Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

H&aring;kan Palm

Pontus Wallentin

Per Hans Ake Willars

G&ouml;ran Christersson Rune

Johan Rune Lagneborg

Mikael Nordman

Per Johan Beming

Ingrid V Nordstrand

Walter M&uuml;ller

A radio access network portion of a telecommunications network ( ) which serves a mobile station (MS) is connecting to a core network. The radio access network portion has plural base stations (BS) serving respective plural cells (C), as well as plural control nodes (RNCs). The control nodes include a first control node (RNC ) for controlling a first group of the plural base stations and a second control node (RNC ) for controlling a second group of the plural base stations. A multicell area (MCA) includes cells served by at least some of the first group of base stations and cells served by at least some of the second group of base stations. The radio access network portion of a telecommunications network further has a paging control node which stores information regarding the multicell area. To page the mobile station in the multicell area, the paging control node ( ) sends paging messages to each of the base stations serving the multicell area controlled by the paging control node: and ( ) sends a paging message to any other control nodes which control base stations serving cells in the multicell area. The paging control node determines to which base stations and other control node(s) it should send paging messages by consulting a paging table ( ). Preferably the paging control node is one of the control nodes of the radio access network. The paging control node is connected to the other control node(s) by an inter-control node link ( ) over which the paging message is sent.

Multicell area paging for cellular telecommunications system

A paging origination identifier associated with an origination of a page to a mobile radio terminal is included with a mobile terminal's response to the page. For example, assuming that the page to the mobile terminal is in a first area, the mobile terminal responds to the page from a second area and includes the identifier in that response. The second area may be a cell controlled by another radio network control node, another radio network operator, or even another type of cellular system. The identifier is used to route the page response through the radio network ultimately to the paging originator. The identifier may be, for example, a paging area identifier, a registration area identifier, or a network exchange identifier. Another example identifier is the cell where the mobile terminal received the page. Cell evaluation and selection processes need only be performed while the mobile terminal is listening to the paging channel, for example, thereby saving mobile terminal battery life. Since the mobile terminal checks for an optimum cell just before it transmits a paging response, it ensures that the optimum cell is used, thereby improving the quality of the communication. As a result, there is less chance of increased interference caused by the uplink transmission, of a lost connection, or of an error in the message.

Method and apparatus for paging and responding to pages in a mobile radio communications system

A radio access network portion of a telecommunications network (,) which serves a mobile station (MS) is connecting to a core network. The radio access network portion has plural base stations (BS) serving respective plural cells (C), as well as plural control nodes (RNCs). The control nodes include a first control node (RNC,) for controlling a first group of the plural base stations and a second control node (RNC,) for controlling a second group of the plural base stations. A multicell area (MCA) includes cells served by at least some of the first group of base stations and cells served by at least some of the second group of base stations. The radio access network portion of a telecommunications network further has a paging control node which stores information regarding the multicell area. To page the mobile station in the multicell area, the paging control node (1) sends paging messages to each of the base stations serving the multicell area controlled by the paging control node; and (2) sends a paging message to any other control nodes which control base stations serving cells in the multicell area. The paging control node determines to which base stations and other control node(s) it should send paging messages by consulting a paging table (,). Preferably the paging control node is one of the control nodes of the radio access network. The paging control node is connected to the other control node(s) by an inter-control node link (,) over which the paging message is sent.

Growing community of inventors

Lund, Sweden

Håkan Palm

Growing community of inventors

Lund, Sweden

H&aring;kan Palm

Håkan Palm