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AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsMika Rinne, Lauri Laitinen
Estimating the term…
A method and system are disclosed for controlling radio communications between a terminal (MS, TE) and a communications system (CN, GRAN). A communications connection between the system and the terminal is established by an active radio network controller (RNC) and an active base station (BS). In one embodiment, data communications within the communications connection is directed to the active radio controller by a second radio network controller.
A method for controlling radio communication between a terminal (MS, TE) and a communications system (CN, GRAN) in a communications system 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).
The method of any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that 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.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that 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.
The method of any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the active radio network controller and base station set are completely transferred.
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).
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.
A radio network controller, characterised in that it comprises means for routing data communication related to a communication connection between a base station and another radio network controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Hand-off or reselection arrangements: reselecting an access point controller
Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]:…
Reducing energy consumption in communication networks: in wireless communication networks
Wireless communication networks
Term end not estimated
The invention relates to a method and system for controlling a radio communications network and a radio network controller. Particularly the invention relates to the handover procedure in a cellular system. The invention can be advantageously applied in broadband radio networks that offer fixed network services to their users.
Below it will be described the prior art by first illustrating the operation of a popular second-generation cellular system and in particular the handover, or change of active base stations serving a mobile station moving in the cellular network's coverage area. Then it will be disclosed the characteristics of new, third-generation cellular systems and problems related to prior-art handover solutions.
Prior Art; Second-Generation Cellular Systems
The invention is described in more detail with reference to the preferred embodiments presented by way of example and to the accompanying drawing wherein
FIG. 1 shows a second-generation cellular system according to the prior art,
FIG. 2 shows the coverage areas of base stations of a second-generation cellular system according to the prior art,
FIGS. 1 to 5 were discussed above in connection with the description of the prior art. Below, a method according to the invention is described briefly with reference to FIG. 6. Then, referring to FIG. 7, a cellular system according to the invention and embodiments for transmitting signaling and user data between two radio network controllers will be described. After that, referring to FIG. 8, it will be disclosed a handover between a radio network controller in a first radio network and a radio network controller in a second radio network.
Next, referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, it will be disclosed a chained and an optimised embodiment for setting up routing between radio network controllers. Then, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, two embodiments will be described for realising optimised routing. After that, two embodiments will be disclosed for realising macrodiversity combining in a radio network according to the invention.
Next, functions of radio network controllers will be described in conjunction with a handover according to the invention with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. Finally, with reference to FIGS. 13 to 17, it will be described the steps related to a handover in a radio network employing macrodiversity combining and external candidate set.