 connected to the wireless communication terminal 10 and the Internet network 30, and a gateway (GW: GW) connecting the Internet network 30 and a femtocell system core network 50 of a communication carrier. Gate Way) 40, a Domain Name System (DNS) server 60 connected to the femtocell system core network 50 of the communication carrier, a base station management server 70, a monitoring device 80, and a user management server 90, a packet data processing node (PDSN) 100 that provides an interface with an IP (Internet Protocol) network, and a session establishment protocol (S A convergence server (CSRV) 110 that performs mutual conversion between P: Session Initiation Protocol (CSR) and the A1 interface, and a mobile switching center (MSC: Mobile Switching Center) 120 of an existing 1x network connected to the CSRV 110 Consists of

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 2, a radio communication terminal 10 operates as a base station, a mobile radio antenna 11, a communication protocol function unit 14 for voice and data communication with a femtocell system core network 50 of a mobile radio communication carrier. Memory 15 for storing base station information (device information) such as an identifier for the base station, device management function unit 9 for managing device information to operate as a base station, and signaling between the terminal and the core network A call control function unit 16 for relaying data and data, a terminal operation mode switching unit 13 for switching the operation of the wireless communication terminal 10 between the “mobile wireless terminal mode”, the “core network connection mode”, and the terminal operation mode A user interface unit 12 that provides an interface for switching, and a wireless communication as a normal wireless communication terminal. Composed of the moving body function unit 17 for implementing the.

  In this embodiment, the wireless communication terminal 10 has two types of terminal operation modes, “mobile wireless terminal mode” and “core network connection mode”. When the terminal operation mode is “mobile wireless terminal mode”, the mobile communication unit 10 operates in the wireless communication terminal 10 and uses the mobile wireless antenna 11 via the wireless link of the mobile wireless communication provider, It connects to the femtocell system core network 50 of the mobile radio carrier. When the terminal operation mode is “core network connection mode”, the device management unit 9 and the call control function unit 16 that realize the base station function operate, and based on the communication protocol of the base station using the communication protocol function unit 14. Are transmitted and received and connected to the femtocell system core network 50 of the communication carrier via the broadband router 20 and the Internet network 30.

  The user connects the wireless communication terminal 10 and the broadband router 20 by wire, operates the user interface unit 12 to operate the terminal operation switching unit 16, switches the terminal operation mode to the “core network connection mode”, and the base station function The device management function unit 9 starts.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining the switching operation to the core network connection mode in the embodiment of the present invention.
When the user performs a switching operation to the “core network connection mode” (S300), the user interface unit notifies the terminal operation mode switching unit 13 of a mode switching instruction (S301). The mode switching instruction designates which mode is to be switched by a parameter. In the case of switching to the “core network connection mode”, the terminal operation mode switching unit 13 instructs the mobile function unit 17 to turn off the wireless communication in operation (S302). After confirming that the process has been completed normally (S302), the apparatus management function unit 9 is activated (S303, S304).

Next, a sequence with the core network after starting the device management function unit 9 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing after switching to the core network connection mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The device management function unit 9 of the wireless communication terminal 10 acquires the IP address of the GW 40 from the broadband router 20 via the communication protocol function unit 14 (S400), and constructs a secure communication path with the GW 40. Then, the base station management server 70 is inquired to authenticate the wireless communication terminal as a base station (S402). When the authentication is successful, the GW 40 performs tunnel setting such as IPsec (Security Architecture for Internet Protocol) with the wireless communication terminal 10 (S401).

  Next, the wireless communication terminal 10 acquires the IP address of the monitoring device 80 from the DNS server 60 (S403) and connects to the monitoring device 80. A configuration parameter (included in the aforementioned device information), which is a setting value necessary for operating as a base station, is acquired from the monitoring device 80 (S404). Thereafter, the base station function of the wireless communication terminal 10 starts to operate (S405).

  After the device management function unit 9 is activated and the connection procedure as the base station is completed, the wireless communication terminal 10 operates the mobile function unit that operates as a terminal, and the wireless communication terminal 10 passes through the base station. The terminal is authenticated as if it is connected to the core network.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating authentication processing of the wireless communication terminal.
The mobile function unit 17 in the wireless communication terminal 10 transmits a terminal authentication request to the user management server (S500). At this time, by passing through the call control function unit 16 which is a base station function, the wireless communication terminal 10 appears as a terminal connected via the base station from the device on the core network side. If the authentication is successful (S501), the wireless communication terminal 10 establishes a connection with the PDSN 100 having an interface with the IP network (S502).

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining processing at the time of outgoing call in a voice call.
First, the mobile function unit 17 of the wireless communication terminal 10 transmits a communication start request to the CSRV 110 (S600). Upon receiving the communication start request, the CSRV 110 returns a response to the wireless communication terminal 10 (S601), and transmits a circuit-switched communication request for starting communication to the MSC 120 (S602). Thereafter, a channel reservation request instruction is issued from the MSC 120 (S603). However, in this embodiment, since the wireless communication terminal 10 includes a configuration for realizing the base station function, the wireless channel is not secured and the channel is secured. Is successful (S604 to S605). The CSRV 110 transmits a channel reservation response to the MSC 120 (606), then transmits a communication start response to the radio communication terminal 10 (S607), and the mobile function unit 17 of the radio communication terminal 10 transmits a communication start response receipt notification. (S608), the wireless communication terminal 10 transitions to a communication state (S609).

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram for explaining processing upon arrival of a voice call.
The MSC 120 transmits an incoming call notification (S700), receives an incoming call notification reception response from the mobile unit 17 of the wireless communication terminal 10 (S701), and then transmits a channel reservation request to the wireless terminal 10 via the CSRV 110 (S702). . When the call control function unit 16 of the wireless terminal 10 receives the channel reservation request, the call control function unit 16 returns a response indicating that the reservation is successful (S703), and notifies the CSRV 110 that the calling state is in progress (S704). In response to the notification, the CSRV 110 transmits a channel reservation success response to the MSC 120 (S705). Thereafter, when the wireless communication terminal 10 picks up (connects) the handset, an incoming call response is transmitted to the CSRV 110 (S706), the CSRV 110 notifies the MSC 120 of the connection (S707), and transitions to the communication state (S708).

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram for explaining processing at the time of establishing a connection in a data call.
The mobile function unit 17 of the wireless communication terminal 10 transmits a session establishment request to the PDSN 100 via the call control function unit 16 and the communication protocol function unit 14 (S800). When the PDSN 100 returns the response, the connection is established (S801).
The wireless communication terminal 10 periodically transmits packets to the user management server 90 of the femtocell system. When the user management server 90 of the femtocell system receives a packet from the wireless communication terminal 10, it registers in the database which base station the user is under. In this embodiment, since the wireless communication terminal 10 plays the role of a base station, the identifier of the base station stored in the memory 15 of the wireless communication terminal 10 is registered in the database of the user management server 90.

When a packet is transmitted from the mobile radio carrier's femtocell core network 50 side to the radio communication terminal 10, the user management server 90 is inquired about which base station the user is in, and the destination base A station (wireless communication terminal 10) is determined.
According to the present embodiment described above, the wireless communication terminal 10 can be directly connected to the femtocell system core network 50 of the mobile wireless communication carrier without using a wireless line. In addition, voice communication and data communication can be performed without using radio resources of a radio base station of a mobile radio communication carrier. Further, when the wireless communication terminal 10 is connected to the femtocell system core network 50 of the mobile wireless communication carrier using a protocol transmitted by the base station of the mobile wireless communication system, the “mobile wireless terminal mode” and “ The mobile radio communication service can be used in either of the “core network connection mode”.

In the present embodiment, an example of the wireless communication terminal 10 in which the communication means between the broadband router 20 and the wireless communication terminal 10 is realized by a wireless LAN instead of wired communication will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the entire system in an embodiment of the present invention.
Of the configuration of the wireless communication terminal 10 in FIG. 9, the description of the configuration having the same function as the configuration denoted by the same reference numeral illustrated in FIG. 2 has been omitted.

  In the case of wireless LAN connection, the wireless communication terminal 10 includes a wireless LAN function unit 18 and a wireless LAN antenna 18, and the broadband router 20 includes a wireless LAN function unit 21 and a wireless LAN antenna 22.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the wireless communication terminal 10 shown in FIG. 9 can also be directly connected to the femtocell system core network 50 of the communication carrier. Further, voice communication and data communication can be performed without using the radio resources of the radio base station of the communication carrier, and the load on the radio base station of the communication carrier can be reduced. In addition, the wireless communication terminal 10 uses the same protocol as that of mobile communication to connect to the femtocell system core network 50 of the communication carrier, so that the service can be used in both “mobile wireless terminal mode” and “core network connection mode”. It becomes possible.

9 Device management function unit 10 Wireless communication terminal 11 Mobile radio antenna 12 User interface unit 13 Terminal operation mode switching unit 14 Communication protocol function unit 15 Memory 16 Call control function unit 17 Mobile unit function unit 18 Wireless LAN function unit 19 Wireless LAN antenna 20 Broadband router 21 Wireless LAN function unit 22 Wireless LAN antenna 30 Internet network 40 Gateway 50 Femtocell system core network 60 of communication carrier Domain name system server 70 Base station management server 80 Monitoring device 90 User management server 100 Packet data processing node 110 Convergence Server 120 Mobile switching center

Claims (6)

An antenna,
A mobile unit having a communication function as a terminal with a mobile radio communication system;
A base station function unit that performs a part of operations as a base station of the mobile radio communication system and has a function of transmitting / receiving a communication protocol transmitted / received by the base station to / from a core network of the mobile radio communication system via a wired line When,
A memory for storing base station information and management information for operating as a base station;
An operation mode switching unit that switches between a first operation mode for performing wireless communication via the antenna or a second operation mode for performing communication by operating a base station function unit via a wired line;
A user interface unit,
When the second mode is selected based on a user operation input from the user interface unit, the base station function unit receives authentication as a base station via a wired line, and the mobile unit A wireless communication terminal connected to a core network of a wireless communication system.   The base station function unit connects to a monitoring device that monitors each device of the mobile radio communication system after connecting to the core network of the mobile radio communication system via the wired line, and device information from the monitoring device The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication terminal is configured to acquire the data, store the data in the memory, and perform a base station operation based on the device information. A first antenna for communicating with a mobile radio communication system via a radio line;
A second antenna for communicating with a wireless LAN system via a wireless line; a mobile function unit having a communication function as a terminal of a mobile wireless communication system;
A base station function that performs a part of operations as a base station of the mobile radio communication system and has a function of transmitting / receiving a communication protocol transmitted / received by the base station to / from a core network of the mobile radio communication system via a wireless LAN system And
A memory for storing base station information and management information for operating as a base station;
An operation mode switching unit that switches between a first operation mode in which wireless communication is performed via the first antenna or a second operation mode in which communication is performed by operating a base station function unit via a wireless LAN system;
A user interface unit,
When the second mode is selected based on a user operation input from the user interface unit, the base station function unit receives authentication as a base station via a wireless LAN system and performs the movement. A wireless communication terminal connected to a core network of a body wireless communication system.   The base station function unit of the wireless communication system is connected to a monitoring device that monitors each device of the mobile wireless communication system after connecting to the core network of the mobile wireless communication system via the wireless LAN system, The wireless communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein device information is acquired from a monitoring device, stored in the memory, and operates as a base station based on the device information. A method for connecting to a mobile radio communication system in a radio communication terminal,
The wireless communication terminal is
A communication function for connecting to a mobile radio communication system via a radio line and operating as a terminal;
The base station information and the management information for operating as a base station of the mobile radio communication system are stored, and the communication protocol transmitted and received by the base station by performing a part of the operation as the base station via the wired line Having the function of transmitting and receiving with the core network of the mobile radio communication system;
When an operation mode that operates as a base station of the mobile radio communication system is selected based on a user operation, a communication protocol transmitted and received by the base station is transmitted via a wired line to the core of the mobile radio communication system. A method for connecting to a mobile radio communication system, comprising: transmitting and receiving a network; receiving authentication as a base station; and connecting to a core network of the mobile radio communication system.   The wireless communication terminal accesses a monitoring device that monitors each device of the mobile wireless communication system after connecting to the core network of the mobile wireless communication system via the wired line, and receives device information from the monitoring device. 6. The method for connecting to a mobile radio communication system in a radio communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein the radio communication terminal acquires the information, stores it in the memory, and performs an operation as a base station based on the device information.

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