Mobile telecommunications architecture

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications architecture is disclosed. A downlink mobile telecommunications signaling message is received via a first communication interface associated with a single shared network controller connection to a mobile switching center (MSC) server. The downlink mobile telecommunications signaling message is mapped to one of a plurality of small scale base stations each of which is configured to perform at least some network controller functions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a gateway configured to aggregate a plurality of radio network controllers over a shared radio network controller connection, uplink messages from respective ones of a plurality of small scale base stations configured to perform functions of the plurality of radio network controllers, the uplink messages comprising data from different sources;   aggregating, by the gateway, the uplink messages; and   transmitting, by the gateway, the aggregated uplink messages as a single stream to a mobile switching center (MSC) server via the shared radio network controller connection.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the gateway, a downlink message; and   mapping, by the gateway, the downlink message to one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 routing the downlink message to the one of the plurality of small scale base stations,   wherein the mapping, by the gateway, comprises associating a snooped signaling connection control part (SCCP) identifier with a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) stream that is associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the routing further comprises:
 associating the downlink message via a communication protocol stream associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mapping further comprises:
 reading from the downlink message an identifier associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations; and   establishing a mapping between the identifier and a downlink communication protocol stream associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting further comprises:
 presenting the single stream of the aggregated uplink messages as being from a single logical radio network controller.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating with the MSC server via a private internet protocol (IP) network.   
     
     
         8 . A mobile telecommunications gateway, comprising:
 a communication interface associated with a single shared radio network controller connection, wherein the mobile telecommunications gateway aggregates a plurality of radio network controllers over the single shared network controller connection; and   a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to:
 receive from respective ones of a plurality of small scale base stations uplink messages, the uplink messages comprising data from different sources; 
 aggregate the uplink messages; and 
 transmit the aggregated uplink messages as a single stream to a mobile switching center (MSC) server via the single shared radio network controller connection. 
   
     
     
         9 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive, via the communication interface, a downlink message; and   map the downlink message to one of the plurality of small scale base stations, the small scale base stations being configured to perform functions of the plurality of radio network controllers.   
     
     
         10 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to associate a snooped signaling connection control part (SCCP) identifier with a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) stream that is associated with one of the plurality of small scale base stations. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish a mapping between an identifier associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations and a downlink communication protocol stream associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to use the identifier to read from a stored data structure corresponding data identifying a downlink communication interface associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the respective ones of the plurality of small scale base stations comprise femtocells;   the plurality of radio network controllers comprise universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) radio network controllers; and   the communication interface comprises a network interface.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile telecommunications gateway of  claim 8 , wherein the shared radio network controller connection comprises at least one of:
 an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) connection;   an SCTP over internet protocol (IP); or   another IP or other network connection.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having control logic recorded thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for instrumenting software code in a gateway configured to aggregate a plurality of radio network controllers over a shared radio network controller connection, the method comprising:
 receiving uplink messages from respective ones of a plurality of small scale base stations configured to perform functions of the plurality of radio network controllers, the uplink messages comprising data from different sources;   aggregating the uplink messages; and   transmitting the aggregated uplink messages as a single stream to a mobile switching center (MSC) server via the shared radio network controller connection.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving a downlink message; and   mapping the downlink message to one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 routing the downlink message to the one of the plurality of small scale base stations,   wherein the mapping comprises associating a snooped signaling connection control part (SCCP) identifier with a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) stream that is associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the routing further comprises:
 associating the downlink message via a communication protocol stream associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the mapping further comprises:
 reading from the downlink message an identifier associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations; and   establishing a mapping between the identifier and a downlink communication protocol stream associated with the one of the plurality of small scale base stations.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the transmitting further comprises:
 presenting the single stream of the aggregated uplink messages as being from a single logical radio network controller.