Apparatus and method for managing dormant state in a wireless packet data system

• US 7,843,885 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Yong, Kim, Tae-Won, Do, Jae-Hyuk, Lee, Hyun-Seok, Lee, Sung-Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US11/775,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/338, 370/328, 455/436, 455/435.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/22 between access point controllers

Abstract

A wireless packet data system efficiently manages a location of a packet call in a radio environment. A mobile station transmits a location registration message to a target BSC when moving to the target BSC adjacent to a source BSC. Upon receipt of the location registration message, the target BSC transmits a location update message for updating a location of the mobile station to a centralized database. Upon receipt of the location update message, the centralized database updates dormant state information for the mobile station to connect the target BSC to the source BSC. The centralized database transmits a location update result message indicating complete update of the dormant state information to the target BSC.

Claims

1. A method for storing dormant state information of mobile stations in a dormant state where no packet data is exchanged with an external packet network, in a centralized database connected to a packet data switch, and updating the dormant state information stored in the centralized database in association with the mobile station when the mobile station in the dormant state moves to a target Base Station Controller (BSC) adjacent to a source BSC in a wireless packet data system including a Packet Data Switch Node (PDSN) for connecting the external packet network to the mobile stations through the packet data switch and the source BSC connected to the packet data switch, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the target BSC, from the mobile station a location registration message when the mobile station moves to the target BSC adjacent to the source BSC;

upon receipt of the location registration message, transmitting by the target BSC, to the centralized database a location update message for updating a location of the mobile station, and transmitting by the source BSC, to the target BSC where the mobile station is located a paging request message for requesting paging of the mobile station;

upon receipt of the location update message, updating by the centralized database, the dormant state information for the mobile station and transmitting, by the source BSC, to the target BSC, a packet call connection message requesting connection of the packet data so as to connect the target BSC to the source BSC; and

transmitting by the centralized database to the target BSC a location update result message indicating complete update of the dormant state information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dormant state information includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, location information of the mobile station, a last registration time of the mobile station, and a source BSC ID of the mobile station.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dormant state information includes IDs for connections used to exchange packet data of the mobile station in the dormant state, a temporary ID assigned to the mobile station, a service option and service configuration.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location update message includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, and location information of the mobile station.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the location information of the mobile station is an ID of the target BSC.

6. A method for reconnecting an exchange of packet data between a mobile station and an external packet network by storing dormant state information of mobile stations in a dormant state where no packet data is exchanged with the external packet network, in a centralized database connected to a packet data switch, and updating the dormant state information stored in the centralized database in association with the mobile station when the mobile station in the dormant state moves to a target Base Station Controller (BSC) adjacent to a source BSC in a wireless packet data system including a Packet Data Switch Node (PDSN) for connecting the external packet network to the mobile stations through the packet data switch and the source BSC connected to the packet data switch, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the target BSC, from the mobile station an origination message for requesting transmission of packet data;

upon receipt of the origination message, transmitting, by the target BSC, to the centralized database a dormant state information request message for requesting dormant information;

upon receipt of the dormant state information request message, searching by the centralized database, dormant state information stored in association with the mobile station and transmitting the searched dormant state information using a search result message to the target BSC; and

upon receipt of the search result message, transmitting, by the target BSC, to the source BSC, a packet call connection message for requesting reconnection of the packet call and thus connecting the source BSC to the target BSC through the packet data switch;

monitoring, by the source BSC, whether the mobile station transits to a suspended state or the dormant state, while the mobile station uses a packet communication service;

if the mobile station is transition to the suspended state or the dormant state, releasing, by the source BSC, a channel, which is currently assigned to the mobile station, by transmitting a channel release message to the mobile station;

transmitting, by the source BSC, to the centralized database, an update request message for updating the dormant state information; and

updating, by the centralized database, the dormant state information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the dormant state information includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, location information of the mobile station, a last registration time of the mobile station, and a source BSC ID of the mobile station.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the dormant state information includes IDs for connections used to exchange packet data of the mobile station in the dormant state, a temporary ID assigned to the mobile station, a service option and service configuration.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the dormant state information request message includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, and an ID of the target BSC.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the search result message includes an IDentifier (ID) of the source BSC.

11. A method for storing dormant state information of mobile stations in a dormant state where no packet data is exchanged with an external packet network, in a centralized database connected to a packet data switch, and updating the dormant state information stored in the centralized database in association with the mobile station when the mobile station in the dormant state moves to a target Base Station Controller (BSC) adjacent to a source BSC in a wireless packet data system including a Packet Data Switch Node (PDSN) for connecting the external packet network to the mobile stations through the packet data switch and the source BSC connected to the packet data switch, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the target BSC a location registration message when the mobile station moves to the target BSC adjacent to the source BSC;

upon receipt of the location registration message, transmitting from the target BSC to the centralized database a location update message for updating a location of the mobile station, and transmitting, from the source BSC to the target BSC where the mobile station is located, a paging request message for requesting paging of the mobile station;

upon receipt of the location update message, transmitting from the centralized database to the PDSN a location information update request message for requesting designation of the target BSC as a source BSC and transmitting, from the source BSC to the target BSC, a packet call connection message requesting connection of the packet data, so as to connect the target BSC to the source BSC;

upon receipt of the location information update request message, designating by the PDSN the target BSC as a new source BSC and transmitting an acknowledge message to the centralized database; and

upon receipt of the acknowledge message, updating by the centralized database the dormant state information for the mobile station by the centralized database and transmitting a location update result message indicating complete update of the dormant state information to the target BSC.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the dormant state information includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, location information of the mobile station, a last registration time of the mobile station, and a source BSC ID of the mobile station.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the dormant state information includes IDs for connections used to exchange packet data of the mobile station in the dormant state, a temporary ID assigned to the mobile station, a service option and service configuration.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location update message includes an ID of the mobile station, and location information of the mobile station.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the location information of the mobile station is an ID of the target BSC.

16. A method for reconnecting an exchange of packet data between a mobile station and an external packet network by storing dormant state information of mobile stations in a dormant state where no packet data is exchanged with the external packet network, in a centralized database connected to a packet data switch, and updating the dormant state information stored in the centralized database in association with the mobile station when the mobile station in the dormant state moves to a target Base Station Controller (BSC) adjacent to a source BSC in a wireless packet data system including Packet Data Switch Node (PDSN) for connecting the external packet network to the mobile stations through the packet data switch and the source BSC connected to the packet data switch, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by the mobile station, to the target BSC an origination message for requesting transmission of packet data;

upon receipt of the origination message, transmitting, by the target BSC, to the centralized database a dormant information request message for requesting dormant information;

upon receipt of the dormant information request message, searching, by the centralized database, dormant state information stored in association with the mobile station, and transmitting the searched dormant state information to the target BSC using a search result message; and

upon receipt of the search result message, connecting, by the target BSC, the mobile station to the PDSN through the packet data switch based on the dormant state information included in the search result message,

monitoring, by the source BSC, whether the mobile station transits to a suspended state or the dormant state, while the mobile station uses a packet communication service;

if the mobile station is transited to the suspended state or the dormant state, releasing, by the source BSC, a currently assigned channel by transmitting a channel release message to the mobile station;

transmitting, by the source BSC, to the centralized database, an update request message for updating the dormant state information; and

updating, by the centralized database, the dormant state information.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the dormant state information includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, location information of the mobile station, a last registration time of the mobile station, and a source BSC ID of the mobile station.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the dormant state information includes IDs for connections used to exchange packet data of the mobile station in the dormant state, a temporary ID assigned to the mobile station, a service option and service configuration.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the dormant state information request message includes an IDentifier (ID) of the mobile station, and an ID of the target BSC.