Method of updating a list of digital control channels (DCCH) in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network

• US 6,137,772 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Cuffaro, Angelo, Turcotte, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, DUNG N
• Application Number:
  US08/969,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/343, 370/344, 370/480-497
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in the network. Each DCCH includes a superframe having an extended broadcast control channel (E-BCCH) time slot which is broadcast in an E-BCCH cycle. The method begins by dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets, and sequentially or randomly broadcasting the DCCH subsets to the mobile station in the E-BCCH time slot of the DCCH. The next DCCH subset is broadcast when the current E-BCCH cycle is completed. Alternatively, the next DCCH subset may be broadcast when a timer expires. In this case, a broadcast control channel (BCCH) change notification (BCN) indicator is changed whenever a new subset is broadcast. A DCCH Frequency Plan message is added to IS-136, and includes a DCCH subset, an associated DCCH Frequency List Subset Sequence Identifier (SSI), and information elements to identify the System Operator Code (SOC) and System Identifier (SID).

Claims

1. A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station;

updating the DCCH frequencies in at least one of said subsets; and

broadcasting said updated DCCH subsets to said mobile station.

2. The method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies to a mobile station of claim 1 wherein said step of dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets includes dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into at least five subsets.

3. A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network, wherein each DCCH in said network includes a superframe having an extended broadcast control channel (E-BCCH) time slot which is broadcast in an E-BCCH cycle, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets; and

broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station, said step of broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station includes the steps of;

broadcasting a first randomly selected DCCH subset in the E-BCCH time slot of the DCCH; and

broadcasting the next sequential DCCH subset when the current E-BCCH cycle is completed.

4. A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network, wherein each DCCH in said network includes a superframe having an extended broadcast control channel (E-BCCH) time slot which is broadcast in an E-BCCH cycle, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets; and

broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station, said step of broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station includes the steps of;

broadcasting a first randomly selected DCCH subset in the E-BCCH time slot of the DCCH; and

broadcasting the next randomly selected DCCH subset when the current E-BCCH cycle is completed.

5. A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network, wherein each DCCH in said network includes a superframe having an extended broadcast control channel (E-BCCH) time slot and a broadcast control channel (BCCH) change notification (BCN) indicator, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station; and

changing said BCN indicator whenever any information in said E-BCCH time slot changes.

6. The method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies to a mobile station of claim 5 wherein said network includes a timer, and said step of broadcasting said DCCH subsets to said mobile station includes the steps of:

broadcasting each of said DCCH subsets for a predetermined time period; and

broadcasting the next DCCH subset when the timer expires.

7. A method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network, wherein each DCCH includes a superframe having an extended broadcast control channel (E-BCCH) time slot which is broadcast in an E-BCCH cycle, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

randomly selecting the DCCH subsets to broadcast in the E-BCCH time slot of the DCCH;

broadcasting the next randomly selected DCCH subset when the current E-BCCH cycle is completed;

updating the DCCH frequencies in at least one of said subsets;

broadcasting a first randomly selected updated DCCH subset in the E-BCCH time slot of the DCCH; and

broadcasting the next randomly selected updated DCCH subset when the current E-BCCH cycle is completed.

8. The method of providing a list of digital control channel (DCCH) frequencies that are in use in a radio telecommunications network to a mobile station operating in said network of claim 7 wherein said step of dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into a plurality of DCCH subsets includes dividing the list of DCCH frequencies into at least five DCCH subsets.

9. A method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network having a DCCH Frequency Plan which includes a plurality of DCCH frequencies, and the mobile station stores a list of known DCCH frequencies in DCCH subsets, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the plurality of DCCH frequencies in the DCCH Frequency Plan into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

broadcasting from said network a DCCH Frequency Plan message, said message including one of said DCCH subsets and an associated DCCH Frequency List Subset Sequence Identifier (SSI);

receiving said message in said mobile station;

determining in said mobile station whether the SSI received in said message corresponds to an SSI stored in the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list;

adding the received DCCH subset and the associated SSI to the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list, upon determining that the received SSI does not correspond to a stored SSI;

replacing the stored DCCH subset associated with the received SSI with the received DCCH subset, upon determining that the received SSI corresponds to a stored SSI; and

storing the received SSI in the mobile station.

10. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 9 further comprising sequentially broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets and an associated SSI in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

11. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 9 further comprising randomly broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets and an associated SSI in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

12. A method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station when the mobile station begins operating in an unknown radio telecommunications network having a DCCH Frequency Plan which includes a plurality of DCCH frequencies, and the mobile station stores a list of known DCCH frequencies, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the plurality of DCCH frequencies in the DCCH Frequency Plan into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

broadcasting from said network a DCCH Frequency Plan message, said message including one of said DCCH subsets, a System Operator Code/System Identification (SOC/SID) Specific DCCH Frequency Plan Indicator (SSDFPI), a DCCH Frequency List Subset Sequence Identifier (SSI), and a DCCH Frequency Plan Identifier (DFPID);

receiving said message in said mobile station;

determining in said mobile station whether the SOC received in said message matches a stored SOC;

creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received SOC does not match the stored SOC;

determining in said mobile station whether the received DFPID is equivalent to a stored DFPID, upon determining that the received SOC corresponds to a stored SOC;

creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received DFPID does not match the stored DFPID;

determining in said mobile station whether the received SSI corresponds to an SSI in the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list, upon determining that the received DFPID matches the stored DFPID;

adding the received DCCH subset and the associated SSI to the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list, upon determining that the received SSI does not correspond to a stored SSI;

replacing the stored DCCH subset associated with the received SSI with the received DCCH subset, upon determining that the received SSI corresponds to a stored SSI; and

storing the received SSI in the mobile station.

13. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 12 further comprising sequentially broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

14. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 12 further comprising randomly broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

15. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 12 wherein said step of creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received SOC does not match the stored SOC includes replacing a stored DCCH list with a new DCCH list.

16. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 15 wherein said step of creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received DFPID does not match the stored DFPID includes replacing a stored DCCH list with a new DCCH list.

17. A method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station when the mobile station begins operating in an unknown radio telecommunications network having a DCCH Frequency Plan which includes a plurality of DCCH frequencies, and the mobile station stores a list of known DCCH frequencies, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the plurality of DCCH frequencies in the DCCH Frequency Plan into a plurality of DCCH subsets;

broadcasting from said network a DCCH Frequency Plan message, said message including one of said DCCH subsets, a System Operator Code/System Identification (SOC/SID) Specific DCCH Frequency Plan Indicator (SSDFPI), a DCCH Frequency List Subset Sequence Identifier (SSI), and a DCCH Frequency Plan Identifier (DFPID);

receiving said message in said mobile station;

determining in said mobile station whether the SID received in said message matches a stored SID;

creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received SID does not match the stored SID;

determining in said mobile station whether the received DFPID is equivalent to a stored DFPID, upon determining that the received SID corresponds to a stored SID;

creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received DFPID does not match the stored DFPID;

determining in said mobile station whether the received SSI corresponds to an SSI in the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list, upon determining that the received DFPID matches the stored DFPID;

adding the received DCCH subset and the associated SSI to the mobile station'"'"'s DCCH list, upon determining that the received SSI does not correspond to a stored SSI;

replacing the stored DCCH subset associated with the received SSI with the received DCCH subset, upon determining that the received SSI corresponds to a stored SSI; and

storing the received SSI in the mobile station.

18. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising sequentially broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

19. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising randomly broadcasting each of said plurality of DCCH subsets in the DCCH Frequency Plan message.

20. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 17 wherein said step of creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received SID does not match the stored SID includes replacing a stored DCCH list with a new DCCH list.

21. The method of updating a digital control channel (DCCH) list in a mobile station in a radio telecommunications network of claim 20 wherein said step of creating a new DCCH list in the mobile station, upon determining that the received DFPID does not match the stored DFPID includes replacing a stored DCCH list with a new DCCH list.