METHOD AND NODE OF CONTROLLING THE ALLOCATION OF TRANSMISSION RESOURCES TO WIRELESS TERMINALS WITHIN A RADIO ACCESS NETWORK

• US 20090109903A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ohman, Peter, Vikberg, Jari, Nylander, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A method of controlling the allocation of transmission resources to wireless terminals within a radio access network, which resources are required for the provision of an IP Multimedia service to the terminals. The method comprises, in the event of a requirement to change the allocation of transmission resources to a given wireless terminal, sending a resource allocation request from a control node of the IP Multimedia Subsystem to the radio access network, the request causing a resource control node of the radio access network to change the allocation of access network resources to the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the allocation of transmission resources to wireless terminals within a radio access network, which resources are required for the provision of an IP Multimedia service to the terminals, the method comprising:

in the event of a requirement to change the allocation of transmission resources to a given wireless terminal, sending the current location of the terminal within the radio access network from the terminal to an IP Multimedia Subsystem; and

sending a resource allocation request from a control node of the IP Multimedia Subsystem to a destination node within the radio access network identified using said location, the request causing a resource control node of the radio access network to change the allocation of access network resources to the wireless terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the radio access network provides access both in the Circuit Switched and the Packet Switched domains.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said request results in the setting up or termination of a Circuit Switched call between the wireless terminal and the IP Multimedia Subsystem.

4. A method according claim 1, wherein the sending of the resource allocation request to the resource control node is triggered by the receipt of a session setup request at the IP Multimedia Subsystem.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the IP Multimedia Subsystem uses the Session Initiation Protocol and said session setup request is a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE message.

6. A method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the session setup request contains a means for identifying the current location of the wireless terminal.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the access network is a GSM network, and said means is a Cell Global Identity.

8. A method according claim 1, wherein the access network is a GSM network and the resource control node is a Base Station Controller.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said resource allocation request is sent to a Mobile Switching Center which in response instructs the Base Station Controller to change the allocation of access network resources to the wireless terminal.

10. A method according claim 1, wherein said resource allocation request is carried by a simulated handover request.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the access network is a GSM network and said handover request is an inter-MSC handover request sent from the IP multimedia subsystem to the MSC with which the wireless terminal is registered.

12. A method according to claim 3 and comprising sending the resource allocation request following the establishment of a call in the packet switched domain, the request initiating a handover of the packet switched call to a circuit switched call.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the resource allocation request is sent from the IP multimedia subsystem to the resource control node over an Operations and Maintenance interface, or over a dedicated control interface.

14. An IP multimedia subsystem node arranged to facilitate the setting up and control of IP multimedia calls, the node comprising:

means for receiving the current location of a terminal within the radio access network from the terminal; and

means for identifying a destination node within the radio access network using said location and for sending a resource allocation request from a control node of the IP Multimedia Subsystem to said destination node in the event of a requirement to change the allocation of transmission resources to a given wireless terminal, the request causing a resource control node of the radio access network to change the allocation of access network resources to the wireless terminal.

15. The node according to claim 14, wherein the radio access network provides access both in the Circuit Switched and the Packet Switched domains.

16. The node according to claim 15, wherein said request results in the setting up or termination of a Circuit Switched call between the wireless terminal and the IP Multimedia Subsystem.

17. The node according to claim 14, wherein the sending of the resource allocation request to the resource control node is triggered by the receipt of a session setup request at the IP Multimedia Subsystem.

18. The node according to claim 17, wherein the IP Multimedia Subsystem uses the Session Initiation Protocol and said session setup request is a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE message.

19. The node according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the session setup request contains a means for identifying the current location of the wireless terminal.

20. The node according to claim 19, wherein the access network is a GSM network, and said means is a Cell Global Identity.

21. The node according to claim 14, wherein the access network is a GSM network and the resource control node is a Base Station Controller.

22. The node according to claim 21, wherein said resource allocation request is sent to a Mobile Switching Center which in response instructs the Base Station Controller to change the allocation of access network resources to the wireless terminal.

23. The node according to claim 14, wherein said resource allocation request is carried by a simulated handover request.

24. The node according to claim 23, wherein the access network is a GSM network and said handover request is an inter-MSC handover request sent from the IP multimedia subsystem to the MSC with which the wireless terminal is registered.

25. The node according to claim 16, further comprising means for sending the resource allocation request following the establishment of a call in the packet switched domain, the request initiating a handover of the packet switched call to a circuit switched call.

26. The node according to claim 14, wherein the resource allocation request is sent from the IP multimedia subsystem to the resource control node over an Operations and Maintenance interface, or over a dedicated control interface.