EP0848567A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Cellular mobile radio network discovery method and apparatus therefor
Assignee: Agilent Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1996-12-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-12-11
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring a cellular mobile radio system and for indentifying monitored radio elements within the network with respect to other network entities. The logical and physical topology of a cellular mobile radio system is determined by monitoring messages passed across a communications interface in the system. Embodiments of the invention associate common information occurring in different messages, and over time, establish the topology of a network, even though messages passed across the monitored interface do not comprise unique system-wide addressing information. In particular, the present method provides a mapping between radio elements (TRX) and other network entities (TEI, CI, and LAI) in a GSM type cellular system by monitoring messages across the Abis and A interfaces.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniele Abbadessa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:01
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W24/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A network discovery method for determining information about a cellular mobile
radio network comprising a fixed part having switching elements and radio elements
providing radio coverage in a plurality of cells, each cell having at least one said radio
element, and mobile stations for communicating with said fixed part via the radio elements,
the method comprising:- monitoring signalling messages passed between the radio elements and the switching
elements, selecting at least one signalling message in accordance to predetermined selection criteria, extracting data from said at least one message, correlating said extracted data with previously extracted data and, repeating said selecting, extracting and correlating steps until each monitored radio element
is identified with respect to other network entities.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
A network discovery method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting step
comprises selecting a pair of related messages.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A network discovery method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cells are
logically grouped into location areas and each radio element is uniquely identified by the cell
within which it resides, and the location area within which the cell resides.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A network discovery method as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined
selection criteria for selecting a pair of messages are:- i) each message is of a different message type, and ii) the messages contain at least one information element in common.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A network discovery method as claimed in claim 4, comprising a further matching
step in which the common information element in each of the messages is compared and data
from the pair of messages is only utilised in said correlating step if the common information
element in each message is identical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A network discovery method as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least three messages
are selected and wherein one message is matched to a plurality of messages of the same
message type.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A network discovery method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein data
from a pair of messages is only utilised in said correlating step if the messages are monitored
within a predetermined time period of each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A network discovery method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein signalling
messages passed between two switching elements are also monitored.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A network discovery method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cellular
mobile radio network is of the GSM type and messages are monitored across the Abis
interface between radio elements and switching elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus for identifying the relationship between radio elements and other network
entities within a cellular mobile radio network, the network comprising a fixed part having
switching elements and radio elements providing radio coverage in a plurality of cells, each
cell having at least one said radio element, and mobile stations for communicating with said
fixed part via the radio elements, the apparatus comprising:- probe means for monitoring signalling messages passed between an identified one of the
radio elements and the switching elements, extracting means for extracting data from predetermined signalling messages, analysis means for determining from extracted data a relationship between the monitored
radio element and other network entities.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the extracting means extracts data from
related pairs of signalling messages, and the analysis means compares at least a part of the
extracted data and, if a match is found between such compared data, records a relationship
between the monitored radio element and another network entity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the probe means attaches to each
monitored message an indication of the time at which the message was monitored and the
analysis means only utilise data from pairs of messages which are monitored within a
predetermined time period of each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined time period is
substantially equal to the expected interval between the particular pair of messages
monitored.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the probe means
attaches to each monitored message a physical identifier which identifies the physical
channel on which the message has been monitored.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the analysis means builds a logical
identifier, identifying a particular radio element, from data from monitored messages and
relates this logical identifier to the physical identifier provided by the probe means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the relationship
between monitored radio elements, cells and location areas comprising logically grouped
cells, is determined.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the analysis means
determines for each monitored radio element the two physical channels on which messages
are passed to and from the radio element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the analysis means
determines which radio elements are within the same cell and allocates cell related
information determined for any one radio element within the cell to the other radio elements
within the same cell.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0710043A1
Cited
EP0738091A1
Cited
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