Packet-switched core network architecture for voice services on second- and third-generation wireless access networks

摘要

Communications systems and methods with an evolved packet-switched core network architecture to enable voice services on second- and third-generation wireless access networks. The systems and methods permit unmodified 2G and 3G mobile devices to conduct voice calls using conventional circuit-switched user-plane and control-plane protocols at the air interface while the voice calls are switched at the back-end using a packet-switched core network. The system may include a translation module at a controller component that is configured to provide both user-plane and control-plane translation functions between an unmodified 2G/3G mobile device that utilizes circuit-switched protocols for a voice call and the packet-switched core network that utilizes packet-switched protocols to switch the voice call.

主权项

1. In a wireless telecommunications system having a packet-switched core network, a subsystem for conveying voice traffic within the telecommunications system from mobile devices that send uplink voice data using a circuit-switched protocol, the subsystem comprising:
a memory storing computer executable instructions of:
a user-plane translation module configured to:
convert circuit-switched format uplink voice data into uplink packets, the uplink voice data originating from a mobile device that sends the uplink voice data over an air interface via a circuit-switched protocol;transmit the uplink packets to the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols;convert packet-switched downlink voice data packets into circuit-switched format downlink voice data, the packet-switched downlink voice data packets being received from the packet-switched core network using packet-switched protocols; andtransmit the circuit-switched format downlink voice data to the mobile device via the air interface using circuit-switched protocols; anda control-plane translation module configured to:
convert circuit-switched format signaling messages received from the mobile device into analogous packet-switched format signaling messages; andtransmit the analogous packet-switched format signaling messages to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) voice control network using packet-switched protocols,wherein the user-plane translation module and control-plane translation module are associated with a controller component; and a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions.