Data transmission method and apparatus

• US 20020163938A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tarnanen, Teemu, Tuomainen, Petri
• Granted Patent: US 7,768,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data transmission method and apparatus for performing a data transmission between end terminals of a telecommunication network, particularly a data transmission between an origin server and a mobile client. The data is transmitted from at least one of the end terminals using the first data bearer. Then, data transmission is switched from the first to the second data bearer, if a predetermined bearer need condition has been determined or in order to obtain a subscriber identity used for gathering charging data. Thereby, the network service provided by the operator can be improved, since the bearer switching allows an increase of the overall speed of the data transmission, an adaptation of the bearer bandwidth to the data amount, and a provision of the subscriber identity. The first data bearer may be a USSD or SMS data bearer, and the second data bearer may be a circuit-switched data bearer or a GPRS bearer, or vice versa.

Claims

1. A method for performing a data transmission between end terminals (1, 6) of a telecommunication network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) initiating said data transmission from at least one of said end terminals (1, 6) using a first data bearer; and

b) switching said data transmission to a second data bearer, when a predetermined bearer need condition of said second data bearer has been determined.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is the completion of a set-up phase of said second bearer.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is determined on the basis of the amount of data to be transmitted.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the amount of data is determined from a service address, a content size and/or a content type of a service information to be transmitted.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is determined on the basis of a time duration since a last transmission request.

6. A method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said first data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer, and said second data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said first data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer, and said second data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said data transmission is used for retrieving a WAP content from an origin server.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein an IN number translation is used to determine the address number of an IN access server (5).

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said IN number translation is determined by a CAMEL support.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said IN access server is arranged in a WAP gateway (5).

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein said switching operation is performed during the downloading of a specific content entity using said first bearer, so that the remaining content is swapped to said second bearer.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said switching step comprises a WAP session suspend and resume operation.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein a WAP session is suspended via said first data bearer and resumed via said second data bearer.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said subscriber identity is an MSISDN.

17. A method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said first data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer, and said second data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer or a GPRS bearer.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein a WAP session is suspended via said first data bearer and resumed via said second data bearer.

15. A method for performing a data transmission between end terminals (1, 6) of a telecommunication network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) initiating said data transmission from at least one of said end terminals (1, 6) using a first data bearer;

b) switching said data transmission to a second data bearer; and

c) using a subscriber identity, obtained from the data transmission with said first data bearer, for gathering subscriber charging data.

18. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein said data transmission is used for retrieving a WAP content from an origin server.

19. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein said switching step comprises a WAP session suspend and resume operation.

21. An apparatus for performing a data transmission between end terminals (1, 6) of a telecommunication network, said apparatus comprising:

a) switching control means (55) for controlling a transmitting means (51) so as to initiate said data transmission using a first data bearer; and

b) detecting means (54) for detecting a predetermined bearer need condition;

c) wherein said switching control means (55) is arranged to control said transmitting means (51) so as to switch to said second data bearer in response to the detection result of said detection means (54).

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is the completion of a set-up phase of said second bearer.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is determined on the basis of the amount of data to be transmitted.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the amount of data is determined from a service address, a content size and/or a content type of a service information to be transmitted.

25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said predetermined bearer need condition is determined on the basis of a time duration since a last transmission request.

26. An apparatus according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein said first data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer, and said second data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer.

27. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said first data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer, and said second data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer.

28. An apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein said end terminals comprise a mobile station (1) and an origin server (6).

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said switching control means (55) is arranged to control said transmitting means (51) so as to switch to said second data bearer during a downloading of a specific content entity from said origin server (6) to said mobile station (1) using said first data bearer, so that the remaining content is swapped to said second data bearer.

30. An apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein said apparatus is provided in a WAP gateway (5), and wherein said switching control means (55) is arranged to perform said switching apparatus by using a WAP session suspend and resume operation.

31. An apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein said apparatus is provided in an origin server (6).

32. An apparatus for performing a data transmission between end terminals of a telecommunication network, said apparatus comprising:

a) switching control means (55) for controlling a transmitting means (51) so as to initiate said data transmission using a first data bearer; and

b) detecting means (54) for detecting a subscriber identity from the data transmission with said first data bearer;

c) wherein said switching control means (55) is arranged to gather subscriber charging data by using said detected subscriber identity.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said first data bearer is a USSD or SMS bearer, and said second data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer or a GPRS bearer.

34. An apparatus according to claim 32 or 33, wherein said subscriber identity is an MSISDN.

35. An apparatus according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein said apparatus is provided in a WAP gateway (5), and wherein said switching control means (55) is arranged to perform said switching apparatus by using a WAP session suspend and resume operation.

37. A terminal equipment according to claim 36, wherein said first data bearer is a USSD or SMS data bearer, and said second data bearer is a circuit-switched data bearer or a GPRS bearer.

38. A terminal equipment according to claim 36 or 37, wherein said terminal equipment is provided in a mobile station (1).

36. A terminal equipment for a telecommunication network, comprising:

a) input means (13) for activating a browser function; and

b) browser means (10) responsive to said input means (13) for starting a content retrieval from an origin server (6) by using a first and a second data bearer, wherein said content retrieval is performed by using said first data bearer during the set-up of said second data bearer.