Apparatus and method for solving congestion in wideband code division multiple access system

• US 7,979,073 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Sang-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/874,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455/449, 455/453, 455/444, 455/439, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/443
• US Class Current: 455/443
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for solving congestion in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system. A WCDMA node B broadcasts a congestion occurrence information message over a cell area when congestion is sensed. A mobile communication terminal then checks the type of service to receive in the WCDMA node B and, when the mobile communication terminal receives a circuit service and there is a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)/General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cell available with which the mobile communication terminal can communicate, it switches its service cell mode from a WCDMA cell into the GSM/GPRS cell.

Claims

1. A Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system for decreasing congestion, comprising:

a WCDMA node B for broadcasting a congestion occurrence information message over a cell area upon sensing occurrence of congestion; and

a mobile communication terminal for checking a service to receive, upon receiving the congestion occurrence information message from the WCDMA node B, and for switching a service cell mode of the mobile communication terminal from a WCDMA cell into a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)/General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cell when the mobile communication terminal receives a circuit service and there is an available GSM/GPRS cell with which the mobile communication terminal can communicate.

2. The WCDMA system of claim 1, wherein when the service to receive is a packet service, the mobile communication terminal does not perform switching the service cell mode, and receives the packet service from the WCDMA cell.

3. The WCDMA system of claim 1, wherein when the service to receive is the circuit service and there is no GSM/GPRS cell available to communicate with the mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal does not perform switching the service cell mode and continues to receive the circuit service from the WCDMA cell.

4. The WCDMA system of claim 1, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a broadcast message informing mobile communication terminals of the WCDMA cell that the congestion occurs in the WCDMA node B.

5. The WCDMA system of claim 1, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a broadcast message including information indicating whether the congestion occurs, which is periodically broadcasted in the WCDMA cell area.

6. The WCDMA system of claim 1, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a System Information Block (SIB) type 3 including information indicating whether the congestion occurs.

7. A method for decreasing occurrence of congestion in a mobile communication terminal of a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, comprising:

checking a type of a service to receive in the mobile communication terminal, upon receiving a congestion occurrence information message from a WCDMA node B;

checking, when the service to receive is a circuit service, whether there is a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)/General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cell available with which the mobile communication terminal can communicate; and

switching, when there is an available GSM/GPRS cell, a service cell mode of the mobile communication terminal from the WCDMA cell into the GSM/GPRS cell.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a packet service from the WCDMA cell without switching the service cell mode, when the service to receive is the packet service.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the circuit service from the WCDMA cell without switching the service cell mode, when the service to receive is the circuit service but there is no GSM/GPRS cell available with which the mobile communication terminal could communicate.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the congestion occurrence information message is broadcasted by the WCDMA node B.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a broadcast message informing mobile communication terminals of the WCDMA cell that congestion occurs in the WCDMA node B.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a broadcast message including information indicating whether the congestion occurs, which is periodically broadcasted in the WCDMA cell area.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the congestion occurrence information message comprises a System Information Block (SIB) type 3 including information indicating whether the congestion occurs.

14. A mobile communication terminal for decreasing congestion, comprising:

means for checking a service to receive, upon receiving a congestion occurrence information message from a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) node B;

means for switching a service cell mode of the mobile communication terminal from a WCDMA cell into a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)/General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cell when the mobile communication terminal receives a circuit service and there is an available GSM/GPRS cell with which the mobile communication terminal can communicate.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for decreasing occurrence of congestion in a mobile communication terminal of a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, comprising:

a first code segment, for checking a type of a service to receive in the mobile communication terminal, upon receiving a congestion occurrence information message from a WCDMA node B;

a second code segment, for checking, when the service to receive is a circuit service, whether there is a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)/General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cell available with which the mobile communication terminal can communicate; and

a third code segment, for switching, when there is an available GSM/GPRS cell, a service cell mode of the mobile communication terminal from the WCDMA cell into the GSM/GPRS cell.