JP2007267424A - Mobile communication network and microcell device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prepare areas of microcells utilizing the Internet. <P>SOLUTION: A microcell device 11 is provided on an existent LAN and connected to a core network 4 in a mobile communication network 1 via a router 13, the Internet 5 and a gateway 6. The microcell device 11 is configured to comprise a LAN interface in the configuration of a mobile station and can be inexpensively manufactured. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile communication network and a microcell device that can expand a service area.

  In general, analog mobile communication systems of the 1980s (NTT, AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service), TACS (Total Access Communications System), etc.) are called the first generation, and digital mobile communication systems of the 1990s ( PDC (Personal Digital Cellular telecommunication system), GSM (global system for mobile communication), IS-54, IS-95, etc.) are called the second generation (hereinafter referred to as “2G system”). The spread of these mobile communication systems is remarkable, and in Japan, the number of mobile telephones has reached 50 million, and the frequency band in the 2G system has become insufficient. In addition, support for data communication has become important in mobile communication, and PDC-P (PDC Packet) system, GPRS (General Packet Radio System) system based on GSM and HDR (High Data Rate) based on IS-95. A method has been developed.

  With the rapid spread of such mobile data communication, recently, further high-speed data communication has been demanded. Therefore, next-generation mobile communication systems that can solve the shortage of frequency bands and perform high-speed data communication have been developed. This next-generation mobile communication system is called the third generation (hereinafter referred to as “3G system”). The ITU (International Telecommunications Union) called this third generation IMT-2000 and has been studying it. In IMT-2000, high-speed data communication and global service are realized, and it is aimed to be usable in various wireless environments and to provide equivalent communication capability and quality by connecting to a fixed network.

  A conventional base station in a 3G system is usually installed on the roof of a building or the like, and has a large size, large capacity, and several tens of simultaneous connections. A signal transmitted from the mobile phone is received by a nearby base station and connected to a switch group in the carrier network through a dedicated line. In the 3G system, multiple base stations send and receive mobile phone signals, but one base station can be connected to many mobile phones at the same time, and the equipment is expensive and large, and maintenance costs are large. It has become. Furthermore, the construction of a base station requires careful investigation and design according to traffic, topography, and radio wave characteristics, and design costs are also required. The 3G system base station also has a relatively small and small-sized facility called a pico cell, but it basically has the same function as a normal base station and operates as a base station in an underground mall or building. is doing.

  In a mobile phone in a 3G system or the like, it is desired that a user can access a mobile communication network in any region or place. In this case, in order for the mobile phone to access the mobile communication network, the location where the mobile phone is located needs to be within the service area of the mobile communication network. This service area is generally composed of a large number of cells, and each cell is provided with a base station. However, it takes a considerable installation period to install a base station and the equipment of the base station is expensive. If it is installed in a place where demand is low, cost performance will be lowered. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to install in an area where demand is low. Even if the base station is installed and within the service area, the number of simultaneous connections of the base station is limited, and the base station is located in a base station where the number of simultaneous connections is reduced Has a problem that it may be difficult to access.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication network and a microcell device capable of installing a microcell area using the Internet network.

  In order to achieve the above object, the mobile communication network of the present invention is a wireless communication means capable of communicating with a mobile station in a local area network accessible to the Internet network in a mobile communication network interconnected with the Internet network. By connecting a microcell device comprising a voice data communication means capable of transmitting and receiving packetized voice data using the Internet protocol via an interface for a local area network. A device functions as a microcell of the mobile communication network.

  In addition, a microcell device capable of achieving the above object includes a wireless communication unit capable of communicating with a mobile station, a voice data communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving packetized voice data using an Internet protocol, and A mobile communication network that is connected to the Internet network by being connected to the local area network that is accessible to the Internet network via the interface for the local area network. To function as a microcell.

  According to the present invention, a microcell device provided on an existing local area network (LAN) is connected to the Internet connected to a mobile communication network using a high-speed line such as an existing ADSL line. can do. Thereby, the microcell of a mobile communication network can be constructed. Therefore, it becomes possible to construct a micro cell outside the service area or at a desired place in the service area by using a micro cell device which is extremely inexpensive as compared with the base station.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a mobile communication network according to the present invention including the microcell device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The mobile communication network 1 is represented by a large number of base stations 3 represented by base stations 3a and 3b, a core network 4 to which these base stations 3 are connected, a mobile station 2a, and a mobile station 2b. It is composed of a large number of mobile stations 2. The core network 4 is interconnected with the Internet network 5 via a gateway 6. The personal computer (PC) 12 and the microcell device 11 are connected to a local area network (LAN), and the LAN and the Internet network 5 are connected via a router 13. The router 13 and the Internet network 5 are connected by a high-speed line such as a dedicated line, a public line, or an ADSL line.

  The microcell device 11 constitutes a microcell base station of the mobile communication network 1. For example, the mobile station 2 a located in the service area of the microcell device 11 is a microcell device 11 -LAN-router 13 -Internet network. It is connected to the mobile communication network 1 through a route of 5-gateway 6-core network 4. The microcell apparatus 11 constituting this microcell base station is configured to have a LAN interface incorporated in the same configuration as the mobile station 2 and can be provided at low cost, and is a LAN that is about the size of a fixed telephone. It is a terminal. The microcell device 11 has a VoIP (Voice over IP) function for transmitting a voice signal by IP (Internet Protocol). The exchange in the core network 4 has software for installing, authenticating, operating, charging, detecting a passing packet, and operating the base station of the microcell base station.

  The microcell device 11 is about the same size and usability as a cordless phone base unit, and can be connected to an ADSL line and an optical line that are also used in ordinary homes by making the microcell device 11 a LAN terminal. Yes. The microcell device 11 is connected (IP-Packet transfer) to the exchange of the core network 4 through the LAN, the router 13 and the Internet network 5. The number of channels of the microcell device 11 is 1 channel or about 2 to 4 channels, and has a function of setting a mobile station number (MSN) that can be connected by the microcell device 11. The exchange in the core network 4 has software that returns the call charge to the line operator according to the number of packet users who have passed through the line operated by the microcell installer and the quantity. Note that normal base stations such as the base station 3a and the base station 3b use the RAKE reception of the 3G system to supplement the microcell device 11. The gateway 6 has an interface function for transmitting and receiving packets transferred by the microcell device 11 via the Internet network 5. Further, the microcell device 11 has an encryption scramble function and has secrecy on VoIP. Moreover, the fixed cost of a business operator can be reduced by commercializing and selling the microcell device 11. In addition, since the microcell base station by the microcell device 11 can be easily installed, it is possible to make a flexible response such as a temporary station.

Next, a block diagram showing the configuration of the microcell device 11 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the microcell device 11 includes the communication circuit units 21 and 22 corresponding to the number of channels, and the 2-channel microcell device 11 is formed by including the two communication circuit units 21 and 22. Can do. The communication circuit units 21 and 22 include radio circuits 21a and 22a and radio control units 21b and 22b that control the radio circuits 21a and 22a. The communication circuit units 21 and 22 are communication-controlled by the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 includes a CPU 20 a, a RAM, a ROM 20 b, and an IP / exchange protocol unit 20 c. The RAM and ROM 20b store initial setting programs and various operation programs. When these programs are executed by the CPU 20a, base station registration processing, standby processing, outgoing / incoming control processing, priority connection number processing, and the like are executed. Has been. Further, in the IP conversion + exchanger protocol unit 20 c in the control unit 20, voice data and control data are converted into IP packets based on the procedure of the exchange protocol, and the generated IP packets are output to the LAN interface unit 23. In the LAN interface unit 23, a MAC (Media Access Control) frame packed with IP packets is created and sent out on the LAN. The display / operation unit 24 includes operation buttons and a display unit for performing various settings of the microcell device 11, and power is supplied to each unit from the power supply unit 25.

  The router 13 located on the LAN receives the IP packet sent from the microcell device 11 and sends this IP packet from the router 13 toward the core network 4 to the Internet network 5. Here, when the mobile station 2a is located in the micro cell by the micro cell device 11, for example, when the mobile station 2b located in the base station 3a is called, the call signal is the micro cell device 11-LAN. -Router 13 -Internet network 5 -Gateway 6-Core network 4 reaches the core network 4 and the communication control unit on the core network 4 sends the incoming signal to the mobile station 2b to the base station 3a where the mobile station 2b is located. Is sent. Thereby, the mobile station 2b can receive an incoming signal. Then, when the mobile station 2b goes off-hook, the mobile station 2a and the mobile station 2b can talk. Thus, the mobile station 2a and the mobile station 2b are connected by the mobile communication network 1 and the LAN function (PPPOE).

  The microcell device 11 shown in FIG. 2 has a configuration in which a LAN interface is incorporated in the same configuration as the mobile station 2 as described above, and can be installed at low cost, so that the base station construction can be greatly reduced. Become. In particular, the base station can be increased at low cost by installing the microcell device 11 against traffic increase in urban areas. The microcell device 11 may be installed by an individual. When the individual installs the microcell device 11, a self-base station that allows only one's telephone number to pass through can be constructed as a one-channel communication circuit unit 21. Note that not only the mobile station in the installer's home but also the communication of surrounding mobile stations may be transferred via the microcell device 11. When a building management company or the like installs the microcell device 11, the base station may be operated as the communication circuit units 21, 22,.

  As described above, the present invention connects a microcell device provided on an existing local area network (LAN) to the Internet connected to a mobile communication network using a high-speed line such as an existing ADSL line. can do. Thereby, the microcell of a mobile communication network can be constructed. Therefore, it becomes possible to construct a micro cell outside the service area or at a desired place in the service area by using a micro cell device which is extremely inexpensive as compared with the base station.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile communication network concerning this invention provided with the microcell apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the microcell apparatus of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile communication network, 2 Mobile station, 2a Mobile station, 2b Mobile station, 3 Base station, 3a Base station, 3b Base station, 4 Core network, 5 Internet network, 6 Gateway, 11 Microcell apparatus, 12 Personal computer, 13 Router, 20 control unit, 20b RAM, ROM, 20c IP conversion + switch protocol unit, 21, 22 communication circuit unit, 21a, 22a wireless circuit, 21b, 22b wireless control unit, 23 LAN interface unit, 24 display / operation unit, 25 Power supply

Claims (4)

In a mobile communication network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of communicating with a mobile station and interconnected with the Internet network,
A local area network accessible to the Internet network includes a wireless communication means capable of communicating with the mobile station and a voice data communication means capable of transmitting and receiving packetized voice data using the Internet protocol. By connecting the cell device via an interface for a local area network, the micro cell device functions as a micro cell base station that provides a service area in the mobile communication network. A mobile communication network characterized in that a mobile station number that can be connected can be set.   2. The mobile communication network according to claim 1, wherein the microcell device is configured to pass only a mobile station number of an installer who installed the microcell device. A mobile station capable of communicating with a base station constituting a mobile communication network, wireless communication means capable of communicating with the mobile station;
An audio data communication means capable of transmitting and receiving packetized audio data using an Internet protocol;
With a local area network interface,
A microcell base station that provides a service area in the mobile communication network interconnected with the Internet network by being connected to a local area network accessible to the Internet network via the interface for the local area network A microcell device characterized in that it can function as a mobile station number that can be connected.   4. The microcell device according to claim 3, wherein only the mobile station number of the installer who has installed the device is allowed to pass.

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