Bearer selection in a mobile communication system having both circuit-switched and packet-switched bearers

• US 6,678,524 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hansson, Rolf, Karlsson, Bernt
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/584,921
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/349, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 455/445, 455/448, 455/422, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/453, 455/456, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

A method and system for the routing and transmission of data to a mobile station. Upon receiving a request to deliver data addressed to the mobile station, a node in a circuit-switched network of a mobile telecommunications system identifies whether the mobile station is capable of receiving data via a packet data bearer. If so, the node further determines whether the data addressed to the mobile station should be sent via a packet data bearer in a packet-switched network instead of sending the data via a circuit-switched bearer. If it is determined that the data should be sent via a packet data bearer, then the data is transmitted to the mobile station using a selected packet data bearer. Alternatively, if the request to deliver data addressed to the mobile station is received by a node in the packet-switched network, that node determines whether the data should be sent via a circuit-switched bearer in the circuit-switched network. If so, then the data is rerouted and transmitted to the mobile station using a circuit-switched bearer.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications system, comprising:

a circuit-switched network supporting transmission of data to a mobile station via at least one circuit-switched bearer;

a packet-switched network supporting transmission of data to the mobile station via at least one packet data bearer;

a first switching node located in one of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network, said first switching node supporting a first type of bearer and selecting between delivery of data addressed to the mobile station using said first type of bearer and delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using a second type of bearer, wherein the first type of bearer and the second type of bearer are each selected from the group consisting of circuit-switched bearers and packet data bearers, and wherein the first switching node selects the first type of bearer if a bearer of the first type is available and a level of congestion in the network in which the first switching node is located is below a predefined level, and selects the second type of bearer if the level of congestion in the network in which the first switching node is located is above the predefined level;

an interconnection between the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network for rerouting the data addressed to the mobile station when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer; and

a second switching node located in the other of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network relative to the first switching node, said second switching node supporting the second type of bearer and serving to select a particular bearer of the second type of bearer and to route the data addressed to the mobile station using said particular bearer when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first switching node is located in the circuit-switched network and the second switching node is located in the packet data network.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a short message service center for forwarding a short message service message, wherein the short message service message comprises the data addressed to the mobile station.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first switching node comprises a gateway mobile switching center and the second switching node comprises a gateway packet support node.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first switching node is located in the packet data network and the second switching node is located in the circuit-switched network.

6. A mobile telecommunications system, comprising:

a circuit-switched network supporting transmission of data via at least one circuit-switched bearer;

a packet-switched network supporting transmission of data via at least one packet data bearer;

a first switching node located in one of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network, said first switching node supporting a first type of bearer and selecting between delivery of data addressed to a mobile station using said first type of bearer and delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using a second type of bearer, wherein the first type of bearer and the second type of bearer are each selected from the group consisting of circuit-switched bearers and packet data bearers;

an interconnection between the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network for rerouting the data addressed to the mobile station when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer;

a second switching node located in the other of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network relative to the first switching node, said second switching node supporting the second type of bearer and serving to select a particular bearer of the second type of bearer and to route the data addressed to the mobile station using said particular bearer when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer; and

an application server for sending a message including the data addressed to the mobile station, said message further including a parameter identifying the application type for the data addressed to the mobile station, wherein said parameter is used to select the particular bearer for use in delivering the data addressed to the mobile station.

7. A mobile telecommunications system, comprising:

a circuit-switched network supporting transmission of data via at least one circuit-switched bearer;

a packet-switched network supporting transmission of data via at least one packet data bearer;

a first switching node located in one of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network, said first switching node supporting a first type of bearer and selecting between delivery of data addressed to a mobile station using said first type of bearer and delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using a second type of bearer, wherein the first type of bearer and the second type of bearer are each selected from the group consisting of circuit-switched bearers and packet data bearers;

an interconnection between the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network for rerouting the data addressed to the mobile station when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer;

a second switching node located in the other of the circuit-switched network and packet-switched network relative to the first switching node, said second switching node supporting the second type of bearer and serving to select a particular bearer of the second type of bearer and to route the data addressed to the mobile station using said particular bearer when the first switching node selects delivery of the data addressed to the mobile station using the second type of bearer; and

a home location register associated with the mobile station, said home location register storing information regarding bearer capabilities for the mobile station, wherein the first switching node retrieves said information from the home location register for use in selecting between delivery using the first type of bearer and delivery using the second type of bearer.