Method for the control of communication and communications system

• US 6,801,786 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Korpela, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/719,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74, 455/426, 455/432, 455/435, 455/436, 455/450, 455/515, 455/552, 455/560, 370/355-356
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method for the control of communication and a communication system, in which a terminal device communicates with the opposite end via an access network, using low-level signalling protocols, and via a core network connected to the access network, the core network using high level signalling protocols, whereby one or more core networks are connected to the access network, each core network connected to the access network being given a separate identifier and this identifier being used for routing protocol data units of a high level signalling protocol.

Claims

1. A method for the control of communication, in which a terminal device communicates with the opposite end via an access network using low level signalling protocols and via a core network connected to the access network, the core network using high level signalling protocols, whereby two or more core networks are connected to the same access network, wherein

each core network connected to the access network is given a separate identifier and

this identifier is used for routing protocol data units according to a high level signalling protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a wireless mobile station and the access network is a radio or optical network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the core network specific identifiers are given in the same order as the access network informs the terminal device about the core networks connected to the access network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the access network gives the core networks connected thereto the identifiers and transmits the identifier data to the terminal device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the core networks are given the identifiers in advance as per the network type, if two or more core networks of the same type are not connected to the same access network.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein data comprising identifier data of the core networks connected to the access network are transmitted to the terminal device either at predetermined intervals or when the data is changed.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein, when data is transmitted from a terminal device to a core network,

the identifier of the core network to be used is added in the terminal device to a protocol data unit of a high level signalling protocol to be transmitted,

the protocol data unit provided with the identifier is transmitted via the access network by means of low level signalling protocols, and

the protocol data unit is routed to the core network corresponding to the identifier.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein, when data is transmitted from a core network to a terminal device

the identifier of the core network to be used is added at the interface between the core network and the access network to the protocol data unit of a high level signalling protocol to be transmitted,

the protocol data unit provided with the identifier is transmitted via the access network by means of low level signalling protocols, and

the protocol data unit is routed to the protocol stack of the core network corresponding to the identifier in the terminal device.

9. A communication system, comprising

at least one terminal device,

an access network using low level signalling protocols,

two or more core networks connected to the access network, the core networks using high level signalling protocols, wherein

the system is arranged to give each core network connected to the access network a separate identifier and

to use this identifier for routing protocol data units of a high level signalling protocol.

10. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein the terminal device is a wireless mobile station and the access network is a radio or optical network.

11. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein the system is arranged to give core network specific identifiers in the same order as the access network informs the terminal device about the core networks connected to the access network.

12. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein the access network forms the identifiers for the core networks connected to the access network and transmits them to the terminal device.

13. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein the system is arranged to use predetermined identifiers for the core networks as per network type, if two or more core networks of the same type are not connected to the same access network.

14. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein the system is arranged to transmit data comprising identifier data of the core networks connected to the access network from the access network to the terminal device either at predetermined intervals or when the data is changed.

15. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein, when data is transmitted from the terminal device to a core network, the system is arranged

to add the identifier of the core network to be used in the terminal device to the protocol data unit of a high level signalling protocol to be transmitted,

to transmit the protocol data unit provided with the identifier via the access network by means of low level signalling protocols and

to route the protocol data unit to the core network corresponding to the identifier.

16. A communication system according to claim 9, wherein, when data is transmitted from a core network to a terminal device, the system is arranged

to add at the interface between the core network and the access network the identifier of the core network to be used to a protocol data unit of a high level signalling protocol to be transmitted,

to transmit the protocol data unit provided with the identifier via the access network by means of low level signalling protocols, and

to route the protocol data unit to the protocol stack corresponding to the core network corresponding to the identifier in the terminal device.