Paging control method and paging control system in communication system

• US 20020082005A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okajima, Ichiro, Ikeda, Takehiro, Umeda, Narumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Efficient paging control is achieved in a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems. Before transmitting a downlink signal to a terminal, a gateway requests each of the communication systems to transmit a paging signal to the terminal. Receiving the paging signals transmitted from the communication systems, the terminal selects a communication system A with the lowest communication cost in accordance with communication cost information contained in the paging signal. The terminal sends a request for connection to the selected communication system A. As a result, the communication system A transmits the downlink signal to the terminal.

Claims

1. A paging control method of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, the paging control method comprising:

a first step of transmitting a paging signal from each of the plurality of communication systems to a terminal; and

a second step of receiving the plurality of paging signals by said terminal, and of selecting a desired communication system for use by said terminal from said plurality of communication systems in accordance with information contained in the plurality of paging signal received.

2. The paging control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third step of transmitting a connection request signal from said terminal to said desired communication system selected at the second step.

7. The paging control method as claimed in any one of claims 1, 3 and 5, wherein the second step uses one of a communication cost, a transmission rate, a transmission quality and a combination of at least two of them as a selection index of said optimum communication system.

3. A paging control method of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, the paging control method comprising:

a first step of transmitting previously a request for a communication system a terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of the terminal from the terminal to the paging agent, and of registering the received request and the terminal location information in the paging agent;

a second step of selecting an optimum communication system from among the plurality of communication systems by said paging agent in accordance with the registered request and the terminal location information in said paging agent; and

a third step of transmitting the paging signal from said optimum communication system to said terminal.

4. The paging control method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a fourth step of transmitting a connection request signal from said terminal to said optimum communication system.

5. A paging control method of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, said paging control method comprising:

a first step of transmitting previously a request for a communication system a terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of the terminal from the terminal to the paging agent, and of registering the received request and the terminal location information in the paging agent;

a second step of selecting an optimum communication system from among the plurality of communication systems by said paging agent in accordance with the registered terminal location information in said paging agent; and

a third step of transmitting a paging signal including a name of said communication system selected at the second step from a given communication system predetermined from among said plurality of communication systems to carry out transmission to said terminal.

6. The paging control method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a fourth step of transmitting a connection request signal from said terminal to said given communication system, and of waiting for an information signal from said optimum communication system contained in said paging signal.

8. A paging control system of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, the paging control system comprising:

communication control means for causing each of the plurality of communication systems to transmit a paging signal via an external network; and

a terminal for receiving the plurality of paging signals, and for selecting a desired communication system for use from said plurality of communication systems in accordance with information contained in the plurality of paging signal received.

9. The paging control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said terminal transmits a connection request signal to said desired communication system selected.

10. A paging control system of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, the paging control system comprising:

a terminal for transmitting previously a request for a communication system a terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of the terminal from the terminal to the paging agent;

registering means for registering the received request and the terminal location information in said paging agent;

selecting means in said paging agent for selecting an optimum communication system from among said plurality of communication systems in accordance with the registered request and the terminal location information in said registering means; and

communication control means for causing said optimum communication system selected by said selecting means to transmit the paging signal to said terminal.

11. The paging control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said terminal transmits a connection request signal to said optimum communication system.

13. The paging control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said terminal transmits a connection request signal to said given communication system, and waits for an information signal from said optimum communication system contained in said paging signal.

14. The paging control system as claimed in any one of claims 8, 10 and 12, wherein said selecting means uses one of a communication cost, a transmission rate, a transmission quality and a combination of at least two of them as a selection index of said optimum communication system.

15. The paging control system as claimed in any one of claims 8, 10 and 12, wherein said selecting means carries out the selection of said optimum communication system in response to a query about the optimum communication system from said communication control means.

12. A paging control system of a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, the paging control system comprising:

a terminal for transmitting previously request for a communication system a terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of the terminal to the paging agent;

storing means in said paging agent for registering the received request and the terminal location information;

selecting means in said paging agent for selecting an optimum communication system from among the plurality of communication systems in accordance with the registered request and the terminal location information in said storing means; and

communication control means for transmitting a paging signal including a name of said optimum communication system selected by said selecting means from a given communication system predetermined from among said plurality of communication systems to said terminal.

16. A recording medium which records a paging control program in a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, said paging control program, which is used by a computer for controlling said paging agent, causing said computer to:

receive from a terminal a request for a communication system said terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of said terminal;

to register the received request and the terminal location information;

to select an optimum communication system from among the plurality of communication systems in accordance with the registered request and the terminal location information; and

to cause said optimum communication system selected to transmit the paging signal to said terminal.

17. A recording medium which records a paging control program in a communication system that selectively provides one of communication services implemented by integrating a plurality of communication systems, and includes a paging agent for managing paging signals, said paging control program, which is used by a computer for controlling said paging agent, causing said computer to:

receive from a terminal a request for a communication system said terminal wishes to use, and terminal location information of said terminal;

register the received request and the terminal location information;

select an optimum communication system from among said plurality of communication systems in accordance with the registered request and the terminal location information; and

cause a given communication system, which is predetermined from among said plurality of communication systems communication control means for carrying out transmission to said terminal, to transmit to said terminal a paging signal including a name of said optimum communication system selected.