Method and apparatus for paging a mobile terminal in a wireless LAN

• US 7,630,333 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Bichot, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh; Bob A
• Application Number:
  US10/497,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for implementing a paging mechanism in a wireless LAN, for example, a wireless LAN according to the Hiperlan 2 Technical Specification, for allowing a base station, or an access point, to page a mobile terminal that is not connected with, or associated with, the access point. The present paging mechanism is implemented by transmitting a broadcast channel message that includes an indication that a paging message is included in the current data frame, a second broadcast channel message that includes the information specific to the paging message, and a third broadcast channel message that include information regarding the location of the second broadcast channel message in the data frame. In response to the broadcast channel message indicating the presence of the paging request, the mobile terminal acquires the second and third broadcast channel messages and determines whether the paging request is intended for the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method for paging a mobile terminal that is disassociated from an access point in a wireless LAN, comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging request in a link control layer from a convergence layer;

generating in the link control layer a first broadcast channel message including data indicative of the presence of the paging request;

generating in the link control layer a second broadcast channel message having data representative of the paging request;

transmitting the first broadcast channel message and the second broadcast channel message over a broadcast channel; and

generating in the link control layer a third broadcast channel message having data associated with the structure of the data frame and information regarding the second broadcast channel message, wherein

the transmitting step comprises transmitting the first broadcast channel message, the second broadcast channel message, and the third broadcast channel message in the data frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third broadcast channel message includes data indicative of the position of the second broadcast channel message in the data frame.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless LAN comprises a wireless LAN that complies with the Hiperlan 2 Technical Specification, the first broadcast channel message corresponds to a BCCH message, the second broadcast channel message corresponds to a RBCH message, and the third broadcast channel message corresponds to a FCCH message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the RBCH is carried in a LCH.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the RBCH includes a target identity format field, a target identity field, a source identity extension format field, and a source identity extension field.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

negotiating, with the mobile terminal, a periodic interval for checking the first broadcast channel message; and

transmitting the first broadcast channel message and the second broadcast channel message only during the intervals that correspond with the negotiated periodic intervals.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the negotiated periodic interval is associated with a selected one of a plurality of paging groups.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second broadcast channel message includes a target identity format field, a source identity extension format field, and a source identity extension field.

9. A network access point for transmitting a paging request to a mobile terminal that is not currently associated with the network access point, comprising:

receiving means coupled to a core network for receiving a paging request in a link control layer;

the link control layer for generating a first broadcast channel message having data indicative of the presence of the paging request and for generating a second broadcast channel message having data representative of the paging request;

receiving means coupled to the link control layer for transmitting the first broadcast channel message and the second broadcast channel message over a broadcast channel

wherein the link control layer generates a third broadcast channel message having data indicative of the location of the second broadcast channel message within a data frame, and the transmitting means transmits the first broadcast channel message, the second broadcast channel message and the third broadcast channel message in the data frame.

10. The network access point according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting means transmits the data frame in accordance with Hiperlan 2, the first broadcast channel message corresponds to a BCCH message, the second broadcast channel message corresponds to a RBCH message, and the third broadcast channel message corresponds to a FCCH message.

11. The network access point according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting means transmits the RBCH in a LCH.

12. The network access point according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting means transmits the paging request during predetermined intervals defined by a paging group of a target device.

13. A method for controlling a mobile terminal device that is currently disassociated with an access point in a wireless LAN, comprising the steps of:

checking a broadcast channel, for a first broadcast channel message transmitted by the access point, for data indicative of a paging request;

detecting, in response to data indicative of the first broadcast channel message, a second broadcast channel message and determining whether the first broadcast channel message includes a paging request;

determining whether the paging request is intended for the mobile terminal device; and

initiating an association procedure to establish a connection with the access point and transmitting a response to the paging request, in response to the determination that the paging request is intended for the mobile terminal device,

wherein the second broadcast channel message is transmitted over the broadcast channel.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a third broadcast channel message having data indicative of the location of the second broadcast channel message in the data frame, and acquiring the second broadcast channel message in response to the third broadcast channel message.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the mobile terminal operates in accordance with Hiperlan 2 Technical Specification, and the checking step comprises checking a BCCH message, and the detecting steps comprise detecting a RBCH message and a FCCH message.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

associating with the access point to negotiate a paging group, the paging group being associated with a predetermined period interval for receiving paging requests, and thereafter disassociating from the access point and checking the broadcast channel message only during the time intervals associated with the paging group.