Mobile device redirecting technology

• US 8,938,236 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• 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: Uno, Nobukazu, Kanauchi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US13/520,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-445, 370/331, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• 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

Even when the mobile terminal (UE) redirected from the UMTS cell to the LTE cell by the redirecting technology cannot start the communication with the LTE system, the communication with the UMTS system can be started. A mobile terminal (UE) according to the present invention is instructed to be redirected from a UMTS cell to an LTE cell by a radio control apparatus (RNC), in an overlapped area between the UMTS cell in which communication with a UMTS system is available and the LTE cell in which communication with an LTE system is available, by transmitting a connection request signal including an LTE supported identifier for indicating that the LTE system is supported to the radio control apparatus (RNC) of the UMTS system. Moreover, the mobile terminal (UE) includes a connection setting process unit which executes a connection setting process with the radio control apparatus (RNC) while being turned into a state of not supporting the LTE system, when receiving a location registration failure signal for indicating that location registration to the tracking area of the LTE system is ended in failure.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal instructed to be redirected from a first cell to a second cell by a first wireless access apparatus, in an overlapped area between the first cell in which communication with a first system is available and the second cell in which communication with a second system is available, by transmitting a connection request signal including a supported identifier for indicating that the second system is supported to the first wireless access apparatus of the first system, the mobile terminal comprising:

a connection setting processor that transmits a connection request signal not including the supported identifier to the first wireless access apparatus when receiving a location registration failure signal for indicating that location registration to the second location registered area of the second system is ended in failure, and transmits a connection setting completion signal including a not-supported identifier which indicates not supporting the second system and a handover not-supported identifier which indicates not supporting a handover between systems from the first system to the second system to the first wireless access apparatus, after setting a connection with the first wireless access apparatus in response to the connection setting signal received from the first wireless access apparatus, so as to execute a connection setting process with the first wireless access apparatus while being turned into a state of not supporting the second system.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein when other public land mobile networks (PLMN) are selected, or when an electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned ON, the connection setting processor executes the connection setting process while being turned into a state of supporting the second system.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein the connection setting processor transmits a connection request signal including the supported identifier to the first wireless access apparatus, and thereby the connection setting process is executed while being turned into the state of supporting the second system.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores a supporting state identifier for indicating to be turned into the state of supporting the second system when an electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned OFF, wherein the connection setting processor executes the connection setting process while being turned into the state of supporting the second system, in response to the supporting state identifier stored in the storage unit, when the electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned ON.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a location registration process unit that transmits a location registration request signal not including associated information which indicates that the second system is supported to a switching apparatus of the first system when the location registration failure signal is received, and thereby a location registration process to a first location registered area of the first system is executed while being turned into the state of not supporting the second system.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein the location registration process unit transmits the location registration request signal including the associated information to the switching apparatus of the first system when other public land mobile networks (PLMN) are selected, or when an electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned ON, and thereby the location registration process is executed while being turned into the state of supporting the second system.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a storage unit that stores a supporting state identifier for indicating to be turned into the state of supporting the second system when the electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned OFF, wherein the location registration process unit transmits the location registration request signal including the associated information to the switching apparatus of the first system in response to the supporting state identifier stored in the storage unit, when the electronic power supply of the mobile terminal is turned ON, and thereby the location registration process is executed while being turned into the state of supporting the second system.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the location registration failure signal indicates that the location registration to the second location registered area is ended in failure because there is no suitable second cell in the second location registered area.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the second system provides communications service different from communications service provided by the first system,

the mobile terminal includes a function in which communication is available in any one of the first system and the second system, and

the connection setting processor:

transmits the connection request signal including the supported identifier as a first connection request signal to the first wireless access apparatus,

receives an instruction to redirect from the first cell to the second cell, from the first wireless access apparatus in response to the first connection request signal,

transmits, in response to the instruction, a location registration request signal to a second wireless access apparatus of the second system,

receives the location registration failure signal from the second wireless access apparatus in response to the location registration request signal,

transmits, in response to the location registration failure signal, the connection request signal not including the supported identifier as a second connection request signal to the first wireless access apparatus, and

requests the first wireless access apparatus to perform location registration of the mobile terminal after transmitting the connection setting completion signal.

10. A mobile communication method, wherein a mobile terminal is instructed to be redirected from a first cell to a second cell by a first wireless access apparatus, in an overlapped area between the first cell in which communication with a first system is available and the second cell in which communication with a second system is available, by transmitting a connection request signal including a supported identifier for indicating that the second system is supported from the mobile terminal to the first wireless access apparatus of the first system, the mobile communication method comprising:

transmitting a connection request signal not including the supported identifier to the first wireless access apparatus when receiving a location registration failure signal for indicating that location registration to the second location registered area of the second system is ended in failure; and

transmitting a connection setting completion signal including a not-supported identifier which indicates not supporting the second system and a handover not-supported identifier which indicates not supporting a handover between systems from the first system to the second system to the first wireless access apparatus, after setting a connection with the first wireless access apparatus in response to the connection setting signal received from the first wireless access apparatus, so as to execute a connection setting process with the first wireless access apparatus while being turned into a state of not supporting the second system.