Method and arrangement for optimizing the re-establishment of connections in a cellular radio system supporting real time and non-real time communications

• US 20010018342A1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sisvel International S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haumont, Serge, Vialen, Jukka, Rajaniemi, Jaakko
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A method and arrangement are disclosed for determining the expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of lost radio bearers is allowable. There is determined a first expiry time (206, 207) for a period during which the re-establishment of lost radio bearers used to provide services of a first category, like real time services, is allowable. Additionally there is determined a second expiry time (208, 209) for a period during which the re-establishment of lost radio bearers used to provide services of a second category, like non-real time services, is allowable.

Claims

1. A method for determining the expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of a lost radio connection including at least one radio bearer, is allowable, comprising the steps of:

determining a first expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category is allowable and

determining a second expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category is allowable.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of determining a first expiry time comprises the substep of receiving, in a mobile station of a cellular radio network, the value of said first expiry time from a network node of said cellular radio network in a control message, and the step of determining a second expiry time comprises the substep of receiving the value of said second expiry time from said network node in the same control message.

3. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of determining a first expiry time comprises the substep of receiving, in a mobile station of a cellular radio network, the value of said first expiry time from a network node of said cellular radio network in a first control message, and the step of determining a second expiry time comprises the substep of receiving the value of said second expiry time from said network node in a second control message which is different than said first control message.

4. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of determining a first expiry time comprises the substep of receiving, in a mobile station of a cellular radio network, the value of said first expiry time from a network node of said cellular radio network in a control message, and the step of determining a second expiry time comprises the substep of reading a fixed value for said second expiry time from a memory.

5. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of determining a first expiry time comprises the substep of determining said first expiry time as the duration of time from the moment of detecting the lost radio connection to a moment after which re-establishing the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of said first category is not any more allowable, and the step of determining a second expiry time comprises the substep of determining said second expiry time as the duration of time from the moment of detecting the lost radio connection to a moment after which re-establishing the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of said second category is not any more allowable.

6. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of determining a first expiry time comprises the substep of determining said first expiry time as the duration of time from the moment of detecting the lost radio connection to a moment after which re-establishing the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of said first category is not any more allowable, and the step of determining a second expiry time comprises the substep of determining said second expiry time as the duration of time from the moment after which re-establishing the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of said first category is not any more allowable to a moment after which re-establishing the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of said second category is not any more allowable.

7. A method according to

claim 1

, comprising the step of

determining a number of expiry times, each expiry time concerning a period during which the re-establishment of the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of one of a number of categories is allowable, wherein said number is greater than two.

8. A method for responding to a situation where a mobile station of a cellular radio network detects a failure in a radio connection between itself and a network node of the cellular radio network, comprising the steps of:

a) starting a first timer,

b) checking, whether the mobile station is within an in service area,

c) as a response to the mobile station being within an in service area, initiating the re-establishment of the radio connection,

a′

) starting a second timer,

d′

) as a response to the first timer reaching a first expiry value without the mobile station finding itself to be within an in service area, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category and

d″

) as a response to said second timer reaching a second expiry value without the mobile station finding itself to be within an in service area, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category.

9. A method according to

claim 8

, comprising the step of:

as a response to completing the re-establishment of the radio connection initiated at step c), stopping those of the first and second timers that have not expired.

10. A method according to

claim 8

, comprising the steps of:

as a response to an indication of failure of the re-establishment of the radio connection initiated at step c), checking whether any of said first and second timers have reached their expiry values, and after said checking

d′

″

) as a response to a finding indicating that said first timer has reached a first expiry value, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category and

d′

″

′

″

) as a response to a finding indicating that said second timer has reached a second expiry value, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category.

11. A method according to

claim 8

, comprising the step of:

as a response to both of the first and second timers having expired without the mobile station finding itself to be within an in service area, locally releasing all radio resources allocated for the failed radio connection.

12. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the step of starting a second timer coincides with the step of starting the first timer.

13. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the step of starting a second timer coincides with the moment of the first timer reaching a first expiry value.

14. A method for responding to a situation where a network node of a cellular radio network detects a failure in a radio connection between itself and a mobile station of the cellular radio network, comprising the steps of:

a) starting a first timer,

b) checking, whether a connection re-establishment request has been received from the mobile station,

c) as a response to a connection re-establishment request having been received from the mobile station, initiating the re-establishment of the radio connection,

a′

) starting a second timer,

d′

) as a response to the first timer reaching a first expiry value without a connection re-establishment request having been received from the mobile station, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category and

d″

) as a response to said second timer reaching a second expiry value without a connection re-establishment request having been received from the mobile station, disabling the re-establishment of the radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category.

15. A method according to

claim 14

, comprising the step of:

as a response to completing the re-establishment of the radio connection initiated at step c), stopping those of the first and second timers that have not expired.

16. A method according to

claim 14

, comprising the step of:

as a response to both of the first and second timers having expired without a connection re-establishment request having been received from the mobile station, locally releasing all communication resources allocated for a communication connection of which the failed radio connection constituted a part.

17. A communications device of a cellular radio system, comprising:

means for detecting a failure in a radio connection including active radio bearers,

means for determining a first expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category is allowable and

means for determining a second expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of the lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category is allowable.

18. A communications device according to

claim 17

, wherein it is a terminal of the cellular radio system and said means for determining a first expiry time comprise means for receiving the value of said first expiry time from a network node of a cellular radio network in a control message, and said means for determining a second expiry time comprise means for receiving the value of said second expiry time from said network node of a cellular radio network in a control message.

19. A communications device according to

claim 17

, wherein it is a terminal of the cellular radio system and said means for determining a first expiry time comprise means for receiving the value of said first expiry time from the base station of a cellular radio network in a control message, and said means for determining a second expiry time comprise means for reading a previously stored constant second expiry time from a memory.

20. A communications device according to

claim 17

, wherein it is a network node of a cellular radio network for providing communication connections including radio bearers to terminals and it comprises

means for communicating to a terminal the value of a first expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of a lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a first category is allowable and

means for communicating to a terminal a second expiry time for a period during which the re-establishment of a lost radio connection in respect of radio bearers used to provide a service or services of a second category is allowable.