JP2008236529A - Mobile communication system and forced position registration method of mobile station - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid a reception disabled state when SGSN abnormality occurs in a mobile communication system utilizing an Iu-Flex technique. <P>SOLUTION: A state confirmation means (HLR 202) provided in the mobile communication system confirms the presence/absence of abnormality by transmitting a health check signal HC to respective exchanges (SGSN 206, 207). When abnormality is detected as the result of the health check, a position registration request means (HLR 202) provided in the mobile communication system transmits a position registration request signal, requesting position registration processing to an RNC 208 to all mobile stations (including UE 300) registered in a position registration area (RA 210) managed by the exchange (SGSN 206) via the other exchange (SGSN 207). By reconnection of the mobile station which receives the position registration request signal to the other exchange (SGSN 207), a reception enabled state is restored. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile communication system and a mobile station compulsory location registration method, and in particular, includes a plurality of exchanges arranged in parallel and managing the same location registration area, and a radio controller connected to each of the exchanges. The present invention relates to a mobile communication system and a mobile station forced location registration method.

  Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that an Iu− that can distribute processing loads in each exchange by a plurality of exchanges arranged in parallel and managing the same location registration area and a radio control device connected to each exchange. Flex technology is described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a mobile communication system in which Iu-Flex technology is introduced, and an RSN (radio control device) 208 manages an identical location registration area (for example, RA 210) SGSN (exchanger; (Service GPRS Support Node) 206 and 207.

  When receiving a location registration request signal from a UE (mobile station) 300 under its control, an RNC (radio control device) 208 determines an SGSN for performing location registration processing according to the load status of the higher SGSNs 206 and 207, and performs mobile registration. It is possible to distribute the load by transferring the request.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method of changing SGSN without interrupting connection in a mobile communication system including the same SGSN and base station controller (BSC) as described above.

Special table 2001-500342 gazette 3GPP TS 23.236 V5.4.0 "Intra-domain connection of Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes to multiple Core Network (CN) nodes"

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, an event that an incoming call cannot be made when an abnormality occurs in the SGSN occurs. As shown in FIG. 8, when the UE 300 has completed location registration via the SGSN 106 and the GGSN 104 and an abnormality has occurred in the SGSN 106, if there is an incoming call to the UE 300, the GW (gateway) 101 The GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node) 104 that has received the incoming request from the mobile station makes an inquiry to the HLR (Home Location Register) 102 and can confirm that the UE 300 has registered its location via the SGSN 106, but the incoming call to the SGSN 106 Since the transfer of the request is unsuccessful, the UE 300 cannot receive a call. This unacceptable state continues until the UE 300 performs regular location registration or moves from the RA (routing area) 110 to another RA (for example, RA 111).

  In this regard, even with the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is impossible to actively detect an abnormality in the SGSN, and it is possible to load for taking over from the SGSN in which the abnormality has occurred to a new SGSN. Since there is no guarantee, the UE 300 falls into an incoming call impossible state.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to return a UE that has fallen into an unreachable state due to an abnormality in the SGSN to a state where a service such as an incoming call can be received early. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication system capable of performing a UE and a forced location registration method of a UE implemented for the mobile communication system.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an exchange (RNC) connected to a plurality of grouped exchanges (SGSN) requests location registration according to the load of each of the exchanges (SGSN) ( SGSN) is a mobile communication system capable of selecting a state, a health check signal is transmitted to each of the exchanges (SGSN), and the state confirmation means for confirming the presence or absence of an abnormality, A location registration area specifying means for specifying a location registration area (RA) in which a mobile station connected via the exchange (first SGSN) is located when an abnormality of the SGSN is detected; and the specified location For the radio network controller (RNC) corresponding to the registration area (RA), the switch (second SGSN) other than the switch (first SGSN) in which the abnormality is detected is subordinate to Dokyoku further comprising a location registration request means for requesting the transmission of the location registration request signal for the (UE), a mobile communication system is provided, wherein.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, an exchange (RNC) connected to a plurality of grouped exchanges (SGSN) requests location registration according to the load of each exchange (SGSN). A mobile station (UE) compulsory location registration method in a mobile communication system capable of selecting SGSN), wherein a state check means provided in the mobile communication system sends a health check signal to each exchange (SGSN). And when the abnormality is detected by the state confirmation means, the location registration area specifying means provided in the mobile communication system is the exchange (first SGSN) in which the abnormality is detected. The location registration area (RA) where the mobile station (UE) connected via the mobile station (UE) is located is specified, and the location registration request unit provided in the mobile communication system A mobile station under the control of a radio controller (RNC) corresponding to a registration area (RA) via a switch (second SGSN) different from the switch (first SGSN) in which the abnormality is detected There is provided a method for forced location registration of a mobile station in a mobile communication system characterized by requesting transmission of a location registration request signal to (UE).

  According to the present invention, it is possible to cause a UE that has fallen into an incoming call impossible state to execute location registration processing early and forcibly, and to return to a state in which a service can be received.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a GW 201, an HLR 202, a pool area (pool area) 200 including an SGSN that performs load balancing, a UE 300, RA (location registration area) 210, and RA 211 are illustrated. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, it is assumed that two GGSNs 204 and 205, SGSNs 206 and 207, and RNCs 208 and 209 belong to the Pool Area 200, respectively.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of each of the HLR 202, the GGSN 204 (205), the SGSN 206 (207), and the RNC 208 (209).

  The HLR 202 functions as a state confirmation unit, refers to the SGSN state monitoring unit 2024 for monitoring the SGSN state, and the contents stored in the storage unit 2025, and functions as a location registration area specifying unit and a location registration request unit. The calculation unit 2022, the SGSN to which the UE located in the pool area to be managed is subordinate, the upper GGSN of each SGSN, the SGSN information such as the current location (RAID), and the GGSN 204 ( 205) and SGSN IF 2021 and GGSN IF 2023 which constitute an interface with SGSN 206 (207).

  The SGSN IF 2021 is connected to the HLR IF 2061 of the SGSN 206, and is used for sending / replying a health check signal from the SGSN state monitoring unit 2024 via the arithmetic unit 2022. The GGSN IF 2023 is connected to the HLR IF 2041 of the GGSN 204, and is used for a location registration request signal transmission request and a location inquiry from the GGSN 204 described later.

  The SGSN state monitoring unit 2024 transmits a health check signal to the SGSN 206 (207), and updates the contents of the SGSN state DB 2024a storing the state information of each SGSN 206 (207) based on the result, and the SGSN abnormality Is detected, the operation unit 2022 is requested to send a location registration request signal (SGSN state monitoring function). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing information registered in the SGSN state DB 2024a and a specific example thereof.

  The calculation unit 2022 realizes the basic function as the HLR based on the SGSN information in the storage unit 2025, and selects another SGSN having no abnormality based on the transmission request of the location registration request signal from the SGSN state monitoring unit 2024. Then, a location registration request signal is transmitted to all UEs connected to the SGSN where the abnormality has occurred (forced location registration request function). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing items registered as the SGSN information and specific examples thereof.

  The GGSN 204 performs call processing associated with a gateway function or roaming function with the Internet or an intranet (not shown), a calculation unit 2042 that transmits a location registration request signal transmitted from the HLR 202 to a lower SGSN, an HLR 202 and an SGSN 206 (207 The HLR IF 2041 and the SGSN IF 2043 that constitute the interface with the SGSN IF 2043.

  The SGSN 206 monitors the status of its own device and the calculation unit 2063 that transmits the location registration request signal transmitted from the GGSN 204 to the subordinate RNC in addition to the call processing of the UE located in the RA in charge. The state monitoring unit 2065 stored in the information storage unit 2065a includes an HLR IF 2061, an GGSN IF 2062, and an RNC IF 2064 that constitute interfaces with the HLR 202, the GGSN 204, and the RNCs 208 and 209, respectively.

  The RNC 208 is configured to include an SGSN IF 2081 that constitutes an interface (Iu-Flex interface) with the higher-level SGSNs 206 and 207. When receiving the location registration request signal from the SGSN, the RNC 208 sends a location registration request signal to the subordinate UE. It has a function to send.

  Note that the GGSN 205, SGSN 207, and RNC 209 omitted in the above description also have the same configuration as the GGSN 204, SGSN 206, and RNC 208.

  Next, specific operations of the mobile communication system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7.

  In FIG. 1, when the UE 300 makes a location registration request, the RNC 208 transfers the terminal information received from the UE 300 to the SGSN. Here, description will be made assuming that the RNC 208 has selected the SGSN 206 (step S1).

  The SGSN 206 transfers the terminal information received from the RNC 208 to the HLR 202 (step S2).

  Based on the terminal information received from the SGSN 206, the HLR 202 stores SGSN information such as the SGSN to which the UE is subordinate, the upper GGSN of each SGSN, and the current location (RA ID) in the storage unit 2025 (step S3). Thereby, the location registration for the HLR 202 is completed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the HLR 202 transmits a health check signal HC to the SGSN 206 and the SGSN 207 in order to monitor the state of the SGSN at a predetermined time interval, as shown in FIG. 5 (step S4).

  SGSN 206 and SGSN 207 transmit the status information of their own devices ascertained by the status monitoring unit as a response to the health check signal HC (step S5).

  The HLR 202 updates the contents of the SGSN state DB 2024a according to the presence / absence of responses from the SGSN 206 and SGSN 207 and the contents thereof (step S6).

  Here, a case where an abnormality has occurred in the SGSN 206 as shown in FIG. 6 will be described as an example. For example, when the SGSN 206 has failed, the response to the health check signal HC from the HLR 202 is not performed. At this time, the SGSN state monitoring unit 2024 of the HLR 202 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the SGSN 206, and rewrites the state information (State) of SGSN ID = SGSN 206 in the SGSN state DB 2024a from Act to Sby (see FIG. 3). .

  Next, the HLR 202 refers to the SGSN information in the storage unit 2025, reads the data having the SGSN 206 for which an abnormality has been determined as the Destination, reads the Pool Area ID (PA) and RA, and the SGSN belonging to the Pool Area. An SGSN that can be replaced with the SGSN 206 is selected (step S7). Here, the HLR 202 reads out the Pool Area 200 (Pool Area ID = PA200) to which the SGSN 206 belongs and RA210 (RA ID = 210) from the SGSN information illustrated in FIG. 4 and selects the SGSN 207 from among the SGSNs belonging to the Pool Area200. It is explained as having been done.

  The HLR 202 that has selected the SGSN 207 further refers to the SGSN information in the storage unit 2025, specifies the GGSN to which the selected SGSN 207 is connected, specifies the RA 210 read in step S7 for the GGSN, and registers the location A request signal transmission request is transmitted (step S8). Here, the HLR 202 specifies the GGSN 205 connected to the SGSN 207 from the SGSN information illustrated in FIG. 4 and transmits a transmission request for a location registration request signal.

  The GGSN 205 that has received the location registration request signal transmission request transmits a location registration request signal transmission request designating the RA 210 to the SGSN 207 (step S9). Further, the SGSN 207 that has received the location registration request signal transmission request transmits a location registration request signal transmission request to the RNC 208 corresponding to the designated RA 210 (step S10).

  The RNC 208 that has received the location registration request signal transmission request transmits a location registration request signal to all UEs under its own service area RA 210 (RA ID = RA 210) (step S11).

  When the UE 300 that has received the location registration request signal from the RNC 208 transmits a normal location registration signal, for example, “Normal Routing Area Update” or “GPRS attach” to the RNC 208 (step S12), the RNC 208 performs the above step S1. In the same manner as in S3, the SGSN 207 that has not failed is selected in the Pool Area 200 and the normal registration process is performed (step S13).

  When the processing of step S13 is completed, the GGSN 204 that has received the incoming request from the GW (gateway) 201 can transmit the incoming request to the SGSN 207 to which the UE 300 is connected. Disappear.

  Therefore, even when an abnormality occurs such that call processing cannot be performed in the connected SGSN, it is possible to promptly perform the registration without waiting for the regular location registration of the UE or the location registration due to movement to another RA as in the past. You can receive incoming calls.

  As described above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, but when the HLR monitors the state of the SGSN and detects an abnormality, the present invention forcing the UE connected to the SGSN to perform location registration is performed. Various modifications and substitutions that can be made by those skilled in the art can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, when there is no response to the health check signal from the HLR 202, the HLR 202 selects another SGSN 207 and transmits a location registration request signal. However, the health check signal from the HLR 202 is described. On the other hand, the same operation can be performed also when a response indicating other abnormality is returned.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, for convenience of explanation, it has been described that there are only two SGSNs in the PA 200, but the same operation can be performed even when there are a plurality of SGSNs.

  In the above-described embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the example in which the HLR 202 manages the PA 200 has been described. However, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by providing a Pool Area ID in the SGSN information, a plurality of Pool Areas are provided. Can be managed. Of course, it is not necessary to manage with a single table as shown in FIG. 4. For example, the relationship between the Pool Area and the subordinate SGSN, and the subordinate relationship between the SGSN and the GGSN can be divided into different tables. .

It is the figure which represented typically the structure of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the detailed structure of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure showing the information registered into SGSN state DB managed by HLR of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and its specific example. It is the figure showing the item registered as SGSN information managed by HLR of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and its specific example. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the mobile communication system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the problem of the conventional mobile communication system.

Explanation of symbols

100, 200 Pool Area (pool area)
101, 201 GW (gateway)
102, 202 HLR (Home Location Register)
104, 105, 204, 205 GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node)
106, 107, 206, 207 SGSN (Exchange: Service GPRS Support Node)
108, 109, 208, 209 RNC (Radio Controller)
110, 111, 210, 211 RA (location registration area)
300 UE (User Entity)
2021, 2043, 2081 SGSN IF
2022, 2042, 2063 arithmetic unit 2023, 2062 GGSN IF
2024 SGSN state monitoring unit 2024a SGSN state DB (database)
2025 storage unit 2041, 2061 HLR IF
2064 RNC IF
2065 Status monitoring unit 2065a Status information storage unit

Claims (4)

A radio communication apparatus connected to a plurality of grouped exchanges is a mobile communication system capable of selecting an exchange that requests location registration according to the load of each exchange,
A status check means for sending a health check signal to each of the exchanges and checking for the presence or absence of an abnormality,
A location registration area specifying means for specifying a location registration area in which a mobile station connected via the exchange is located when an abnormality of the exchange is detected by the state confirmation means;
Location registration request means for requesting a radio control apparatus corresponding to the identified location registration area to transmit a location registration request signal to a subordinate mobile station via a switch other than the switch in which the abnormality is detected; Having,
A mobile communication system. The state confirmation means includes
Transmitting the health check signal to a plurality of groups, respectively monitoring the status of the exchanges included in each group;
The mobile communication system according to claim 1. The state confirmation means is provided as a function of a home location register,
A health check interface is provided between the home location register and each switch;
The mobile communication system according to claim 1 or 2. A mobile station forced location registration method in a mobile communication system in which a radio controller connected to a plurality of grouped exchanges can select an exchange that requests location registration according to the load of each exchange,
The state confirmation means provided in the mobile communication system transmits a health check signal to each of the exchanges, confirms whether there is an abnormality,
When an abnormality is detected by the state confirmation unit, a location registration area specifying unit provided in the mobile communication system specifies a location registration area where a mobile station connected via the exchange in which the abnormality is detected is located. And
The location registration request means provided in the mobile communication system is used for a radio control device corresponding to the specified location registration area to a subordinate mobile station via a switch different from the switch in which the abnormality is detected. Requesting the transmission of a location registration request signal;
A method for forcibly registering a mobile station in a mobile communication system.

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