System and method for providing a connection in a communication network

US 20040017798A1
Filed: 07/03/2003
Published: 01/29/2004
Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. System for providing a connection in a communication network comprising several network elements and being adapted to establish a connection via a first network element and one or more of alternatively selectable core network elements, at least one of the network elements storing a list of core network elements selectable by the first network element, wherein the core network element(s) is adapted to maintain state information about user equipment(s), wherein the user equipment(s) is adapted to send an identifier identifying an area and/or an identifier identifying a desired core network element to the first network element which is adapted to select a core network element based on the sent identifier, and wherein at least two core network elements of same type are being assigned to the same area identifier.

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Abstract

The invention proposes a system and method for providing a connection in a communication network which comprises several network elements and is adapted to route a connection via a first network element such as a radio network controller and one or more of alternatively selectable second network elements such as serving nodes. The network comprises a network element which stores a list of selectable second network elements. The list is accessed using an identifier identifying a routing or location area or a desired second network element. The list can be stored in a DNS server which returns to an inquiring network element such as a radio network controller, e.g. IP addresses of serving nodes capable of serving a routing or location area of a connection originating or terminating network element. The connection originating or terminating network element may also be adapted to send an identifier identifying a specific network element such as an SGSN to which it desires to be connected.

161 Citations

63 Claims

1. System for providing a connection in a communication network comprising several network elements and being adapted to establish a connection via a first network element and one or more of alternatively selectable core network elements, at least one of the network elements storing a list of core network elements selectable by the first network element, wherein the core network element(s) is adapted to maintain state information about user equipment(s), wherein the user equipment(s) is adapted to send an identifier identifying an area and/or an identifier identifying a desired core network element to the first network element which is adapted to select a core network element based on the sent identifier, and wherein at least two core network elements of same type are being assigned to the same area identifier.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
- - 2. System according to claim 1, wherein said list is defined by area identifier.
  - 3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the area identifier is a Location or Routing Area Identity (LAI or RAI) or target ID.
  - 4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sent identifier is a CN identifier.
  - 5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a radio access network is adapted to broadcast the list to user equipments which are adapted to select an identifier from the list and to send the selected identifier to the radio access network.
  - 6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein information on at least two core network elements being assigned to the transmitted identifier is sent to a radio access network element.
  - 7. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection is maintained in the same selectable core network element(s) when a user equipment is moving inside the CN area.
  - 8. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the list of selectable core network elements is sent to the first network element in a defined order.
  - 9. System according to claim 8, wherein the order is depending on the load of the core network elements indicated in the list.
  - 10. System according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the order is depending on the geographical distance between the first network element and the core network elements.
  - 11. System according to claim 8, 9, or 10, wherein the order is depending on the address of the first network element.
  - 12. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the core network elements belong to a packet-switched network.
  - 13. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first network element provides radio access to one or more user equipments.
  - 14. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first network element is a serving core network node, preferably an SGSN.
  - 15. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the core network elements are serving nodes, preferably SGSNs.
  - 16. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one network element storing the list is a DNS server.
  - 17. System according to claim 16, wherein the DNS server is adapted to return a list of IP addresses of core network elements.
  - 18. System according to claim 17, wherein the DNS server returns the list of IP addresses of core network elements together with their names, preferably their canonical names.
  - 19. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when a core network element is to be subjected to an operation blocking its future connection handling capability at least temporarily or partly, this core network element is excluded from the list a defined time before starting the operation.
  - 20. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first network element is adapted to detect the identifier from a message to be sent from a third, connection originating or terminating network element to the first or one of the core network elements, or to deduce the identifier from other information related to the third network element such as location information.
  - 21. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the identifier is transmitted as part of a message to be sent from a third, connection originating or terminating network element to the first network element or to one of core network elements.
  - 22. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the core network elements is set as a default core network element to be used for handling the connection when no other core network element is selected.
  - 23. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the core network elements is set as a master core network element to be used for handling the connection or transmitting information to another core network element when said another core network element is selected for handling the connection.
  - 24. System according to claim 23, wherein the information to be transmitted to said another core network element is context information.
  - 50. User equipment, preferably to be used in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 24, or in a method according to any of claims 25 to 49, wherein the user equipment is adapted to store an operator identifier and/or a Core Network (CN) identifier, and to insert the operator identifier and/or CN identifier in radio signaling.
  - 51. User equipment according to claim 50, wherein the stored CN identifier is the latest CN identifier sent by the network.
  - 52. User equipment according to claim 50 or 51, wherein the stored CN identifier is a preconfigured CN identifier, which is always sent from the user equipment in radio signaling.
  - 53. User equipment according to claim 50, 51 or 52, wherein the operator identifier or CN identifier is stored on a SIM card of the user equipment.
  - 54. User equipment according to any one of claims 50 to 53, wherein the user equipment is a mobile station.
  - 58. Controller for use in a system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 24, or 55 to 57, or in a method according to any one of claims 25 to 49, being adapted to select a serving network element for handling a connection, from a list of serving network elements depending on an identifier provided by a user equipment.
  - 59. Controller according to claim 58, being implemented as a Radio Network Controller (RNC).
  - 60. Controller according to claim 58 or 59, being implemented as a Base Station Controller (BSC).
  - 61. Serving network element, in particular for use in a system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 24, or 55 to 57, or in a method according to any one of claims 25 to 49, being adapted to select a previous serving network element using area identifier and target identifier received from a user equipment;
    - and to request connection information such as context information, e.g. PDP context information, from the previous serving network element when taking over the handling of a connection which is or was previously handled by the another serving network element.
  - 62. Network element according to claim 61, being implemented as a core network element, preferably SGSN or MSC.
  - 63. Network element according to claim 61 or 62, in which the core network node identifier is encoded in a temporary identity (TMSI;
    - PTMSI)

25. Method for selecting an address in a communication network comprising several network elements and being adapted to establish a connection via a first network element and one or more of alternatively selectable core network elements, at least one of the network elements storing a list of core network elements selectable by the first network element, wherein the core network element(s) maintains state information about user equipment(s), wherein the user equipment(s) sends an identifier identifying an area and/or an identifier identifying a desired core network element to the first network element which is adapted to select a core network element based on the sent identifier, and wherein at least two core network elements of same type are being assigned to the same area identifier.
- View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
- - 26. Method according to claim 25, wherein said list is defined by area identifier.
  - 27. Method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the area identifier is a Location or Routing Area Identity (LAI or RAI) or target ID.
  - 30. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 29, wherein a radio access network is adapted to broadcast the list to user equipments which are adapted to select an identifier from the list and to send the selected identifier to the radio access network.
  - 31. Method according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein information on at least two core network elements being assigned to the transmitted identifier is sent from the network element storing the list to the first network element.
  - 32. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 31, wherein the list of selectable core network elements is sent to the first network element in a defined order.
  - 33. Method according to claim 32, wherein the order is depending on the load of the core network elements indicated in the list.
  - 34. Method according to claim 32 or 33, wherein the order is depending on the address of the first network element.
  - 35. Method according to any one of claims 32, 33 or 34, wherein the order is depending on the geographical distance between the first and the core network elements.
  - 40. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 39, wherein the core network elements are serving nodes, preferably SGSNs.
  - 41. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 40, wherein the at least one network element storing the list is a DNS server.
  - 42. Method according to claim 41, wherein the DNS server returns a list of IP addresses of core network elements.
  - 43. Method according to claim 42, wherein the DNS server returns the list of IP addresses of core network elements together with their names, preferably their canonical names.
  - 44. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 43, wherein, when a core network element is to be subjected to an operation blocking its future connection handling capability at least temporarily or partly, this core network element is excluded from the list a defined time before starting the operation.
  - 45. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 44, wherein the first network element detects the identifier from a message to be sent from a third, connection originating or terminating network element to the first or one of the core network elements, or deduces the identifier from other information related to the third network element such as location information.
  - 46. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 45, wherein the identifier is transmitted as part of a message to be sent from a third, connection originating or terminating network element to the first network element or to one of core network elements.
  - 47. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 46, wherein one of the core network elements is set as a default core network element to be used for handling the connection when no other core network element is selected.
  - 48. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 25 to 46, wherein one of the core network elements is set as a master core network element to be used for handling the connection or transmitting information to another core network element when said another core network element is selected for handling the connection.
  - 49. Method according to claim 48, wherein the information to be transmitted to said another core network element is context information.

28. Method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein said sent identifier is a CN identifier.

29. Method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the connection is maintained in the same selectable core network element(s) when a user equipment is moving inside the CN area.

37. Method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the core network elements belong to a packet-switched network.

38. Method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the first network element provides radio access to one or more user equipments.

39. Method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the first network element is a serving core network node, preferably an SGSN.

55. System wherein different Serving nodes assigned to different operators are adapted to use the same access network for access to a user equipment, the access network being adapted to select an appropriate Serving node by using an operator identifier or a CN identifier.
- View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
- - 56. System according to claim 55, wherein the access network is a RAN (Radio Access Network) for radio access to a user equipment.
  - 57. System according to claim 55 or 56, wherein the access network is assigned to another operator than the Serving nodes.

Specification

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Current Assignee
Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
Original Assignee
Nokia Corporation
Inventors
Hurtta, Tuija, Haumont, Serge

Granted Patent

US 7,782,818 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

370/352
CPC Class Codes

H04L 61/00   Network arrangements, proto...

H04L 61/45   Network directories; Name-t...

H04L 67/1001   for accessing one among a p...

H04L 67/1008   based on parameters of serv...

H04L 67/1019   Random or heuristic server ...

H04L 67/1021   based on client or server l...

H04L 67/1029   using data related to the s...

H04L 67/14   Session management for real...

H04W 60/04   using triggered events

H04W 76/20   Manipulation of established...

System and method for providing a connection in a communication network

First Claim

10 Assignments

0 Petitions

Accused Products

Abstract

161 Citations

63 Claims

Specification

Solutions

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System and method for providing a connection in a communication network

First Claim

10 Assignments

Subscription Required

Subscription Required

0 Petitions

Subscription Required

Accused Products

Subscription Required

Abstract

161 Citations

63 Claims

Specification

Subscription Required

Solutions

Use Cases

Quick Links