Method and system for mobile communications

• US 8,259,675 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• 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: Tamura, Motoshi, Miki, Mutsumaru, Okamoto, Akiko, Kusunose, Kenya, Uchikoshi, Akihiro, Igarashi, Daisuke, Yamagata, Katsuhiko, Sato, Takaaki, Hagiwara, Junichiro, Watanabe, Yasuyuki, Hamajima, Takuya, Hata, Masafumi, Ishikawa, Nobutaka, Yasuda, Yoshiyuki, Yunoki, Kazufumi, Uchiyama, Nobuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEUNG, MANG HANG
• Application Number:
  US12/365,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20090141687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 455436-442
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

When a network pages the temporary user mobile identifier of a mobile station, the mobile station sends a response to the network. Next, the network checks the authenticity of the user using a ciphering key, corresponding to the temporary user mobile identifier and a random number. If the temporary user mobile identifier is authenticated, a normal incoming call acceptance procedure is executed. If the mobile station is authenticated although the temporary user mobile identifier is wrong, the network reassigns a new temporary user mobile identifier to the mobile station and stops the current communication. In communication, the network and the mobile station mutually notify encipherment-onset time and negotiate about encipherment manner with each other. In addition, diversity handover is commenced upon a call attempt. Furthermore, if a branch replacement is necessary, the current branch is replaced by new branches capable of executing the diversity handover. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, the mobile station uses the same branch structure and the same communication frequency band for all of calls. Additionally, when a new call occurs to or from the mobile station capable of treating a plurality of calls simultaneously, a branch structure and a communication frequency band, which can continue all of the calls, are selected and used. Therefore, the mobile communications system is suitable for transmission of various sorts of data in accordance with the development of multimedia.

Claims

1. A method performed in a mobile station capable of processing multiple calls simultaneously in progress, the method comprising computer executable steps executed by a processor of the mobile station to implement:

processing a first call and a second call being simultaneously in progress via a first branch structure assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress, wherein the first branch structure includes a first branch between the mobile station and a first base station;

responsive to a diversity handover request, determining whether both the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via a second branch structure having a new branch not included in the first branch structure and using a single frequency band for both the first and second calls;

if it is determined that both the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch structure, proceeding to handover both the first and second calls from the first branch structure to the second branch structure, wherein the second branch structure is assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress; and

if it is determined that both the first and second call cannot continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch structure, dropping one of the first and second calls having lower priority and proceeding to handover the other of the first and second calls having higher priority from the first branch structure to the second branch structure,

wherein the second branch structure includes a second branch between the mobile station and a second base station, and the second branch structure includes a second branch between the mobile station and a second base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first branch structure includes a third branch between the mobile station and a third base station.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the single frequency band of the second branch structure is identical with a frequency band of the first branch structure.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the single frequency band of the second branch structure is different from a frequency band of the first branch structure, and

the method further comprises, after the second branch structure is established, releasing the first branch structure.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recognizing an idle capacity of the second base station, wherein the priority is determined on the basis of the recognized idle capacity.

6. A mobile station capable of processing multiple calls simultaneously in progress, comprising a processor and a memory that stores programs executable by the processor to:

process a first call and a second call being simultaneously in progress via a first branch structure assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress;

responsive to a diversity handover request, determine whether the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via a second branch structure having a new branch not included in the first branch strucutre and using a single frequency band for both the first and second calls;

if it is determined that both the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch strucutre, proceed to handover both the first and second calls from the first branch structure to the second branch structure, wherein the second branch structure is assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress; and

if it is determined that both the first and second calls cannot continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch structure, drop one of the first call and the second call having lower priority and proceed to handover the other of the first and second calls having higher priority,

wherein the first branch structure includes a first branch between the mobile station and a first base station, and the second branch structure includes a second branch between the mobile station and a second base station.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the first branch structure includes a third branch between the mobile station and a third base station.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the single frequency band of the second branch structure is identical with a frequency band of the first branch structure.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the single frequency band of the second branch structure is different from a frequency band of the first branch structure, and

after the second branch structure is established, the first branch structure is released.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein an idle capacity of the second base station is recognized, wherein the priority is determined on the basis of the recognized idle capacity.

11. A base station controller for routing first and second calls being simultaneously in progress to a mobile station, comprising a processor and a memory that stores programs executable by the processor to:

establish a first branch structure assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress in one frequency band;

responsive to a diversity handover request, determine whether the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via a second branch structure having a new branch not included in the first branch structure and using a single frequency band for both the first and second calls;

if it is determined that both the first and second calls can continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch structure, proceed to handover both the first and second calls from the first branch structure to the second branch structure, wherein the second branch structure is assigned commonly to the first and second calls being simultaneously in progress; and

if it is determined that both the first and second calls cannot continue simultaneously in progress via the second branch structure, drop one of the first and second calls having lower priority and proceed to handover the other of the first and second calls having higher priority from the first branch structure to the second branch structure,

wherein the first branch structure includes a first branch between the mobile station and a first base station, and the second branch structure includes a second branch between the mobile station and a second base station.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the first branch structure includes a third branch between the mobile station and a third base station.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the single frequency band of the second branch structure is identical with a frequency band of the first branch structure.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the single frequency band of the second branch structure is different from a frequency band of the first branch structure, and after the second branch structure is established, the first branch structure is released.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein an idle capacity of the second base station is recognized, wherein the priority is determined on the basis of the recognized idle capacity.