Packet data transfer in a cellular radio system

• US 5,502,721 A
• Filed: 04/14/1994
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pohjakallio, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/211,746
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 370/95.3, 370/95.1, 370/95.2, 370/99, 370/105.2, 370/110.1, 370/32, 370/29, 370/24, 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/68.1, 370/85.7, 370/94.1, 370/85.8, 370/94.2, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/33.1, 455/34.1, 455/53.1, 455/57.1, 455/67.1, 455/68, 455/89, 455/95, 455/105, 340/825.03, 379/57, 379/58, 379/63
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Packet data transfer in a digital cellular radio system including at least one common organization channel for sending pages, connection requests, and channel assignments so as to establish an actual connection on another channel. User data is transferred from the mobile stations to the base station interleaved with the connection request messages on at least one random-access-type organization channel in messages which will not result in a normal connection establishment. The mobile station sends a random-access-type packet data transfer request on the random-access-type organization channel. A timing advance corresponding to the distance between the base station and the mobile station is determined on the basis of the request received at the base station. The mobile station then utilizes the timing advance for sending data packets on the random-access-type organization channel in messages longer than the transfer request by timing the transfer of the messages with respect to the operation of the base station.

Claims

1. Method for the transfer of user data in packet format in a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations and mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations comprising at least one organization channel shared by all of the mobile radio stations for sending pages from the respective base station to the mobile stations, for sending connection requests from the mobile stations to the respective base station, and for sending channel assignments to the mobile stations so as to establish an actual circuit-switched connection on another channel, comprising the steps of:

sending a random-access-type packet data transfer request on the random-access-type organization channel from one of said mobile stations to the respective base station, said packet data transfer request having a first duration;

detecting the time of sending the random-access-type transfer request on the basis of the packet data transfer request received at the respective base station;

determining a timing advance corresponding to the distance between the respective base station and said one mobile station on the basis of said detected time;

sending the determined timing advance information to said one mobile station;

transferring user data to the respective base station interleaved with the connection request messages from said one mobile station on said at least one random-access-type organization channel in data messages which will not result in a normal circuit-switched Connection establishment, said messages having a second duration which is longer than said first duration;

timing the transfer of the data messages with respect to the operation of the respective base station by means of the timing advance information.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one organization channel of the respective base station comprises a first control channel for sending pages from the respective base station to said mobile stations;

a second control channel for sending connection request messages from said mobile stations to the respective base station; and

a third control channel for sending acknowledgement messages from the respective base station to said mobile radio stations.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the transfer of packet data from said one mobile station to the respective base station comprises:

a) sending a message containing user data on the second control channel to the respective base station;

b) sending a response message as an acknowledgement on the third control channel to said one mobile station; and

c) repeating steps a) and b) for each data packet to be transferred.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the transfer of packet data from said one mobile station to the respective base station comprises:

sending a packet data transfer request from said one mobile station to the respective base station on said second control channel;

allocating a service number identifying said one mobile station in response to the transfer request;

sending the service number in a response message from the respective base station to said one mobile station on said third control channel;

sending data packets containing user data and said service number from said one mobile station to the respective base station on said second control channel; and

identifying data packets received from said one mobile station and routing the packets on the basis of said service number.

5. Method according to claim 1, further comprising:

interleaving the user data with the control messages.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the transfer of packet data from the respective base station to said one mobile radio station comprises:

a) sending a packet message containing user data on the first control channel to said one mobile radio station;

b) sending a response message as an acknowledgement on the second control channel to the respective base station; and

c) repeating steps a) and b) for each data packet to be transferred.

7. Method according to claim 2, wherein the cellular radio system is a digital GSM mobile radio system;

and that the first control channel is a Paging channel, the second control channel is a Random Access channel; and

the third control channel is an Access Grant channel.

8. Mobile station for a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations for communication with mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations comprising at least one organization channel shared by all of the mobile radio stations for sending pages from the respective base station to the mobile stations, for sending connection requests from the mobile stations to the respective base station, and for sending channel assignments to the mobile stations so as to establish an actual circuit-switched connection on another channel wherein each said mobile station comprises:

means for sending a random-access-type packet data transfer request on a random-access-type organization channel, said data transfer request having a first length;

means for receiving a timing advance corresponding to the distance between the respective mobile station and the respective base station from the respective base station;

means for transferring user data in packet format interleaved with connection request messages to the respective base station on at least one random-access-type organization channel in data messages having a second length higher than said data transfer request and not resulting in a normal circuit-switched connection establishment; and

means for timing the transmission of said data messages with respect to the operation of the respective base station by means of the timing advance information.

9. A data communication method in a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations and mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations having at least one organization channel shared by all of the mobile stations, for control signalling from the base stations to the mobile stations and for sending random-access connection request messages from mobile stations to the respective base station so as to establish a circuit-switched connection on another channel, comprising the steps of:

sending a random-access packet data transfer request message on said at least one organization channel by one said mobile radio station, which data request message will not result in a normal circuit-switched connection establishment and has a duration which is substantially shorter than a maximum allowed message duration;

receiving said data transfer request message at the respective base station;

determining a timing advance value corresponding to a distance between said one mobile station and the respective base station on the basis of the received data transfer request message;

sending the determined timing advance value to said one mobile station;

sending user data from said one mobile station to the respective base station on said at least one organization channel in data messages having a duration which is substantially equal to said maximum allowed message duration;

timing the sending of the data messages according to the determined timing advance value.

10. A data communication method in a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations and mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations having a first control channel for control signalling from the base stations to the mobile stations, and a second random-access control channel for sending random-access connection request messages from the mobile stations to the respective base station so as to establish a circuit-switched connection on another channel, comprising the steps of:

a) sending a random-access packet data transfer request message on said second random-access control channel by one said mobile radio station, which data transfer request message will not result in a normal circuit-switched connection establishment and has a duration which is substantially shorter than a maximum allowed message duration;

b) receiving said data transfer request message at the respective base station;

c) determining a timing advance value corresponding to a distance between said one mobile station and the respective base station on the basis of the received data transfer request message;

d) sending the determined timing advance value to said one mobile station on said first control channel;

e) sending user data from said one mobile station to the respective base station on said second random-access control channel in data message having a duration which is substantially equal to said maximum allowed message duration;

f) timing the sending of the data message according to the determined timing advance value;

g) receiving said data message at the respective base station;

h) sending an acknowledgement message to said one mobile radio station on said first control channel; and

i) repeating steps e), f), g) and h) for each data packet to be transferred.

11. A digital cellular radio system comprising:

a plurality of mobile stations;

a plurality of base stations, each one of said base stations having at least one organization channel shared by all of said mobile stations, for control signalling from the base stations to the mobile stations for sending random-access connection request messages from the mobile stations to the respective base station so as to establish a circuit-switched connection on another channel;

at least one of the mobile stations being provided with a capability of sending a random-access packet data transfer request message on said at least one organization channel, which data transfer request message will not result in a normal circuit-switched connection establishment and has a duration which is substantially shorter than a maximum allowed message duration;

one of said base stations being responsive to the reception of said data transfer request message for determining a timing advance value corresponding to a distance between said at least one mobile station and said one base station on the basis of the received data transfer request message, and sending the determined timing advance value to said at least one mobile station;

said at least one mobile station being responsive to reception of said timing advance value for sending user data from the respective said mobile station to the respective said base station on said at least one organization channel in data messages having a duration which is substantially equal to said maximum allowed message duration, and timing the sending of the data messages according to the determined timing advance value.

12. A digital cellular radio system comprising:

mobile radio stations;

base stations, each one of the base stations having a first control channel for control signalling from the base stations to the mobile stations, and a second random-access control channel for sending random-access connection request messages from mobile stations to the respective said base station so as to establish a circuit-switched connection on another channel;

at least one of the mobile stations being provided with a capability of sending a random-access packet data transfer request message on said second random access control channel, said data transfer request message having a duration which is substantially shorter than a maximum allowed message duration;

the respective base station being responsive to reception of said data transfer request message for determining a timing advance value corresponding to a distance between said at least one mobile station and said respective base station on the basis of the received data transfer request message, and sending the determined timing advance value to said at least one mobile station on said first control channel;

said at least one mobile station being responsive to reception of said timing advance value for sending user data from the respective said mobile station to the respective said base station on said second random-access control channel in data message having a duration which is substantially equal to said maximum allowed message duration, and timing the sending of the data message according to the determined timing advance value;

the respective base station being responsive to reception of said data message for sending an acknowledgement message to the respective said mobile radio station on said first control channel.

13. A mobile station for a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations and mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations having a first control channel for control signalling from the base stations to the mobile stations, and a second random-access control channel for sending random-access connection request messages from mobile stations to the respective base station so as to establish a circuit-switched connection on another channel, said mobile station comprising:

a transmitter for sending a random-access packet data transfer request message on said second random-access control channel by one said mobile radio station, which data transfer request message will not result in a normal circuit-switched connection establishment and has a duration which is substantially shorter than a maximum allowed message duration;

a receiver for receiving a timing advance value corresponding to a distance between said one mobile station and the respective base station and determined by the respective base station on the basis of said data transfer request message;

controller responsive to said timing advance value for controlling the transmitter to send user data from said one mobile station to the respective base station on said second random-access control channel in data message having a duration which is substantially equal to said maximum allowed message duration, and to time sending the data message according to the determined timing advance value.