JP2960650B2 - Mobile communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called cell type mobile communication system, and more particularly to a mobile communication system in which a mobile station can receive a mobile communication service using both macro cells and micro cells.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a mobile communication service area, a radio base station constituting a macro cell and a radio base station constituting a micro cell having a wider range than the macro cell are mixed, and each mobile station is provided with a mobile communication service via the macro cell. There is a mobile communication system which can receive both mobile communication services via a microcell.

[0003]

By the way, in mobile communication, each mobile station performs radio communication with the radio base station of the cell in which the mobile cell is located. Control information such as location registration information and charging information is notified to the wireless base station, and the control information is not notified to other wireless base stations. Therefore, when the radio base station constituting the macro cell and the base station constituting the micro cell are connected to different communication networks, control information from a mobile station located in the micro cell is transmitted to the communication network on the macro cell side. Will not be notified. However, there are cases where a mobile station located in a micro cell needs to notify control information to a communication network on the macro cell side. In this case, the control signal to be transmitted to the communication network on the macro cell side is transmitted from the mobile station to the communication network on the micro cell side via the radio base station on the micro cell side. Therefore, the following costs are incurred. a. It is necessary to install line equipment for transmitting control information from the communication network on the micro cell side to the communication network on the macro cell side. b. Communication costs are incurred for transmitting control information from the microcell side communication network to the macrocell side communication network. In particular, when the microcell side is configured by a communication network of a carrier other than the carrier that provides the service by the macrocell, it is necessary for the user of the mobile station to bear this communication cost.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when performing mobile communication service via a macro cell or a micro cell, the above-mentioned wasteful costs are not generated and the micro cell side is not used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication system that can operate such equipment at low cost.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a macro cell is constituted by a radio base station connected to a first communication network, and a radio base station connected to a second communication network has a range larger than that of the macro cell. A narrow microcell is constructed,
In a mobile communication system in which a mobile station communicates with another person via a radio base station and a communication network corresponding to any of the cells in the macro cell or the micro cell, the mobile station is located in the micro cell. Transmitting control information to the first communication network via a radio base station constituting the macro cell when it is necessary to notify the first communication network of control information. The main point is the mobile communication system to be used.

[0006]

According to the above invention, even when the mobile station is located in the micro cell, the control information to be sent from the mobile station to the first communication network, which is the communication network on the macro cell side, is Since the packet is transmitted via the radio base station on the macro cell side without passing through the radio base station on the side, the cost is not wasted by using the equipment on the micro cell side.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first communication network A
A macro cell C is configured by a radio base station B connected to the first communication network A, and a micro cell F is formed by a radio base station E connected to a second communication network D of a different operator from the operator of the first communication network A. It is configured. The macro cell C is overlaid on the micro cell F.

As shown in FIG. 1, when a mobile station G, which is a subscriber of a first communication network A, is located in a micro cell F,
The mobile station G makes a call with another person via the radio base station E (arrow J). The communication method of control information will be described below in comparison with the related art. First, in the conventional technology, as indicated by an arrow H, control information transmitted by the mobile station G passes through the radio base station E and the second communication network D, and is transmitted to the first network which is the own network of the mobile station G. The data is sent to the communication network A, and the cost for passing through the microcell F is generated. On the other hand, in this embodiment, FIG.
As shown by the arrow I, the mobile station G sends control information to the first communication network A, which is its own station, via the radio base station B on the macro cell C side. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when transmitting control information from the mobile station G to the first communication network, the microcell-side base station E is used even when the mobile station G is located in the microcell F. Therefore, the equipment on the microcell side can be operated at low cost.

The control information includes information that needs to be sent to the first communication network A in real time and information that does not need to be sent in real time. For example, location registration information
Since the first communication network A uses the mobile station G to determine in which area the mobile station G is located, the first communication network A updates the mobile station G in real time according to a change in the location of the mobile station G. There is a need. On the other hand, when the mobile station G collects the call destination and the call time information in the first communication network A, which is its own network, for the call made in the microcell F, the charging information is transmitted to the mobile station G.
Must be transmitted to the first communication network A, but in this case, transmission generally does not require real-time transmission.

FIG. 2 shows an operation flow suitable for transmitting control information that does not require real-time characteristics, and FIG. 3 shows an operation flow suitable for transmitting control information that does not require real-time characteristics. FIG. 4 shows an operation flow when the location registration information is transmitted according to the procedure shown in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 5 and 6 show respective operation flows when the accounting information is transmitted according to the procedures shown in FIGS. Are respectively shown. Hereinafter, a procedure for transmitting control information from the mobile station to the first communication network will be described with reference to these drawings.

A. The transmission of control information when a real-time property is required is performed as follows (FIG. 2,
4 and 5). (1) First, when the mobile station G is located in the micro cell F and it becomes necessary to transmit control information to the first communication network A (in the case of location registration information, there is a shift to another micro cell). When a position registration signal for notifying the presence of the microcell is generated), the mobile station G temporarily switches the reception frequency to perform the operation of capturing the macrocell C. (2) Then, the microcell C is captured and control information is transmitted to the first wireless station A via the wireless base station B. (3) After the transmission of the control information is completed, the mobile terminal moves to the micro cell F.

B. The transmission of the control information when the real-time property is not required is performed as follows (see FIGS. 3 and 6). (1) First, when control information to be transmitted to the first communication network A occurs while the mobile station G is located in the microcell F (in the case of charging information, the mobile station G transmits and terminates while being located in the microcell F) If there is talk), the control information is stored. (2) Then, when the mobile station G moves to the macro cell C, the stored control information is transmitted to the first base station via the radio base station B.
To the communication network A.

[0013] The mobile communication carrier can arbitrarily select the type of control information to which the present invention is applied. For example, the present invention is applied only to control information that does not require real-time characteristics such as billing information. May be applied. In this case, all the control information transmitted via the macro cell is stored by the mobile station, and all the control information is transmitted when the macro cell shifts. Therefore, the macro cell needs to be overlaid on the micro cell as in the above embodiment. However, the present invention is also applicable to a case where a micro cell exists independently of a macro cell. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the operator of the macro cell side communication network and the operator of the micro cell side communication network are different has been described, but the present invention is also applicable to the case where the operator of each communication network is the same. It goes without saying that a special effect similar to that of the above embodiment can be obtained. That is, regardless of whether the operator of the macro-cell communication network is different from the operator of the micro-cell communication network, it is necessary to pass control information from the mobile station to the macro-cell communication network via the micro-cell equipment. Therefore, there is an effect that facility installation costs and communication costs for transmitting control information from the micro-cell side communication network to the macro-cell side communication network can be reduced.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a mobile communication system in which a mobile station can receive a mobile communication service using both a macro cell and a micro cell, control information is transmitted from the mobile station to a communication network on the macro cell side. , The control information generated when the mobile station is located in the microcell is also sent to the communication network via the macrocell, so that there is an effect that the equipment on the microcell side can be operated at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when control information required in real time is transmitted from a mobile station to a communication network in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when transmitting control information not requiring real-time properties from a mobile station to a communication network in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when sending location registration information from a mobile station to a communication network in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when sending billing information to a communication network in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when sending billing information to a communication network in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: first communication network, B: radio base station, C: macro cell, D: second communication network, E: radio base station, F ...
Micro cell, G: mobile station.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04B 7/24-7/26 102 H04Q 7/00-7/38

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A macro cell is formed by a radio base station connected to a first communication network, and a micro cell having a smaller area than the macro cell is formed by a radio base station connected to a second communication network. In a mobile communication system in which a station communicates with another through a radio base station and a communication network corresponding to any of the cells in the macro cell or the micro cell, wherein the mobile station is located in the micro cell. Transmitting control information to the first communication network via a radio base station constituting the macro cell when control information needs to be notified to the first communication network. Mobile communication method.