Access network selection method

• US 8,331,979 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hamano, Yuichiro, Aikawa, Shinichiro, Noda, Akishige
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/531,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 172 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/422.1, 455/426.1
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

An access network selection method in a communications network having access networks is disclosed that includes notifying devices in calling-side and called-side networks of the identifiers of currently available access networks and user preferences; making a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal, and transmitting the list to the device in the calling-side network; determining an access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal in response to reception of the list, and notifying the calling-side terminal of the determined access network; notifying the device in the called-side network of the type of the access network assigned to the calling-side terminal; and determining the access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal in response to reception of the signal of the type of the access network assigned to the calling-side terminal, and notifying the called-side terminal of the determined access network.

Claims

1. An access network selection method in a communications network where multiple operators have respective networks and each of the networks includes multiple access networks, the access network selection method comprising:

transmitting a signal of a call originating request including a service type to a called-side terminal by a calling-side terminal;

selecting a visited network available to the called-side terminal among the networks managed by the different operators in accordance with the service type, including the selection result in the call originating request, and transmitting the call originating request to the called-side terminal by a home network of the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

notifying a device in the called-side visited network of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks in the selected visited network and a user preference by the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

transmitting a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal to a device in a calling-side network by the device in the called-side visited network;

selecting one of multiple visited networks available to the calling-side terminal in accordance with the service type and notifying the calling-side terminal of the selection result by a home network of the calling-side terminal having received the list;

notifying a device in the calling-side visited network of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks in the selected one of the visited networks and a user preference by the calling-side terminal having received the selection result;

determining an access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal and notifying a called-side network of the determined access network by the device in the calling-side visited network;

determining the access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal and notifying the called-side terminal of the determined access network by the device in the called-side visited network;

notifying the calling-side terminal of the access network assigned to the called-side terminal by one of the called-side terminal and the device in the called-side visited network;

determining the access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal and notifying the calling-side terminal of the determined access network by the device in the calling-side visited network; and

notifying the called-side terminal of a type of the access network assigned to the calling-side terminal by one of the calling-side terminal and the device in the calling-side visited network.

2. The access network selection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access networks have identifiers serving as addresses for transferring user data in the access networks.

3. The access network selection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access networks have identifiers including information different from addresses for transferring user data in the access networks.

4. An access network selection method in a communications network where multiple operators have respective networks and each of the networks includes multiple access networks, the access network selection method comprising:

transmitting a signal of a call originating request including a service type to a called-side terminal by a calling-side terminal;

transmitting the signal of the call originating request to the called-side terminal from multiple visited networks available to the called-side terminal among the networks managed by the different operators by a home network of the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

notifying each of devices in the corresponding called-side visited networks of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks with respect to each of the visited networks and a user preference by the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

transmitting a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal to a home network of the called-side terminal by each of the devices in the called-side visited networks;

creating a list of multiple access networks available to the called-side terminal based on the lists and transmitting the list to a home network of the calling-side terminal by the home network of the called-side terminal;

transmitting the list to the calling-side terminal through multiple visited networks available to the calling-side terminal by the home network of the calling-side terminal having received the list;

notifying each of devices in the corresponding calling-side visited networks of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks with respect to each of the visited networks and a user preference by the calling-side terminal having received the list;

transmitting a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal to the home network of the calling-side terminal by each of the devices in the calling-side visited networks;

creating a list of multiple access networks available to the calling-side terminal based on the lists and transmitting the list to the home network of the called-side terminal by the home network of the calling-side terminal;

selecting a visited network to be assigned to the called-side terminal and notifying the selected visited network of the selection by the home network of the called-side terminal;

determining the access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal and notifying the called-side terminal of the determined access network by the device in the called-side visited network;

notifying the calling-side terminal of the access network assigned to the called-side terminal by one of the called-side terminal and the device in the called-side visited network;

selecting a visited network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal and notifying the selected visited network of the selection by the home network of the calling-side terminal;

determining the access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal and notifying the calling-side terminal of the determined access network by the device in the calling-side visited network; and

notifying the called-side terminal of a type of the access network assigned to the calling-side terminal by one of the calling-side terminal and the device in the calling-side visited network.

5. An access network selection method in a communications network where multiple operators have respective networks and each of the networks includes multiple access networks, the access network selection method comprising:

transmitting a signal of a call originating request including a service type to a called-side terminal by a calling-side terminal;

transmitting the signal of the call originating request to the called-side terminal through one or more visited networks available to the called-side terminal among the networks managed by the different operators by a home network of the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

notifying each of devices in the corresponding called-side visited networks of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks with respect to each of the visited networks and a user preference by the called-side terminal having received the call originating request;

transmitting a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal to the home network of the called-side terminal by each of the devices in the called-side visited networks;

creating a list of multiple access networks available to the called-side terminal based on the lists and transmitting the list to a home network of the calling-side terminal by the home network of the called-side terminal;

transmitting the list to the calling-side terminal through multiple visited networks available to the calling-side terminal by the home network of the calling-side terminal;

notifying each of devices in the corresponding calling-side visited networks of an identifier of an available one or more of the access networks with respect to each of the visited networks and a user preference by the calling-side terminal;

transmitting a list of candidates for an access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal to the home network of the calling-side terminal by each of the devices in the calling-side visited networks;

creating a list of multiple access networks available to the calling-side terminal based on the lists and transmitting the list to the home network of the called-side terminal by the home network of the calling-side terminal;

selecting a visited network and the access network to be assigned to the called-side terminal and notifying the called-side terminal of the selected visited network and access network by the home network of the called-side terminal;

notifying the calling-side terminal of the access network assigned to the called-side terminal by one of the called-side terminal and the device in the called-side visited network;

selecting a visited network and the access network to be assigned to the calling-side terminal and notifying the calling-side terminal of the selected visited network and access network by the home network of the calling-side terminal; and

notifying the called-side terminal of the access network assigned to the calling-side terminal by one of the calling-side terminal and the device in the calling-side visited network.