Multicell area paging for cellular telecommunications system

• US 6,292,667 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wallentin, Pontus, Palm, Hakan, Nordman, Mikael, Willars, Per Hans Ake, Rune, Goran Christersson, Lagneborg, Johan Rune
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/071,886
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/458, 455/449, 455/435, 455/436
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A radio access network portion of a telecommunications network (18) which serves a mobile station (MS) is connecting to a core network. The radio access network portion has plural base stations (BS) serving respective plural cells (C), as well as plural control nodes (RNCs). The control nodes include a first control node (RNC1) for controlling a first group of the plural base stations and a second control node (RNC2) for controlling a second group of the plural base stations. A multicell area (MCA) includes cells served by at least some of the first group of base stations and cells served by at least some of the second group of base stations. The radio access network portion of a telecommunications network further has a paging control node which stores information regarding the multicell area. To page the mobile station in the multicell area, the paging control node (1) sends paging messages to each of the base stations serving the multicell area controlled by the paging control node; and (2) sends a paging message to any other control nodes which control base stations serving cells in the multicell area. The paging control node determines to which base stations and other control node(s) it should send paging messages by consulting a paging table (100). Preferably the paging control node is one of the control nodes of the radio access network. The paging control node is connected to the other control node(s) by an inter-control node link (32) over which the paging message is sent.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a radio access network, the radio access network comprising plural base stations, each of the plural base stations serving a separate one of respective plural cells, and plural radio network control nodes including a first radio network control node for controlling a first group of base stations and a second radio network control node for controlling a second group of plural base stations;

a page originating entity which issues a paging message which includes a mobile station identifier for a mobile station being paged and an area identifier representing a last known multicell area for the mobile station being paged, the paging message being addressed to one of the plural radio network control nodes currently serving as a paging radio network control node for the last known niulticell area as represented by the area identifier;

wherein the paging radio network control node, upon receipt of the paging message from the page originating entity;

(1) obtains from a table maintained by the radio access network an internal configuration of the last known multicell area represented by the area identifier, the internal configuration including at least one of (a) one or more base stations under control of the paging radio network control node included in the last known multicell area; and

(b) another of the plural radio network control nodes which serve base stations included in the last known multicell area;

(2) issues a paging message in accordance with the internal configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the table is maintained by the paging radio network control node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the page originating entity does not know the internal configuration of the last known multicell area represented by the area identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the page originating entity is in a core network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the page originating entity is a mobile switching center.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the paging radio network control node serves as a serving radio network control node which controls a connection through the radio access network with the mobile station, and the another of the plural radio network control nodes serves as a drift radio network control node.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift radio network control node transmits to at least portions of plural multicell areas, each of the plural multicell areas being assigned a layer parameter, and wherein for specifying which layer is to be paged the paging message includes the layer parameter for the last known multicell area for the mobile station being paged.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mobile station identifier is a temporary mobile station identifier (TMSI).

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the serving radio network control node and the drift radio network control node are connected by a physical intern-control node link, and wherein the paging message is transmitted over the physical intern-control node link.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when a paging response message is received from the mobile station being paged, one of the serving radio network control node and the drift radio network control node initiates a moveover request to move control of the connection through the radio access network with the mobile station from the serving radio network control node to the drift radio network control node whereby the drift radio network control node becomes the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the moveover request is sent to a core network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein after the core network moves control of the connection with the mobile station, the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station sends the paging response message to the core network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the moveover request message takes the form of the drift radio network control node sending the paging response message to the core network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the drift radio network control node initiates a moveover request, and wherein, after moveover of control of the connection with the mobile station, the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station sends an advisory message to the radio network control node which formerly served as the serving radio network control node to advise that the mobile station has responded to the paging message.

15. For use in a telecommunications system comprising a radio access network, the radio access network comprising plural base stations, each of the plural base stations serving a separate one of respective plural cells, and plural radio network control nodes including a first radio network control node for controlling a first group of base stations and a second radio network control node for controlling a second group of plural base stations, a method comprising:

issuing, from a page originating entity, a paging message which includes a mobile station identifier for a mobile station being paged and an area identifier, the area identifier representing a last known mulitcell area for the mobile station being paged, the paging message being addressed to one of the plural radio network control nodes currently serving as a paging radio network control node for the last known multicell area for the mobile station as represented by the area identifier;

upon receipt of the paging message from the page originating entity, the paging radio network control node;

obtaining from a table maintained by the radio access network an internal configuration of the last known multicell area represented by the area identifier, the internal configuration including at least one of (a) one or more base stations under control of the paging radio network control node included in the last known multicell area; and

(b) another of the plural radio network control nodes which serve base stations included in the last known multicell area;

issuing a paging message in accordance with the internal configuration.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining the table at the paging radio network control node.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the page originating entity does not know the internal configuration of the last known multicell area represented by the area identifier.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the page originating entity is in a core network.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the page originating entity is a mobile switching center.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the paging radio network control node serves as a serving radio network control node which controls a connection through the radio access network with the mobile station, and the another of the plural radio network control nodes serves as a drift radio network control node.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

the drift radio network control node transmitting to at least portions of plural multicell areas, each of the plural multicell areas being assigned a layer parameter, and

including in the paging message the layer parameter for the last known multicell area for the mobile station being paged for specifying which layer is to be paged.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile station identifier is a temporary mobile station identifier (TMSI).

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the serving radio network control node and the drift radio network control node are connected by a physical intern-control node link, and further comprising transmitting the paging message over the physical intern-control node link.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a paging response message is received from the mobile station being paged; and

then

initiating, from one of the serving radio network control node and the drift radio network control node, a moveover request to move control of the connection through the radio access network with the mobile station from the serving radio network control node to the drift radio network control node whereby the drift radio network control node becomes the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising sending the moveover request to a core network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein after the core network moves control of the connection with the mobile station, the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station sending the paging response message to the core network.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the moveover request message takes the form of the drift radio network control node sending the paging response message to the core network.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the drift radio network control node initiates a moveover request, and wherein, after moveover of control of the connection with the mobile station, sending, from the control node newly controlling the connection with the mobile station, an advisory message to the radio network control node which formerly served as the serving radio network control node to advise that the mobile station has responded to the paging message.