GPRS and method for controlling same

• US 20020151316A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Akiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

When a transmitting mobile radio terminal requires the first subscriber switchboard station to start a packet data communication directed to a receiving mobile radio terminal, the first subscriber switchboard station inquires of a number-management server about a mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to a receiving user'"'"'s address. When searching out the appropriate mobile radio terminal-discriminator, the number-management server transmits it to the first subscriber switchboard station. When receiving the appropriate mobile terminal-discriminator, the first subscriber switchboard station inquires of the HLR about the second subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which the receiving mobile radio terminal exists. The HLR searches out the second subscriber switchboard station, and transmits information thereon to the first subscriber switchboard station, which establishes a route for the packet data communication between the transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals.

Claims

1. A general packet radio service system (GPRS, hereinafter), in which one or more subscriber switchboard stations are founded, plural mobile radio terminals are connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations by radio, and a packet data is transmitted and received between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals via said one or more subscriber switchboard stations, comprising:

a number-management server, which is connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations,

manages a correspondence between user'"'"'s addresses respectively assigned to said plural mobile radio terminals and mobile radio terminals-discriminators respectively corresponding to said user'"'"'s addresses, and

reads out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address in accordance a requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said transmitting mobile radio terminal exists,

wherein said transmitting mobile radio terminal has required said first subscriber switchboard station to start a packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal, and notified said first subscriber switchboard station of said receiving user'"'"'s address, and

transmits said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address to said first subscriber switchboard station, and

a home location register (HLR, hereinafter) which is connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations,

reads out said second subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said receiving mobile radio terminal exists on a basis of said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address transmitted from said first subscriber switchboard station,

transmits information on said second subscriber switchboard station to said first subscriber switchboard station, and

thereby enables said first subscriber switchboard station to start a packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal via said second subscriber switchboard station.

2. The GPRS as defined in claim 1, wherein:

both said transmitting and receiving mobile terminals exist in a location area of said first subscriber switchboard station, and

said second subscriber switchboard station coincides with said first subscriber switchboard station.

3. The GPRS as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said number-management server is provided with a first table for clarifying a correspondence between user'"'"'s addresses and said mobile radio terminal-discriminators, and

said HLR is provided with a second table for clarifying a correspondence between said mobile radio terminal-discriminators and said subscriber switchboard stations in location areas of which said mobile radio terminals corresponding to said mobile radio terminal-discriminators exist.

4. The GPRS as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said user'"'"'s address is an IP v 4 address or an IP v 6 address.

5. The GPRS as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said GPRS includes an integrated GPRS composed of said plural GPRSes, and

said user'"'"'s addresses are uniquely assigned to said respective mobile radio terminals throughout said integrated GPRS.

6. A GPRS, in which one or more subscriber switchboard stations are founded, plural mobile radio terminals are connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations by radio, and a packet data is transmitted and received between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals via said one or more subscriber switchboard stations, comprising:

a HLR, which is provided which a table for clarifying a correspondence between user'"'"'s addresses respectively assigned to said plural mobile radio terminals and mobile radio terminal-discriminators respectively corresponding to said user'"'"'s addresses,

connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations,

reads out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address from said table, said receiving user'"'"'s address being transmitted to said HLR from said first subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said transmitting mobile radio terminal exists just after said transmitting mobile radio terminal requires said first subscriber switchboard station to start said packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal,

judges said second subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said receiving mobile radio terminal exists on a basis of said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address,

transmits information on said second subscriber switchboard station to said first subscriber switchboard station, and

thereby enables said first subscriber switch board station to start a packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal via said second subscriber switchboard station.

7. The GPRS as defined in claim 6, wherein:

both said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals exist in a location area of said first subscriber switchboard station, and

said second subscriber switchboard station coincides with said first subscriber switchboard station.

8. The GPRS as defined in claim 6, wherein:

said user'"'"'s address is an IP v 4 address or an IP v 6 address.

9. The GPRS as defined in claim 6, wherein:

said GPRS includes an integrated GPRS composed of said plural GPRSes, and

said user'"'"'s addresses are uniquely assigned to said respective mobile radio terminals throughout said integrated GPRS.

10. A method for controlling a GPRS, in which one or more subscriber switchboard stations are founded, plural mobile radio terminals are connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations by radio, and a packet data is transmitted and received between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals via said one or more subscriber switchboard stations, comprising the steps of:

managing a correspondence between user'"'"'s addresses respectively assigned to said plural mobile radio terminals and mobile radio terminal-discriminators respectively assigned to said user'"'"'s addresses in a first table provided for a number-management server,

clarifying a correspondence between said mobile radio terminal-discriminators and said subscriber switchboard stations in location areas of which said mobile radio terminals corresponding to said mobile radio terminal-discriminators respectively exist in a second table provided for a HLR,

transmitting a requirement presented from said transmitting mobile radio terminal that said first subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said transmitting mobile radio terminal exists should start a packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal to said first subscriber switchboard station, said requirement presented from said transmitting mobile radio terminal including said transmitting and receiving user'"'"'s addresses,

transmitting a requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station that said number-management server should read out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address to said number-management server, said requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station including said receiving user'"'"'s address,

reading out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address from said first table provided for said number-management server,

transmitting said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address to said first subscriber switchboard station from said number-management server,

transmitting a requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station that said HLR should read out said second subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said receiving mobile radio terminal exists, said requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station including said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address,

reading out said second subscriber switchboard station from said second table provided for said HLR, referring to said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address which is transmitted from said first subscriber switchboard station,

transmitting information on said second subscriber switchboard station to said first subscriber switchboard station from said HLR,

transmitting a requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station that said second subscriber switchboard station should start said packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal, said requirement presented from first subscriber switchboard station including said mobile radio terminal discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address and said transmitting and receiving user'"'"'s addresses, and

establishing a route for said packet data communication between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals.

11. A method for controlling a GPRS, in which one or more subscriber switchboard stations are founded, plural mobile radio terminals are connected with said one or more subscriber switchboard stations by radio, and a packet data is transmitted and received between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals via said one or more subscriber switchboard stations, comprising the steps of:

managing a correspondence between user'"'"'s addresses respectively assigned to said plural mobile radio terminals and mobile radio terminal-discriminators respectively assigned to said user'"'"'s addresses in a first table provided for a HLR,

clarifying a correspondence between said mobile radio terminal-discriminators and said subscriber switchboard stations in location areas of which said mobile radio terminals corresponding to said mobile radio terminal-discriminators respectively exist in a second table provided for a HLR,

transmitting a requirement presented from said transmitting mobile radio terminal that said first subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said transmitting mobile radio terminal exists should start a packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal to said first subscriber switchboard station, said requirement presented from said transmitting mobile radio terminal including said transmitting and receiving user'"'"'s addresses,

transmitting a requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station that said HLR should read out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address to said HLR, said requirement presented from said first subscriber switchboard station including said receiving user'"'"'s address,

reading out said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address from said first table provided for said HLR,

reading out said second subscriber switchboard station in a location area of which said receiving mobile radio terminal exists from said second table provided for said HLR, referring to said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address which is clarified in said above step,

transmitting information on said second subscriber switchboard station to said first subscriber switchboard station from said HLR,

transmitting a requirement present from said first subscriber switchboard station that said second subscriber switchboard station should start said packet data communication directed to said receiving mobile radio terminal, said requirement resented from said first subscriber switchboard station including said mobile radio terminal-discriminator corresponding to said receiving user'"'"'s address and said transmitting and receiving user'"'"'s addresses, and

establishing a route for said packet data communication between said transmitting and receiving mobile radio terminals.