Transfer of overlapping routing area control information in a radio access network
First Claim
1. A radio access network comprising:
- plural radio network controllers including a first radio network controller, the plural radio network controllers being situated to establish one or more overlapping routing areas, each overlapping routing area comprising a cell controlled by the first radio network controller and at least one cell controlled by another of the plural radio network controllers;
wherein, in response to a routing area update procedure initiated by a user equipment unit, as criteria for which other radio network controllers to store addresses for signaling a routing area update request message, the first radio network controller need only store network addresses for;
any of the plural radio network controllers which controls a cell in any overlapping routing area; and
any of the plural radio network controllers which functions as a serving radio network controller for a connection for which the first radio network controller functions as a drift radio network controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A radio access network (20) comprises plural radio network controllers (24) including a first radio network controller. The plural radio network controllers are situated to establish one or more overlapping routing areas (URAs), each overlapping routing area comprising a cell controlled by the first radio network controller and at least one cell controlled by another of the plural radio network controllers. For signaling purposes over a signaling network (30), the first radio network controller need only store network addresses for: (1) any of the plural radio network controllers which controls a cell in any overlapping routing area; and, (2) any of the plural radio network controllers which functions as a serving radio network controller for a connection for which the first radio network controller functions as a drift radio network controller. When a user equipment unit (UE) moves into an overlapping routing area (in which a second radio network controller also controls cells), the first radio network controller sends, in a signaling message to a serving radio network controller, both (1) an address of the first radio network controller, and (2) the address of the other radio network controllers controlling cells in the overlapping routing area. The information storage and signaling of the present invention thereby enable the serving radio network controller to page the user equipment unit throughout the overlapping routing area.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A radio access network comprising:
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plural radio network controllers including a first radio network controller, the plural radio network controllers being situated to establish one or more overlapping routing areas, each overlapping routing area comprising a cell controlled by the first radio network controller and at least one cell controlled by another of the plural radio network controllers; wherein, in response to a routing area update procedure initiated by a user equipment unit, as criteria for which other radio network controllers to store addresses for signaling a routing area update request message, the first radio network controller need only store network addresses for; any of the plural radio network controllers which controls a cell in any overlapping routing area; and any of the plural radio network controllers which functions as a serving radio network controller for a connection for which the first radio network controller functions as a drift radio network controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A radio network controller for a radio access telecommunications network, which stores network addresses, as criteria for which other radio network controllers to store address for use in signaling a routing area update request message generated in response to a routing area update procedure initiated by a user equipment unit, said radio network controller stores only network addresses of:
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those other radio network controllers which control cells in overlapping routing area(s), the overlapping routing area(s) also having at least one cell controlled by the radio network controller; and those other radio network controllers which function as a serving radio network controller for a connection for which the radio network controller functions as a drift radio network controller. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a radio access network comprising plural radio network controllers and having one or more overlapping routing areas, each overlapping routing area comprising a cell controlled by a first radio network controller and a cell controlled by another of the plural radio network controllers, the method comprising:
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initiating a routing area update procedure by a user equipment unit in response to initiation of the routing area update procedure, requiring the first radio network controller, as criteria for which other radio network controllers to store addresses for signaling a routing area update request message, only storing network addresses for; any of the plural radio network controllers which controls a cell in the one or more overlapping routing area; any of the plural radio network controllers which functions as a serving radio network controller for a connection for which the first radio network controller functions as a drift radio network controller. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification