JP2004023169A - Communication device and information transmission method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently transmit time information for a mobile communication system. <P>SOLUTION: A time information generating portion 204 determines a time when a base station device transmits information to be transmitted to a communication terminal equipment and generates time information. An IP processing portion 205 sets the time information to an IP expansion header, and forms an IP packet. A layer 1/2 processing portion 206 performs transmission processing of a layer 1 and a layer 2 to the IP packet outputted from the IP processing portion to be transmitted to base station devices 202-1-202-n. A layer 1/2 processing portion 207 receives the transmitted IP packet, and performs the transmission processing of the layer 1 and the layer 2. An IP processing portion 208 disassembles the received IP packet into three areas of an IP header, an IP expansion header, and user data; and takes out the time information from the IP expansion header. A wireless processing portion 209 transmits the user data outputted from the IP processing portion 208 to a communication terminal equipment 203 according to the time information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication device and an information transmission method for transmitting time information for a mobile communication system using the Internet Protocol (IP).
[0002]
[Prior art]
When a communication terminal device moves between cells, it performs a handover process of switching communication from a cell currently in communication to a destination cell. Hereinafter, handover means soft handover in which seamless switching is possible, and is described as SHO. In SHO, assuming that a communication terminal device (MS) is moving from a base station device 1 (BS1) to a base station device 2 (BS2), BS1 and BS2 simultaneously transmit the same information to the MS. , And the MS switches to communication with the BS 2 whose reception quality has been improved with the movement. For this reason, a network control device (hereinafter, referred to as “RNC”) that controls a plurality of base station devices needs to transmit data (user data) to be transmitted to the MS not only to BS1, but also to BS2. And BS2 must be transmitted at the same time, and it is necessary to notify each base station device of the transmission timing.
[0003]
As a method of transmitting information between the RNC and the base station apparatus, a method using the Internet Protocol (IP) has been disclosed in the 3GPP standard “TR25.933 IP Transport in UTRAN”. FIG. 7 shows a configuration of an IP packet transmitted by the RNC to the base station device. The IP header 11 stores control data necessary for performing protocol processing. The user data 12 stores information to be transmitted to the communication terminal device.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when performing SHO, the time information for notifying the transmission time of the information to be transmitted to the target communication terminal device and the multiplexing header for storing the control data indicating the boundary between the time information and the user data are included in the IP. Must be multiplexed into packets. For this reason, a multiplex protocol for demultiplexing the time information and the user data is required, and there is a problem that the types of protocols required for the mobile communication system increase. Further, there is a problem that overhead is increased due to the necessity of providing a multiplexing header.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication device and an information transmission method capable of efficiently transmitting time information for a mobile communication system.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such a problem, a communication device according to the present invention is a communication device used for a mobile communication system that performs information transmission using an IP packet. The configuration includes an IP processing unit that stores time information and forms an IP packet, and a transmission unit that transmits the IP packet.
[0007]
According to this configuration, the time information for the mobile communication system is stored in the free space for storing the control data in the IP packet, so that it is not necessary to multiplex the time information for the mobile communication system in the IP packet. Since it is not necessary to use a multiplexing header, an increase in overhead can be avoided. Further, since the time information for the mobile communication system is frequently used, the cumulative effect is remarkable.
[0008]
In the communication device according to the present invention, the time information may be time information specifying a transmission time of information transmitted by the base station device to the communication terminal device or time information indicating a reception time of information received by the base station device from the communication terminal device. Is adopted.
[0009]
According to this configuration, for example, the time information specifying the transmission time of the information transmitted from the base station apparatus to the communication terminal apparatus is stored in the free space for storing the control data in the IP packet. When the network control device transmits the packet to the base station device, the base station device can transmit information to the communication terminal device according to the designated time. Further, for example, time information indicating the reception time of information received from the same communication terminal device by a plurality of base station devices is stored in an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet, and the IP packet including the reception time information is stored. Is transmitted to the network control device by a plurality of base station devices, it is possible to determine that information received by the base station device at the same time is information from the same communication terminal device.
[0010]
A communication device according to the present invention includes a time information generating unit configured to generate a transmission time of information transmitted from a base station device to a communication terminal device, and storing the time information in a free space for storing control data in an IP packet, A configuration including the IP processing means for forming a packet and the transmission means for transmitting the IP packet to a base station device is adopted.
[0011]
According to this configuration, the communication device stores the time information from the time information generating means in the free space for storing the control data in the IP packet, and transmits the IP packet including the transmission time information to the base station device. Accordingly, the base station device can transmit information to the communication terminal device according to the designated time.
[0012]
A communication device according to the present invention is a communication device used in a mobile communication system for transmitting information using an IP packet, wherein a wireless channel between a communication terminal device and a base station device is provided in an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet. The configuration includes an IP processing unit that stores quality information and forms an IP packet, and a transmission unit that transmits the IP packet.
[0013]
According to this configuration, for example, when a single communication terminal device is communicating with a plurality of base station devices, each base station device measures the quality of a radio channel and stores control data in an IP packet. By storing the quality information in a free area to be transmitted and transmitting an IP packet including the stored quality information to the network control device, the network control device can determine which base station device has better quality.
[0014]
In the communication device according to the present invention, the IP packet is an IP packet defined by Internet Protocol version 6, and a free area for storing control data in the IP packet is an IP extension defined by Internet Protocol version 6. Use the configuration corresponding to the header.
[0015]
According to this configuration, by using the IP packet defined by the Internet Protocol version 6, it is possible to use a specification in which an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet is already secured.
[0016]
The information transmission method of the present invention includes: an IP processing step of storing time information for a mobile communication system in a free area for storing control data in an IP packet; and a transmission step of transmitting the IP packet. did.
[0017]
According to this method, the time information for the mobile communication system is stored in the free space for storing the control data in the IP packet, so that it is not necessary to multiplex the time information for the mobile communication system in the IP packet. Since it is not necessary to use a multiplexing header, an increase in overhead can be avoided. Further, since the time information for the mobile communication system is frequently used, the cumulative effect is remarkable.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The gist of the present invention is that, in a mobile communication system, time information for a mobile communication system is stored in an empty area for storing control data in an IP packet without being multiplexed into the IP packet. As a result, it is possible to reduce the types of protocols required for the mobile communication system, and it is not necessary to use a multiplexing header, so that time information for the mobile communication system can be transmitted efficiently.
[0019]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
In this embodiment, a case where time information is stored in an IP extension header of an IP packet defined by IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) when performing SHO will be described.
[0021]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an IP packet according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is information transmitted between a network control device (RNC) and a base station device. The packet configuration shown in this figure is defined by IPv6. The IP header 101 stores control data necessary for performing protocol processing, and also stores control data indicating a boundary between the IP extension header 102 and the user data 103. The IP extension header 102 has an area for storing control data. The user data 103 stores information to be transmitted to the communication terminal device.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the mobile communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, RNC 201 controls base station devices 202-1 to 202-n, forms an IP packet with a header, user data, and the like, and transmits the IP packet to the base station device. When performing SHO, time information for transmitting information to be transmitted to a target communication terminal apparatus from a plurality of base station apparatuses at the same time is generated and stored in a packet. The IP packet storing the time information indicates the transmission time to the base station device.
[0023]
The base station devices 202-1 to 202-n transmit user data to the communication terminal device 203 based on the information of the packet transmitted from the RNC 201. The communication terminal device 203 receives user data transmitted from the base station devices 202-1 to 202-n.
[0024]
Here, the internal configuration of the RNC 201 and the base station device 202-1 will be described. First, the internal configuration of the RNC 201 will be described. When performing SHO, time information generating section 204 determines the time at which the base station apparatus transmits information (user data) to be transmitted to the target communication terminal apparatus, and generates time information. The generated time information is output to the IP processing unit 205. The IP processing unit 205 sets the time information output from the time information generation unit 204 in the IP extension header, and forms an IP packet using the IP header and the user data transmitted from the higher-level device. Layer 1/2 processing section 206 performs layer 1 and layer 2 transmission processing on the IP packet output from the IP processing section, and transmits the IP packet to base station apparatuses 202-1 to 202-n.
[0025]
Next, an internal configuration of the base station device 202-1 will be described. The layer 1/2 processing unit 207 receives the IP packet transmitted from the RNC 201, and performs layer 1 and layer 2 transmission processing. The IP processing unit 208 decomposes the packet received from the RNC 201 into three areas: an IP header, an IP extension header, and user data. Time information is extracted from the decomposed IP extension header. The user data decomposed from the packet and the extracted time information are output to the wireless processing unit 209. Wireless processing section 209 transmits the user data output from IP processing section 208 to communication terminal apparatus 203 according to the time information. Note that the internal configuration of the base station devices 202-2 to 202-n is the same as that of the base station device 202-1;
[0026]
Next, the operation of the mobile communication system having the above configuration when performing SHO will be described. Here, a case will be described as an example where communication terminal apparatus 203 performs SHO from communication with base station apparatus 202-1 and base station apparatus 202-n to communication with base station apparatus 202-n. The time information generating unit 204 determines the time at which the base station devices 202-1 and 202-n transmit information (user data) to be transmitted to the target communication terminal device 203, and generates time information. The generated time information is output to IP processing section 205. The time information output from the time information generation unit 204 is set in the IP extension header by the IP processing unit. This eliminates the need to multiplex the time information into the IP packet, eliminates the need for providing a multiplexing header, and avoids an increase in overhead.
[0027]
In the IP processing unit 205, an IP packet is formed using the IP header, the IP extension header, and the user data transmitted from the higher-level device. The IP packet is output from the IP processing unit to the layer 1/2 processing unit 206. The IP packet output from the IP processing unit 205 is subjected to layer 1 and layer 2 transmission processing by the layer 1/2 processing unit 206. The IP packet subjected to the transmission processing is transmitted to the base station device 202-1 and the base station device 202-n.
[0028]
The IP packet transmitted from the layer 1/2 processing unit 206 of the RNC 201 is received by the layer 1/2 processing unit 207 of the base station device 202-1 and the base station device 202-n, and the transmission processing of the layer 1 and the layer 2 is performed. Is performed. The IP packet subjected to the transmission processing is output to IP processing section 208. The IP packet output from the layer 1/2 processing unit 207 is decomposed by the IP processing unit 208 into three areas: an IP header, an IP extension header, and user data, and the IP header is processed. The time information is extracted. The decomposed user data and the extracted time information are output to the wireless processing unit 209. The user data output from the IP processing unit 208 is transmitted from the base station device 202-1 and the base station device 202-n to the communication terminal device 203 according to the time information in the wireless processing unit 209. Thereby, the communication terminal device 203 can simultaneously receive the user data transmitted from the base station device 202-1 and the base station device 202-n, and move from the base station device 202-1 to the base station device with the movement. The communication can be switched to 202-n.
[0029]
A specific configuration of the IP header and the IP extension header will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a format of an IP header published in IETF RFC2460, and FIG. 4 shows a format of an IP extension header published in IETF RFC2460. When the time information is stored in the IP extension header, handover information “present” is shown in the next header 301 of the IP header shown in FIG. When the time information is not stored in the IP extension header, the next header 301 indicates the handover information “none”. The time information is stored in the option 401 of the IP extension header shown in FIG.
[0030]
Here, the protocol stack between the base station apparatus and the RNC will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional protocol stack between a base station apparatus and an RNC. In this figure, a layer 1 performs processing of a physical layer, and a layer 2 performs processing such as error detection and retransmission. The IP performs IP processing, and the multiplex protocol performs multiplex protocol processing. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a protocol stack between the base station device and the RNC according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, layers 1, 2 and IP perform the same processing as in the prior art. A comparison between FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 shows that the present embodiment does not require a multiplex protocol in the protocol stack.
[0031]
Although the case has been described with the present embodiment where time information is transferred in the downstream direction, time information may be stored in the IP extension header when time information is transferred in the upstream direction from the communication terminal apparatus to the RNC. Good. Further, although a case has been described with the present embodiment where time information is stored in the IP extension header, information such as a reception level used for handover other than time information may be stored in the IP extension header. Accordingly, when performing SHO, information is transmitted from a target communication terminal apparatus to a plurality of base station apparatuses, and time information and reception quality information received by the plurality of base station apparatuses are respectively stored in an IP extension header. By transmitting the IP packet including the extension header to the RNC, the RNC determines that the information received at the same time is the information transmitted from the target communication terminal apparatus, and the reception quality in any of the base station apparatuses is good. Judge. As a result, the information with the better reception quality is selected by the RNC.
[0032]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when performing SHO, time information necessary for SHO is stored in the IP extension header of a packet specified by IPv6, so that time information is multiplexed when performing SHO. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a multiplexing header, so that an increase in overhead can be avoided, and SHO can be performed by reducing the types of protocols required for SHO. In addition, by storing frequently used control data, such as time information required for SHO, in the IP extension header, the above-described effects appear cumulatively.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in a mobile communication system, time information for a mobile communication system is stored in an empty area for storing control data in an IP packet without being multiplexed into the IP packet. The number of types of protocols required for the communication system can be reduced, and the time information for the mobile communication system can be transmitted efficiently because the multiplexing header does not need to be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an IP packet according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of an IP extension header. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional protocol stack between a base station apparatus and an RNC. FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a protocol stack between a base station device and an RNC according to the present invention.
101 IP header 102 IP extension header 103 User data 201 RNC
202-1 to 202-n Base station device 203 Communication terminal device 204 Time information generation unit 205, 208 IP processing unit 206, 207 Layer 1/2 processing unit 209 Wireless processing unit 301 Next header 401 Option

Claims (6)

In a communication apparatus used in a mobile communication system for transmitting information using an IP packet, an IP processing means for storing time information for the mobile communication system in an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet and forming the IP packet And a transmission unit for transmitting the IP packet. The time information is either time information that specifies the transmission time of the information that the base station device transmits to the communication terminal device or time information that indicates the reception time of the information that the base station device receives from the communication terminal device. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: Time information generating means for generating a transmission time of information transmitted from the base station apparatus to the communication terminal apparatus, and the IP processing for storing the time information in an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet and forming an IP packet The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit the IP packet to a base station device. In a communication device used in a mobile communication system for transmitting information using an IP packet, quality information of a wireless channel between a communication terminal device and a base station device is stored in an empty area for storing control data in the IP packet, A communication apparatus comprising: an IP processing unit that forms a packet; and a transmission unit that transmits the IP packet. The IP packet is an IP packet defined by Internet Protocol version 6, and a free area for storing control data in the IP packet corresponds to an IP extension header defined by Internet Protocol version 6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein An information transmission method, comprising: an IP processing step of storing time information for a mobile communication system in a free area for storing control data in an IP packet; and a transmission step of transmitting the IP packet.

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