Paging method, mobile communication system, server, base station, mobile station, and paging program

• US 20030073449A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Motegi, Masayuji, Kayama, Hidetoshi, Umeda, Narumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,110,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

For realizing a mobile communication network highly compatible with the Internet and improving channel efficiency and battery conservation in a mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station, and a server, connected to the IP network, for managing location information of the mobile stations, wherein a set of cells constitutes a paging area, whereas the server manages information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which mobile station locates; the server determines whether a mobile station is in standby state or not when a base station transfers to the server a packet addressed to the mobile station and, if the mobile station is in the standby state, copies the packet by the number of the base stations corresponding to the paging area related to the mobile station and multicasts thus copied packets.

Claims

1. A paging method in a mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station, and a server, connected to IP network, comprising a location information management table storing location information of mobile stations including a connection state, wherein a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area, and wherein said server manages information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which mobile station locates;

said method comprising;

a transfer step in which a packet transmitted from a base station to mobile station is transferred to said server;

a determination step in which said server receiving packet determines, according to location information management table, whether mobile station is in standby state or not;

a copy step in which, if mobile station is in standby state, said server copies said packet by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station; and

a multicast step in which said server multicasts said packets obtained by copying to said base stations corresponding to paging area.

3. A paging method according to claim 1, wherein said server manages location information about IP address of base station whose cell a communicating mobile station locates in, and

wherein said base station has a mobile station management table registering IP addresses of communicating mobile stations

said method further comprising:

a registration determining step in which a base station having received a packet or a paging control packet by multicasting determines whether mobile station is registered in mobile station management table or not;

a paging step in which, if mobile station is not registered in mobile station management table, base station transmits a paging signal to standby mobile stations via a broadcasting control channel; and

a response time processing step in which, if said mobile station responds to paging, said base station adds IP address of mobile station to mobile station management table and transmits to said server a control signal indicating that mobile station locates in a cell of said base station.

2. A paging method in a mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station, and a server, connected to IP network, comprising a location information management table storing location information of mobile stations including a connection state, wherein a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area, and wherein said server manages information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which mobile station locates;

said method comprising;

a transfer step in which a packet transmitted from a base station to mobile station is transferred to said server;

a determination step in which said server receiving packet determines, according to location information management table, whether mobile station is in standby state or not;

a generation step in which, if mobile station is in standby state, said server buffers said packet and generates paging control packets by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station; and

a multicast step in which said server multicasts a plurality of generated paging control packets to base stations corresponding to paging area.

4. A paging method according to claim 2, wherein said server manages location information about IP address of base station whose cell a communicating mobile station locates in, and

wherein said base station has a mobile station management table registering IP addresses of communicating mobile stations

said method further comprising:

a registration determining step in which a base station having received a packet or a paging control packet by multicasting determines whether mobile station is registered in mobile station management table or not;

a paging step in which, if mobile station is not registered in mobile station management table, base station transmits a paging signal to standby mobile stations via a broadcasting control channel; and

a response time processing step in which, if said mobile station responds to paging, said base station adds IP address of mobile station to mobile station management table and transmits to said server a control signal indicating that mobile station locates in a cell of base station.

5. A mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station, and a server, connected to IP network, for managing location information of mobile stations including a connection state, wherein a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said base station comprising;

transfer means for transferring to said server a packet transmitted to mobile station when base station becomes a sender;

said server comprising;

a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

determination means for determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when packet is received;

copy means for copying said packet by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station if mobile station is in standby state; and

multicast means for multicasting said packets obtained by copying to said base stations corresponding to said paging area.

7. A mobile communication system according to claim 5, wherein location information management table further stores information of a communicating mobile station as location information of mobile stations about IP address of a base station whose cell mobile station locates in;

said location information management table further comprising;

a mobile station management table registering IP addresses of communicating mobile stations;

registration determining means for determining whether mobile station is registered in mobile station management table or not if a packet or a paging control packet is received;

paging means for paging standby mobile stations via a broadcasting control channel if mobile station is not registered in mobile station management table; and

response time processing means for adding IP address of said mobile station to mobile station management table and transmitting to said server a control signal indicating that mobile station locates in a cell of base station if said mobile station responds to paging.

6. A mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station, and a server, connected to TP network, for managing location information of mobile stations including a connection state, wherein a set of cells formed by said base stations constitutes a paging area;

said base station comprising;

transfer means for transferring to said server a packet transmitted to mobile station when base station becomes a sender;

said server comprising;

a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

determination means for determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when packet is received;

generation means for buffering said packet and generating paging control packets by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station if said mobile station is in standby state; and

multicast means for multicasting a plurality of generated paging control packets to base stations corresponding to paging area.

8. A mobile communication system according to claim 6, wherein location information management table further stores information of a communicating mobile station as location information of mobile stations about IP address of a base station whose cell said mobile station locates in;

said location information management table further comprising;

a mobile station management table registering IP addresses of communicating mobile stations;

registration determining means for determining whether mobile station is registered in mobile station management table or not if a packet or a paging control packet is received;

paging means for paging standby mobile stations via a broadcasting control channel if mobile station is not registered in mobile station management table; and

response time processing means for adding IP address of mobile station to mobile station management table and transmitting to said server a control signal indicating that mobile station locates in a cell of base station if said mobile station responds to paging.

9. A server constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, and a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station;

wherein, in mobile communication system, a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said server being connected to IP network and managing location information of mobile stations including a connection state;

said server comprising;

a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

determination means for determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when a packet transmitted to said mobile station is received;

copy means for copying said packet by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to said mobile station if mobile station is in standby state; and

multicast means for multicasting said packets obtained by copying to said base stations corresponding to paging area.

11. A server according to claim 9, wherein location information of mobile stations is stored in location information management table while using IP addresses of mobile stations as a key.

10. A server constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, and a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station;

wherein, in mobile communication system, a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said server being connected to IP network and managing location information of said mobile stations including a connection state;

said server comprising;

a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

determination means for determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when a packet transmitted to mobile station is received;

generation means for buffering said packet and generating paging control packets by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station if said mobile station is in standby state; and

multicast means for multicasting a plurality of generated paging control packets to said base stations corresponding to paging area.

12. A server according to claim 10, wherein location information of mobile stations is stored in location information management table while using IP addresses of mobile stations as a key.

14. A server according to claim 10, wherein each paging area is provided with a unique paging area identifier, and wherein said server manages paging area according to said paging area identifier.

13. Aserveraccordingtoclaim9, wherein each paging area is provided with a unique paging area identifier, and wherein said server manages paging area according to said paging area identifier.

15. A base station constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by said base station, and a server, connected to IP network, for managing location information of mobile stations including a connection state;

said base station being connected to IP network;

a set of a cell formed by base station and cells formed by other base stations adjacent thereto constituting a paging area;

said base station comprising;

transfer means for transferring to said server a packet transmitted to mobile station when base station becomes a sender;

a mobile station management table registering IP addresses of communicating mobile stations;

registration determining means for determining whether mobile station is registered in mobile station management table or not if a packet or a paging control packet is received from said server;

transmission means for transmitting a packet to mobile station by using a communication channel if said mobile station is registered in mobile station management table;

paging means for paging standby mobile stations via a broadcasting control channel if mobile station is not registered in mobile station management table; and

response time processing means for adding IP address of said mobile station to said mobile station management table and transmitting to said server a control signal indicating that mobile station locates in a cell of base station if mobile station responds to paging.

16. A mobile station constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, and a server, connected to IP network, form an aging location information of mobile station including a connection state;

wherein, in mobile communication system, a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said mobile station locating in said cell formed by base station;

said mobile station transiting between at least two states including a standby state for periodically receiving a packet transmitted from a base station and a communicating state of transmitting and receiving a packet

said mobile station comprising;

transit control means for controlling mobile station such that said mobile station transits to standby state when requested by a user or when no packet is transmitted and received for a predetermined period and that mobile station transits to communicating state when mobile station is paged by network or when mobile station transmits origination packet.

17. A mobile station according to claim 16, wherein transit control means reports the state of own station to said server when transiting to standby state and when transiting to communicating state, and immediately transits to communicating state when received a packet while in standby state.

18. A paging program executed by a computer provided with a server constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, and a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station;

wherein, in mobile communication system, a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said server being connected to IP network and comprising a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of said mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

said program causing said computer to execute;

a determination step of determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when a packet transmitted to said mobile station is received;

a copy step of copying said packet by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to mobile station if said mobile station is in standby state; and

a multicast step of multicasting said packets obtained by copying to said base stations corresponding to paging area.

19. A paging program executed by a computer provided with a server constituting a mobile communication system together with a plurality of base stations connected to IP network, and a plurality of mobile stations locating in a cell formed by base station;

wherein, in mobile communication system, a set of cells formed by base stations constitutes a paging area;

said server being connected to IP network and comprising a location information management table storing information of a standby mobile station as location information of said mobile stations about paging area in which said mobile station locates;

said program causing said computer to execute;

a determination step of determining whether mobile station is in standby state or not according to location information management table when a packet transmitted to mobile station is received;

a generation step of buffering said packet and generating paging control packets by the number of base stations corresponding to paging area related to said mobile station; and

a multicast step of multicasting a plurality of generated paging control packets to base stations corresponding to paging area.