Packet communications network

• US 6,310,859 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Akiyama, Daisuke, Uesaka, Hisakazu, Tamura, Motoshi, Morita, Hideo, Nakamura, Hiroshi, Saito, Yukichi, Doi, Tokuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda
• Application Number:
  US09/345,150
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 370/248, 370/250, 370/252, 370/338, 370/433, 370/468, 370/235, 370/435, 370/528, 379/266, 379/201
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• 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

Control of a packet communications network in a fixed network used by a mobile communications network is performed. (1) A communication hold mode is set for a user when the traffic volume of the user'"'"'s transmission or reception of a packet per fixed time period is less than a predetermined value. The communication hold mode is defined as “although the network resources are released once, a mobile station and a gateway center at an interface with an external network behave to the user side and the external side as though the communication hold mode were maintained”. (2) When the user in the communication hold mode restarts the transmission of a packet, the mobile station automatically carries out a recall processing without the intervention of the user, and re-establishes the communication up to the gateway carrier. (3) When the gateway center restarts receiving a packet to the user in the communication hold mode, the gateway center carries out the incoming recall processing without the intervention of the external network, and re-establishes the communication all the way to the mobile station. (4) To accomplish the incoming recall processing, the mobile station makes a location registration when it roams across location registration areas after a transition into the communication hold mode.

Claims

1. A packet communications network comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring traffic of a user after establishing a communication;

hold mode setting means for placing a communication mode of the user into a communication hold mode when the traffic monitored by said monitoring means satisfies a prescribed monitor condition; and

mode recovering means for releasing the communication hold mode and recovering the communication mode when a packet communication is started in the communication hold mode.

2. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communication hold mode is a mode that releases transmission path resources and transit node resources in a section of a user connection to allow another user to use the resources in the section, and behaves as if the communication mode was maintained toward a side placed in the communication mode.

3. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prescribed monitor condition for proceeding from the communication mode to the communication hold mode is that no transmission nor reception of a user packet takes place during a reference time period.

4. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a node at an end of a section in the communication hold mode comprises connection acknowledging means for returning a false signal acknowledging a connection in response to a connection acknowledge signal which is sent in the communication hold mode from a side placed in the communication mode.

5. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a node at an end of a section in the communication hold mode comprises means for sending in the communication hold mode a connection acknowledge signal acknowledging a connection to a side placed in the communication mode.

6. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 5, wherein the node at the end comprises means for completing the communication when the node at the end cannot acknowledge the connection by sending the connection acknowledge signal.

7. The packet communications network of claim 1, wherein said mode recovering means releases the communication hold mode and recovers the communication mode when a restart of transmitting a packet from the user in the communication hold mode is detected, or a restart of receiving a packet addressed to the user in the communication hold mode is detected.

8. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end mode of the section in the communication hold mode comprises a routing table which is stored at a transition to the hold mode and is used for the recovering.

9. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said packet communications network is a mobile network.

10. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for notifying of roaming of a user;

means for transferring about the user to means for managing information installed in a destination of the roaming;

means for securing network resources in accordance with the information about the user;

means for deleting the information about the user which becomes unnecessary to be managed; and

means for releasing resources in an origination of the roaming.

11. A packet communications network comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring traffic of a user after establishing a communication, said monitoring means comprising means for measuring a time period during which each user suspends packet transmission and reception, and for sending the measured time period;

hold mode setting means for placing a communication mode of the user into a communication hold mode when no transmission nor reception of a user packet takes place during a reference time period, said hold mode setting means comprising means for receiving the measured time period sent, for comparing the measured time period with the reference time period, and for notifying that the measured time period exceeds the reference time period, means for issuing a release command of the resources assigned to the user when notified that the reference time period is exceeded, and means for releasing the resources assigned to the user in response to the release command issued; and

a mode recovering means for releasing the communication hold mode and recovering the communication mode when a packet communication is started in the communication hold mode.

12. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for releasing the resources changes a state of the resources according to time.

13. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 12 comprising a mode which precedently assigns resources to the user in the hold mode when changing the state of the resources according to time.

14. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said hold mode setting means further comprises means for changing the reference time period.

15. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 14, wherein said means for changing the reference time period comprises:

storage means for registering and recording a reference time period for each user; and

means for referring the reference time period stored in said storage means for each user.

16. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 14, wherein said means for changing the reference time period comprises:

means for enabling each user to designate the reference time period.

17. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 14, wherein said means for changing the reference time period comprises:

means for measuring for each user a frequency of use of communications; and

means for computing the reference time period based on the frequency, and for setting it.

18. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 14, wherein said means for changing the reference time period comprises:

means for continuously monitoring a working rate of network resources; and

means for setting the reference time period in accordance with the working rate.

19. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for releasing resources further comprises release control means for controlling a sequence and timing of a release of the resources secured by each user.

20. The packet communications network as claimed in claim 19, wherein said release control means controls the release based on a predetermined sequence and timing.

21. A resource managing method in a packet communications network comprising the steps of:

monitoring traffic of a user after establishing a communication;

releasing at least part of resources assigned to the user by placing a communication mode of the user into a communication hold mode when the traffic monitored in said monitoring step satisfies a prescribed monitor condition; and

releasing the communication hold mode and recovering the communication mode when a packet communication is started in the communication hold mode.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said communication hold mode is a mode that releases transmission path resources and transit node resources in a section of a user connection to allow another user to use the resources in the section, and behaves as if the communication mode was maintained toward a side placed in the communication mode.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the prescribed monitor condition for proceeding from the communication mode to the communication hold mode is that no transmission nor reception of a user takes place during a reference time period.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein a node at an end of a section in the communication hold mode returns a false signal acknowledging a connection in response to a connection acknowledge signal which is sent in the communication hold mode from a side placed in the communication mode.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein a node at an end of a section in the communication hold mode sends in the communication hold mode a connection acknowledge signal acknowledging a connection to a side placed in the communication mode.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the node at the end completes the communication when the node at the end cannot acknowledge the connection by sending the connection acknowledge signal.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said recovering step releases the communication hold mode and recovers the communication mode when a restart of transmitting a packet from the user in the communication hold mode is detected, or a restart of receiving a packet addressed to the user in the communication hold mode is detected.

28. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of storing, when making a transition to the hold mode, a routing table in the end node of the section in the communication hold mode, the routing table being used for the recovering.

29. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said packet communications network is a mobile network.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising the steps of notifying of roaming of a user;

managing information about the user by using information installed in a destination of the roaming;

securing network resources in accordance with the information about the user;

deleting the information about the user which becomes unnecessary to be managed; and

releasing resources in an origination of the roaming.

31. A resource managing method in a packet communications network comprising the steps of:

monitoring traffic of a user after establishing a communication, the step of monitoring comprising the step of measuring a time period during which each user suspends packet transmission and reception;

releasing at least part of resources assigned to the user by placing a communication mode of the user into a communication hold mode when no transmission nor reception of a user takes place during a reference time period, the step of setting the hold mode comprising the steps of receiving the measured time period sent, comparing the measured time period with a predetermined reference time period, and notifying that the measured time period exceeds the reference time period, issuing a release command of the resources assigned to the user when notified that the reference time period is exceeded, and releasing the resources assigned to the user in response to the release command issued; and

releasing the communication hold mode and recovering the communication mode when a packet communication is started in the communication hold mode.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of releasing the resources changes a state of the resources according to time.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32 comprising a mode which precedently assigns resources to the user in the hold mode when changing the state of the resources according to time.

34. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the step of setting the hold mode further comprises a step of changing the reference time period.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the step of changing the reference time period comprises the step of:

registering and recording a reference time period for each user; and

referring the reference time period stored in said storage means for each user.

36.The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the step of changing the reference time period comprises the step of;

enabling each user to designate the reference time period.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the step of changing the reference time period comprises the steps of:

measuring for each user a frequency of use of communications; and

computing the reference time period based on the frequency, and setting it.

37. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the step of changing the reference time period comprises the steps of:

continuously monitoring a working rate of network resources; and

setting the reference time period in accordance with the working rate.

38. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the step of releasing resources further comprises a release control step of controlling a sequence and timing of a release of the resources secured by each user.

39. The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the release control step controls the release based on a predetermined sequence and timing.