Method and apparatus for resource management

Abstract

Some embodiments are implemented in a communication system that includes a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system that includes a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller that can communicatively couple the FAP to the first wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the network controller can communicatively couple to the first wireless communication system through a UTRAN Iu interface. Some embodiments provide a resource management method that determines that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP. The FAP includes a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer. The method creates a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the GA-RC protocol sub-layer. The method also sets the GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state to indicate that the UE is not registered to use the services of the wireless communication system.

1 . A method of resource management in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication system, the method comprising: 
 a) determining that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP, wherein the FAP comprises a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer;    b) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in said GA-RC protocol sub-layer; and    c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state, said deregistered state indicating that the UE is not registered to use the services of the second wireless communication system.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a registered state upon a successful registration of the UE by the FAP with the network controller.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the FAP and the network controller maintain a shared secure tunnel for exchanging said set of signaling messages for a plurality of UEs successfully registered by the FAP with the network controller.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon a loss of said secure tunnel.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 a) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP; and    b) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when the GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP is in a deregistered state.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 a) upon a loss of said connection dedicated to the UE, reestablishing the connection between the FAP and the network controller;    b) when said reestablishing the connection is successful, keeping said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the registered state; and    c) when said reestablishing the connection is unsuccessful, setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon execution of a de-registration procedure.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.  
   
   
       11 . A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution, the computer program for providing resource management in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for: 
 a) determining that a user equipment (UE) has roved in a region serviced by the FAP, wherein the FAP comprises a generic access resource control (GA-RC) protocol sub-layer;    b) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in said GA-RC protocol sub-layer; and    c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state, said deregistered state indicating that the UE is not registered to use the services of the second wireless communication system.    
   
   
       12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a registered state upon a successful registration of the UE by the FAP with the network controller.  
   
   
       13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the FAP and the network controller maintain a shared secure tunnel for exchanging said set of signaling messages for a plurality of UEs successfully registered by the FAP with the network controller.  
   
   
       14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon a loss of said secure tunnel.  
   
   
       15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for: 
 a) creating a separate GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP; and    b) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when the GA-RC state dedicated to the FAP is in a deregistered state.    
   
   
       16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for: 
 a) reestablishing the connection between the FAP and the network controller upon a loss of said connection dedicated to the UE;    b) keeping said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE in the registered state when said reestablishing the connection is successful; and    c) setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state when said reestablishing the connection is unsuccessful.    
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for setting said GA-RC state dedicated to the UE to a deregistered state upon execution of a de-registration procedure.  
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).  
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.  
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the network controller is communication coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.