Handover following in a mobile radio system
First Claim
1. In a mobile radio system, a method of following across a handover a communication transaction between a mobile station and a fixed network part organized as a plurality of radio cells, the mobile radio system including a plurality of signaling paths for passing signaling messages to and from the mobile station with the particular signaling path in use depending on which one of said radio cell is being used for communication with the mobile station, this latter cell being changed by a said handover which, where it involves a change in said signaling path, results in at least one predetermined parameter appearing with the same value in said signaling messages on both the old and the new paths;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a) monitoring a first said signaling path to detect signaling messages related to a first said communication transaction that is to be handed-over away from a cell served by that signaling path, and extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter;
(b) monitoring a second said signaling path to detect signaling messages relating to a second said communication transaction subject to hand-over towards a cell served by that signaling path, and extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter;
(c) comparing the values of the said at least one predetermined parameter extracted in steps (a) and (b) and if these values are the same, determining that said first and second communication transactions are the same transaction.
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Abstract
A method is provided of following a communication transaction during which a communicating mobile station (12) is handed-over from one radio cell to another in a mobile radio system. The transaction is followed across the handover by monitoring signaling messages on the signaling paths in the mobile radio system to detect the occurrence of common parameters related to communication transactions subject to handover. By correlating these parameters it is possible to associate fragments of the same transaction that give rise to signaling messages on different signaling paths. Thus in the case of a GSM mobile radio system with monitoring of the A interfaces, the parts of a communication transaction split by a handover from one BSC (17A) to another (17Z), can be associated by correlating the RR3 Handover Command signaling units appearing on the signaling links (68,69) to the old and new BSCs (17A,17Z). This correlation can conveniently be done at a central station (42) to which the signalling path monitors (40A,40Z) send report messages when they detect handovers occurring. A similar correlation can also be done when monitoring the Abis interfaces.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a mobile radio system, a method of following across a handover a communication transaction between a mobile station and a fixed network part organized as a plurality of radio cells, the mobile radio system including a plurality of signaling paths for passing signaling messages to and from the mobile station with the particular signaling path in use depending on which one of said radio cell is being used for communication with the mobile station, this latter cell being changed by a said handover which, where it involves a change in said signaling path, results in at least one predetermined parameter appearing with the same value in said signaling messages on both the old and the new paths;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a) monitoring a first said signaling path to detect signaling messages related to a first said communication transaction that is to be handed-over away from a cell served by that signaling path, and extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter; (b) monitoring a second said signaling path to detect signaling messages relating to a second said communication transaction subject to hand-over towards a cell served by that signaling path, and extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter; (c) comparing the values of the said at least one predetermined parameter extracted in steps (a) and (b) and if these values are the same, determining that said first and second communication transactions are the same transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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15. Apparatus for monitoring a mobile radio system in order to follow across a handover a communication transaction between a mobile station and a fixed network part of the system that is organized as a plurality of radio cells, said mobile radio system including a plurality of signaling paths for passing signaling messages to and from the mobile station with the particular signaling path in use depending on which said radio cell is being used for communication with the mobile station, this latter cell being changed by a said hand-over which, where it involves a change in said signaling path, results in at least one predetermined parameter appearing with the same value in said signaling messages on both the old and the new paths;
- said apparatus comprising;
first monitoring means for monitoring a first said signaling path to detect signaling messages related to a first said comniunication transaction that is to be handed-over away from a cell served by that signaling path, said first monitoring means including means for extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter; second monitoring means for monitoring a second said signaling path to detect signaling messages relating to a second said communication transaction subject to hand-over towards a cell served by that signaling path, said second monitoring means including means for extracting from these messages the value of said at least one predetermined parameter; and correlation means for comparing the values of the said at least one predetermined parameter extracted by said first and second monitoring means and if these values are the same, determining that said first and second communication transactions are the same transaction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
- said apparatus comprising;
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20. Apparatus for monitoring a mobile radio system in order to enable the following across a handover of a communication transaction between a mobile station and a fixed network part of the system that is organized as a plurality of radio cells, said mobile radio system including a plurality of signaling paths for passing signaling messages to and from the mobile station with the particular signaling path in use depending on which said radio cell is being used for communication with the mobile station, this latter cell being changed by a said hand-over which, where it involves a change in said signaling path, results in at least one predetermined parameter appearing with the same value in said signaling messages on both the old and the new paths;
- said apparatus comprising;
monitoring means for monitoring a said signaling path to detect signaling messages related to a said communication transaction involved in a handover; extracting means for extracting from the messages monitored by said monitoring means the value of said at least one predetermined parameter; and means for sending the value of said at least one predetermined parameter extracted by the monitoring means to a correlation station.
- said apparatus comprising;
Specification