Method and system for serving packet dormant handoff in mobile communication system

• US 7,200,126 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Byung Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho; Hong Sol
• Application Number:
  US09/987,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 455436-442
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method for serving a packet dormant handoff is disclosed, including determining with a mobile switching center whether a mobile station performs a dormant handoff into an area of a destination base station controller/packet controller function (BSC/PCF) and providing information of the dormant handoff from the mobile switching center to an original BSC/PCF, when the mobile station performs the dormant handoff.

Claims

1. A method for serving a packet dormant handoff, comprising:

determining with a mobile switching center whether a mobile station performs a dormant handoff into an area of a destination base station controller/packet controller function (BSC/PCF), the BSC/PCF including a base station controller (BSC) and a packet controller having a packet control function (PCF); and

providing at least a location renewal message regarding the dormant handoff, the location renewal message being provided from the mobile switching center to an original BSC/PCF when the mobile station performs the dormant handoff, wherein an original packet data serving node (PDSN) withholds communication of a registration renewal message to the original BSC/PCF during a period beginning after the original BSC/PCF receives the location renewal message and ending when a communication link between the mobile station and the original PDSN is terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location renewal message regarding the dormant handoff is provided after setting a radio packet link with the destination BSC/PCF and a destination packet data sewing node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a cause value element of the location renewal message is the packet dormant handoff.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing a radio packet link between the original BSC/PCF and the mobile station by transferring a registration request message from the original BSC/PCF to the original PDSN.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

removing a visitor table of a corresponding mobile station when the original PDSN receives the registration request message from the original BSC/PCF; and

transmitting changed data to a corresponding sewer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising;

releasing the radio packet link in response to the registration request message; and

removing, at the original BSC/PCF, a radio packet link table of the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the packet dormant handoff for the mobile station is completed at the original BSC/PCF by transmitting a location renewal acknowledge message from the original BSC/PCF to the mobile switching center, after transmitting a response to the registration from the original PDSN to the original BSC/PCF.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring an A9-Update-A8 message to the packet controller of the original BSC/PCF to inform the packet controller of the original BSC/PCF that the mobile station has moved;

transmitting an A11 registration request message from the packet controller of the original BSC/PCF to an original packet data serving node (PDSN);

transmitting an A11 registration response message from the original PDSN to the packet controller of the original BSC/PCF; and

releasing the radio packet link at the original PDSN.

9. A method of performing a dormant packet handoff during a first communication link between a mobile station and a source packet data serving node (PDSN), comprising:

establishing a second communication link between the mobile station and a target PDSN, after the mobile station has moved from a service area of a source base station controller/packet control function (BSC/PCF) to a service area of a target BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF including a base station controller (BSC) and a packet controller having a packet control function (PCF);

communicating a location renewal message from a mobile switching center (MSC) to the source BSC/PCF, the location renewal message being regarding a dormant handoff;

terminating the first communication link between the mobile station and the source PDSN, in response to the location renewal message;

communicating from the source BSC/PCF to the source PDSN a registration request message having a lifetime field value set to zero, in response to receiving the location renewal message;

releasing resources supporting the first communication link within the source PDSN, in response to the registration request message;

communicating to the source BSC/PCF a registration response message having a lifetime field value set to zero, after releasing the first communication link; and

releasing resources supporting the first communication link within the source BSC/PCF, in response to the registration response message, wherein

the zero value in the lifetime field of the regristration request message informs the source PDSN that the first communication link is ready for termination,

the zero value in the lifetime field of the registration response message informs the source BSC/PCF that the first communication link is ready for termination, and

both the source BSC/PCF and the source PDSN terminate the first communication link without waiting for a registration renewal timer period to expire.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating from the source BSC/PCF to the MSC an acknowledgment of the location renewal message, after terminating the first communication link.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication link is terminated without waiting for a registration renewal timer period, an upper layer point-to-point protocol (PPP) timer period, or a radio packet link timer period to expire.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating from the source BSC/PCF to the MSC an acknowledgment of the location renewal message, after the source BSC/PCF terminates the first communication link.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transferring an A9-Update-A8 message to the packet controller of the source BSC/PCF to inform the packet controller of the source BSC/PCF that the mobile station has moved;

transmitting an A11 registration request message from the packet controller of the source BSC/PCF to the source PDSN;

transmitting an A11 registration response message from the source PDSN to the packet controller of the source BSC/PCF; and

releasing the radio packet link at the source PDSN.

14. A method of performing a dormant packet handoff during a first communication link between a mobile station and a source packet data serving node (PDSN), comprising:

establishing a second communication link between the mobile station and a target PDSN, after the mobile station has moved from a service area of a source base station controller/packet control function (BSC/PCF) to a service area of a target BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF including a base station controller (BSC) and a packet controller having a packet control function (PCF);

communicating a location renewal message from a mobile switching center (MSC) to the source BSC/PCF, the location renewal message being regarding a dormant handoff;

terminating the first communication link between the mobile station and the source PDSN, in response to the location renewal message; and

withholding the communication of a registration renewal message from the source PDSN to the source BSC/PCF, during a period beginning after the source BSC/PCF receives the location renewal message and ending when the first communication link is terminated.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a mobile station;

a source packet data serving node (PDSN) that communicates with the mobile station, via a source base station controller/packet control function (BSC/PCF), through a first communication link, while the mobile station is located within a service area of the source BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF including a base station controller (BSC) and a packet controller having a packet control function (PCF);

a target PDSN that communicates with the mobile station, via a target BSC/PCF, through a second communication link, after the mobile station has moved from the service area of the source BSC/PCF to a service area of the target BSC/PCF; and

a mobile switching center (MSC) that communicates a location renewal message to the source BSC/PCF, after the second communication link is established, the location renewal message being regarding a dormant handoff, wherein

the location renewal message initiates the termination of the first communication link by the source PDSN and the source BSC/PCF,

the source BSC/PCF communicates to the source PDSN a registration request message having a lifetime field value set to zero, after receiving the location renewal message,

the source PDSN releases resources supporting the first communication link, in response to the registration request message,

the source PDSN communicates to the source BSC/PCF a registration response message having a lifetime field value set to zero, after receiving the registration request message,

the source BSC/PCF releases the first communication link, in response to the registration response message,

the zero value in the lifetime field of the registration request message informs the source PDSN that the first communication link is ready for termination,

the zero value in the lifetime field of the registration response message informs the source BSC/PCF that the first communication link is ready for termination, and

both the source BSC/PCF and the source PDSN terminate the first communication link without waiting for a registration renewal timer period to expire.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the source BSC/PCF communicates an acknowledgment of the location renewal message to the MSC, after terminating the first communication link.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first communication link is terminated without waiting for a registration renewal timer period, an upper layer point-to-point protocol (PPP) timer period, or a radio packet link timer period to expire.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the source BSC/PCF communicates to the MSC an acknowledgment of the location renewal message, after the source BSC/PCF releases the resources supporting the first communication link.

19. A communication system, comprising:

a mobile station;

a source packet data serving node (PDSN) that communicates with the mobile station, via a source base station controller/packet control function (BSC/PCF), through a first communication link, while the mobile station is located within a service area of the source BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF including a base station controller (BSC) and a packet controller having a packet control function (PCF);

a target PDSN that communicates with the mobile station, via a target BSC/PCF, through a second communication link, after the mobile station has moved from the service area of the source BSC/PCF to a service area of the target BSC/PCF; and

a mobile switching center (MSC) that communicates a location renewal message to the source BSC/PCF, after the second communication link is established, the location renewal message being regarding a dormant handoff, wherein

the location renewal message initiates the termination of the first communication link by the source PDSN and the source BSC/PCF, and

wherein the source PDSN withholds the communication of a registration renewal message to the source BSC/PCF, during a period beginning after the source BSC/PCF receives the location renewal message and ending when the first communication link is terminated.