Method for providing concurrent service handoff in a mobile communication system

• US 7,130,285 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Jamal A.
• Application Number:
  US09/833,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/332, 370/320, 370/321, 370/329, 370/335, 370/336, 370/342, 370/441, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 370/328, 370/330, 370/344, 370/500, 370/479, 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 455/443, 455/67.1, 455/450, 455/560, 455/561, 455/438, 455/524, 455/525, 455/517, 455/403, 455/425, 455/466, 455/442, 455/416, 455/414, 455/418, 455/419, 379/130, 379/133, 379/220, 379/135, 379/136, 379/141, 379/146, 379/147, 375/130
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network

Abstract

A method for performing a handoff of a mobile station (MS) from a first base station (BS) to a second BS in a mobile communication system. The first BS sends a handoff required message, which includes a service type identifier of a concurrent service of the voice and packet data and a service configuration record, to the MSC. The MSC sends the received handoff required message to the second BS. The second BS determines whether it can communicate with the MS using a radio resource specified in the service type identifier and the service configuration record, and when it cannot, sends to the MSC a new service type identifier and a new service configuration record for communicating either the voice or packet data with the MS. The MS then communicates with the second BS using the new service type identifier and the new service configuration record.

Claims

1. A method for performing a handoff on a concurrent service while a mobile station is concurrently provided with a first service and a second service through a first base station, in a mobile communication system including the mobile station, the first base station connected to the mobile station, a mobile switching center connected to the first base station, and a second base station adjacent to the first base station, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a handoff required message from the first base station to the mobile switching center according to signal strength reported from the mobile station, the signal strength exceeding predetermined strength of a pilot signal from the second base station, the handoff required message including service type identifiers indicating service types and resource information indicating radio resources assigned for the respective services;

receiving the handoff required message at the mobile switching center, and sending to the second base station a handoff request message including the service type identifiers and the resource information;

determining in the second base station whether it is possible to assign radio resources for both the first service and the second service, based on the resource information received from the mobile switching center;

sending a first handoff request acknowledge message with the resource information removed from the second base station to the mobile switching center, when it is possible to assign the radio resources for both the first service and the second service;

assigning in the second base station a radio resource for any one of the first service and the second service, and sending a second handoff request acknowledge message with the assigned radio resource to the mobile switching center, when it is possible to assign the radio resources one of the first service and the second service;

sending the first handoff request acknowledge message from the mobile switching center to the mobile station and forming in the mobile station a communication link to the second base station according to the first handoff request acknowledge message when it is possible to assign the radio resources for both the first service and the second service; and

sending the second handoff request acknowledge message from the mobile switching center to the mobile station and forming in the mobile station a communication link to the second base station according to the second handoff request acknowledge message when it is not possible to assign the radio resources for both the first and second service.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a handoff failure message indicating non-assignability of the radio resource to the mobile switching center, when it is not possible to assign the radio resources for both the first service and the second service.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service configuration record comprises resource information including a radio channel.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service configuration record comprises resource information including a data rate.