Data packet radio service with enhanced mobility management

• US 6,104,929 A
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Combarros, Jose Javier Cabero, Josse, Thierry, Esteban, Miguel Cobo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/090,186
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/445, 455/560, 370/328, 370/329, 370/349, 370/389, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 709/230, 709/249, 714/748, 714/749, 714/750
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

The address of a latest Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) is provided to a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) by a special Update SGSN Address Request message which is sent from the SGSN to the GGSN. For a subscriber whose subscription permits, the address of the latest SGSN node is sent in the Update SGSN Address Request message for a qualified packet data protocol (PDP) context. A qualified PDP context (1) has a static PDP address; and (2) is not activated. The Update SGSN Address Request message can be sent from the SGSN to the GGSN in either a GPRS Attach scenario or an Inter-SGSN Routing Area Update Scenario. In response to the Update SGSN Address Request message, the GGSN sends an Update SGSN Address Response message which advises whether the updating of the address for the SGSN at the GGSN has been successful.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications network comprising:

a gateway node through which the mobile telecommunications network is connected to a data packet network;

a serving node which serves a mobile station and which sends an update message to the gateway node prior to the mobile station performing a packet data protocol context activation, the update message providing to the gateway node an address of the serving node for use with the packet data protocol context.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the serving node makes a selective determination whether to send the update message with respect to a particular packet data protocol context.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the selective determination is based on data in an update allowance field stored in a memory.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the update allowance field is stored at a home location register for the mobile station.

5. The network of claim 3, wherein the update allowance field is stored at the serving node for the mobile station.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the update message is sent in connection with an attach procedure.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the update message is sent in connection with an inter-serving node routing area update procedure.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the serving node is a serving packet radio service node for GPRS.

9. A serving node of a mobile telecommunications network, the mobile telecommunications network including a gateway node through which the mobile telecommunications network is connected to a data packet network, and wherein the serving node serves a mobile station and sends an update message to the gateway node prior to the mobile station performing a packet data protocol context activation, the update message providing to the gateway node an address of the serving node for use with the packet data protocol context.

10. The node of claim 9, wherein the serving node makes a selective determination whether to send the update message with respect to a particular packet data protocol context.

11. The node of claim 10, wherein the selective determination is based on data in an update allowance field stored in a memory.

12. The node of claim 11, wherein the update allowance field is stored at a home location register for the mobile station.

13. The node of claim 11, wherein the update allowance field is stored at the serving node for the mobile station.

14. The node of claim 9, wherein the update message is sent in connection with an attach procedure.

15. The node of claim 9, wherein the update message is sent in connection with an inter-serving node routing area update procedure.

16. The node of claim 9, wherein the serving node is a serving packet radio service node for GPRS.

17. A method of operating a mobile telecommunications network which comprises a gateway node through which the mobile telecommunications network is connected to a data packet network, the method comprising sending from a serving node, which serves a mobile station, an update message to the gateway node prior to the mobile station performing a packet data protocol context activation, the update message providing to the gateway node an address of the serving node for use with the packet data protocol context.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising making a selective determination at the serving node whether to send the update message with respect to a particular packet data protocol context.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising making the selective determination on the basis of data stored in an update allowance field of a memory.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the update allowance field is stored at a home location register for the mobile station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the update allowance field is stored at the serving node for the mobile station.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the update message in connection with an attach procedure.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the update message in connection with an inter-serving node routing area update procedure.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the serving node is a serving packet radio service node for GPRS.