Mobile communication system

• US 9,713,068 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kakehi, Yuji, Nakazawa, Masayuki, Suemitsu, Taisei, Maeda, Miho, Mochizuki, Mitsuru, Iwane, Yasushi, Saegusa, Taiga
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US13/127,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,822 Days
• Field of Search: 370329, 370337, 370347, 455434, 455411, 4554352, 455436, 455524
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• 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: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A closed subscriber group (CSG) cell is a cell that allows use of subscribers. In order to receive the service by the CSG cell, a CSG-ID is required to be notified to a user equipment, which cannot be obtained in a situation outside the reach of radio waves from a non-CSG cell. In a mobile communication system including base stations respectively provided to a CSG cell and a non-CSG cell in which access is made to the CSG cell with the use of a CSG-ID issued in a case where use of the CSG cell is allowed, the base station provided in the CSG cell refers to the notified identification information of a user equipment and then transmits a tracking area update request from the user equipment to a core network, and the core network determines whether the user equipment is allowed to use the CSG cell and, in the case where the use is allowed, transmits a signal for allowing assignment of radio resources to the user equipment and the CSG-ID. The user equipment accesses the CSG cell with the use of the CSG-ID.

Claims

1. A communication method performed in a mobile communication system which comprises user equipments, base stations provided to cells for specific subscribers that are accessible by said user equipments and a radio network controller managing an access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers and a tracking area for tracking a location of said user equipments, the method comprising:

requesting an update of said tracking area from said user equipments to said radio network controller through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments;

checking, in response to the requesting of the update of said tracking area, in said radio network controller whether access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed;

accepting said update of said tracking area from said radio network controller to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments in a case where access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed;

adding said cells for specific subscribers by said user equipments to a list of cells for specific subscribers authorized to access in a case where said user equipments area accepted to update said tracking area;

signaling that said update of said tracking area from said radio network controller to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments is accepted; and

receiving, at said user equipments, a signal indicating that said radio network controller accepted said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from said radio network controller to said base stations, a notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments; and

receiving, at said user equipments from said base stations, said notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments in a case where said user equipments are accepted to update said tracking area, wherein

the adding of said cells for specific subscribers by said user equipments to said list of cells for specific subscribers authorized to access includes adding cells from the notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments.

2. A mobile communication system comprising:

user equipments;

base stations provided to cells for specific subscribers that are accessible by said user equipments; and

a radio network controller managing an access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers and a tracking area for tracking a location of said user equipments, wherein

said user equipments comprise units configured to;

request an update of said tracking area to said radio network controller through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments,

receive a signal indicating that said radio network controller accepted said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments, and

add said cells for specific subscribers to which said base stations manually selected by said user equipments are provided, to a list of cells for specific subscribers authorized to access in a case where an update of said tracking area is accepted by said radio network controller, and

said radio network controller comprises units configured to;

check, in response to the request of the update of said tracking area, whether access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed,

accept said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments in a case where access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed, and

signal that said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments is accepted.

6. The mobile communication system according to claim 2, wherein

said user equipments are further configured to

receive, from said base stations, a notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments in a case where said user equipments are accepted to update said tracking area, wherein

said cells for specific subscribers added to said list of said cells for specific subscribers authorized to access includes cells from said notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments, and

said radio network controller is further configured to

send, to said base stations, said notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments.

3. User equipments in a mobile communication system comprising user equipments, base stations provided to cells for specific subscribers that are accessible by said user equipments, a radio network controller managing an access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers, and a tracking area for tracking a location of said user equipments, the user equipments comprising units configured to:

request an update of said tracking area to said radio network controller through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments;

add said cells for specific subscribers to which said base stations are provided to a list of cells for specific subscribers authorized to access in response to said update of said tracking area being accepted by said radio network controller; and

receive a signal indicating that said radio network controller accepted said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments.

7. The user equipments according to claim 3, wherein said units are further configured to:

receive, from said base stations, a notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments in a case where said user equipments are accepted to update said tracking area, wherein

said cells for specific subscribers added to said list of cells for specific subscribers authorized to access includes cells from said notification of said cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments.

4. A radio network controller in a mobile communication system comprising user equipments, base stations provided to cells for specific subscribers that are accessible by said user equipments, a radio network controller managing an access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers, and a tracking area for tracking a location of said user equipments, the radio network controller comprising units configured to:

check, in response to a request of an update of said tracking area, whether access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed;

accept the update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments in a case where access made by said user equipments to said cells for specific subscribers is allowed; and

signal that said update of said tracking area to said user equipments through said base stations manually selected by said user equipments is accepted.

8. The radio network controller according to claim 4, wherein said radio network controller is further configured to send, to said base stations, a notification of cells for specific subscribers that are authorized to be accessed by said user equipments.