GB2330039A

GB2330039A - Integrated wireline-wireless system

Info

Publication number: GB2330039A
Application number: GB9820647A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arshad Mirza; Susanna Liem
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-02
Filing date: 1998-09-23
Publication date: 1999-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-23
Also published as: JPH11178048A; GB2330039B; JP3069327B2; KR19990036675A; GB9820647D0; CN1221276A; CN1104130C; KR100273046B1

Abstract

An integrated wireless wireline system (IWWS) architecture allowing call control messages and mobility management messages to be effectively communicated between the wireless and wireline systems without requirement of a mobile switching controller. The IWWS provides for a GR-303 interface between the wireless base station controller and a wireline Class 5 switch. Wireless and wireline service control points are connected via modified IS-41 interface over SS7.

Description

INTEGRATED WTRELINE-WIRELESS SYSTEM BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The present invention relates to wireless communication systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an architecture which integrates a wireless communication system with a wireline communication system.

The demand for ubiquitous personal communications is driving the development of new networking techniques that accommodate mobile voice and data users who move throughout cites, broad geographic regions, and even between countries. As used throughout this description, "wireless" refers to a broad class of communication systems and technologies utilising open air interfaces, as opposed to landline connected systems. Mobile telephone, cellular telephone, wireless local-loop, paging, and personal communication systems (PCS) are ready examples of wireless communication systems adaptable in the present invention.

Consider, for example, the typical cellular telephone system shown in FIG. 1. To provide wireless communication within a particular geographic region, the cellular telephone system deploys an integrated mesh of base stations (BS1-BS4) sufficient to cover the region. The base stations, in turn, are connected to a mobile switching centre (MSC). The MSC provides connectivity between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the base stations, and ultimately between all of the wireless users in the system. The PSTN forms part of the global telecommunications grid which connects conventional (wireline) telephone switching centres (central offices) with other MSCs throughout the world.

Mobile units (handsets or other portable devices) communicate with the base stations via radio links established using a common air interface (CAI) which defines an inter-signalling, or handshaking protocol. The CAI specifies exactly how mobile users and base stations communicate payload signals (voice or data) over a predetermined set of radio frequencies, and also defines the control signals by which the mobile unit and the base stations establish contact one with another.

Communication between a mobile unit and a base station involves the exchange of signalling and synchronisation data, or the air interface portion, and the exchange of actual voice or data information, or the payload portion.

At the base station, the air interface portion is discarded, and remaining payload portion is transmitted to the MSC on fixed links, typically landline or microwave links. While each base station may handle on the order of 50 simultaneous calls, a typical MSC may be responsible for connecting as many as 100 base stations to the PSTN, so the connection between the MSC and the PSTN requires substantial capacity.

As compared with the PSTN, where all users sites are fixed and are connected one by one in a lattice of wirelines, a wireless communication system is extremely complex. First, as already mentioned, the wireless network requires a complex air interface between base stations and mobile units in order to provide telephone grade communications under a wide range of propagation conditions. To assure adequate coverage, the deployment of many, sometimes hundreds, of base stations throughout a region is necessary, and each base station must be connected to the MSC. Furthermore, the MSC must eventually provide connection for each mobile user to the PSTN.

Such connection requires simultaneous connections to a local exchange carrier (LEC) and at least one longdistance, or interexchange carrier (LXC).

Historically, the demand for wireless communication has consistently exceeded the capacity of available technology, and this is most evident in the design of MSCs.

While a central office telephone switch may handle up to a million wireline users simultaneously, the most sophisticated MSC presently available can only handle between 100,000 and 200,000 cellular users, simultaneously.

A. First Generation Wireless Systems First generation wireless systems (analogue cellular and cordless telephone) are based on analogue technology.

The transport architecture shown in FIG. 2 is typical of first generation cellular systems. Region A is covered by multiple base stations. Each base station (BS) within Region A communicates with a first mobile switching centre (MSC1). The combination of a controlling MSC with a network of base stations is commonly referred to as a network. (To avoid confusion a combination of multiple networks will be referred to as a global network) . In the subsequent discussion, MSC1 is referred to as the Home MSC under an assumption that a user in the following example originates and generally begins service in Region A.

Region B is covered by another multiplicity of base stations (BS) which communicates with a second MSC (MSC2) to form a second network. MSC2 is referred to as the Visitor MSC to denote a region outside Region A, controlled by this separate MSC, into which the user roams.

Each MSC comprises, among other functional elements, three databases: a home location register (HLR), a visitor location register (VLR) and an access control centre (AcC) , which are later described in detail.

MSC1 and MSC2 are each connected to the PSTN as described above. Further, MSC1 and MSC2 are connected via a separate, common channel signalling link. Signalling System No. 7 (SS7) is a widely used signalling protocol for common channel signalling between interconnected networks. SS7 is used to interconnect most of the cellular MSCs throughout the United States, and is a key factor in enabling autonomous registration and automated roaming in first generation cellular systems. (See, Modarressi, A.R., and Skoog, R.A., "An Overview of Signalling System No. 7," Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 80, No. 4 pp. 590606, April 1992, incorporated herein by reference).

First generation wireless systems provide analogue voice and inefficient, low-rate, data transmission between base stations and mobile units. Voice data is usually digitised using standard, time-division multiplex format for transmission between a base station and its corresponding NSC. Voice data is always digitised for transmission between the MSC and PSTN.

The global network, taken as a collection of all individual networks covering a specific region, must track mobile users throughout the global network, provide a variety of services to these users, and discriminate between authorised users and would-be interlopers. To accomplish these tasks, whenever an authorised mobile unit is activated, it monitors the strongest control channel transmitted from at least one base station in its immediate vicinity. So long as the user moves only within a single region (i.e., remains in its Home network), a single MSC (the Home MSC) monitors the location and activity of the user, and "hands-off" the user between base stations in the region.

However, when the user roams into another region covered by a different MSC (i.e., roams into the Visitor network) , the global wireless network must "register" the user in the Visitor region and cancel the user's registration in the Home region in order to properly route incoming calls to the roaming user. Until the early 1990's, users roaming between regions covered by networks operated by different service providers had to manually register their mobile units within each Visitor region.

This burdensome requirement was obviated when service providers commonly implemented the IS-41 network protocol standard which allows different cellular systems to automatically accommodate users roaming between them.

This "interoperator roaming" facilitated by IS-41 allows MSCs of different service providers to exchange, on demand, the necessary user information required to provide transparent user services across network boundaries.

IS-41 relies on a feature set forth in the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) called "autonomous registration". (See, Young, W.R. "Advanced Mobile Phone Service: Introduction, Background and Objectives, "Bell Systems Technical Journal, Vol. 58, pp. 1-14, January 1979, incorporated herein by reference). Autonomous registration is a process by which a mobile unit notifies a serving MSC of its presence and location. The mobile unit accomplishes this by periodically keying up and transmitting its identity information (i.e., its Mobile Identification Number (MIN) and its Electronic Serial Number (ESN)), which allows the MSC to constantly validate and update its user list. The MSC is able to distinguish home users from roaming users based on the MIN of the identifying user.

With reference to FIG. 2, the interoperation of the various elements forming first generation wireless systems will now be described. A user starts in Region A, which is his/her Home region, and is validated in the Access Control Centre (AcC) resident in MSC1. The Home Location Register (HLR) in MSC1 contains a profile for the user including, registration information, service features allocated to the user, and accounting/management information. Travel within region A is controlled by MSC1. However, as the user roams into Region B, MSC1 must relinquish control to MSC2. To do this, MSC2 establishes a record in its Visiting Location Register (VLR) for the user. This record contains the user's profile and associated information as obtained by MSC2 via the separate SS7 link from MSC1. Once the user is properly accounted in the VLR of MSC2, user activity within Region B is controlled by MSC2.

The information transmitted between MSC1 and MSC2 to effect and account for the inter-network hand-off of the roaming user is generally referred to as mobility management information. The SS7 link, and particularly the IS41 interface over the SS7 link, provides a communication path by which mobility management messages are exchanged between networks.

Mobility management information is distinct, albeit related1 to call control information. Call control information is switching information defining the physical path required to transport the payload signal (voice or data) to its final destination. Call control messages are communicated between the MSC and the wireline switching system.

B. Second Generation Wireless Systems As compared with first generation wireless systems, second generation systems employ digital modulation and advanced call processing capabilities. Examples of second generation wireless systems include the Global System for Mobile (GSM) systems, using the Telecommunications Industry Association standards IS-54 (TDMA) and IS95 (CDMA), local loop systems using the Personal Access Communication System (PACS), and systems adhering to the standards of the Digital European Cordless Telephone (DECT).

As illustrated in FIG. 3, second generation wireless systems have introduced new network architectures which place reduced call processing demands on the MSC, and which can be viewed as comprising three basic sections: the base station subsystem, the network switching subsystem, and the public (wireline) networks.

GSM has, for example, introduced the concept of inserting one or more base station controllers (BSC) between one or more base station transceivers (BTS) and the MSC. However, within GSM, the MSC still incorporates the HLR, VLR and AcC functions, communicates via an SS7 link to other MSCs, and connects with public (wireline) networks including the PSTN, an ISDN, and/or public databases. This architectural change of adding a BSC has allowed standardisation of the data interface between the BSC and the MSC, thereby allowing service providers to use different equipment manufacturers for the MSC and base station components.

All second generation wireless systems use digital voice coding and digital modulation. The systems employ dedicated control channels (common channel signalling) within the air interface for simultaneously exchanging voice and control information between mobile units, base stations, and the MSC while a call is in progress. These systems also provide dedicated voice and signalling trunks between MSCs, and between each MSC and the public (wireline) networks.

In contrast to first generation wireless systems which were designed for voice, second generation systems have been specifically designed to provide paging, and other data services such as facsimile and high-data rate network access. Enhanced second generation wireless systems will ultimately offer fully realised personal communication systems (PCS) or personal communication networks (PCN) which provide ubiquitous wireless communications coverage, enabling users to access the public networks for different types of communication needs, without regard to location of the user or location of the information within the public networks.

The concept of PSC/PCN is based on the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) which has as its goal the complete access integration of all mobile and fixed networks to provide universal access to a single "Grand" network and databases therein. AIN will, in theory, also allow users to have a single telephone number to be used everywhere within wireless and wireline systems. (See, Ashitey, D.

Sheikh, A., and Murthy, K.M.S., "Intelligent Personal Communication System" 43rd IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, pp 696-99, 1993, incorporated herein by reference).

Characteristically, the network control structure in second generation wireless systems is more distributed than first generation systems, since evolving mobile units and base station subsystem component are able to assume greater call processing burdens. This trend towards a more fully distributed control structure has recently suggested the complete elimination of the MSC from wireless system architectures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an integrated wireless and wireline system (IWWS) architecture which does not require a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC), but which effectively uses existing wireline switching equipment and capabilities to provide integrated wireless/wireline services to users. The resulting "meld" of wireless communication system components (BTS and BSC) with public (wireline) network components offers many commercial and technical advantages to service providers. For example, the IWWS architecture allows service providers to reduce network equipment purchases, to lower maintenance costs, and to simplify equipment integration. In fact, service providers offering wireline and wireless services have the option of leveraging existing wireline capabilities, without recourse to a separately procured MSC, to effect lower cost wireless services.

Not only are hardware costs lowered by the elimination of a MSC, but also service providers may easily integrate wireline and wireless billing requirements, readily import the rich features currently offered in wireline service into wireless service, integrate wireline directory numbers, and centralised physical operations and maintenance centres.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an integrated wireless-wireline communication system, comprising: a wireless section receiving data from and transmitting data to a plurality of mobile units; and a wireline section comprising a wireline service control point and switching equipment; wherein the wireless section generates call control messages and mobility management messages in response to activity by the mobile units and in response to data received from and transmitted to the mobile units, the call control messages being communicated to the switching equipment of the wireline section via a signalling interface and mobility management messages being communicated to the wireline service control point via a modified IS41 interface over SS7.

Preferably, the wireless section comprises a visiting service control point and a base station controller, the base station controller communicating with the switching equipment of the wireline section via a GR-303 signalling interface, and communicating with a plurality of base station transceivers, each base station transceiver communicating with the base station controller and receiving data from and transmitting data to the mobile units via a standard data transmission protocol.

The standard transmission protocol may be one selected from a group consisting of AMPS, TDMA and CDMA. The standard transmission protocol may be IS-95.

The switching equipment may be one of a Class 5 or a Class 4 switch, and the wireline service control point may communicate with the switching equipment via an AIN protocol over SS7. Preferably, the wireline service control point further comprises a wireless-wireline home location register database. The wireless service control point may further comprise a visiting location register database.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an integrated wireless-wireline communication system, comprising: a wireless section comprising a radio subsystem and a wireless service control point, the radio subsystem receiving data from and transmitting data to a plurality of mobile units and communicating with the wireless service control point via a modified IS-41 interface over SS7; and wireline section comprising a wireline service control point and switching equipment, wherein the wireless section generates call control messages and mobility management messages in response to activity by the mobile unites and in response to data received from and transmitted to the mobile units, the call control messages being communicated to the switching equipment from the radio subsystem via a signalling interface, and the mobility management messages being communicated to the wireline service control point from the wireless service control point via a modified IS-41 interface over SS7.

Preferably, the wireless section further comprises a base station controller communicating with the switching equipment of the wireline section via a GR-303 signalling interface, and a plurality of base station transceivers, each base station transceiver communicating with the base station controller and receiving data from and transmitting data to the mobile units via a standard data transmission protocol.

In an integrated wireless-wireline communication system according to the invent ion, a wireless service control point may comprise at least one of a authentication centre or a short message centre.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of communicating call control messages between a wireless system servicing mobile users and a wireline system switch in an integrated wireless-wireline system, the wireless system comprising a radio subsystem connected to a wireless service control point via an IS-41 interface over SS7, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at the radio subsystem a mobile identity number (MIN) from a mobile user upon initiation of a communication by the mobile user; communicating the MIN from the radio subsystem to the wireless service control point; allocating an interface directory number (IDN) on the basis of the MIN communicated to the wireless service control point; communicating the IDN from the wireless service control point to the radio subsystem, and using the IDN at the radio subsystem to establish a connection between the radio subsystem and the wireline system switch via a signalling interface.

Preferably, the signalling interface is one of GR-303, ISUP, PR1 and R2. The switching equipment may be a Class 5 switch.

The method may further comprise the step of deallocating the IDN at the wireless service control point upon termination of the communication by the mobile user.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of communicating call control messages and mobility management messages between a wireless system servicing mobile users and a wireline system in an integrated wireless-wireline system, wherein the wireless system includes a radio subsystem connected to a wireless service control point via an IS-41 interface over SS7, and wherein the wireline system includes a wireline service control point communicating with a wireline system switch via an AIN interface over SS7, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at the radio subsystem a mobile identity number (MIN) from a mobile user upon initiation of a communication by the mobile user; communicating the MIN from the radio subsystem to the wireless service control point; allocating an interface directory number (IDN) on the basis of the MIN communicated to the wireless service control point; communicating the IDN from the wireless service control point to the radio subsystem, using the IDN at the radio subsystem to establish a connection between the radio subsystem and the wireline system switch via a signalling interface to communicate the call control messages; generating in the wireless system mobility management messages; and communicating the mobility management messages from the wireless service control point to the wireline service control point via an IS-41 interface over SS7.

Preferably, the signalling interface is GR-303 and the wireline switch is a Class 5 switch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional cellular telephone network including a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC); FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional, first generation wireless system architecture; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional, second generation wireless system architecture, such as GSM; FIG. 4 is a diagram of an integrated wireless/wireline system (IWWS) architecture according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram further illustrating operation between the BSC, VSCP, and Switching Equipment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a diagram of an integrated wireless/wireline system (IWWS) architecture according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7 further illustrates the GR-303 connection between the base station controller and the switching equipment shown in Figs 5 and 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An integrated wireless/wireline (IWWS) architecture exemplary of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4.

The IWWS architecture can be viewed as comprising a wireless section and a wireline section. The major reason for this otherwise arbitrary distinction, at least arbitrary in relation to the software and database overheads, is the continued regulation in the United States of wireline services and wireline service providers. The line between these two portions will continue to blur as system components increase in capability, and may disappear altogether with future telecommunication deregulation. Thus, the current discussion should not be read as steadfastly insisting upon the exemplary wireless/wireline demarcation, but should be read as delineating IWWS components in the current market and regulatory context.

The IWWS of the present invention comprises: a Radio Subsystem 100, a Wireless (Visited) Service Control Point (VSCP) 200, and Wireline (Advanced Intelligent Network) Service Control Point (AIN SCP) 300, and wireline Switching Equipment 400. Each of these components will be described in greater detail below.

A. Radio Subsystem 100 Radio Subsystem 100 comprises at least one base station controller (BSC) 110 and a plurality of base station transceivers (BTS) 120 and 121.

1. BTS 120 and 121 Each one of the base station transceivers provides air interface access to mobile units in the region covered by the BTS. The air interface may be AMPS, TDMA or CDMA, but in the presently preferred embodiment, the BTSs transmit and receive according to IS-95 (CDMA) . See, TIA/EIA Interim Standard-95 "Mobile Station - Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System," July 1993).

2. BSC 110 Bellcore has recently defined a Class 5 Switch based PCS system call processing/switching protocol for the Regional Bell Operating Companies. This call processing/switching protocol is known as "Generic C" and is based on the so-called "C interface" which supports two types of signalling messages: those related to call control and those related to mobility management, as previously described. See, ISDN Based C Interface PCS CDMA Special Report, SR-3797, Issue 1, December 1995, Bellcore. Using the C interface as a ready example, the present invention exchanges call control messages between BSC 110 and Switching Equipment 400, and exchanges mobility management messages between the wireless section (i.e. BSC 110 and VSCP 200) and the wireline section (AIN SCP 300).

As an initial part of the exchange of mobility management information with VSCP 200, first access control centre (AcC-1) within BSC 110 co-operates with AcC-2 resident in VSCP 200 to complete the task of providing wireless system access to Switching Equipment 400. Access is accomplished by translating a Mobile Identity Number (MIN) into a Interface Directory Number (IDN) and using the IDN to construct a Call Reference Value (CRV) required for communication between BSC 110 and Switching Equipment 400.

The term MIN is commonly used to define a class of indicia functionally required to identify individual mobile users and or mobile accounts. The term "MIN" is not limiting as such, but merely suggests the foregoing class of indicia. Similarly, the term IDN is understood to broadly define a set of indicia operative in several network functions, as explained below.

BSC 110 communicates with Switching Equipment 400 via a GR-303 ABCD Hybrid Signalling Interface (Hereafter GR303). By contrast, the original Generic O call processing/switching protocol specifies an ISDN BRI as the call control signalling and switch interface. However, ISDN BRI is not widely deployed and is very costly due to the large number of LAPD (both software and hardware) terminations. GR-303, on the other hand, is a widely deployed and cost effective switch interface, and as such is presently preferred.

BSC 110 also includes an Intra-BSC Hand-off Controller (HC-1) which controls mobile unit access and communication between BTSs in Radio Subsystem 100. BSC 110 maintains current call information for active users (e.g.

MIN, IDN, call state, resources used, service authorisations, etc.), but preferably does not contain a database of user profile data.

B. VSCP 200 As presently preferred, VSCP 200 communicates with Radio Subsystem 100 and with AIN SCP 300 via modified IS-4) interfaces over SS7.

A central feature of VSCP 200 is the use of Interface Directory Numbers (IDNs). The pool of IDNs is a reserved directory of numbers used by the wireless system to access Switching Equipment 400. Referring to FIG. 5, one of many users, each having a specific Mobile Identity Number (MIN-A through MIN-X), for example, communicates into the wireline network through BSC 110 and Switching Equipment 400, with a translation effected by VSCP 200.

Upon call origination by a mobile unit, BSC 110 captures the calling unit's MIN and transmits it to VSCP 200.

VSCP 200 fetches an idle IDN as a resource to access Switching Equipment 400. Mapping information between MINs and IDNs is kept by both BSC 110 and VSCP 200. BSC110 uses the allocated IDN to set up a call to Switching Equipment 400. Thus, VSCP 200 is the network element which allocates and deallocates IDNs to accomplish resource conservative call connections. From the viewpoint of Switching Equipment 400 and the rest of the public network, the call originated from the identified IDN.

Referring again to FIG. 4, VSCP 200 preferably includes a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Visiting Location Register (VLR). However, the HLR may be remote from VSCP 200 via an IS-41 interface. An authentication centre (AC) may be associated with the HLR which manages private encryption protocols and which authenticates users.

The VLR in VSCP 200 provides the mobility function for roaming mobile units. (All automatic roaming functions are defined by the inter-system handoff protocols set forth in IS-41.2-C and IS-41.3-C).

A second Access Control Centre (AcC-2) is typically associated with VSCP 200. The allocation and deallocation function described above is performed in AcC-2.

VSCP 200 also includes an inter-BSC hand-off controller (HC-2). HC-2 co-operates with the HLR and the VLR to identify the process calls between a user in the region served by BSC 110 and another point in the global network served by another BSC or MSC. Together with the intra BSC hand-off controller (HC-1), HLR, and VLR, HC-2 forms an Access Manager for all calls entering and exiting the region served by BSC 110.

Alternately, as a second embodiment illustrated in FIG.

6, VSCP 200 may be omitted from the IWWS architecture of the present invention. In this alternate embodiment, the above functions performed in VSCP 200 are moved into AIN SCP 300, and BSC 110 in Radio Subsystem 100 is connected directly to AIN SCP 300 via a modified IS-41 interface over SS7. Some applications which may require VSCP 200 include architectures where no inter-system mobility is requ Equipment 400.

AIN SCP 300 may optionally be connected to an JWWS HLR containing a complete set of user records for the IWWS.

So configured, particularly in the optional case where VSCP 200 is omitted from the IWWS architecture, as shown in FIG. 6, AIN SCP 300 would handle queries from the Class 5 switch concerning wireless users7 and could determine if the necessary user data resides in the "local" HLR or some other system's HLR. If the data resides in another system, AIN SCP addresses a message that is routed, using global title translation, for example, to the remote system. This feature is referred to a Serving Service Control Point (SSCP).

Where, however, the VSCP is present, AIN SCP 300 mediates communications between the Class 5 switch, which uses AIN O.1/SS7-TCAP and VSCP 200, which uses IS-41 C/SS7-TCAP.

4. Switching Equipment 400 Switching Equipment 400 provides the hardware connection for wireless users into the PSTN and other public networks. As previously stated, a Class 5 switch is preferred, but future upgrades to AIN controller software may allow use of a Class 4 switch. Class 5 switching equipment presently provides POTS (plain old telephone system) and CLASS features to wireless users, and within the IWWS architecture of the present invention such features can be made available to wireless users.

As presently preferred, Switching Equipment 400 is connected to BSC 110 via a GR-303 interface. However, other interfaces such as ISUP, PRI, R1 or R2 may be used provided AIN SCP 300 and Switching Equipment 400 provide trunk based features.

FIG. 7 further illustrates the GR-303 connection between BSC 110 and Switching Equipment 400, here a Class 5 switch. The GR-303 interface can have between 2 and 28 DSI lines, and each DSI line is capable of handling up to 24 calls. Thus, the connection can service up to 24 X 28 simultaneous calls. Further, GR-303 can have up to 2048 line terminations (i.e. call reference values (CRVs) shown in FIG. 7 as having a one to one correspondence with the numbers allocated as IDNs. Thus, there is a one to one mapping of CRVs and IDNs).

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An integrated wireless-wireline communication system, comprising: a wireless section receiving data from and transmitting data to a plurality of mobile units; and a wireline section comprising a wireline service control point and switching equipment; wherein the wireless section generates call control messages and mobility management messages in response to activity by the mobile units and in response to data received from and transmitted to the mobile units, the call control messages being communicated to the switching equipment of the wireline section via a signalling interface and mobility management messages being communicated to the wireline service control point via a modified IS41 interface over SS7.
2. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 1, the wireless section comprising a visiting service control point and a base station controller, the base station controller communicating with the switching equipment of the wireline section via a GR303 signalling interface, and communicating with a plurality of base station transceivers, each base station transceiver communicating with the base station controller and receiving data from and transmitting data to the mobile units via a standard data transmission protocol.
3. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 2, wherein the standard transmission protocol is one selected from a group consisting of AMPS, TDMA and CDMA.
4. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 2, wherein the standard transmission protocol is IS-95.
5. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 2, wherein the switching equipment is one of a Class 5 or a Class 4 switch, and the wireline service control point communicates with the switching equipment via an AIN protocol over SS7.
6. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 5, the wireline service control point further comprising a wireless-wireline home location register database.
7. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 6, the wireless service control point further comprising a visiting location register database.
8. An integrated wireless-wireline communication system, comprising: a wireless section comprising a radio subsystem and a wireless service control point, the radio subsystem receiving data from and transmitting data to a plurality of mobile units and communicating with the wireless service control point via a modified IS-41 interface over SS7; and wireline section comprising a wireline service control point and switching equipment, wherein the wireless section generates call control messages and mobility management messages in response to activity by the mobile unites and in response to data received from and transmitted to the mobile units, the call control messages being communicated to the switching equipment from the radio subsystem via a signalling interface, and the mobility management messages being communicated to the wireline service control point from the wireless service control point via a modified IS-41 interface over SS7.
9. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 8, the wireless section further comprising a base station controller communicating with the switching equipment of the wireline section via a GR-303 signalling interface, and a plurality of base station transceivers, each base station transceiver communicating with the base station controller and receiving data from and transmitting data to the mobile units via a standard data transmission protocol.
10. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 9, wherein the standard transmission protocol is one selected from a group consisting of AMPS, TDMA and CDMA.
11. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 9, wherein the standard transmission protocol is IS-95.
12. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 8, wherein the switching equipment is one of a Class 4 or a Class 5 switch, and the wireline service control point communicates with the Class 5 switch via an AIN protocol over SS7.
13. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 12, the wireless service control point further comprising a database including a home location register and a visiting location register.
14. The integrated wireless-wireline communication system of claim 13, the wireless service control point further comprising at least one of a authentication centre or a short message centre.
15. A method of communicating call control messages between a wireless system servicing mobile users and a wireline system switch in an integrated wireless-wireline system, the wireless system comprising a radio subsystem connected to a wireless service control point via an IS41 interface over SS7, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at the radio subsystem a mobile identity number (MIN) from a mobile user upon initiation of a communication by the mobile user; communicating the MIN from the radio subsystem to the wireless service control point; allocating an interface directory number (IDN) on the basis of the MIN communicated to the wireless service control point; communicating the IDN from the wireless service control point to the radio subsystem, and using the IDN at the radio subsystem to establish a connection between the radio subsystem and the wireline system switch via a signalling interface.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signalling interface is one of GR-303, ISUP, PR1 and R2.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the switching equipment is a Class 5 switch.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: deallocating the IDN at the wireless service control point upon termination of the communication by the mobile user.
19. A method of communicating call control messages and mobility management messages between a wireless system servicing mobile users and a wireline system in an integrated wireless-wireline system, wherein the wireless system includes a radio subsystem connected to a wireless service control point via an IS-41 interface over SS7, and wherein the wireline system includes a wireline service control point communicating with a wireline system switch via an AIN interface over SS7, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at the radio subsystem a mobile identity number (MIN) from a mobile user upon initiation of a communication by the mobile user; communicating the MIN from the radio subsystem to the wireless service control point; allocating an interface directory number (IDN) on the basis of the MIN communicated to the wireless service control point; communicating the IDN from the wireless service control point to the radio subsystem, using the IDN at the radio subsystem to establish a connection between the radio subsystem and the wireline system switch via a signalling interface to communicate the call control messages; generating in the wireless system mobility management messages; and communicating the mobility management messages from the wireless service control point to the wireline service control point via an IS-41 interface over SS7.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the signalling interface is GR-303 and the wireline switch is a Class 5 switch.
21. An integrated wireless-wireline communication system, substantially as described herein with reference to FIGs. 4 et seq. of the accompanying drawings.
22. A method of communicating call control messages, substantially as described herein with reference to FIGs.

4 et seq. of the accompanying drawings.