JP2002534021A - Controlling data flow to mobile stations - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Summary The present invention relates to a mobile station (MS), a method and a node (MS, HLR, MSV, VLR) in a mobile communication system (PLMN). The present invention addresses the interference caused by circuit-switched transactions due to ongoing non-circuit-switched transactions on the same mobile station (MS) in parallel. This is typically a USSD transaction (USSD) that compromises the quality of the voice connection (TCH). The present invention provides a method that allows a mobile station user (A) to pre-limit the data flow of non-circuit switched transactions. Then, the control mechanism of the mobile communication system limits the data flow according to the upper limit. Control is managed by the mobile station or mobile switching center (MSC) of the present invention. The advantage is that less data flow causes less interference to the voice connection. Loss of voice connection is corrected to a limited extent with the help of coding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a mobile station, a device connected to the mobile station, a switching system in a mobile communication system having a connection to an external node, and a method related to a mobile communication system. It concerns the case where a further transaction is set up in the mobile station in parallel with the data connection.

Description of the Background Art In a mobile communication system, a mobile station and some parallel transactions, ie,
Several solutions are known in the art that allow for the setting of simultaneous transactions. Transactions refer to both circuit-switched data connections and the transmission of user data over non-circuit-switched data transmission service media. In addition to the circuit-switched data connections typically used for voice communications, the GSM system includes a group of services called SMS services and supplementary services. This group of services includes the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data) service. USSD was originally standardized with the intention of being used for data transmission between mobile stations and nodes of the switching system SS in a GSM network. Initially, only one USSD transaction could be set at a time with the mobile station MS.

[0003] US Pat. No. 5,752,188 describes a solution that allows USSD to be used for data transmission between a mobile station and a USSD service node located outside the GSM network. Other service nodes may be connected to the USSD service node. These other service nodes allow mobile stations to access some applications via USSD transactions. In this solution, there is no limitation on the number of USSD transactions set up with the mobile station.

One unpublished patent application SE 9803922-5 addresses the problem that the quality of a circuit-switched data connection is compromised by a USSD transaction performed in parallel with the circuit-switched data connection. . SE 980392
2-5 provides a solution to this problem that allows the user of the mobile station to proactively prevent transactions set up in parallel with the ongoing circuit-switched data connection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses the problem in a desired transaction to a mobile station that is in parallel with the ongoing circuit-switched data connection and impairs the quality of the communication. If transmission resources are taken from the circuit-switched data connection and given to another transaction, transactions that are running in parallel will degrade the quality of the voice transmitted on the circuit-switched data connection.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to allow a user of a mobile station to preliminarily limit data flow in one or more transactions that are being continued in parallel with a circuit-switched data connection, thereby providing said circuit. The purpose is to prevent interference in the exchange data connection.

[0007] The above problem is a method associated with a mobile communication system in which the user of the mobile terminal indicates in advance the upper limit of data flow in one or more transactions that are being continued in parallel with the circuit switched data connection. Solved by The data flow to the mobile terminal is measured and compared to the upper limit, and when this upper limit is exceeded, a message is sent to the source of the data flow notifying that data is no longer being received. According to one aspect of the invention, the transaction is also suspended.
According to another aspect, before further data is transmitted to the mobile terminal, the source of the data flow is notified of the delay time.

The above problem is also solved by a mobile terminal having means for registering an upper limit of the amount of data received per unit time. The limit is given by the user of the mobile terminal. The mobile station also includes means for measuring the data flow to the mobile terminal and comparing the data flow to a limit, and means for notifying the source when the data flow exceeds the limit. In.

[0009] The above problem is also solved by a switching system connected to at least one base station system, and also connected to a mobile terminal and also to a service node. The switching system also includes means for establishing a circuit-switched data connection with the mobile terminal, means for maintaining the circuit-switched data connection with the mobile terminal, and parallel non-circuit-switched communication between the foreign node and the mobile terminal. Means for maintaining the transaction. The switching system also includes means for measuring the data flow to the mobile terminal and comparing this data flow to said limit. The switching system also includes means for stopping the data flow, such as when the data flow exceeds the limit.

[0010] These solutions relate to several different embodiments. According to one embodiment, the limit value specified by the user relates to the data flow per unit time. According to another embodiment, the limit relates to the overall data flow accompanying the transaction. According to yet another embodiment, the limits relate to the data flow associated with each application referenced by the data flow. According to yet another embodiment, the limit value is associated with a given receiving unit in the mobile terminal. In each of these embodiments, the data flow is measured and compared according to the constraints on the limits.

One advantage provided by the present invention is that the user does not need to prevent the desired transaction, for example, because it disrupts an ongoing voice connection. Instead, the user limits the data flow and thereby the interference that occurs on the voice connection. In this way, the user can receive the data flow information for a somewhat longer time. Voice over the circuit-switched data connection is encoded.
When there is speech interference below a given threshold, the error is corrected with the aid of coding. On the other hand, when there is interference exceeding the threshold, the coding cannot correct the deterioration of the voice, and the voice quality is very poor. With the help of the present invention, the user can limit the data flow so that the interference on the voice connection is at a level that can be corrected by coding.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to preferred and exemplary embodiments together with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS By way of example, some embodiments of the present invention for a GSM network are described below. FIG. 1 shows a PLMN of GSM which is a known mobile communication system. The PLMN of the GSM network includes a mobile station MS, several radio base station devices BTS1-BTS2, two base station control stations BSC1-BSC2, a mobile switching center MSC, a gateway mobile switching center GMSC, and a visitor location register VLR. And a home location register HLR. Each radio base station BTS1-BTS2 is connected to base station control stations BSC1-BSC2, and these base station control stations are connected to a mobile switching center MSC. The mobile switching center MSC is connected to the visitor location register VLR and the gateway mobile switching center GMSC. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC:
It is connected to the home location register HLR.

The mobile station MS is now wirelessly connected to the radio base station BTS1 serving the cell C1 in which the mobile station MS is located.

The gateway mobile switching center GMSC is connected to another telephone network (not shown in FIG. 1),
It is connected to the USSD service node USSDgw.

A voice connection, ie a circuit-switched data connection TCH, is set up between the mobile station MS and a terminal of the telephone network via the gateway mobile switching center GMSC. US
The SD transaction USSD is also set up between the mobile station MS and the USSD service node USSDgw via the gateway mobile switching center GMSC.

In the GSM system, three types of transactions are defined. 3
The first of the two types of transactions is the traditional circuit-switched data connection TCH, usually used for voice connections. In this regard, the connection is set up through the GSM network as a dual connection TCH.

A second type of transaction is an SMS transaction. SMS
Transactions can be either to the mobile or from the mobile,
This is a one-way connection. This transaction is a GSM network PLMN
Via an external SMS service node (not shown). This connection is not a "normal" connection, but a GSM that handles signaling normally
This is a connection in which user data is transparently transferred by a protocol in the network PLMN.

A third type of transaction is a group of services defined by a collective name “Supplementary Services”. This group includes the Unstructured Additional Data Service USSD. As with the SMS transactions, the user data is transmitted transparently in a signaling protocol within the GSM network PLMN. Unlike SMS transactions, USSD transactions are conducted interactively, for example, to provide answers to questions contained in the transaction.

The three types of transactions are performed in parallel at the mobile station MS, ie:
Can be performed simultaneously. A solution is also found for setting up several USSD transactions in parallel. The Standards Committee ETSI has several USS
D transaction is mobile station MS and one or more USSD service nodes USS
We are in the process of standardizing a method that can be set simultaneously with Dgw.

FIG. 1 shows a circuit switching transaction TCH and U ongoing at the same time as the mobile station MS.
9 shows an SSD transaction USSD. FIG. 1 does not show the external telephone network to which the circuit-switched data transactions are sent. Several application APs are connected to the USSD service node USSDgw. The application AP may be implemented on either the USSD service node or the service node itself connected to the USSD service node. The application AP uses a USSD service node for information transfer with the mobile station MS.

USSD Transaction USSD uses a wireless channel called FACCH (High Speed Associated Control Channel) for wireless connection. The circuit-switched data connection TCH
Use the traffic channel TCH for the wireless connection. The FACCH is set only when data to be transmitted via this channel is found, and the setting deprives the traffic channel of transmission capacity. As a result, traffic
The quality of the user data transmitted on the channel is significantly impaired. When speech is transmitted on a traffic channel, speech loss or speech quality degradation can be corrected to a certain extent with the aid of coding. If the speech loss is greater than a given threshold, the error cannot be corrected by coding and the speech will be degraded so that the recipient cannot understand what he is saying.

FIG. 2 shows the nodes of the switching system SS which are important for the invention. FIG.
Switching system SS includes a switching center including a home location register MSC / VLR, a gateway mobile switching center GMSC, and a home location register HLR. These nodes are connected to each other and to external nodes as described with reference to FIG.

For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in the following that the USSD service node USSDgw is directly connected to the home location register HLR, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows how data is transferred from the USSD service node USSDgw to the mobile station MS in an already established USSD transaction. FIG. 3 also shows a further service node AS with an application AP. As indicated by arrow A1, data is transmitted from the further service node AS to the USSD service node USSDgw, from which the US
Sent to the mobile station MS with the help of SD. The USSD service node splits the data from the further service node into USSD strings of the same length as one another. Each USSD string is packed into a USSD request message, which is sent in a lower protocol storage message "TCAP-BEGIN". This message is transmitted according to the MAP (Mobile Communication Application) protocol. The USSD string is transferred from the USSD service node USSDgw to the home location register HLR, as indicated by arrow A2 in FIG. 3, from which the exchange / visitor location location is indicated by arrow A3.
Transferred to register MSC / VLR.

The USSD string is transmitted to the mobile station MS via the base station system BSS. When the USSD string arrives at the mobile station MS, the mobile station sends a response back to the USSD service node. This response informs the USSD service node whether the USSD string was received correctly or not. In the latter case, the transaction is interrupted, so that no more U
Means that no SSD string is sent. If the USSD string is not sent to the mobile station for some reason or another, the node to which the USSD string was not sent, eg, the mobile switching center MSC, sends a response back to the USSD service node USSDgw. Thus, it is assumed that the USSD service node receives a response for each transmitted USSD string.

The way in which USSD strings are transmitted is known in the art and
09.02 and GSM 03.90 specifications.

The invention enables the user A of the mobile station MS to limit the data flow due to the USSD transaction USSD being continued in parallel with the circuit-switched data connection TCH.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of restricting a data flow of a USSD transaction set between the USSD service node USSDgw and the mobile station MS.

The method includes a first step S 1 in which a data flow upper limit is given by a user. This restriction can be specified in several different ways, so the registration of the restriction includes several different parameters. In particular, user A has the option of registering a block for a USSD string addressed to a particular unit of the mobile station.

Subsequent to step 1, step S2 of receiving a USSD request including a USSD string is performed.

In step S3, a check is made to see if the data flow should be controlled according to given restrictions. If the user A registers to restrict the data flow, that is, if the question of step S3 is Yes, step S4 is executed. Otherwise, that is, if the answer to the question is No, the USSD request message is permitted according to step S8.

In step S 4, a check is made to see whether the circuit-switched data connection with the mobile station MS is ongoing. If there is an ongoing transaction, that is, if the answer to the question is Yes, step S5 is executed.

On the other hand, if no circuit-switched data transaction is connected, that is, if the inquiry in step S4 is No, the USSD request message is processed by a known method. This means that USSD requests are probably granted. Alternatively, instead of processing USSD requests in the known manner, SE 9
The control described in 803922-5 is executed.

In step S5, it is ascertained whether the registered restrictions indicate that there is a unit in the mobile station to which the USSD string is not transmitted, and if so, the identity of that unit.

In the following step S 6, the identity of the receiving unit of the mobile station MS is US
It is selectively read from the SD request message and compared to the identities that could be read in step S6. If the two identities match, ie if the query in step S6 is yes, the USSD string is addressed to an unauthorized receiving unit in the mobile station MS and the subsequent USSD string is stopped according to step S12. .

On the other hand, if the USSD string is permitted, that is, if the answer to the question in step S6 is No, step S7 is executed.

In step S7, a check is made whether the number of USSD request messages received during a given elapsed time period is less than an upper limit on the number of USSD requests allowed during the corresponding time period. If the answer is yes, the data flow is below the maximum allowed limit, the USSD request message is allowed, and a response to this result is sent back to the USSD service node according to step S8. Then, step S11 is performed.

On the other hand, if the answer to the question in S7 is No, the data flow becomes too large due to the USSD request, and step S9 is executed.

The parameter “back press” registered in step S 1 is read in step S 9. If "back press" has been activated, i.e. if the answer to the question in step S9 is Yes, this means that the data flow should be reduced and step S10 is therefore performed. .

In step S10, a response to the USSD request message is returned to USSD service node USSDgw. The response includes a message to the effect that no more data can be received within the given time period.

Then, step S11 is executed in which the time when the USSD request message is received is saved in the buffer. This buffer is used to count the number of USSD request messages received in the last time period in step S7 when a USSD request message is received later.

On the other hand, if the answer to the question in step S 9 is No, this flow is not delayed, but is instead stopped. Then, the USSD service node
Step S12 of returning a response of "USSD rejection" is executed. The "USSD rejected" response also means that the transaction between the USSD service node USSDgw and the mobile station MS is interrupted.

After step S12 or S11, the method of processing the USSD request message ends, but when a new USSD request is received, the method is restarted from step S2.

The mobile station MS sends a response to the USSD request together with a “facility message”. The response of the significant USSD request used in steps S8 and S12 has been known for some time. On the other hand, the content of the response in step S10 is not previously known and should be clarified in order to be usable.

In addition to the control described with reference to FIG. 4, further requirements can be seen in the control corresponding to the setting for restricting the data flow of the user A to the mobile station. For example, user A can allow only a limited number of USSD requests for a particular mobile station unit. In another example, user A inhibits or allows only a given limited number of USSD requests belonging to a given application. Network element identifier (N
The application is given to the USSD request by a combination of EI) and a port giving the address of the application AS together with the identifier. In another alternative, a fixed total number of USS per transaction or application
Allow only D requests.

As an alternative to allowing the data to be transmitted later, all such time references are removed from the response sent to the USSD service node in step S10. In this case, the USSD service node must later send a new USSD request on its own.

Following the “USSD rejection” response sent according to step S 12, a message stating that the mobile station is ready to receive the USSD request again is a USSD message.
Sent selectively to the service node later. The message sent after this is
Sent together with a USSD message called "Process USSD Request".

In the GSM network PLMN, the combination of the mobile station MS, the mobile switching center MSC and the visitor location register VLR registers the upper limit of the data flow as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. You are instructed to check the data flow for an upper bound.

The mobile station MS of the present invention for registering and checking data flows comprises, like the previously known mobile stations, a screen and keys for the user A to control the mobile station MS. As with known mobile stations, the mobile station may have one or more ongoing transactions USS
It has a function of controlling D and TCH.

The mobile station MS also has registers for storing these parameters, including the upper limit of the data flow. The mobile station MS includes means for transmitting a response to the received USSD request message. The mobile station MS also has a function of controlling the state of the user A when a USSD request is received according to the method described with reference to FIG.

The user A of the mobile station MS initializes the data flow parameters, ie, with the help of the mobile station keypad and the on-screen instructions of the mobile station, defines the conditions of the data flow to the mobile station. register. A known control function of the mobile station MS manages the instruction from the user A, and in this case, controls so that the permission parameter is registered. The mobile station may include an application that facilitates initialization of parameters for user A. According to the GSM standard, the mobile station MS consists of a mobile device and a SIM card. The register containing the authorization parameters may be included in either the mobile device or the SIM card. The SIM card is provided by an operator of the GSM network, and the SIM card stores authorization parameters preset in the first state.

As an alternative that allows the mobile station MS to handle the registration and control of the user authorization, this can be managed by the switching system SS. The switching system SS and its nodes are defined in the GSM standard.

The switching center / visitor location register MSC / VLR of the present invention includes a register for storing information on permission of a plurality of users A. Exchange / visitor
The location register MSC / VLR also has the function of checking this permission according to the method of the present invention when receiving a request to connect a USSD transaction.

If the transmission of the USSD request does not meet the conditions set by user A, mobile switching center MSC prevents the USSD request from being sent to mobile station MS. Instead, USS
A response is returned to the D service node USSDgw. This response is sent in step S
According to 10, either no more data is to be transmitted within a given time period, or according to step S9, no USSD request is received. This response is transmitted in the "TCP error" component.

The previously filed patent application SE 9903922-5 describes how user A can limit the number of USSD transactions established with a mobile station. In this case, the permission of the user A can be registered, and the control by this permission is managed by either the mobile station or the mobile switching center MSC in combination with the visitor location register VLR.

The control described in SE 9803922-5 can be conveniently performed in combination with the present invention.

A device may be connected to the mobile station MS. The mobile station MS and the equipment connected together form a mobile terminal. The connected equipment is typically a computer, which may be configured to check the magnitude of the data flow on behalf of the mobile station MS. This computer has a function corresponding to the function of the mobile station MS that manages the check or control and registers the restriction of the data flow. Moreover, the interface of the connection between the mobile station MS and the computer will be configured to allow the relevant information of the USSD request to be transferred to the computer. The decision whether to execute the transaction is sent back from the computer to the mobile station MS, which sends a response to the request.

In the above embodiment, the check was performed upon receiving a USSD request. The invention is applicable to other types of transactions than USSD transactions.

In the described embodiment, it has been described how the invention applies to a GSM network PLMN. However, it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to other mobile communication systems. In all mobile communication systems, it is known that transaction-type circuit-switched data connections are commonly used for voice. Most mobile communication systems also include a type of transaction in which user data is transferred by a transaction that is not a circuit-switched connection. Other systems give other names to similar transactions, but unfortunately there is no common name.

[0061] Other mobile communication systems typically include a base station instead of a radio base station BTS and a base station controller BSC. This base station mainly has the same functions as those allocated between the base station control station BSC and the radio base station apparatus BTS in GSM. GS
The functions assigned to the nodes of the switching system SS in the M system are partially assigned to other nodes in other mobile communication systems, but together have the same functions as the switching system SS in the GSM system.

The USSD service node USSDgw described in the above embodiment is most likely to be an external node. However, the USSD service node may be integrated in the mobile communication system PLMN. The present invention can also be applied to a case where a node as a source of a USSD request is included in a mobile communication system PLMN. This node may be, for example, a mobile switching center MSC or a gateway mobile switching center GMSC that generates a USSD request for the mobile station MS.

The present invention is effective for all mobile communication systems in which some transactions with a mobile station continue in parallel, and can be applied when neither of the two parallel transactions is a circuit-switched connection. A mobile communication system refers to a cellular wireless network in which mobility of services is provided to mobile stations.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cellular mobile communication system and nodes included in the system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating nodes (not complete) included in the switching system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating nodes that operate to send USSD requests.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of the present invention.

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Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A mobile station (M) comprising a switching system (SS) connected to a service node (USSDgw) and at least one base station (BTS, BSC).
In a mobile communication system (PLMN) where S) is used for a given user (A), in a way to limit the data flow of at least one ongoing non-circuit switched transaction for a given mobile terminal (MS) A) registering an upper limit of data flow given to the mobile terminal by a user (S1); b) setting a circuit-switched data connection with the mobile terminal (S2); c) Establishing at least one non-circuit switched transaction for the mobile terminal (S3); d) measuring a data flow for the transaction to the mobile terminal (MS) (S11); e) the data Comparing the flow with the limit value (S7); f) Further decompression according to the result of the comparison The step of preventing data transmission (S10
, S12). 2. Preventing further data transmission (S10) comprises transmitting the service node (USSDgw) to the service node (USSDgw) such that no more data is transmitted within a given time period. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed in the form of a message that notifies 3. Preventing further data transmission (S12) is to notify the service node (USSDgw) that no more data is received and the transaction is interrupted. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed in the form of a message that notifies 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a further message is sent after the message, notifying the node that more data can be received. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit is related to a data flow per unit time, and the process of measuring the data flow and the comparison are performed based on the data flow per unit time.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method is associated with a flow. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit relates to data flow per transaction, and the process of measuring the data flow and the comparison relate to data flow per transaction. 2. The method according to 1. 7. The method according to claim 1, 4 or 6, wherein the upper limit is also associated with a given application. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit is also associated with a given receiving unit in the mobile terminal. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-circuit-switched transaction is a USSD transaction. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the measurement of the data flow according to step d) is performed by counting the number of USSD requests received by the mobile terminal. 11. The method according to claim 1, 9 or 10, wherein the mobile communication system (PLMN) is a GSM system. 12. A mobile terminal (MS) used by a user (A) for handling at least one non-circuit switched transaction in a mobile communication system (PLMN) in parallel with a circuit switched connection via a radio connection. And means operable to send a response to the source of the data when data is received in the non-circuit-switched transaction, provided to the mobile terminal by a user (A). Means for registering an upper limit of a data flow, means for measuring a data flow to the mobile terminal, and means for comparing the data flow with the upper limit; and, according to a result of the comparison, the mobile terminal Means for notifying that no data is transmitted any more. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the given permission is registered in the form of a list (L) indicating whether a transaction (TCH, USSD) may or may not be set for the application (AP). The mobile terminal according to claim 12,
MS). 14. The mobile terminal (MS) according to claim 12, comprising means for functioning according to the specifications of the GSM system. 15. Connected to at least one service node (USSDgw), at least one base station (BTS, BSC) and at least one mobile terminal (MS) via said base station (BST, BSC). Exchange system (SS
Means for maintaining a circuit-switched data connection with said mobile terminal; and said service node (USSDgw) in parallel with said circuit-switched data connection.
Means for maintaining a non-circuit switched transaction in which data is transmitted from the mobile terminal (MS) to the mobile terminal (MS), and means for registering an upper limit of data flow in the non-circuit switched transaction provided by the user (A). Means for measuring the data flow to the mobile terminal; means for comparing the measured data flow with the upper limit; preventing the data flow when the data flow exceeds the upper limit. Means.