Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Openet Telecom Ltd.

Brian J Forde

Peter Haraszti

Ross Andreucetti

Tony Doolin

Niall O'Connell

David Davoren

Paul C Weinmann

Frank Dunne

Marc Smaak

Bronagh E Connolly

Logical scalable units (LSU) can be used within a single network data center to provide stateful scalability. However, LSUs are not suitable for operating across multiple network data centers in order to provide geographical redundancy in active-active scenarios while providing high availability. This is because the latencies associated with replicating full session information are unacceptably slow. An additional component in the LSU (known as an LSU Frontend) can be used to replicate a small subset of session information between LSUs. This subset of session information may be enough to enable LSUs to process requests in an acceptable way rather than outright failing. This may be particularly advantageous in scenarios where the requests relate to Voice over LTE calls, because outright failure is very perceivable to subscribers, and it causes resource leakage within the telecommunications network.

System and method for using VoIP session continuity information using logical scalable units

System and method for managing VoIP session continuity information using logical scalable units

System and method for using VoLTE session continuity information using logical scalable units

System and method for managing VoLTE session continuity information using logical scalable units

A broadcast system for communicating a broadcast message in a telecommunications system is provided, where the telecommunications system has at least one fixed terminal for communication with one or more portable terminals. The broadcast system includes means for transmitting a first message from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, the message including information that specifies a channel, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey the broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast message on the said specified broadcast channel for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of the broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. The broadcast message channel is connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast message. The system is particularly but not essentially based on the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

Broadcast facility

A portable terminal of a cellular communication system is provided with apparatus for initiating a handover procedure to handover a connection established with one radio termination of a fixed system to another radio termination of the fixed system. The apparatus continually monitors system communication channels for transmissions by the radio terminations received at the portable terminal and identifies the nearest radio termination to be the one from which signals are received with the highest radio signal strength. If a connection is initially established by the mobile terminal with a first radio termination, but the mobile terminal subsequently moves away from that radio termination, the apparatus initiates a handover attempt of the connection to the radio termination from which transmissions are now received with the highest radio signal strength. Normally signals received with the highest signal strength will originate from the closest fixed radio termination. The initiation attempt is made on the basis that there is another radio termination present that will provide a higher radio signal strength even if the existing connection is determined to be of good quality and for which transmissions are being received with a signal strength that is classed as good or satisfactory. Such a pre-emptive handover can avoid the possible degradation in communication channel quality that can occur by the time a normal handover operation is completed.

Cellular communication system handover

The quality of a communications channel carrying data packets is determined by establishing if a packet is received correctly or incorrectly. Check means provides a signal to a microprocessor for each correct reception event and each incorrect reception event. A value, held in a two byte counter is indicative of the quality of the communications channel. For each correct reception event the value of the counter is decreased by an extent dependent on the value already held in the counter. For each incorrect reception the value of the counter is increased by an extent dependent on the value already held in the counter. When the stored counter value exceeds a preset threshold value indicating poor channel quality, a comparator produces an output signal to initiate a handover operation to another communications channel.

Communication channel quality indicator

A location system for establishing the position of a portable terminal that transmits identity information indicative of the identity of the individual terminal is provided. The portable terminals transmit their identity information at a first predetermined power level. The system includes location beacons having a known position and the beacons are capable of receiving the identity information transmitted by the portable terminals. Each location beacon generates an output signal when identity information of a portable terminal is received at that beacon with a power level greater than a predetermined threshold value, which value may be set independently for each beacon. The output signal is indicative that such a portable terminal is within a particular distance range of the beacon and the output signal is made available to a control unit. By providing the control unit with information relating to the position of each of the location beacons, it is possible to establish the position of a particular portable terminal as being within a given range of that known beacon position when the beacon receives identity information associated with that portable terminal with a power level greater than the beacon threshold value. In one embodiment the portable terminals are DECT handsets.

Location beacon system

A broadcast system for communicating multiple simultaneous broadcast messages in a telecommunications system is provided, where the telecommunications system has at least one fixed terminal for communication with one or more portable terminals. The broadcast system includes means for transmitting first messages from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, each first message including information that specifies channels, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey an associated broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channels. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast messages on the said specified broadcast channels for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of a broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. Different portable terminals may receive different broadcast messages. The broadcast message channels are connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast messages. The system is particularly but not essentially based on a modified form of the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

Multiple broadcast facility

A method and apparatus for maintaining a record of radio signal strength for a plurality of channels in a wireless communication system is provided. A detector detects radio signal strength on each channel, and a memory stores information relating to the detected signal strengths. The information is stored in the form of a value for each channel. Each value is stored in an array and values are stored in the array such that each position in the array is assigned to a particular channel. The use of an array allows stored values to be associated with respective channels by the position that the value is held in.

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Dublin, Ireland

Brian J Forde