PPP connection during simple IP

• US 20060002358A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Segura, Louis, Ray, Dipankar
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for maintaining a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection between a Mobile Terminal (MT) and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN). Responsive to a detection at the PDSN that the PPP connection between the PDSN and the MT is inactive, the method sends a first Link Control Protocol (LCP) Echo Request, which including a Short Data Burst (SDB) parameter, wherein the SDB parameter indicates that the message is sent using SDB, from the PDSN to a Base Station Controller/Packet Control Function (BSC/PCF) for locating the MT. The method further determines on the reception of SDB parameter, not to setup a traffic channel (TCH) between the MT and a serving BS. Next, the method sends from the BSC/PCF to the BS a second LCP Echo Request, which includes a NO Traffic Channel (No TCH) parameter instructing not to setup a traffic channel for the MT.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection between a Mobile Terminal (MT) and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN), the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a detection at the PDSN that the PPP connection between the PDSN and the MT is inactive, receiving at a Base Station Controller/Packet Control Function (BSC/PCF) a first Link Control Protocol (LCP) Echo Request from the PDSN for locating the MT, the LCP Echo Request including a Short Data Burst (SDB) parameter, wherein the SDB parameter indicates that the message is sent using SDB;

determining at the BSC/PCF based on the reception of SDB parameter, not to setup a traffic channel (TCH) between the MT and a serving BS; and

sending from the BSC/PCF a second LCP Echo Request to a Base Station (BS), the LCP Request including a NO Traffic Channel (No TCH) parameter instructing not to setup a traffic channel for the MT.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first LCP Echo Request is triggered by a PPP connection inactivity timer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending includes the steps of:

starting at the PDSN an Echo Reply timeout timer; and

initializing at the PDSN an Echo Request-Retries counter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending further comprises the steps of:

using a common channel signaling between the MT and the BS; and

sending in SDB a LCP Echo Reply from the MT to the PDSN, the LCP Echo Reply including a MT present parameter indicating that the MT is present and that the PDSN does not need to send another LCP Echo Request.

5. A Base Station Controller/Packet Control Function (BSC/PCF) for supporting Short Data Burst (SDB) during a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection between a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) and the MT, wherein responsive to a detection at the PDSN that the PPP connection between the PDSN and the MT is inactive, the BSC/PCF receives from the PDSN a Link Control Protocol (LCP) Echo Request for locating the MT, the LCP Echo Request including a SDB parameter, wherein the SDB parameter indicates that the message is sent using SDB, and wherein the BSC/PCF further determines based on the reception of SDB parameter, not to setup a traffic channel (TCH);

and sends a LCP Request to the MT a LCP Echo request, the LCP Request including a NO Traffic Channel (No TCH) parameter indicating that it is not necessary to setup a traffic channel for the MT.

6. The BSC/PCF of claim 5, wherein the BSC/PCF further receives in SDB a LCP Echo Reply from the BS, the LCP Echo Reply including a MT present parameter indicating that the MT is present.

7. The BSC/PCF of claim 6, wherein the BSC/PCF further sends to the PDSN the LCP Echo Reply for indicating the presence of the MT in the serving area of the PDSN.