Protocol terminating method, control signal terminating server apparatus, and mobile communication system

• US 7,142,859 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kakishima, Jun, Hirata, Shoichi, Yabusaki, Masami, Nishimura, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/929,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/442
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00695 using split of the control plane or user plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/185 using make before break

Abstract

In a mobile communication network comprised of a plurality of switching devices and a plurality of base stations connected to the switching devices, while a mobile terminal to wirelessly communicate with the base stations is in a communication by a soft handover, a terminal endpoint of a protocol for control of the soft handover is relocated in changing a switching device to another as a branch/combining point of data on a communication route of the communication.

Claims

1. A protocol terminating method in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of switching devices and a plurality of base stations in communication wit the switching devices;

initiating a soft handover of a mobile terminal that is in wireless communication with at least two of the base stations; and

during the soft handover, relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol used to control the soft handover by changing from a first switching device to a second switching device to change a branch/combining point of data on a communication route used by the mobile terminal.

2. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein changing from the first switching device to the second switching device comprises changing from a lower multipath point on a communication route to an upper multipath point on the communication route that is upstream of the lower multipath point.

3. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol comprises relocating the user data protocol separately from the control signal protocol.

4. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol comprises relocating a terminal endpoint of a data communication protocol.

5. The protocol terminating method according to claim 3, wherein relocating a terminal endpoint of a data communication protocol comprises maintaining a terminal endpoint of a control signal communication protocol unchanged.

6. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol comprises eliminating a redundant routing path from the communication route.

7. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol further comprises terminating a frame protocol between the second switching device and a base station, and terminating at least one of a medium access control or a radio link control, or a combination thereof, between the second switching device and the mobile terminal.

8. The protocol terminating method according to claim 7, wherein terminating a frame protocol further comprises terminating the frame protocol between the second switching device and the first switching device, between the first switching device and a third switching device, and between the first switching device and the base station.

9. The protocol terminating method according to claim 7, wherein the protocol is a user data protocol and terminating at least one of a medium access control or a radio link control, or a combination thereof, further comprises terminating a packet data convergence protocol between the second switching device and the mobile terminal.

10. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol is a user data protocol, and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server.

11. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol is a control signal protocol and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second control signal terminating server.

12. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein relocating a terminal endpoint of a protocol comprises terminating protocols for transmission/reception of control signals with a control signal terminating server to control the soft handover.

13. The protocol terminating method according to claim 12, wherein terminating protocols for transmission/reception of control signals with a control signal terminating server comprises terminating a radio resource control between the mobile terminal and the control signal terminating server via the second switching device.

14. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server and a respective first and second control signal terminating server, and where the step of terminating protocols comprises terminating a radio network subsystem application part between each of the first and second user information transport plane protocol servers, and between each of the first and second control signal terminating servers.

15. The protocol terminating method according to claim 14, wherein the step of terminating a radio network subsystem application part further comprises the step of terminating the radio network subsystem application part between the first user information transport plane protocol server and a third user information transport plane protocol server, and between the first control signal terminating server and a third control signal terminating server.

16. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server and a respective first and second control signal terminating server, and where the step of terminating protocols comprises terminating a base station application part between one of the base stations and each of the first and second control signal terminating servers, and between one of the base stations and each of the first and second user information transport plane protocol servers.

17. The protocol terminating method according to claim 12, wherein terminating protocols for transmission/reception of control signals further comprises the step of terminating a new communication protocol between the control signal terminating server and the second switching device.

18. The protocol terminating method according to claim 17, wherein the second switching device comprises a user information transport plane protocol server and a control signal terminating server, and terminating the new communication protocol comprises terminating the new communication protocol between the control signal terminating server and each of the user information transport plane protocol server and the control signal terminating server.

19. The protocol terminating method according to claim 1, wherein the first switching device is an access router having a group of base stations star connected thereto, and the second switching device is a core network router with the first switching device star connected thereto.

20. A system for terminating protocols for transmission/reception of signals for a soft handover control in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a plurality of switching devices and a plurality of base stations in communication with the switching devices;

a mobile terminal configured to wirelessly communicate with the base stations, and

a management node configured to manage the mobile communication network,

wherein when the mobile terminal is involved in a soft handover, the management node is operable to direct the relocation of a terminal endpoint of a protocol far control of the soft handover to change from a first one of the switching devices operable as a branch/combining point of data on a communication route usable by the mobile terminal to a second one of the switching devices that is operable as a branch/combining point of data on to communication route in order to eliminate a redundant routing path.

21. A mobile communication system comprising a plurality of switching devices and a plurality of base stations connected to the switching devices, the mobile communication system comprising:

a user information transport plane protocol server operable to substitute a first switching device operable as a branch/combining point of date on a communication route useable by a mobile terminal for a second switching device operable as a branch/combining point of data on the communication route, wherein the user information transport plane protocol sorver is operable to substitute the first switching device for the second switching device to optimize the communication route while a mobile terminal in communication with at least two of the base stations is subject to a soft handover; and

a management node operable to direct relocation of a terminal point of a protocol useable to control the soft handover in accordance with the substitution of the second switching device for the first switching device.

22. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the first switching device is an access router, and a group of base stations are star connected to the access router, and the second switching device is a core network router, the access router star connected to the core network router.

23. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the first switching device is a lower multipath point on the communication route, and die second switching device is an upper multipath point on the communication route that is upstream of the lower multipath point.

24. The mobile communication system according to claim 23, wherein the management node is operable to direct termination of a frame protocol between the second switching device and one of the base stations, between the second switching device and the first switching device, between the first switching device end a third switching device tat is another lower multipath point, and between the first switching device and one of the base stations.

25. The mobile communication system according to claim 24, wherein the management node is operable to direct termination of at least one of a medium access control, or a radio link control, or a combination thereof, between the first switching device and the mobile terminal.

26. The mobile communication system according to claim 25, wherein the protocol is a user data protocol and the management node is further operable to direct termination of a packet data convergence protocol between the second switching device and the mobile terminal.

27. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol is a user data protocol and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server.

28. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol is a control signal protocol and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second control signal terminating server.

29. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the management node is operable to direct relocation of the user data protocol separately from relocation of the control signal protocol.

30. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol comprises a data communication protocol, and the management node is operable to direct relocation of the terminal point of the data communication protocol.

31. The mobile communication system according to claim 30, wherein the protocol further comprises a, control signal communication protocol, and the management node is operable to maintain unchanged the terminal point of the control signal communication protocol.

32. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the management node is operable to direct relocation of the terminal endpoint of the protocol to eliminate a redundant routing path from the communication route.

33. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, further comprising a control signal terminating server operable to terminate the protocol for transmission/reception of control signals for control of the soft handover.

34. The mobile communication system according to claim 33, wherein the second switching device is at an upper point among a plurality of branch/combining points on a routing path of the control signals and the first switching device is one of the branch/combining points that are at a lower point on the routing path.

35. The mobile communication system according to claim 33, wherein the second switching device is operable to terminate a radio resource control between the mobile terminal and the control signal terminating server via the second switching device.

36. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server and a respective first and second control signal terminating server, and where the management node is further operable to direct termination of a radio network subsystem application part between the first and second user information transport plane protocol servers, and between the first and second control signal terminating servers.

37. The mobile communication system according to claim 36, wherein the management node is further operable to direct termination of the radio network subsystem application part between the first user information transport plane protocol server and a third user information transport plane protocol sewer, and between the first control signal terminating server and a third control signal terminating server.

38. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the first and second switching devices each comprise a respective first and second user information transport plane protocol server and a respective first and second control signal terminating server, and where the management node is further operable to direct termination of a base station application part between one of the base stations and each of the first and second control signal terminating servers, and between the one of the base stations and the first and second user information transport plane protocol servers.

39. The mobile communication system according to claim 33, wherein the protocol comprises a user data protocol and a control signal protocol, and the second switching device comprises a user information transport plane protocol multipath point and a control signal terminating multipath point, and where the management node is further operable to direct termination of a new communication protocol between the control signal terminating server and the control signal terminating multipath point and between the control signal terminating server and the user information transport plane protocol multipath point.