Update of base station identifiers based on overhead visit

• US 20040048597A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Achour, Baaziz, Patrick, Christopher, Khushu, Sanjeev, Yetter, Carol
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A visit to an overhead channel to obtain base station identifiers is made if it is necessary to do so. Base station identifiers are indicative of an approximate location of a terminal. The determination to update the base station identifiers may be made by monitoring one or more base stations in the terminal'"'"'s active set. In another aspect, the terminal can originate a new data call immediately after the necessary base station identifiers have been obtained from the overhead channel, without having to wait for the expiration of a timer (e.g., the dormant timer). Moreover, by maintaining the data session when terminating the data call for the overhead visit, data communication may be more quickly resumed, for a new data call originated after the overhead visit, using the same configured protocols.

Claims

1. A method for providing up-to-date identification information for a terminal in a wireless communication network, comprising:

receiving a first indication that identification information for the terminal is needed;

determining whether or not identification information currently available for the terminal, if any, is up-to-date;

obtaining up-to-date identification information for the terminal from an overhead channel if the currently available identification information is not up-to-date; and

providing the up-to-date identification information via a traffic channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is indicative of an approximate location of the terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises base station identifiers that include a base station identifier (Base ID), a system identifier (SID), and a network identifier (NID).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the base station identifiers are provided via IS-801 messages over a wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indication is received in response to a new position determination session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or not identification information currently available for the terminal, if any, is up-to-date comprises:

selecting a base station for monitoring, and

providing a second indication that the identification information needs updating if communication is not maintained with the selected base station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second indication is provided if the selected base station is dropped from an active set of the terminal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the selected base station is a reference base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or not identification information currently available for the terminal, if any, is up-to-date comprises:

identifying a list of one or more base stations with which the terminal is in communication, and

providing a second indication that the identification information needs updating based on changes to the list of one or more base stations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second indication is provided if all base stations in the list have been dropped from an active set of the terminal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second indication is provided if any one base station in the list has been dropped from an active set of the terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining up-to-date identification information for the terminal from an overhead channel if the currently available identification information is not up-to-date comprises:

terminating an existing data call,

processing the overhead channel to obtain the up-to-date identification information, and

originating a new data call.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the new data call is originated without waiting for expiration of a timer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining up-to-date identification information for the terminal from an overhead channel if the currently available identification information is not up-to-date further comprises:

maintaining an existing data session in conjunction with the termination of the existing data call, and wherein the new data call is for the existing data session.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the existing data session is maintained by maintaining a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a CDMA network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a cdma2000 CDMA network.

18. A method for providing up-to-date base station identifiers for a terminal in a CDMA network, comprising:

selecting a base station in an active set of the terminal;

if the selected base station is dropped from the active set of the terminal,

terminating an existing data call while maintaining an existing data session,

processing an overhead channel to obtain up-to-date base station identifiers for the terminal, and

originating a new data call for the existing data session; and

providing the up-to-date base station identifiers via IS-801 messages on a traffic channel assigned for the new data call.

19. A memory communicatively coupled to a digital signal processing device (DSPD) capable of interpreting digital information to:

receive an indication that base station identifiers for a terminal are needed;

determine whether or not base station identifiers currently available for the terminal, if any, are up-to-date;

direct processing of an overhead channel to obtain up-to-date base station identifiers for the terminal if the currently available base station identifiers are not up-to-date; and

direct transmission of the up-to-date base station identifiers via a traffic channel.

20. A computer program product for providing up-to-date base station identifiers for a terminal in a CDMA network, comprising:

code for receiving an indication that base station identifiers for a terminal are needed;

code for determining whether or not base station identifiers currently available for the terminal, if any, are up-to-date;

code for directing processing of an overhead channel to obtain up-to-date base station identifiers for the terminal if the currently available base station identifiers are not up-to-date;

code for directing transmission of the up-to-date base station identifiers via a traffic channel; and

a computer-usable medium for storing the codes.

21. A digital signal processor comprising:

means for receiving an indication that base station identifiers for a terminal are needed;

means for determining whether or not base station identifiers currently available for the terminal, if any, are up-to-date;

means for directing processing of an overhead channel to obtain up-to-date base station identifiers for the terminal if the currently available base station identifiers are not up-to-date; and

means for directing transmission of the up-to-date base station identifiers via a traffic channel.

22. The digital signal processor of claim 21, further comprising:

means for terminating an existing data call;

means for processing the overhead channel to obtain the up-to-date identification information; and

means for originating a new data call.

23. The digital signal processor of claim 22, wherein the new data call is originated without waiting for expiration of a timer.

24. A receiver unit in a CDMA communication system, comprising:

a receiver operative to process a received signal to provide samples;

a demodulator operative to process the samples for a traffic channel or an overhead channel, based on a first control, to provide demodulated data;

a decoder operative to process the demodulated data for the traffic channel or the overhead channel, based on a second control, to provide decoded data; and

a controller operative to

receive an indication that base station identifiers are needed,

determine whether or not base station identifiers currently available for the terminal, if any, are up-to-date,

direct the demodulator and decoder, via the first and second controls, to process the overhead channel to obtain up-to-date base station identifiers for the terminal if the currently available base station identifiers are not up-to-date, and

direct transmission of the up-to-date base station identifiers via a traffic channel.

25. The receiver unit of claim 24, wherein the controller is further operative to

direct termination of an existing data call prior to processing of the overhead channel to obtain the up-to-date identification information, and direct origination of a new data call after processing of the overhead channel.

26. The receiver unit of claim 25, wherein the controller is operative to direct origination of the new data call without waiting for expiration of a timer.

27. The receiver unit of claim 24, wherein the base station identifiers include a base station identifier (Base ID), a system identifier (SID), and a network identifier (NID).