JP2002325098A - Home location register and communication system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently transfer a packet without causing needless traffic, by enabling the system to inform only the specified group members of packets at the same time. SOLUTION: This is a home location register which is used for a communication system for transferring the packets at the same time to a plurality of transfer destinations for simultaneous information, and in which control information about transfer destination for designating the transfer destination is stored, and this is provided with a data holder 102 which stores the control information, and a processor part 103 which outputs the control information stored in the data holder 102 so as to designate the transfer destination of the packet and updates the control information pertaining to the transfer destination of the packet in question stored in the data holder 102 in case that the control information pertaining to the transfer destination of the packet is changed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a home location register used for a data communication service.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, data communication services such as i-mode have been spreading in the mobile communication field. With the spread of data communication services, connection of communication services to the Internet has been desired, and the form of mobile communication networks has also been required to be highly compatible with the Internet.

[0003] One of the communication services that are currently receiving attention in the field of the Internet is a multicast service. The IMT-2000 is a system capable of providing a packet data communication service in addition to the conventional circuit switching (TTC standard: JP-3GA-23.060 (R99)), and the realization of a broadcast service is under study.

[0004]

However, since the broadcast service that is being considered for implementation in the above-mentioned IMT-2000 is a broadcast communication for an unspecified number of people (TTC specification: JP-3GA- 25.324 (R99)), there is a problem that it is not possible to designate a specific group member and broadcast a packet only to that member. In addition, although it is possible to perform communication by designating individual group members, there is a problem that unnecessary traffic is generated because the same information is individually transmitted to an unspecified number of packets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and can broadcast a packet only to a specific group member, thereby generating unnecessary traffic. It is an object of the present invention to provide a home location register capable of efficiently transferring a packet without using a home location register.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to a transfer destination for specifying a plurality of transfer destinations, which is used in a communication system for broadcasting packets to a plurality of transfer destinations. A home location register storing management information, wherein the information storage means stores the management information, and the management information stored in the information storage means is output to designate a plurality of transfer destinations of the packet. And information processing means for updating the management information on the transfer destination of the packet stored in the information holding means when the management information on the plurality of transfer destinations of the packet is changed.

The information processing means outputs the management information periodically.

[0008] The management information includes identification information for identifying a predetermined multicast group, a list of subscribers belonging to the multicast group,
And location information indicating the current location of each of the subscribers who are members of the multicast group.

Further, the location information includes information for identifying a routing area of a transfer destination, information for identifying a radio base station control device belonging to the routing area, and the presence of a terminal serving as the transfer destination. And information for identifying a cell to be used.

[0010] A communication system for broadcasting packets to a plurality of transfer destinations is characterized in that the home location register is provided.

(Operation) In the present invention configured as described above, in the home location register used for a communication service that broadcasts a packet to a plurality of destinations, information on the destination for designating the destination is provided. Is stored in the information holding unit, and the management information stored in the information holding unit is output. When a packet is transferred, the transfer destination is determined based on the output management information. . In the information holding means, when the management information on the transfer destination of the packet is changed, the stored management information on the transfer destination of the packet is updated by the information processing means.

As described above, when the transfer destination of the packet is determined based on the management information regarding the transfer destination of the packet and the management information regarding the transfer destination of the packet is changed, for example, when the transfer destination of the packet is moved, Because the destination of the packet is determined based on the changed management information, the packet can be broadcast only to a specific group member, and even if the group member moves, the packet is forwarded to the destination. And unnecessary traffic is not generated in the network, and efficient signal transfer can be performed.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IMT-2000DS-CDMA system using the home location register of the present invention.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
al Equipment) 1, MT (MobileTerminal) 2, U
TRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Netwo
rk) 3 and SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) 4
And SMS-GMSC, SMS-IWMSC (SMS Gate
way MSC, SMS Interworking MSC) 5 and SM-SC (S
hort Message Service Center) 6 and HLR (Home Lo
cation register) 7 and GGSN (Gateway GPRS Supp)
ort Node) 8 and PDN (Packet Data Network) 9
And CGF (Charge Generating Function) 10 and E
IR (Equipment Identity Register) 11 and Bill
SGSN4, and a GG of another mobile communication network.
It is connected to SN14 and SGSN13.

The TE1 is a part where the application function of the mobile terminal is mounted, and may be considered to be the same function as the ISDN terminal. MT2 is the IMT of the mobile terminal.
-2000 (UMTS) is a part in which a wireless communication function specific to UMTS is mounted. In addition, when the terminal moves in a cell in which the terminal is located, the SGSN 4 transmits, to the HLR 7, information for identifying the routing area, the radio base station controller belonging to the routing area, and the cell in which the terminal is located as position information. Give. Also, SMS-G
The MSC and the SMS-IWMSC 5 exchange short messages between the SM-SC 6 and the network. Further, the SM-SC 6 executes a short message communication service. The HLR 7 updates the managed location information based on the location information given from the SGSN 4, and periodically updates the management information including the location information with the GGS.
Transfer to N8. GGSN8 is HLR7
The destination of the packet is determined based on the management information transferred from the server, and the packet is transferred to the destination. Also, C
The GF 10 generates billing information. Also, Billing
The System 12 holds the billing information generated by the CGF 10.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the HLR 7 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HLR 7 in the present embodiment has an SMS-GMSC, an SMS-IWMSC 5, and an SGS.
A line interface 101 for transmitting / receiving data to / from the N4 and the GGSN 8, a data holding unit 102 as information holding means for storing management information for managing a multicast transmission destination, and a data interface via the line interface 101. A switch 104 for switching between transmission and reception;
The management information stored in the data holding unit 102 is updated based on the data received via the line interface 101, and the management information stored in the data holding unit 102 is periodically transferred via the line interface 101. It comprises a processor unit 103 as information processing means. Note that the management information stored in the data holding unit 102 is information indicating a relationship between a multicast (broadcast) address designating a predetermined user group and a user receiving the broadcast information. It consists of identification information for identifying a group, a list of subscribers belonging to a multicast group, and current location information of subscribers who are members of the multicast group. It consists of information for identifying the cell in which the base station controller and the terminal are located.

Hereinafter, a packet transfer operation using the home location register configured as described above will be described.

When a packet whose destination is designated by a multicast address from the external PDN 9, which is a typical system of the Internet, reaches the GGSN 8, the GGS
In N8, the destination of the packet is determined based on the multicast group management information transferred from the HLR7. Note that packet transfer within the IMT-2000 network may be performed in the same manner as normal multicast IP packet transfer.

Here, the multicast management information transferred from the HLR 7 to the GGSN 8 includes identification information for identifying the multicast group, a list of subscribers belonging to the multicast group, and the current number of subscribers who are members of the multicast group. And location information.

When the terminal to which the packet is transferred moves and the cell in which it is located changes, the SGSN 4 determines the routing area, the radio base station controller belonging to the routing area, and the cell in which the terminal is located, respectively. Information for identification is given to the HLR 7 as position information.

Then, in the HLR 7, based on the position information given from the SGSN 4, the data holding unit 102
Is updated, and the updated management information is periodically transferred to the GGSN 8.

As a result, in the HLR 7, information on where to transfer the packets of each multicast group from the GGSN 8 is updated, and information for performing optimal packet transfer is constructed. In the GGSN 8, packets are transmitted only to specific group members. Can be broadcasted, and even when the group member moves, the packet can be transferred to the destination, and unnecessary traffic is not generated in the network, so that efficient signal transfer can be performed. It can be performed.

The management information transferred from the HLR 7 to the GGSN 8 is transferred periodically, so that the packet transfer process can be performed without delay.

[0026]

According to the present invention, as described above, the transfer of the multicast packet can be efficiently performed by the low-delay processing without generating unnecessary traffic.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IMT-2000 DS-CDMA system using a home location register of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the HLR shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 TE 2 MT 3 UTRAN 4, 13 SGSN 5 SMS-GMSC, SMS-IWMSC 6 SM-SC 7 HLR 8, 14, GGSN 9 PDN 10 CGF 11 EIR 12 Billing System

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A home location register for use in a communication system that broadcasts packets to a plurality of transfer destinations and stores management information on transfer destinations for designating the plurality of transfer destinations. An information holding unit in which information is stored; and the management information stored in the information holding unit is output to specify a plurality of transfer destinations of the packet, and the management information regarding the plurality of transfer destinations of the packet is changed. Information processing means for updating management information relating to a transfer destination of the packet stored in the information holding means when the information is stored. 2. The home location register according to claim 1, wherein said information processing means periodically outputs said management information. 3. The home location register according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes: identification information for identifying a predetermined multicast group; and a list of subscribers belonging to the multicast group. And a location information indicating a current location of each subscriber who is a member of the multicast group. 4. The home location register according to claim 3, wherein the location information includes information for identifying a routing area of a transfer destination, and information for identifying a radio base station controller belonging to the routing area. A home location register comprising: information; and information for identifying a cell in which the transfer destination terminal exists. 5. A communication system provided with the home location register according to claim 1.