Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Ericsson Gmbh

Dimitris Papadimitriou

Theodore Havinis

Klaus Turina

Josephus Kuster

Maya Roel-Ng

Enrico De Luca

Hans-Peter Lippelt

Angelo Ciriaco

A method of controlling paging flow in a network for cellular communications is described, which comprises the steps of: at a control node, receiving a request for paging a mobile station; determining a location area in which the paging shall be performed; checking whether the number of paging transactions which are ongoing for the location area is lower than at least one maximum number of ongoing paging transactions allowed for the location area; after a determination that the number of ongoing paging transactions is lower than the maximum number, updating the number of ongoing paging transactions for the location area and processing the paging request. Preferably, if the number of ongoing paging transactions is not lower than the maximum number, it is checked whether the paging request is a particular LCS transaction and, if so, the request is placed in a buffer and served with priority as soon as the number of ongoing paging transactions returns to be lower than the maximum number.

Method and telecommunications system for controlling paging flow in a network for cellular communications

To achieve an efficient and flexible routing of signaling messages between a core network and an access network in a mobile communication cellular network, it is proposed to provide a pool of mobile switching apparatuses between the core network and the access network. Each mobile switching apparatus in the pool () comprises a signaling unit () adapted to issue a paging message to the access network for connection establishment to a mobile terminal. Further, according to the present invention it is proposed to provide each mobile switching apparatus in the pool () with a relay unit () adapted to receive a paging response from the access network. Further, the relay unit () is adapted to determine a mobile switching apparatus in the pool () of mobile switching apparatuses handling the paging response.

Signaling in a mobile cellular communication network with pooled MSCs

A communication apparatus running a protocol stack implementation for interworking between a signaling source node and a signaling target node provides improved support for introducing server pools in packet networks and for achieving transparency for applications. A first protocol implementation unit (SCTP) runs a signaling control layer on top of a packet transfer network (IP) for exchanging signaling messages via one or more signaling associations. A second protocol implementation unit (SUA, M3UA) runs a user adaptation layer on top of the signaling control layer SCTP for supporting signaling connection control services (RANAP) used by the signaling source node. A name mapping unit receives a signaling target node name from the signaling source node and maps the name into a peer signaling association.

Signaling transport protocol extensions for load balancing and server pool support

To achieve an improved support for introduction of server pools in packet networks and further to achieve transparency for applications the present invention provides a communication apparatus running a protocol stack implementation for interworking between a signaling source node and a signaling target node. The communication apparatus comprises a first protocol implementation unit (SCTP) adapted to run a signaling control layer on top of a packet transfer network (IP) for exchange of signaling messages via at least one signaling association. Further, the communication apparatus comprises a second protocol implementation unit (SUP, M UA) adapted to run a user adaptation layer on top of the signaling control layer (SCTP) for support of signaling connection control services (RANAP) used by the signaling source node. A name mapping unit is adapted to receive a signaling target node name from the signaling source node and to map the signaling target node name into a peer signaling association.

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for providing location information, which can consist of either real-time data or historical data when the subscriber requested to be positioned is either absent or not reachable, to a requesting location application (LA). The historical data is preferably stored per subscriber in a database within a serving Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) following a successful positioning of that subscriber. This historical data can consist of the location information along with a time stamp indicating the time that the location information was obtained and stored in the MSC/VLR. The age of the location information can then be calculated by determining the difference between the current read value of the system clock and the value of the time stamp information stored in the MSC/VLR for that particular location information.

System and method for providing historical data for location services

An improved system and method for determining a position of a mobile station in a mobile telecommunications system is disclosed. The system includes identifying a number of location measuring units (LMUs) for measuring the time of arrival of signals generated by the mobile station. In the event one or more of the LMUs is associated with a mobile switching center (MSC) other than the MSC serving the mobile station, then information pertaining to the identified LMUs and the other MSC is sent to the serving MSC. The serving MSC sends a position request message to those identified LMUs associated therewith, encapsulates the position request message and sends the encapsulated message to the other MSC. The other MSC thereafter unpacks the position request message and forwards the unpacked position request message to the identified LMU associated with the other MSC. Following the measuring of timing information, the LMU associated with the other MSC sends its timing measurement results to the other MSC, which thereupon encapsulates the results and forwards the encapsulated results to the serving MSC.

System and method for mobile station position determination along border areas

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for reducing the unnecessary signaling for positioning requests involving a Mobile Station (MS) when that MS does not respond to paging requests or is purged from the network, e.g., not registered with a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register. When a positioning request for a particular MS is received at a serving MSC and the MS does not respond to a paging request, the serving MSC sets a &ldquo;Subscriber Not Responding to Location Services&rdquo; (SNRLS) flag, which is used by the serving MSC to avoid unnecessarily sending a new paging request for the same MS. In addition, the serving MSC sends a rejection message to a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) that sent the positioning request, which includes an unavailable notification indicating that the MS cannot be reached. The GMLC sets an &ldquo;MS Subscriber Not Present&rdquo; flag based upon this notification to avoid sending further positioning requests for that MS.

System and method for providing efficient signaling for a positioning request and an indication of when a mobile station becomes available for location services

A telecommunications system and method for providing location information consist of either real-time data or historical data when the subscriber requested to be positioned is either absent or not reachable, to a requesting location application (LA). The historical data is preferably stored per subscriber in a database within a serving Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR) following a successful positioning of that subscriber. This historical data can consist of the location information along with a time stamp indicating the time that the location information was obtained and stored in the MSC/VLR. The age of the location information can then be calculated by determining the difference between the current read value of the system clock and the value of the time stamp information stored in the MSC/VLR for that particular location information.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Dimitris Papadimitriou