US 8,913,558 B2Granted

Local routing node

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorNaruhito Nakahara

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Abstract

Since user data from a mobile station always passes a gateway, even in communication between mobile stations in a cell of the same base station in the same mobile station system, user data is transferred to the gateway and the trombone phenomenon occurs. Traffic is concentrated in the gateway and networks near the gateway. A local routing node includes a unit for passing signaling of communication between a base station and the gateway according to a protocol of the mobile communication system, for extracting and decapsulating bearer data transferred between the base station and the gateway, and for thereby obtaining and transferring user data and a unit for encapsulating and transferring user data. The local routing node extracts bearer data, which is conventionally transferred up to the gateway, and transfers the data to the network.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A mobile communication system constructed in a hierarchic configuration, comprising:

a plurality of base stations, each communicating with a plurality of mobile stations;
a plurality of router/layer 3 (L3) switches, each accommodating some of the plurality of base stations;
a gateway to couple the router/L3 switches via a network,
wherein the router/L3 switches are arranged to include a first table to store local routing information, and the gateway is arranged to include a second table to store an internet protocol (IP) address of the base stations and an IP address of the arranged router/L3 switches associated with the base station IP address;
when the gateway establishes a path between one of the base stations and the gateway in response to a connection request through the base station from one of the mobile stations, the gateway refers to the second table and judges whether the arranged router/L3 switch accommodates the base station, and in the case that the arranged router/L3 switch accommodates the base station, sends information that is needed to establish a path between the base station and the gateway to the arranged router/L3 switch;
the arranged router/L3 switch is configured to:
store the information received from the gateway in the first table,
establish a path between the base station and the router/L3 switch according to the information stored in the first table,
when the arranged router/L3 switch receives user data from one of the mobile stations through the base station, judge whether local routing is to be conducted by referring to the first table, and
if it is determined that local routing is to be conducted for the user data, conduct the local routing for the user data in the local routing node via the established path between the base station and the router/L3 switch.

7 more elements

In a mobile communication system constructed in a hierarchic configuration which includes a plurality of base stations coupled via a network with a gateway through a router/layer 3 (L3) switch and each of the base stations communicates with a plurality of mobile stations, the gateway comprising:

a gateway section for performing an ordinary gateway function;
a table to store the internet protocol (IP) address of the base station and the IP address of the router/L3 switch associated with the base station IP address;
a router/L3 switch controller configured to control the router/L3 switch;
when establishing a path between one of the plurality of base stations and the gateway in response to a connection request from one of the mobile stations, the gateway refers to the table and judges whether the router/L3 switch accommodates the base station, and in the case that the router/L3 switch accommodates the base station, sends information that is needed to establish a path between the base station and the gateway to the router/L3 switch.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.