KR20020029783A - System and method for automatically determining when to answer incoming packet data calls in a wireless communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for determining when to respond to an incoming packetized data call generated from a base station in a wireless communication network. The system includes a communication device MT2 for interfacing with a wireless communication network, and a terminal device TE2 electronically connected with a communication device capable of transmitting and receiving packetized data. The communication device MT2 responds to the incoming packetized data call from the base station in response to detecting the control information or control signal indicating the ready-state of the terminal device (530). The terminal device ready-status indicator is configured to transition from a low-state to a high-state or a high-state data transmit ready signal of the data transmit ready signal after the ring-indicator signal is activated to alert the incoming call to the subscriber. The same control signal may be included. In addition, the ready-status indicator may control information such as a point-to-point protocol packetized data indicator flag inserted into a data stream generated from the terminal device, or other information indicating that the point-to-point protocol packet is transmitted by the terminal device. It may also include.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY DETERMINING WHEN TO RESPONSE TO INPUT PACKET DATA CALL IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY DETERMINING

The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communications. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel and improved method and system for automatically responding to incoming packet data calls in a wireless communication network.

Description of the related technology

In recent years, an unprecedented increase in Internet subscribers, as well as innovations in wireless communications and computer-related technologies, have laid the foundation for mobile computing. In fact, the popularity of mobile computing has put more demands on the current telecommunications network to provide more support to mobile users. A crucial part of meeting this demand and providing the necessary support to users is the use of code division multiple access (CDMA) technology in wireless communication systems.

CDMA, published in July 1993 and entitled "MOBILE STATION-BASE STATION COMPATIBILITY STANDARD FOR DUAL-MODE WIDEBAND SPREAD SPECTRUM CELLULAR SYSTEM", is hereby incorporated by reference. Digital Radio-Frequency (RF) channelization technology as defined in (TIA / EIA IS-95). Wireless communication systems using this technology assign unique codes to communication signals and spread these communication signals over a common wideband spread spectrum bandwidth. As long as the receiving device in the CDMA system has the correct code, the receiving device can successfully detect and select the communication signal from other signals transmitted simultaneously on the same bandwidth. The use of CDMA increases system traffic capacity, improves overall call quality and noise reduction, and provides a reliable transport mechanism for data service traffic.

1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating some of the basic elements of a wireless data communication system 100. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these basic elements, together with their associated interfaces, may be modified, supplemented, or followed according to various standards known in the art without limiting their scope or functionality. System 100 allows TE2 device 102 (eg, a terminal device such as a laptop or poptam computer), which is a mobile terminal device, to communicate with an interworking function (IWF) 108. System 100 includes an MT2 device 104 (eg, a wireless telephone) that is a wireless communication device, and a base station / mobile switching center (BS / MSC) 106. IWF 108 acts as a gateway between wireless networks and other networks, such as wired packet data networks and public switched telephone networks that provide Internet or Internet-based connections. The L interface connects IWF 108 and BS / MSC 106. Often, the IWF 108 will be co-located with the BS / MSC 106. TE2 device 102 is electronically connected to MT2 device 104 via an R _m interface. The MT2 device 104 communicates with the BS / MSC 106 via the air interface U _m . The TE2 device 102 and the MT2 device 104 may be integrated into a single unit, or may be separated, as in the case of an installed mobile telephone unit in which the laptop is the TE2 device 102 and the transceiver is the MT2 device 104. . As shown in FIG. 2, it is important to note that the combination of TE2 device 102 and MT2 device 104, whether integrated or separated, is commonly referred to as a mobile station (MS) 103.

The ability of a CDMA system to perform data service traffic is in the TIA / EIA IS-707.5 standard, published in February 1998 and incorporated herein by reference, under the name "DATA SERVICE OPTIONS FOR WIDEBAND SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEMS: PACKET DATA SERVICES". Able to know. This standard specifies requirements for supporting packet data transmission for TIA / EIA IS-95 wideband spread spectrum systems and provides a packet data bearer service. Similarly, the TIA / EIA IS-707-A.5 standard, entitled "DATA SERVICE OPTIONS FOR SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEM: PACKET DATA SERVICES," published in March 1999 and incorporated herein by reference, is entitled " TIA / EIA IS-707-A.9, DATA SERVICE OPTIONS FOR SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEMS: HIGH-SPEED PACKET DATA SERVICES, also specifies the requirements for packet data transmission support for TIA / EIA IS-95 systems.

These standards specify that a particular packet data service option may be used to communicate between the TE2 device 102 and the IWF 108 via the BS / MSC 106. In doing so, IS-707.5 introduces two protocol option models that specify packet data protocol requirements for the R _m interface. 2 illustrates a relay layer interface protocol option model 200, which is one of the protocol option models in which an application running on the TE2 device 102 manages not only packet data services but also network addressing.

At the leftmost side of FIG. 2, the protocol stack is shown in a conventional vertical format representing protocol layers operating on TE2 device 102. The TE2 protocol stack is logically connected to the protocol stack of the MT2 device 104 via the R _m interface. For example, the R _m interface was published in October 1997 and is hereby referred to by TIA / EIA-232-F, whose name is "INTERFACE BETWEEN DATA TERMINAL EQUIPMENT AND DATA CIRCUIT-TERMINATING EQUIPMENT EMPLOYING SERIAL BINARY DATA INTERCHANGE". have. It will be appreciated that other standards or protocols known to those skilled in the art may be used to define the transmission over the R _m interface. For example, "UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB) SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1" published in September 1998, and "BLUETOOTH SPECIFICATION VERSION 1.0A CORE" published in July 1999, all other applicable R _m interface standards are incorporated herein by reference. It includes.

For example, the TIA / EIA-232-F standard is shown in FIG. 2 by specifying the R _m interface. The TIA / EIA-232-F standard establishes a connection between data terminal equipment (DTE) (i.e., TE2 device 102) and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) (i.e., MT2 device 104). Describes the communication protocols as well as the physical interfaces for relatively low speed serial data communications. 3A shows the physical interface and lists the corresponding signals as defined by the TIA / EIA-232-F standard.

3B shows a communication protocol defined by the TIA / EIA-232-F standard. According to the standard, the TE2 device 102 transitions from a low state to a high state to indicate that it is ready to transmit data. Data-terminal-ready , DTR) signal 320 is generated. Similarly, the MT2 device 104 generates a data-set-ready (DSR) signal 306 that transitions from low state to high state to indicate that it is ready to receive data. . TE2 device 102 for request-to-send (RTS) signal 304, MT2 device 104 for clear-to-send (CTS) signal 305 is TE2 device It is used to control the data flow between the 102 and the MT2 device 104. To establish a link with a remote DCE device (eg, communication device at BS / MSC 106), the MT2 device activates a signal carrier. This signal carrier activation triggers the MT2 device 104 to data-carrier-detect (DCD) the signal 308 transitioning from low to high, allowing the MT2 device to exchange data to the TE2 device 102. You are notified that you are ready. While the DCD signal 308 is high, data is transmitted and received by the transmit data (TXD) 302 and the receive data (RXD) 303 signals, respectively.

The concept that the main link layer connection is established between the TE2 device 102 and the IWF 108 is central to the IS-707.5 relay layer interface protocol option. As such, the MT2 device 104 only acts as a pipe to transmit frames to the TE2 device 102 via the U _m interface and to transmit frames to the IWF 108 via the R _m interface. As shown in FIG. 2, the relay layer interface protocol option implements a point-to-point protocol (PPP) as the link layer protocols 208, 232 across the link. PPP was issued in May 1992 and is described in detail in RFC 1661 (Request for Comments 1661), entitled "THE POINT-TO-POINT PROTOCOL (PPP)", hereby incorporated by reference. In essence, the PPP protocol establishes, tests, and establishes a data link connection. In addition, the PPP protocol encodes packets originating from the higher protocol layer of TE2 device 102, and "serializing" those packets to enable transmission.

In order to support packet data services for CDMA systems, the IS-707.5 standard proposes IWF 108 and MS 103 (ie, as typed by the relay layer interface protocol option model to facilitate the transmission of packet data). Combination of TE2 device 102 and MT2 device 104) utilizes a link layer connection. For example, the IWF 108 link layer 232 must be open and the IWF 108 must request the activation of a link layer connection for the packet data call destined for the TE2 device 102. Such activation request is accomplished by having BS / MSC 106 connect to TE2 device 102 through MT2 device 104 with a packet data service option.

Typically, BS / MSC 106 sends a page message to MT2 device 104 and initiates a connection operation by requesting a packet data option. Regarding the IS-95 standard, page messaging is used to notify the MT2 device 104 of incoming calls including incoming packet calls and is included in the overhead paging channel of the forward link channel. When the MT device 104 responds to a page response message with a valid service option number, the BS / MSC 106 assigns a traffic channel to the MT2 device 104. A page response message is sent on the access channel of the reverse link channel. In addition, it is important to note that other protocols may use a method other than page messaging that notifies the MT2 device 104 of incoming calls. For example, under certain circumstances, a message protocol operating on the U _m interface may provide a traffic channel directly to the BS / MSC 106 without having to notify the MT2 device 104 of the incoming call.

The traffic channel facilitates the movement of packet data between the BS / MSC 106 and the TE2 device 102 and includes a combination of forward and reverse traffic channel frames. Initially, the channel for the MT2 device 104 is initialized and By negotiating the connection of the packet data service option with the TE2 device 102 and then negotiating its requested service configuration with the TE2 device 102, a traffic channel assignment is established.

4 is a high level state diagram illustrating a general interchange between MT2 device 104 and BS / MSC 106 after a traffic channel has been allocated. After this assignment, the IS-95 standard specifies that BS / MSC 106 sends an "alert with information message" to MT2 device 104 on the forward link channel. Alerts with informational messages contain signaling information from BS / MSC 106 and allow MT2 device 104 to notify the subscriber of an incoming call (e.g., perhaps ringing in different tones and patterns). Ying).

As shown in FIG. 4, the reception and processing of alerts with information messages places MT2 device 104 in a "mobile station response wait substate" 410. Upon entering substate 410, MT2 device 104 sets the _substate timer to a maximum of T _53m seconds. MT2 device 104 then responds to the signaling information processed by MT2 device 104 (i.e., an audible " ringing " pattern, visible " flash " on screen, etc.) Wait for the response If the subscriber responds to the MT2 device 104 within the T53m time limit, the MT2 device 104 sends a “connection command” to the BS / MSC 106. The command places MT2 device 104 in "conversation substate" 430. The MT2 device 104 then continues to communicate with the BS / MSC 106 by processing the forward and reverse traffic channel frames. On the other hand, if the subscriber does not respond to the signaling MT2 device 104, the subscriber timer times out and causes the MT2 device 104 to enter the " transmitter disabled substate " At substate 420, MT2 device 104 disables the transmitter, releases the traffic channel, and terminates the call.

As mentioned above, once the MT2 device 104 is in the mobile station response wait substate 410, the MT2 device 104 must respond to the alert with the information message and process it. Typically, for voice calls, the processing of this message is relatively automatic, resulting in ringing of the MT2 device 104. The subscriber then responds to ringing MT2 device 104 by lifting the handset or pressing a pre-programmed function key.

However, unlike an incoming voice call, there is no clearly defined procedure that specifies how the MT2 device 104 responds to an incoming packet data call. For example, instead of only ringing or flashing to notify the subscriber, the MT2 device 104 should consider the TE2 device 102 as the final destination of the additional element-incoming packet data call in processing the packet data call. As mentioned above, TE2 device 102 may be a laptop or pop-top computer electrically connected to MT2 device 104 via an R _m (EIA-232F) interface. Thus, before the MT2 device 104 receives and processes an alert having an information message sent by the BS / MSC 106, the MT2 device 104 determines whether the TE2 device 102 is ready, or connects. To determine whether packet data can be exchanged.

Accordingly, a need exists for a new method and system for enabling a wireless communication device to determine when to answer an incoming packet data call.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention approaches the needs indicated above by providing a system and method for enabling a wireless communication device to determine when to respond to an incoming packet data call originating from a base station in a wireless communication network.

Systems and methods consistent with the principles of the present invention as broadly described and embodied herein include a communication device interfacing with a wireless communication network, and a terminal device electronically connected to the communication device and capable of transmitting and receiving packetized data. do. The communication device responds to an incoming packetized data call from the base station in response to detecting the control information or control signal indicative of the ready-state of the terminal device. The terminal device ready-status indicator is high from the low-state of the data ready to transmit signal after the high-state data ready to send signal or the ring-indicator signal is activated to alert the incoming call to the subscriber. It may also include control signals such as transitions to -states. The ready-status indicator may also contain control information such as a point-to-point protocol packetized data indicator flag inserted into a data stream generated from the terminal device, or other information indicating that the point-to-point packet has been sent by the terminal device. It may also include.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute the present specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the specification, describe the objects, advantages and principles of the invention.

In the drawing,

1 is a high level block diagram illustrating various elements of a wireless communication system.

2 schematically illustrates a protocol stack of a wireless communication system.

3A and 3B show the TIA / EIA-232-F protocol.

4 is a state diagram illustrating an operation of a wireless communication device.

5 is a state diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings that show preferred embodiments consistent with the invention. Other embodiments are possible, and modifications to the embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following detailed description is not meant to limit the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

As will be described below, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may include software, firmware, and hardware entities shown in the figures (i.e., TE2 device 102, MT2 device 104, BS / MSC 106, and IWF). It is readily appreciated that various implementations are possible, including (108). The actual software code or control hardware used to implement the invention is not a limitation of the invention. Accordingly, the operation and operation of the present invention will be described without specific reference to actual software code or hardware components. Such non-specific reference is acceptable because one of ordinary skill in the art can clearly understand that it is possible to design software and control headware to implement embodiments of the present invention based on the description herein.

5 is a high-level state diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. As such, FIG. 5 details the operation of MT2 device 104 to determine whether to receive, process, and answer an incoming packet data call.

The MT2 device 104 begins at an "idle state" 510. In this state, there is no traffic channel established between the BS / MSC 106 and the MT2 device 104 to facilitate packet data traffic. Thus, the MT2 device 104 freely initiates or receives any kind of call.

As mentioned above, the MT2 device 104 is connected with the TE2 device 102 via the R _m interface, and signaling between the two devices is to be achieved according to a standard such as TIA / EIA-232-F or USB. Can be. These standards provide control information or control signals that indicate the ready-state of the TE2 device 102. Examples of such TE2 device 102 ready-state control information include a TIA / EIA-232-F DTR signal as well as a USB packet inserted in the ready-state control information. In addition, in some conventional implementations, the MT2 device 104 is configured to detect ready-state control information. In another implementation, the MT2 device 104 was not specifically instructed to ignore the ready-state control signal (eg, Hayes standard dialing command string 'AT &D0' was not set to ignore the TIA / EIA-232-F signal). ). In each case, this embodiment uses the ready-state control information by using it to trigger the MT2 device 104 to answer the incoming packet data call. For example, when the MT2 device 104 receives a page message from the BS / MSC 106 requesting a packet data service option, the MT2 device 104 receives the ready-state control information / signal when it detects it. It will automatically answer the packet data call. This automatic response is performed by the MT2 device 104 sending a connection command to the BS / MSC 106 in accordance with the IS-95 procedure (see FIG. 4). This command places the MT2 device 104 in the "call active state" 530.

If the MT2 device 104 receives a page message with a packet data service option, and the MT2 device 104 cannot detect the associated ready-state control information / signal (eg, the DTR signal) or in the "low state" When detecting the ready-state control information (eg, when the TE2 device 102 does not physically connect with the MT2 device 104), the MT2 device 104 proceeds to process page state 520. This state is similar to the MS Response Wait substate defined in the IS-95 standard (see Figure 4).

Since the low ready-state control signal does not indicate the presence of the waiting TE2 device 102, at state 520, the MT2 device 104 toggles the ring indicator signal RI on the R _m interface, It will indicate the presence of an incoming packet data call. This RI toggling may be configured to trigger an alert signal (eg, audible tone / pattern or visible flash / message) to notify the subscriber of an incoming packet data call. After the RI toggle, and within the T _53m second time suggestion of the MS Response Wait _substate 530 T _53m timer, the MT2 device 104 transitions to a low-to-high ready-state control signal transition (i.e., , DTR signal transition), or when detecting a PPP packet on the R _m interface, the MT2 104 proceeds to a " call active state "

For example, if the TE2 device 102 is previously shorted from the MT2 device 104 and an audible or visible signal is generated by RI toggling informing the subscriber to reconnect the two devices, the presence and ready-state control of the PPP packet. Signal transitions may occur. After reconnection of the two devices, the TE2 device 102 packet data application puts the ready-state control signal high, and after normal R _m interface negotiation, the TE2 device 102 sends the PPP packet to the MT2 device 104. Send. By detecting the control signal transition occurring from the TE2 device 102, the MT2 device 104 is notified of the waiting TE2 device 102. In addition, the MT2 device 104 cannot detect the ready-state control information / signal or is instructed to ignore the signals (eg, by sending an AT dialing command string 'AT &D0' to ignore the DTR signal). Even so, the MT2 device 104 can still detect the PPP packet by examining the byte stream on the R _m interface and looking for the PPP flag (ie 0x7E character) at the beginning of the packet. Thus, if the MT2 device 104 detects (1) a ready-state control signal transition or (2) a PPP packet flag within the T _53m time limit, the MT2 device 104 may be in accordance with the BS / Answer the incoming packet data call by sending a connect command to the MSC 106 (see FIG. 4).

On the other hand, if the MT2 device 104 does not detect a ready-state control signal transition or PPP flag within the T _53m time limit, the MT2 device 104 times out and returns to the idle state 510. As discussed above, in this state the MT2 device 104 is free to initiate or receive any type of call.

Each time MT2 device 104 answers a call by sending a connect command to BS / MSC 106, MT2 device 104 enters a call active state 530. This state is similar to the conversation substate 430 described in the IS-95 standard. At state 430, the MT2 device 104 exchanges packet data traffic with the BS / MSC 106 by processing forward and reverse traffic channel frames.

Thus, this embodiment provides a system and method for enabling the MT2 device 104 to determine when to answer an incoming packet data call.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the above description and may be obtained from practice of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (16)

A system for determining when to respond to an incoming packetized data call in a wireless communication network, the system comprising: The system, A communication device for interfacing with the wireless communication network; And A terminal device connected to the communication device and transmitting and receiving packetized data, The communication device responds to the incoming packetized data call in response to detecting a ready-status indicator generated by the terminal device. The method of claim 1, And the ready-state indicator comprises a high-state data ready to transmit signal. The method of claim 2, The ready-status indicator, Transitioning from a low-state to a high-state of a data transmission ready signal after the ring-indicator signal on the communication device is activated to alert the incoming packetized data call to a subscriber. The method of claim 3, wherein And the ready-status indicator includes information in a data stream generated from the terminal device indicating transmission of point-to-point protocol packetized data. A method of determining when to answer an incoming packetized data call in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: Interfacing a communication device with the wireless communication network; Connecting a terminal device capable of transmitting and receiving packetized data to the communication device; Detecting, by the communication device, a ready-status indicator generated by the terminal device; And Responding, by the communication device, to the incoming packetized data call in response to the detection of the ready-status indicator. The method of claim 5, And the ready-state indicator comprises a high-state data transmission ready signal. The method of claim 6, The ready-status indicator, Transitioning from a low-state to a high-state of a data transmission ready signal after a ring-indicator signal on the communication device is activated to alert the incoming packetized data call to a subscriber. The method of claim 7, wherein And the ready-status indicator comprises information in a data stream generated from the terminal device indicating transmission of point-to-point protocol packetized data. A communication device capable of determining when to respond to a packetized data call in a wireless communication network, the communication device comprising: Means for interfacing with the wireless communication network; Means connected to a terminal device capable of transmitting and receiving packetized data; Means for detecting a ready-status indicator generated by the terminal device; And Means for responding to the incoming packetized data call in response to the detection of the ready-status indicator. The method of claim 9, And the ready-status indicator comprises a high-state data ready to transmit signal. The method of claim 10, The ready-status indicator, And after the ring-indicator signal on the communication device is activated to alert the incoming packetized data call to a subscriber, a transition from the low-state to the high-state of the data transmission ready signal. . The method of claim 11, And the ready-status indicator includes information in a data stream generated from the terminal device indicating transmission of point-to-point protocol packetized data. A machine-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instructions for performing a process, the method comprising: The process is Enabling the communication device to interface with the wireless communication network; Enabling the communication device to communicate with a terminal device capable of transmitting and receiving packetized data; Detecting, by the communication device, a ready-status indicator generated by the terminal device; And And by the communication device, responding to an incoming packetized data call in response to the detection of the ready-status indicator. The method of claim 13, And the ready-status indicator comprises a high-state data ready to transmit signal. The method of claim 14, The ready-status indicator, After the ring-indicator signal on the communication device is activated to alert the incoming packetized data call to a subscriber, a transition from the low-state to the high-state of the data transmission ready signal; Readable media. The method of claim 14, And the ready-status indicator includes information in a data stream generated from the terminal device indicating transmission of point-to-point protocol packetized data.