Method and apparatus to reduce packet data link renegotiations in a wireless mobile network
First Claim
1. A wireless communication network comprising:
- a Packet Data Serving Node configured to support packet data connections with a plurality of mobile stations, and to condition re-negotiation of a packet data connection maintained by it for a given mobile station based on determining whether a mobility event involving movement of that mobile station between packet zones of the network corresponds to a hard handoff or to a dormant handoff;
a Packet Control Function configured to send registration messages to the Packet Data Serving Node responsive to mobility events, and to include a hard/dormant handoff type indication in said registration messages for use at the PDSN in determining whether a given mobility event corresponds to a hard handoff or to a dormant handoff; and
a Base Station Controller configured to store packet zone tracking variables for mobile stations, and, for a given mobile station, further configured to set the corresponding packet zone tracking variable to the Base Station Controller'"'"'s own Access Network Identifier if a new packet data connection is established for the given mobile station, and to set the corresponding packet zone tracking variable to a received value obtained from another Base Station Controller if the given mobile station is received in hard handoff from the other Base Station Controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication network updates packet zone tracking variables for mobile stations having packet data connections with the network in a manner consistent with that used by the mobile stations for their locally stored packet zone tracking variables. The network consequently reduces the incidence of unnecessary link renegotiations by reducing mismatches between network-stored and mobile-stored packet zone tracking information. A network routing entity may be configured to update a stored packet zone tracking variable for a mobile station if that mobile'"'"'s link is renegotiated in dormant handoff of the mobile station but not for hard handoff renegotiations. The entity may maintain two or more tracking variables for the mobile station, one that is updated for hard and dormant handoff renegotiations, and one that is updated for dormant handoff renegotiations so as to better match the mobile-stored variable. A third tracking variable may be passed by base stations during hard handoff.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A wireless communication network comprising:
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a Packet Data Serving Node configured to support packet data connections with a plurality of mobile stations, and to condition re-negotiation of a packet data connection maintained by it for a given mobile station based on determining whether a mobility event involving movement of that mobile station between packet zones of the network corresponds to a hard handoff or to a dormant handoff; a Packet Control Function configured to send registration messages to the Packet Data Serving Node responsive to mobility events, and to include a hard/dormant handoff type indication in said registration messages for use at the PDSN in determining whether a given mobility event corresponds to a hard handoff or to a dormant handoff; and a Base Station Controller configured to store packet zone tracking variables for mobile stations, and, for a given mobile station, further configured to set the corresponding packet zone tracking variable to the Base Station Controller'"'"'s own Access Network Identifier if a new packet data connection is established for the given mobile station, and to set the corresponding packet zone tracking variable to a received value obtained from another Base Station Controller if the given mobile station is received in hard handoff from the other Base Station Controller. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of reducing the incidence of unnecessary packet data link renegotiations between a wireless communication network having a plurality of packet zones and a mobile station comprising:
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renegotiating the packet data link responsive to determining that a received packet zone tracking variable included in a handoff-related message associated with the mobile station mismatches a stored packet zone tracking variable maintained at a network routing entity managing the packet data link; and updating the stored packet zone tracking variable to match a current packet zone of the mobile station if the packet data link is renegotiated responsive to dormant handoff of the mobile station between packet zones but not if the packet data link is renegotiated responsive to hard handoff of the mobile station between packet zones. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for use in a wireless communication network, the system comprising a Packet Data Serving Node including one or more control circuits configured to reduce unnecessary packet data link renegotiations between the Packet Data Serving Node and a mobile station having a packet data link with the network, said one or more control circuits configured to:
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renegotiate the packet data link responsive to determining that a received packet zone tracking variable included in a handoff-related message associated with the mobile station mismatches a stored packet zone tracking variable maintained at the Packet Data Serving Node; and update the stored packet zone tracking variable to match a current packet zone of the mobile station if the packet data link is renegotiated responsive to dormant handoff of the mobile station between packet zones but not if the packet data link is renegotiated responsive to hard handoff of the mobile station between packet zones. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of reducing packet data link renegotiations between a wireless communication network having a plurality of packet data zones and a mobile station, the method comprising:
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maintaining first and second tracking variables in the network for tracking packet zone movement of the mobile station by selectively updating the first tracking variable responsive to hard handoff of the mobile station between packet zones, and selectively updating the second tracking variable responsive to dormant handoff of the mobile station between packet zones; for hard handoffs of the mobile station, selectively triggering renegotiation of the packet data link based on comparing the first tracking variable to a previous packet zone identifier received for the mobile station in association with a hard handoff mobility event; and for dormant handoffs of the mobile station, selectively triggering renegotiation of the packet data link based on comparing the second tracking variable to a previous packet zone identifier received for the mobile station in association with a dormant handoff mobility event. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for use in a wireless communication network having a plurality of packet zones, the system comprising a Packet Data Serving Node including one or more control circuits configured to reduce packet data link renegotiations between the network and a mobile station, said one or more control circuits configured to:
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maintain first and second tracking variables in the network for tracking packet zone movement of the mobile station by selectively updating the first tracking variable responsive to hard handoff of the mobile station between packet zones, and selectively updating the second tracking variable responsive to dormant handoff of the mobile station between packet zones; for hard handoffs of the mobile station, selectively trigger renegotiation of the packet data link based on comparing the first tracking variable to a previous packet zone identifier received for the mobile station in association with a hard handoff mobility event; and for dormant handoffs of the mobile station, selectively trigger renegotiation of the packet data link based on comparing the second tracking variable to a previous packet zone identifier received for the mobile station in association with a dormant handoff mobility event. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of reducing renegotiations of a packet data link between a mobile station and a supporting wireless communication network having a plurality of packet zones, the method comprising:
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initializing a first tracking variable to match a current packet zone identifier of the mobile station, and initializing a second tracking variable to a null value; determining whether a handoff-related message received for the mobile station is a hard handoff mobility event or a dormant handoff mobility event; for hard handoff mobility events, if a previous packet zone identifier included in the handoff-related message mismatches the first tracking variable stored at the network for the mobile station, triggering packet data link renegotiations, updating the first tracking variable to match a current packet zone identifier included in the handoff-related message, and updating the second tracking variable, if non-null, to match the previous packet zone identifier; for dormant handoff mobility events, if a qualification timer has not expired, and, if the previous packet zone identifier included in a handoff-related message mismatches the second tracking variable, triggering packet data link renegotiations, updating the first tracking variable to match the current packet zone identifier, and resetting the second tracking variable to null; and for dormant handoff mobility events, if the qualification timer has expired, resetting the second tracking variable to null, and, if the first tracking variable mismatches the current packet zone identifier, triggering packet data link renegotiations and updating the first tracking variable to the current packet zone identifier.
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40. A Base Station for use in a wireless communication network comprising one or more control circuits configured to maintain packet zone tracking variables for mobile stations being supported by the Base Station, said one or more control circuits configured to:
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set a tracking variable to an Access Network Identifier of the Base Station responsive to a packet data connection being first established with a first given mobile station, and subsequently pass that tracking variable if the Base Station transfers the first given mobile station in hard handoff; and receive a tracking variable in a hard handoff message associated with receiving a given second mobile station in hard handoff, and subsequently pass that tracking variable if the Base Station transfers the second given mobile station in hard handoff.
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Specification