Method for a handover between different nodes in a mobile communication system

• US 6,650,899 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IDTP Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Stümpert, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/711,592
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/439, 455/438, 455/426, 455/452, 455/453, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node

Abstract

A method for a handover of user equipment in a mobile communication system from a first base station subsystem controlled by a first switching node to a second base station subsystem controlled by a second switching node. The equipment is capable of connections to base stations according to at least two connection specifications and the communication system has different base station subsystems for connection to the user equipment using one of the specifications. The second switching node controls the second base station subsystem using a protocol corresponding to the connection specification used on the interface between the base station subsystem and the user equipment. The switching nodes exchange messages in the handover procedure which encapsulates a parameter set for one of the protocols and the parameter set is generated in the first switching node from a message which is transmitted from the user equipment to the first switching node. The first switching node detects out of a message. transmitted from the user equipment whether the user equipment is capable of connections according to different specifications and selects the parameter set encapsulated in the message to the second switching node according to the protocol for the connection of the second switching node to the second base station subsystem. Switching nodes and programs are also described.

Claims

1. A method for a handover of user equipment in a mobile communication system from a first base station subsystem controlled by a first switching node to a second base station subsystem which is controlled by a second switching node, wherein the user equipment is capable of connections to base stations according to at least two connection specifications, wherein the communication system comprises different base station subsystems for connection to the user equipment using one of the connection specifications, and wherein the second switching node controls the second base station subsystem using a protocol corresponding to the connection specification used on an interface between the second base station subsystem and the user equipment, the method comprising:

the first and second switching nodes adapted to exchange messages in a handover procedure, the messages encapsulating a parameter set for the protocol, the handover procedure comprising;

generating the parameter set in the first switching node from a first message which is transmitted from the user equipment to the first switching node;

the first switching node detecting out of a second message transmitted from the user equipment whether the user equipment is capable of connections according to different connection specifications; and

the first switching node selecting the parameter set encapsulated in a message to the second switching node according to the protocol for the connection of the second switching node to the second base station subsystem.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first switching node generates parameter sets for different protocols.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first switching node generates the parameter sets from the message transmitted from the user equipment.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the protocol comprises a predefined protocol, and the parameter set is sent for the predefined protocol, and a parameter set for a further protocol is encapsulated in an extension field of the predefined protocol.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the parameter set for the further protocol is encapsulated in a message according to the further protocol which is encapsulated in the extension field.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein a first group of parameters according to the further protocol is encapsulated in the extension field, and the second switching node performs a mapping of a second group of parameters from the predefined protocol to the protocol for the control of the second base station subsystem.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a switching node maps the parameter set for one Protocol to a parameter set for a different protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a message encapsulating a parameter set for a subsequent protocol to a further switching node in a subsequent handover is sent from the first switching node, the subsequent protocol selected from a group consisting of the protocol and a further protocol.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second switching node and the further switching node are identical or collocated and control base station subsystems using different protocols.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter set encapsulated in the message between the first and second switching nodes corresponds to the protocol used between the second switching node and the second base station subsystem.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol comprises a predefined protocol, and the parameter set for the predefined protocol is sent and mapped in the second switching node or a further switching node to a parameter set for the protocol used for the control of the second base station subsystem.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message and the second message are the same message.

13. A switching node for a mobile communications system, the mobile communications system having further switching nodes and user equipment connectable to base station subsystems according to different connection specifications, the switching node comprising:

means for the control of a first base station subsystem and a first interface for connection to the first base station subsystem with a protocol corresponding to the connection specification used on the interface between the base station subsystem and the user equipment;

a second interface for the exchange of messages with the further switching nodes in a handover procedure of the user equipment from the first base station subsystem to a second base station subsystem which is controlled by one of the further switching nodes, at least one message of the messages encapsulating a parameter set for the connection protocol between the second base station subsystem and the further switching node;

means to generate the parameter set from a first message which is transmitted from the user equipment;

means to detect out of a second message transmitted from the user equipment whether the user equipment is capable of connections according to different connection specifications on the interface to a base station subsystem; and

means to select the parameter set encapsulated in at least one message to the further switching node according to the protocol for the connection of the further switching node to the base station subsystem to which the handover procedure of the user equipment is performed.

14. The switching node according to claim 13, wherein the switching node further comprises means to generate parameter sets for different protocols, and a memory to store the parameter sets.

15. The switching node according to claim 13, wherein the switching node further comprises means to generate parameter sets from the first message transmitted from the user equipment, or means to map the parameter set for one protocol to a parameter set for a different protocol.

16. The switching node according to claim 13, wherein the switching node comprises means to encapsulate a parameter set for a first connection specification into a message for a second connection specification.

17. The switching node according to claim 13, wherein the switching node comprises means to extract a parameter set for a first connection specification out of a message for a second connection specification.

18. The switching node of claim 13, wherein the first message and the second message are the same message.

19. A program unit on a data carrier or loadable into a switching node for the control of base station subsystems in a communication system,

wherein the program unit can be executed in a handover of user equipment from a first base station subsystem to a second base station subsystem which is controlled by a second switching node, wherein the communication system comprises base station subsystems differing in connection specifications on the interface to the user equipment, and wherein the switching node controls a base station subsystem with a protocol corresponding to the connection specification for the interface between the base station subsystem and the user equipment, the program unit comprising:

means to exchange messages in a handover procedure with the second switching node, at least one message of the messages encapsulating a parameter set for the protocol; and

means to generate the parameter set from a message which is transmitted from the user equipment to the switching node, the program unit checking from the message transmitted from the user equipment whether the user equipment is capable of connections according to different specifications, and the program unit selecting the parameter set encapsulated in the message to the second switching node according to the protocol for the connection of the second switching node to the base station subsystem to which the handover procedure of the user equipment is performed.