Mobile-service switching center, base station controller, multicall communication mode supporting terminal and method of changing number of calls in multicall communication mode

• US 7,006,827 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Masuda, Hiroyo, Mamiya, Keiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/751,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 455450-4521, 455/436, 455/439, 455/560, 455/553.1, 455/552.1, 455/432.1, 455/414, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

A method and apparatus of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode including detecting an occurrence of handover, transmitting a special message having inserted therein call-number changing information regarding the increase or decrease of a number of calls to a switching center as a connection destination connected by handover, transmitting the special message to inform a number of calls capable of being supported to a mobile terminal, receiving a reply regarding a desired call to be maintained selected from a plurality of calls, and rearranging the handover process so the desired call is maintained in connection while the call not desired is disconnected. Thereby allowing the user of the mobile terminal to select a desired call to be maintained when handover is executed under the congested state condition in the communication system which hinders smooth handover from one switching center to another.

Claims

1. A mobile-service switching center comprising:

determining section for determining whether a call request is a call from a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting a plurality of calls at a time or from a single-call communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting only a single call at a time;

event detecting section for detecting an event caused by a handover occurrence or fluctuation of a congested state; and

call-number changing section capable of changing the number of continuing calls of the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which is determined by the determining section, when an event is detected by the event detecting section detects any event during the communication,

wherein the call-number changing section comprises;

special message notifying section capable of transmitting a special message having inserted therein the number of calls changing information regarding the increases and decreases of the plurality of calls, to a base station controller for controlling a base station and the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal;

reply receiving section for receiving a reply regarding a desired call to continue which is selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal from the plurality of calls which are notified by the special message notifying section; and

handover rearranging section for rearranging the connection status in such a manner that the desired call to continue which is designated in the reply received by the reply receiving section is maintained and an undesired call which is not selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal is disconnected.

2. A mobile-service switching center apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the call-number changing information is arranged to make the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal emanate an alarming sound changing step by step so as to correspond to the status taken by the call-number changing information.

3. A mobile-service switching center apparatus comprising:

determining section for determining whether a call request is a call from a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting a plurality of calls at a time or from a single-call communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting only a single call at a time;

event detecting section for detecting an event caused by a handover occurrence or fluctuation of a congested state; and

call-number changing section capable of changing the number of continuing calls of the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which is determined by the determining section, when an event is detected by the event detecting section detects any event during the communication,

wherein the call-number changing section comprises;

call selecting section for selecting a call to be disconnected from the plurality of calls under communication based on a predetermined condition;

call disconnect notifying section for transmitting a call disconnect message to the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal corresponding to the disconnected call selected by the call selecting section;

reply receiving section capable of receiving a reply regarding a desired call to continue selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which received the disconnect message from the call disconnect notifying section; and

handover rearranging section for maintaining connection corresponding to the desired call to continue which is designated by the reply received by the reply receiving section and disconnect an undesired call to continue selected from the plurality of calls by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal.

4. A mobile-service switching center according to claim 3, wherein the call selecting section comprises:

priority data holding section for giving priority data to the calls under communication and holding the priority data; and

output section for outputting the data designating the call to be disconnected based on the priority data held by the priority data holding section when connection service restriction deriving from the event is relaxed.

5. A mobile-service switching center according to claim 3, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to disconnect based on information regarding priority of call contained in a predetermined region of the call disconnect message.

6. A mobile-service switching center according to claim 3, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to select a call based on information contained in the subscriber'"'"'s data which is sent from a home location register to a visitor location register.

7. A mobile-service switching center according to claim 3, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to disconnect based on a selecting algorithm prepared for each subscriber.

8. A mobile-service switching center apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the selecting algorithm is arranged based on the priority which is determined in accordance with the connection sequence of a plurality of calls under communication.

9. A mobile-service switching center apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the selecting algorithm is arranged based on quality of service data indicative of the grade of a transmitted signal, and the call selecting section selects a call to continue in accordance with the selecting algorithm.

10. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode for use in a switching center system which comprises a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal for transmitting and receiving a radio signal, a base station controller for controlling a base station, and a mobile-service switching center for transmitting and receiving information regarding a plurality of calls so that a communication status is settled between the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal and the base station controller, the method comprising:

a step of detecting an event caused by an occurrence of handover and a fluctuation in congesting state of a network;

a step of notifying a special message having inserted therein call-number changing information regarding the increases and decreases of call-numbers to a switching center as a connection destination connected by the handover when the event is detected at the event detecting step;

a step of receiving a reply regarding a desired call to continue selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal from the plurality of calls notified by the special message created at the special message notifying step; and

a step of rearranging the handover in such a manner that the desired call to continue designated by the reply received at the reply receiving step is maintained in connection and an undesired call to continue, the undesired call is not selected from the plurality of calls by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal.

11. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode according to claim 10, wherein the special message notifying step is arranged such that if the mobile-service switching center receives a call request sent from a second multicall communication mode supporting terminal other than the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, then the mobile-service switching center inserts call-number decreasing information for decreasing the number of calls into the special message, and

the handover rearranging step is arranged such that the mobile-service switching center transmits a reply regarding the call request by using a communication line which becomes vacant by disconnecting the undesired call to continue designated at the special message notifying step.

12. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode according to claim 10, wherein the special message notifying step is arranged to comprise:

a step of notifying the base station controller of information regarding the base station controller as a connection destination to be connected by the handover to the base station controller upon transmitting a special message;

a step of receiving call-number changing information regarding the number of calls allowable to the call-number changing information transmitted from the base station controller as a connection destination notified at the base station controller notifying step; and

a step of transmitting the call-number changing information which is received at the call-number changing information receiving step, to the first multicall mode supporting terminal.

13. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode for use in a switching system which comprises a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal for transmitting and receiving a radio signal, a base station controller for controlling a base station, and a mobile-service switching center for transmitting and receiving information regarding a plurality of calls so that a communication status is settled between the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal and the base station controller, the method comprising:

a first transmitting step for transmitting a handover request from the mobile-service switching center to a mobile-service switching center as a connection destination to be connected by the handover;

a second transmitting step for transmitting a message containing data indicative of a number of calls allowable to continue based on the capacity and the congesting state of the mobile-service switching center as a connection destination, the message is transmitted from the mobile-service switching center as a connection destination at the first transmitting step; and

a call-number notifying step for transmitting a message indicative of an additional number of calls allowable to continue from the mobile-service switching center to the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, if the number of calls, the number is contained in the message sent at the second transmitting step, allowable to continue is larger than the current number of calls supported by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal.

14. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode according to claim 13, wherein the call-number notifying step is arranged such that the mobile-service switching center further transmits a command message to the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which is obliged to decrease the number of calls to continue so that a connection status is rearranged in accordance with the decreased number of calls allowable to continue.

15. A method of changing the number of calls in a multicall communication mode according to claim 13, wherein the call-number notifying step is arranged such that the mobile-service switching center notifies the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal that the communication channel cannot be changed while maintaining communication status upon the event deriving from the occurrence of the handover and fluctuation of the network congestion state.

16. A switching center system comprising:

a determining section for determining whether a call request is a call from a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting a plurality of calls at a time or from a single-call communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting only a single call at a time;

an event detecting section for detecting an event caused by a handover occurrence or fluctuation of a congested state; and

a call-number changing section capable of changing the number of continuing calls of the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which is determined by the determining section, when an event is detected by the event detecting section during the communication,

wherein the call-number changing section comprises;

a special message notifying section capable of transmitting a special message having inserted therein the number of calls changing information regarding the increases and decreases of the plurality of calls, to a base station controller for controlling a base station and the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal;

a reply receiving section for receiving a reply regarding a desired call to continue which is selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal from the plurality of calls which are notified by the special message notifying section; and

a handover rearranging section for rearranging the connection status in such a manner that the desired call to continue which is designated in the reply received by the reply receiving section is maintained and an undesired call which is not selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal is disconnected.

17. A switching center system according to claim 16, wherein the call-number changing information is arranged to make the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal emanate an alarming sound changing step by step so as to correspond to the status taken by the call-number changing information.

18. A switching center system comprising:

a determining section for determining whether a call request is a call from a first multicall communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting a plurality of calls at a time or from a single-call communication mode supporting terminal, which is capable of supporting only a single call at a time;

an event detecting section for detecting an event caused by a handover occurrence or fluctuation of a congested state; and

a call-number changing section capable of changing the number of continuing calls of the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which is determined by the determining section, when an event is detected by the event detecting section during the communication,

wherein the call-number changing section comprises;

a call selecting section for selecting a call no be disconnected from the plurality of calls under communication based on a predetermined condition;

a call disconnect notifying section for transmitting a call disconnect message to the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal corresponding to the disconnected call selected by the call selecting section;

a reply receiving section capable of receiving a reply regarding a desired call to continue selected by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal which received the disconnect message from the call disconnect notifying section; and

a handover rearranging section for maintaining connection corresponding to the desired call to continue which is designated by the reply received by the reply receiving section and disconnect an undesired call to continue selected from the plurality of calls by the first multicall communication mode supporting terminal.

19. A switching center system according to claim 18, wherein the call selecting section comprises:

a priority data holding section for giving priority data to the calls under communication and holding the priority data; and

an output section for outputting the data designating the call to be disconnected based on the priority data held by the priority data holding section when connection service restriction deriving from the event is relaxed.

20. A switching center system according to claim 18, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to disconnect based on information regarding priority of call contained in a predetermined region of the call disconnect message.

21. A switching center system according to claim 18, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to select a call based on information contained in the subscriber'"'"'s data which is sent from a home location register to a visitor location register.

22. A switching center system according to claim 18, wherein the call selecting section is arranged to disconnect based on a selecting algorithm prepared for each subscriber.

23. A switching center system according to claim 22, wherein the selecting algorithm is arranged based on the priority which is determined in accordance with the connection sequence of a plurality of calls under communication.

24. A switching center system according to claim 22, wherein the selecting algorithm is arranged based on quality of service data indicative of the grade of a transmitted signal, and the call selecting section selects a call to continue in accordance with the selecting algorithm.