Method for performing a fast intra-PDSN soft handoff

• US 20030054823A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pendragon Electronics and Telecommunications Research LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Choi, Sang-Ho, Kim, Kyung-Sik, Shin, Dong-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/023 Buffering or recovering information during reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/22 between access point controllers

Abstract

There is provided a method for performing an intra-packet data service node (PDSN) soft handoff. The method is implemented by setting up a channel passing through a target base station controller (T-BSC), a source base station controller (S-BSC) and a PDSN by establishing a direct channel link between the S-BSC and the T-BSC in an active packet session mode, performing a handoff between the S-BSC, the T-BSC and a mobile station (MS), transmitting or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS, and the S-BSC and the T-BSC to or from the PDSN through the established channel link and sending or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS and the T-BSC to or from the PDSN through the established channel link when the handoff is completed.

Claims

1. A method for performing an intra-packet data service node (PDSN) soft handoff, comprising the steps of:

(a) setting up a channel passing through a target base station controller (T-BSC), a source base station controller (S-BSC) and a PDSN by establishing a direct channel link between the S-BSC and the T-BSC in an active packet session mode;

(b) performing a handoff between the S-BSC, the T-BSC and a mobile station (MS);

(c) transmitting or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS, and the S-BSC and the T-BSC to or from the PDSN through the established channel link; and

(d) sending or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS and the T-BSC to or from the PDSN through the established channel link when the handoff is completed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) establishing a channel link between the T-BSC, a target packet control function (T-PCF) and the PDSN in a dormant packet session mode;

(f) releasing the channel link set up between the S-BSC, the S-PCF and the PDSN; and

(g) releasing the channel link established between the S-BSC and the T-BSC, which is established in the step (a).

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the step (c), one of packet data transmitted from the MS to the PDSN through the S-BSC and the T-BSC is selected and transmitted to a wireless packet data service network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel link established between the S-BSC and the T-BSC is an A3 channel link set up by transmitting an A7 Handoff Request message from the S-BSC to the T-BSC.