Mobile unit attachment/update to cellular communication network
First Claim
1. A method of attaching/updating a mobile unit to a cellular wireless communication network, said cellular wireless communication network comprising:
- a plurality of access network elements, each of which covering a respective cell area in said cellular wireless communication network, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type connection; and
a plurality of routing network elements (AR1, AR2) for forwarding data transmitted via said plurality of access network elements to and from said mobile unit, each of said routing network elements being connected with at least one of said plurality of access network elements, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of routing network elements by means of a L3 type connection,said method comprising the steps ofinitializing an attachment/update procedure of said mobile unit to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type update procedure;
transmitting from said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of access network elements a L3 type identification element indicating the existing attachment of said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of routing network elements; and
checking said transmitted L3 type identification element for determining whether said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with the connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment; and
wherein in case that said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment, the method comprises the step of completing the attachment/update procedure between said mobile unit and said one of said plurality of access network elements by means of executing the L2 type procedure and without executing a L3 type update procedure for an attachment of said mobile unit and the routing network elements.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for reducing IP level signaling and radio resource load during the attachment or update L3 of a mobile unit to a cellular wireless communication network is disclosed wherein access network elements and routing network elements are provided, an identification element is transmitted from the mobile unit to one of the access network elements. The identification element indicates a current attachment of the mobile unit to one of the routing network elements. The transmitted identification element is checked so as to determine whether the access network element is provided with a connection to the one routing network element.
76 Citations
68 Claims
-
1. A method of attaching/updating a mobile unit to a cellular wireless communication network, said cellular wireless communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of access network elements, each of which covering a respective cell area in said cellular wireless communication network, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type connection; and a plurality of routing network elements (AR1, AR2) for forwarding data transmitted via said plurality of access network elements to and from said mobile unit, each of said routing network elements being connected with at least one of said plurality of access network elements, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of routing network elements by means of a L3 type connection, said method comprising the steps of initializing an attachment/update procedure of said mobile unit to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type update procedure; transmitting from said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of access network elements a L3 type identification element indicating the existing attachment of said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of routing network elements; and checking said transmitted L3 type identification element for determining whether said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with the connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment; and wherein in case that said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment, the method comprises the step of completing the attachment/update procedure between said mobile unit and said one of said plurality of access network elements by means of executing the L2 type procedure and without executing a L3 type update procedure for an attachment of said mobile unit and the routing network elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system for attaching/updating a mobile unit to a cellular wireless communication network, said cellular wireless communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of access network elements, each of which covering a respective cell area in said cellular wireless communication network, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type connection; and a plurality of routing network elements for forwarding data transmitted via said plurality of access network elements to and from said mobile unit, each of said routing network elements being connected with at least one of said plurality of access network elements, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of routing network elements by means of an L3 type connection; said system comprising; means adapted to transmit, when an attachment/update procedure of said mobile unit to one of said plurality of access network elements is initialized by means of a L2 type update procedure, a L3 type identification element to said one of said plurality of access network elements, which L3 type identification element indicating the current attachment of said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of routing network elements; and means adapted to check said transmitted L3 type identification element so as to determine whether said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment; and
whereinin case that said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment, the system is adapted to complete the attachment/update procedure between said mobile unit and said one of said plurality of access network elements by means of executing the L2 type procedure and without executing a L3 type update procedure for an attachment of said mobile unit and the routing network elements. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A mobile unit attachable to a cellular wireless communication network, said cellular wireless communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of access network elements, each of which covering a respective cell area in said cellular wireless communication network, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type connection; and a plurality of routing network elements for forwarding data transmitted via said plurality of access network elements to and from said mobile unit, each of said routing network elements being connected with at least one of said plurality of access network elements, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of routing network elements by means of a L3 type connection, said mobile unit comprising; means adapted to transmit, when an attachment/update procedure of said mobile unit to one of said plurality of access network elements is initialized by means of a L2 type update procedure, a L3 type identification element to said one of said plurality of access network elements, which L3 type identification element indicating the current attachment of said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment; and
whereinin a case that said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment, the attachment/update procedure between said mobile unit and said one of said plurality of access network elements is completed by means of executing the L2 type procedure and without executing a L3 type update procedure for an attachment of said mobile unit and the routing network elements. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
-
-
53. An access network element of a cellular wireless communication network to which a mobile unit is attachable, said cellular wireless communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of access network elements, each of which covering a respective cell area in said cellular wireless communication network, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of access network elements by means of a L2 type connection; and a plurality of routing network elements for forwarding data transmitted via said plurality of access network elements to and from said mobile unit, each of said routing network elements being connected with at least one of said plurality of access network elements, wherein said mobile unit is attached to one of said plurality of routing network elements by means of a L3 type connection; said access network element comprising;
means adapted to check, when an attachment/update procedure of said mobile unit to said network element is initialized by means of a L2 type update procedure, a L3 type identification element transmitted from said mobile unit to said access network element, which L3 type identification element indicating the current attachment of said mobile unit to said one of said plurality of routing network elements, wherein a determination is made whether said access network element is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment;wherein in a case that said one of said plurality of access network elements is provided with a connection to said one of said plurality of routing network elements to which the mobile unit has an existing attachment, the access network element is adapted to complete the attachment/update procedure between said mobile unit and said one of said plurality of access network elements by means of executing the L2 type procedure and without executing a L3 type update procedure for an attachment of said mobile unit and the routing network elements. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
Specification