Orange Sa

3G Licensing S.a.

Martin Harris

Xiaobao Chen

Philippe Lucas

Nigel Stuart Bird

Nick Sampson

Alan George Stidwell

Xiabao Chen

An internet packet comprises a header field, the header field including a field identifying a source address of the internet packet, a field identifying the destination address of the internet packet and a next header field identifying whether an extension header follows the header and a type of the extension header. The extension header indicates a hop-by-hop option header, the hop-by-hop extension header including a router alert option header type indicating that the extension field is optional for a router to read, and a field providing information for a gateway support node of a packet radio system network. A gateway support node is thereby provided with information, which may be required for example to support a mobile internet protocol (IP). However, by providing the router alert option field, a router is not required to read the remainder of the hop-by-hop option field. As a result, a reduction in the performance of the router in routing internet packets, which may have been incurred if the router was required to read all the hop-by-hop extension field can be limited.

Packet data communications

An internet packet comprises a header field including a field identifying a source address of the internet packet, a field identifying the destination address of the internet packet and a next header field identifying whether an extension header follows the header and a type of the extension header. The extension header indicates a hop-by-hop option header including a router alert option header type indicating that the extension field is optional for a router to read, and a field providing information for a gateway support node of a packet radio system network. A gateway support node is provided with information, which may be required for example to support a mobile internet protocol (IP). By providing the router alert option field, a router is not required to read the remainder of the hop-by-hop option field.

A packet radio network provides a facility for communicating internet packets to and/or from a mobile user equipment. In response to a packet data protocol activation request message requesting a common packet data protocol context, a serving support node is operable in combination with a gateway support node to establish a common packet data protocol context in association with a packet communications bearer. The common packet data protocol context is established to communicate internet protocol packets via the packet communications bearer according to an internet protocol version specified by the mobile user equipment for one or more communications sessions.

Packet radio network and method

A packet radio network provides a facility for communicating internet packets to and/or from a mobile user equipment. In response to a packet data protocol activation request message requesting a common packet data protocol context, the serving support node is operable in combination with the gateway support node to establish a common packet data protocol context in association with a common packet communications bearer. The common packet data protocol context is established to communicate internet protocol packets via the common packet communications bearer. The common packet communications bearer is shared with at least one other communications session and is formed by the gateway support node and the serving support node using a common tunnelling protocol bearer. Therefore a packet radio network is provided which can provide a common communications bearer which can be shared between different communications sessions.

A Short Message Service (SMS) message is communicated to a mobile user equipment (MUE) over an Internet Protocol (IP) network using an IP communication. An SMS network includes a Short Message Service Centre (SM-SC), a gateway mobile switching centre (GMSC), the SMS network communicating SMS messages. An IP/SMS gateway communicates between the SMS and IP networks. A home location database maintains address data identifying a current location of a MUE. After interrogation by the GMSC, the home location database provides the GMSC an address of the IP/SMS gateway, stored in association with the subscriber identify number. The GMSC sends the SMS message to the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway retrieves an IP address corresponding to the mobile subscriber number pre-stored in an IP/SMS database associated with the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway communicates the SMS message to the MUE at the retrieved IP address via the IP network.

Telecommunications system for communicating a SMS message to a mobile user on an IP network

A telecommunications system provides a facility for communicating a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a mobile user equipment using a subscriber identity number when the mobile user equipment is communicating via an Internet Protocol network using an Internet Protocol (IP) communication being terminated on the IP network. The system comprises an SMS network including a Short Message Service Center (SM-SC), a gateway mobile switching center (GMSC), the SMS network providing a facility for communicating SMS messages, and an Internet Protocol/SMS (IP/SMS) gateway for communicating between the SMS network and the IP network. The system also includes a home location database for maintaining address data identifying a current location of a mobile user equipment. The gateway mobile switching center is operable in response to the SMS message to interrogate the home location database for an address to which the SMS message should be sent. The home location database is operable to provide the gateway mobile switching center with an address of the IP/SMS gateway, which has been stored in association with the subscriber identity number. The gateway switching center is operable to send the SMS message to the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway is operable to retrieve an Internet Protocol address corresponding to the mobile subscriber number pre-stored in an IP/SMS database associated with the IP/SMS gateway. The IP/SMS gateway communicates the SMS message to the mobile user equipment at the retrieved IP address via the IP network.

A packet radio network comprising a gateway support node, a serving support node and a radio network controller provides a facility for communicating internet packets with mobile user equipment. The gateway support node provides a packet data protocol context for controlling communication of internet packets between the packet radio network and mobile user equipment via a packet communications bearer. The serving support node connected to the gateway support node controls communications between the gateway support node and mobile user equipment forming the packet communications bearer. The radio network part provides a radio access bearer for communicating internet packets via a radio access interface with mobile user equipment. In response to a request message, the serving support node with the gateway support node establishes a common packet data protocol context with a packet communications bearer to communicate packets. The common packet communications bearer is shared with another communications session and formed by gateway support node and serving support node using a common tunnelling protocol bearer.

A packet radio network comprising a gateway support node, a serving support node and a radio network part provides a facility for communicating internet packets with mobile user equipment. The gateway support node provides a packet data protocol context for controlling communication of internet packets between the packet radio network and mobile user equipment via a packet communications bearer. The serving support node is connected to the gateway support node controls communications between the gateway support node and mobile user equipment forming the packet communications bearer. The radio network part provides a radio access bearer for communicating internet packets via a radio access interface with mobile user equipment. In response to a request message, the serving support node with the gateway support node establishes a common packet data protocol context with a packet communications bearer to communicate packets according to an internet protocol version specified by the mobile user equipment.

A telecommunications system communicates internet packet data, carrying payload data including a plurality of different data types, with a mobile communications user equipment. The system comprises a gateway support node (GGSN), a service support node (SGSN) and a radio network controller (RNC). At least one of the gateway support node (GGSN) and the user equipment (UE) are operable to: parse the payload data in each data packet; generate a radio access bearer sub-flow indicator indicating the number of different types of data in the payload and the number of symbols in each different data type; and form a transport frame including the sub-flow indicator. The data packets are communicated between the radio network controller and the user equipment by detecting the sub-flow indicator, and in accordance with the sub-flow indicator arranging for the data from each of the different data fields to be communicated via a different radio access bearer providing different quality of service parameters appropriate for the different data type.

Telecommunications apparatus and method

A telecommunications system communicates internet packet data, carrying a plurality of different types of data, to and/or from a mobile communications user equipment. The system comprises a gateway support node (GGSN), a serving support node (SGSN) and a radio network controller (RNC). The mobile user equipment (UE) is operable to communicate a context application request to the serving support node (SGSN) specifying main quality of service parameters and at least one other data field representing a request for a different set of quality of service parameters, each of the quality of service parameters being provided for one of the different types of data in the data packet. The serving support node (SGSN) is responsive to the context application request to establish a virtual channel between the gateway support node (GGSN) and the user equipment via the serving support node (SGSN), including a radio access bearer in accordance with each of the plurality of quality of service parameters for communicating the different data types. An advantage is thereby provided in that a more efficient use of radio resources can be provided, because the radio access bearer can be matched to the type of data to be communicated.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Martin Harris