Telecommunications networks

• US 8,457,659 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group Services Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group Services Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Pudney, Christopher David
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/087,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20090221304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/515, 455/452.1, 455/458, 455/422.1, 370/335, 370/337, 370/347, 370/332, 370/342, 370/331, 370/338, 370/311, 370/380, 370/348
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A telecommunication system includes a first radio access technology having a first radio access network and a first network core operable to page a mobile terminal via at least one element of the first radio access technology. The telecommunications system also includes a second radio access technology having a second radio access network and a second network core operable to page said mobile terminal via at least one element of the second radio access technology. Each of these elements may receive the page from its radio access technology, determine whether the mobile terminal is registered with that radio access technology and notify its core network if the mobile terminal is not registered. The core network may cause the mobile terminal to be paged in the other radio access technology. Different timer periods for idle timers at mobile terminal and eNodeB may avoid possible loss of mobile terminating data.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network system, comprising:

a first radio access technology including a first radio access network and a first network core;

a second radio access technology including a second radio access network and a second network core, wherein the first network core and the second network core are operable to page a mobile terminal, wherein at least one element of the telecommunications network system is operable to receive mobile terminating data from the radio access networks and to determine whether the mobile terminating data can be delivered to the mobile terminal, wherein said at least one element is operable to instruct at least one of the network cores to page the mobile terminal if the mobile terminating data cannot be delivered to the mobile terminal, wherein the at least one element receives the mobile terminating data from a particular one of the radio access technologies, determines whether said mobile terminal is camped with the particular one of the radio access technologies and notifies the at least one of the network cores if the mobile terminal is not camped with the particular one of the radio access technologies, wherein the mobile terminal has an active state in which a cell occupied by the mobile terminal is known and an idle or inactive state when the cell occupied by the mobile terminal is not known but in which a last area known to be occupied by the mobile terminal is recorded, and wherein the state of the mobile terminal determines signaling performance when the mobile terminal moves from one of the radio access technologies to the other of the radio access technologies.

2. The network system of claim 1, wherein said at least one element is part of at least one of the radio access networks.

3. The network system of claim 1, wherein said at least one element includes at least one of:

an SGSN, an RNC, a base transceiver station and eNodeB.

4. The network system of claim 1, wherein the at least one element includes a first element of the first radio access technology and a second element of the second radio access technology.

5. The network system of claim 1, wherein said first network core and said second network core include at least one common element.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein said common element comprises a mobility management element.

7. The network system of claim 1, wherein the first radio access network is divided into a plurality of first areas and the second radio access network is divided into a plurality of second areas, and wherein the first areas are different from the second areas.

8. The network system of claim 7, wherein the first radio access network is divided into a plurality of first cells, each served by a respective base station, and said second radio access network is divided into a plurality of second cells, each served by a respective base station, said first cells being smaller than said first areas and said second cells being smaller than said second areas.

9. The network system of claim 8, wherein said base stations each comprise at least one of:

a base transceiver station, Node B and eNodeB.

10. The network system of claim 1, wherein when the mobile terminal is in the idle or inactive state no signaling from the mobile terminal to the core network is performed when the mobile terminal moves from one of the radio access technologies to the other of the radio access technologies.

11. A method of operating a telecommunications network system having a first radio access technology including a first radio access network and a first network core and a having a second radio access technology including a second radio access network and a second network core, the first network core and the second network core being operable to page a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving at least one element of the telecommunications network mobile terminating data from at least one of the radio access networks;

determining whether the mobile terminating data can be delivered to the mobile terminal; and

instructing at least one of the network cores, via said at least one element, to page the mobile terminal if the mobile terminating data cannot be delivered to the mobile terminal, wherein the at least one element receives the mobile terminating data from a particular one of the radio access technologies, determines whether said mobile terminal is camped with the particular one of the radio access technologies and notifies the at least one of the network cores if the mobile terminal is not camped with the particular one of the radio access technologies, wherein the state of the mobile terminal determines signaling performance when the mobile terminal moves from one of the radio access technologies to the other of the radio access technologies.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one element is part of at least one of the radio access networks.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one element includes at least one of:

an SGSN, an RNC, a base transceiver station and eNodeB.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one element includes a first element of the first radio access technology and a second element of the second radio access technology.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first radio access network is divided into a plurality of first areas and the second radio access network is divided into a plurality of second areas, and wherein the first areas are different from the second areas.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first radio access network is divided into a plurality of first cells, each served by a respective base station, and said second radio access network is divided into a plurality of second cells, each served by a respective base station, said first cells being smaller than said first areas and said second cells being smaller than said second areas.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said base stations each comprise at least one of:

a base transceiver station, Node B and eNodeB.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein when the mobile terminal is in the idle or inactive state no signaling from the mobile terminal to the core network is performed when the mobile terminal moves from one of the radio access technologies to the other of the radio access technologies.