Patent US3370255A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0898438A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0898438A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for controlling radio communications network and radio network controller
Assignee: Nokia Oyj
•
Filing: 1998-08-20
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Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-08-20
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a method and system for controlling a radio communications network. The invention is advantageously applied in broadband radio networks (GRAN) offering fixed network services to their users. An idea of the invention is that in conjunction with a connection set-up a radio network controller is selected via which user information flows for the whole duration of the connection. That radio network controller is here called an anchor controller (aRNC). If a connection is handed over to a base station that belongs to another radio network controller (bRNC), the user information is directed so as to travel to the active radio network controller via the anchor controller. A second idea of the invention is that in preparation for a handover a list in a neighbouring radio network controller is compiled of those base stations that would constitute a candidate set should said neighbouring radio network controller be made the active radio network controller. The invention makes it possible, among other things, to reduce the load of the core network of a cellular network and to decrease transmission power in conjunction with a handover.
Inventors
- 👤 Mika Rinne
- 👤 Laitinen Lauri
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 19:39
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W36/00; H04W36/10; H04W28/00; H04W28/16; H04W28/26; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A method for controlling radio communication between a terminal (MS,
TE) and a communications system (CN, GRAN) wherein the communications
connection between the system and the terminal is established via an active
radio network controller (RNC) and active base station (BS), characterised in
that the communications connection is directed to said active radio network
controller via a second radio network controller (621-628).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1, wherein (611) an anchor radio network controller
(aRNC, RNC0), or anchor controller is selected, through which the data
communication of said connection occurs for the whole duration of the
connection, and communication with possible other active radio network
controller (bRNC, RNC1, RNC2) is directed via said anchor controller.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said selection (611) is carried out
specifically for the connection when setting up the connection.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said selection (611) is carried out in
conjunction with system configuration.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
33 words
The method of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein communication is
directed from the anchor controller to new radio network controllers
established during the connection by means of chaining (B2, B3).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
51 words
The method of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the number of radio
network controllers used in data communication is minimised by determining
a new route between the anchor controller and a new active radio network
controller so that the previous active radio network controller is bypassed
(A2, A3).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the handover between radio network
controllers is a backward-type handover where signaling during the handover
is directed via the old radio network controller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the handover between radio network
controllers is a forward-type handover where signaling during the handover is
directed via the new radio network controller.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
40 words
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the
communications system uses macrodiversity combining so that the spread
code / signal component combination is carried out in a chain formed by radio
network controllers serving as transmission links.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
30 words
The method of any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the communications
system uses macrodiversity combining so that the spread code combination
is carried out in said anchor controller.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
45 words
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein prior to a
handover between radio network controllers an external candidate set is
established and the candidate set of the new active radio network controller
is established on the basis of said external candidate set.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
24 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a handover between
radio network controllers comprises a preparation phase and execution
phase.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said preparation phase includes a step
for adding a base station to the active set.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein said execution phase includes
steps for changing the active radio network controller and the active base
station set.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein said execution phase includes
steps for keeping at least two radio network controllers and their base station
sets active.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the active radio network controller and
base station set are completely transferred.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
68 words
A communication system, which comprises a first and a second radio
network controller (RNC) and base stations (BS) connected to the radio
network controllers to provide a communications connection between the
system (CN, GRAN) and a terminal (TE) connected with it, characterised in
that it comprises means for directing the communications connection to an
active radio network controller (bRNC, RNC1, RNC2) via another radio
network controller (aRNC, RNC0).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The communication system of claim 17, comprising means for selecting
an anchor controller (aRNC, RNC0) and means for directing the data
communication of said connection to a possible other active radio network
controller (bRNC, RNC1, RNC2) via said anchor controller.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The communication system of claim 17 or 18, comprising means for
creating an external candidate set prior to a handover between radio network
controllers and means for creating a new candidate set based on said
external candidate set.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The communication system of any one of claims 17 to 19, comprising
means for realising macrodiversity combining.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A radio network controller in a communication system, characterised in
that it comprises means for routing communication to another radio network
controller during a connection.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The radio network controller of claim 21, comprising means for storing
information about routing to other radio network controllers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
The radio network controller of claim 21 or 22, comprising means for
sending and receiving encapsulated handover messages to and from another
radio network controller via the core network of a cellular network.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 23, comprising
means for sending and receiving handover messages and user data to and
from another radio network controller via a physical connection, such as a
cable or radio link, between two radio network controllers.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 24, comprising
means for transparently sending and receiving handover messages and user
data to and from another radio network controller via a base station that is
connected with both said radio network controllers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 24, comprising
means for sending and receiving handover messages and user data to and
from another radio network controller via the core network of a cellular system
by independently communicating with the active protocol of the core network.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 26, comprising
means (ARNCF) for realising an anchor function.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
33 words
The radio network controller of claim 27, wherein said means (ARNCF)
for realising an anchor function comprises means for creating logical inter-RNC
connections between the anchor controller and the active radio network
controller.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
The radio network controller of claim 27 or 28, comprising means (UDR)
for relaying user data to another radio network controller on the basis of
direction by said means for realising an anchor function.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 29, comprising a
logical link control unit (LLC) for controlling data communication between a
radio network controller (aRNC) and a terminal (TE).
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The radio network controller of claim 30, comprising means for
controlling and terminating messages of the logical link control unit (LLC)
between the terminal and and the radio network controller.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
The radio network controller of claim 30 or 31, comprising means for
relaying messages of the logical link control unit (LLC) between the terminal
and the core network.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
48 words
The radio network controller of claims 31 and 32, characterised in that it
comprises means for controlling and terminating first messages of the logical
link control unit between the terminal and the radio network controller and
means for relaying second messages between the terminal and the core
network.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 33, comprising
means (UDR) for controlling the logical link control unit (LLC) of the same or
another radio network controller.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
21 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 34, comprising
means for realising a set control function (SCF).
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 35, comprising
means for combining a macrodiversity spread code / macrodiversity signal
components together with another radio network controller in a chain.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 36, comprising
means for combining a macrodiversity spread code independently.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
31 words
The radio network controller of claim 36 or 37, wherein said means for
combining a macrodiversity spread code / macrodiversity signal components
comprises means for selecting the momentarily strongest transmission
connection.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
38 words
The radio network controller of claim 36 or 37, wherein said means for
combining a macrodiversity spread code / macrodiversity signal components
comprises means for producing a signal by combining the signals of at least
two transmission paths.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 39, comprising
means for selecting in packet transmission, a radio path separately for each
packet transmission.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
19 words
The radio network controller of claim 40, comprising means for selecting
precisely one radio path for each packet transmission.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
A radio network controller, comprising means for routing data
communication related to a communication connection between a base
station and another radio network controller.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
15 words
The radio network controller of claim 42, comprising means for
establishing an external candidate set.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
33 words
The radio network controller of claim 43, comprising means for creating
a boundary base station list and means for establishing an external candidate
set on the basis of said boundary base station list.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
The radio network controller of claim 43 or 44, comprising means for
turning an external candidate set into a candidate set.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 42 to 45, comprising a
logical link control unit (LLC) for controlling communication between a radio
network controller (RNC) and a terminal (TE).
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
17 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 42 to 46, comprising a
set controller (SC).
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
19 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 42 to 47, comprising
an external candidate set controller (ECSC).
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
17 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 48, comprising a
macrodiversity controller (MDC).
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 49, comprising a
macrodiversity combination point (MDCP).
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
27 words
The radio network controller of any one of claims 21 to 50, comprising
means for data encryption or access control scrambling in an anchor and/or
active mode.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
46 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, the communication system of
any one of claims 17 to 20, or the radio network controller of any one of
claims 21 to 51, wherein the radio network used for the communication is an
UMTS network.
Claim 53
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of routing user data bi-directionally between a core network of
a communication system and a terminal via a first controller and an active
base station connected thereto, wherein on occurrence of a handover to
another base station connected to a second controller, user data is routed to
or from the core network via the first controller, the second controller, and the
new active base station.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
69 words
A controller for use in a communication system, comprising : means for receiving user data from a core network; means for routing said user data to a first active base station; and means for handing over to a new active base station connected to a second
controller, arranged such that after handover, user data is routed via the controller to
said second controller and the new active base station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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