Apparatus, and an associated method, for paging a mobile station operable in a radio communication system

• US 7,043,256 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sarikaya, Behcet, Ozugur, Timucin
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US10/639,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/458, 370/227, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, by which to page a mobile station to alert the mobile station of a call placed thereto. A location server is provided at which a location index is created and maintained, identifying the location at which the mobile station to which the call is to be terminated is positioned. Page messages are broadcast throughout an area in which the mobile station is indicated to be positioned. The page messages are broadcast in manners that permit the mobile station to detect their transmission even when the mobile station is in a dormant, or other nonactive, state.

Claims

1. In a communication system having a network part and a mobile station selectably operable to communicate with the network part by way of a radio air interface, wherein the network part comprises a first access point defining a first coverage area and at least a second access point defining at least a second coverage area, the mobile station operable in an active state and at least a dormant state, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating initiation of a communication session with the mobile station, the mobile station forming a terminating node, said apparatus comprising:

a location index for indexing together positional indicia associated with the mobile station forming the terminating node, wherein the positional indicia indexed at said location index identifies in which of the first and at least second coverage areas, respectively, that the mobile station forming the terminating node is positioned; and

a page message generator embodied at the network part, said page message generator for generating a page message for broadcast upon the radio air interface throughout an area responsive to the positional indicia indexed at said location index to alert the mobile station of an invitation to initiate the communication session with the mobile station, the page message forming a wake-up indicator, the wake-up indicator detectable by the mobile station when in the dormant state; and

wherein the communication system comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable pursuant to operating parameters of an IEEE 802.11 operating specification that defines ADD-modify messages, and wherein the information provided to said location index is contained in an ADD-modify messase communicated by the mobile station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said page message generator is adapted to receive indications of a request to initiate the communication session, and wherein said page message generator generates the page message responsive to reception of the indications of the request to initiate the communications.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the communication system further comprises an initiating node that generates the request to initiate the communication session, the request to initiate the communication session identifying the mobile station forming the terminating node with a terminating node identity, and wherein the page message forming the wake-up indicator further comprises values of the terminating node identity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication system defines Traffic Information Map (TIM) intervals and wherein the page message generated by said page message generator is generated during a selected number of TIM intervals.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication system comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) having a location server as a portion thereof, and wherein said location index is embodied at the location server.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the communication system further comprises an initiating node that generates a request to initiate the communication session, wherein the request to initiate the communication session is routed to the location server, and wherein the page message generated by said page message generator is broadcast throughout an area indicated by said location server at which the terminating node is indicated to be positioned.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication system is defined in terms of logical layers including a physical layer and a second logical layer formed thereabove and wherein the page message formed by said page message generator is formed at the second logical layer, thereby to form a layer 2 (L2) message.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the communication system comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable pursuant to an IEEE 802.11 operating specification that defines a Traffic Information Map (TIM) packet, and wherein the wake-up indicator formed of the page message comprises a TIM packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the terminating node formed of the mobile station acknowledges receipt of the TIM packet, and wherein said page message generator further generates a paging request data frame to the terminating node responsive to acknowledgment of the receipt of the TIM packet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mobile station forming the terminating node is identified by a mobile station identifier and wherein the paging request data frame comprises the mobile station identifier as a portion thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the IEEE 802.11 operating specification further defines a PS-poll control frame and wherein the receipt acknowledged by the mobile station comprises a PS-poll control frame.

12. In a method of communicating in a communication system having a network part and a mobile station selectably operable to communicate with the network part by way of a radio air interface, the communication system comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable pursuant to operating parameters of an IEEE 802.11 operating specification that defines ADD-modify messages, the mobile station operable in an active state and at least a dormant state, an improvement of a method for facilitating initiation of a communication session with the mobile station, the mobile station forming a terminating node, said method comprising:

indexing together positional indicia associated with the mobile station forming the terminating node, wherein the information provided to said location index is contained in an ADD-modify message communicated by the mobile station; and

detecting a request for initiation of the communication session; and

responsive thereto generating a page message for broadcast in an area associated with the positional indicia indexed upon the radio air interface to alert the mobile station of an invitation to initiate the communication session with the mobile station, the page message forming a wake-up indicator, the wake-up indicator detectable by the mobile station when in any of the active state and the at least the dormant state.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the communication system is defined in terms of logical layers including a physical layer and a second logical layer formed thereabove, and wherein the page message generated during said operation of generating is formed at the second logical layer, thereby to form a Layer 2 (L2) message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication system operates pursuant to an IEEE 802.11 operating specification that defines a Traffic Information Map (TIM) packet and wherein the wake-up indicator formed of the page message generated during said operation of generating comprises a TIM packet.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the operation of broadcasting the TIM packet to the mobile station.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the operation, by the mobile station Conning the terminating node, of acknowledging reception of the TIM packet.

17. A system for facilitating initiation of a communication session with a mobile station associated with a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) which is operable pursuant to operating parameters of an IEEE 802.11 operating specification that defines ADD-modify messages, the mobile station operable in an active state and at least a dormant state, said system:

a location index for indexing together positional indicia associated with the mobile station, wherein information provided to said location index is contained in an ADD-modify message communicated by the mobile station; and

a page message generator generating a page message for broadcast upon a radio air interface throughout an area responsive to the positional indicia indexed at said location index to alert the mobile station of an invitation to initiate a communication session with the mobile station, the page message forming a wake-up indicator, the wake-up indicator detectable by the mobile station when in the dormant state.