KR20190129333A - Mobile terminal and mobile communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile communication terminal comprises: a communication unit for performing communication through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks included in a mobile communication system; and a control unit for controlling a mode of the mobile communication terminal for a specific wireless communication network to be released from a power saving mode, when a notification message indicating that a downlink traffic preset to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network has occurred is received at the communication unit through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network, in a state in which a mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network is entered into the power saving mode among the plurality of wireless communication networks.

Description

MOBILE TERMINAL AND MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication system supporting different mobile communication standards.

With the improvement of living standards and the development of information and communication technology, the vast majority of people possess and use mobile communication terminals such as cell phones. Recently, contents that can be used through a mobile communication terminal have been increased in size, and the demand for low latency services through such a mobile communication terminal has also increased. Accordingly, mobile communication technologies have been actively researched to provide high quality mobile communication services capable of transmitting large amounts of data at higher speeds.

In this regard, recently, a communication scheme in which two or more kinds of wireless communication networks (for example, LTE and 5G) coexist with different communication standards, such as dual connectivity, has emerged. In such a mobile communication environment, the terminal may simultaneously access each of a plurality of wireless communication networks to receive a mobile communication service. More specifically, in receiving various various mobile communication services, the terminal may be provided with a mobile communication service using a different wireless communication network for each service in consideration of characteristics of the service.

The above-described mobile communication method has an advantage of providing a high quality mobile communication service to a terminal by using heterogeneous wireless communication networks according to a situation, but continuously using a plurality of wireless communication networks. In addition, there is a disadvantage that the power consumption of the terminal can be increased.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0088746 (published Aug. 3, 2015)

The problem to be solved by the present invention, while solving the problem that can occur in the mobile communication scheme as described above, that is, the problem that the power consumption of the terminal can be increased by continuously using a plurality of wireless communication network, the bodily sensation The present invention provides a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication system to which a technology for improving or maintaining a quality of a mobile communication service is applied.

However, the problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to those mentioned above, another problem to be solved is not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

The mobile communication terminal according to the first embodiment includes a communication unit for communicating through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks included in the mobile communication system, and a mode of the mobile communication terminal for a specific wireless communication network among the plurality of wireless communication networks. In the state of entering the power saving mode, a notification message indicating that downlink traffic, which is preset to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network, has been received by the communication unit through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. And a control unit for controlling a mode of the mobile communication terminal to be released from the power saving mode for the specific wireless communication network.

The mobile communication terminal according to the second embodiment includes a communication unit for communicating with each of a plurality of wireless communication networks included in the mobile communication system, wherein the communication unit includes mobile communication for a specific wireless communication network among the plurality of wireless communication networks. In a state where the terminal enters the power saving mode, downlink traffic that is previously set to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network is received through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network.

The mobile communication system according to the third embodiment includes a network communication unit which communicates with a mobile communication terminal through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks, and a mode of the mobile communication terminal for a specific wireless communication network among the plurality of wireless communication networks. The notification message indicating that the downlink traffic preset to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network has been generated in the power saving mode is transmitted to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. It includes a network control unit for controlling the network communication unit.

The mobile communication system according to the fourth embodiment includes a network communication unit for communicating with a mobile communication terminal through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks, and a mode of the mobile communication terminal for a specific wireless communication network among the plurality of wireless communication networks. In the state of entering the power saving mode, to control the network communication unit to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal via the wireless communication network other than the predetermined wireless communication network which is preset to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network It includes a network control unit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a power saving mode is applied to a specific wireless communication network among a plurality of wireless communication networks included in one mobile communication system, it should be delivered to the terminal through the specific wireless communication network (or to be delivered in advance). If there is downlink traffic), a notification message related to the downlink traffic or the downlink traffic itself may be transmitted to the terminal through another wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. Therefore, since the aforementioned downlink traffic can be delivered to the terminal without omission, the quality of the wireless communication service can be improved while maintaining the effect of adopting the power saving mode.

1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile communication environment in which heterogeneous wireless communication networks coexist.
2 is a diagram for exemplarily describing a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication system capable of employing a technology according to an exemplary embodiment.
3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication system according to an embodiment.
4 illustrates a process of processing traffic by a mobile communication terminal and a wireless communication network according to the first embodiment.
5 and 6 illustrate a process in which traffic is processed by a mobile communication terminal and a wireless communication network according to the second embodiment.
7 illustrates a process in which traffic is processed by a mobile communication terminal and a wireless communication network according to the third embodiment.
8 and 9 illustrate a process in which traffic is processed by the mobile communication terminal and the wireless communication network according to the fourth embodiment.
FIG. 10 illustrates a process of setting a power saving mode, which is part of the processes illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. The terms to be described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the embodiments of the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of the subscriber or the operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile communication environment in which heterogeneous wireless communication networks coexist. These various wireless communication networks can be anything, but in FIG. 1, two terms using LTE (long term evolution), which is already commercialized and widely used, and 5G (5-generation), which are the next generation, are used as mobile communication standards. It is assumed that a wireless communication network is included.

In the case of the LTE network, the coverage 1 is relatively wider than the coverages 2a to 2d of the 5G network, and may include all of the coverages 2a to 2d of the 5G network. On the other hand, the 5G network may be inferior to the LTE network, but in terms of data transmission rate, the new technology is relatively faster than the LTE network. However, the above-described assumptions are considered to show the effects well when the present invention is applied, and the main subject matter of the present invention is applicable without being limited by the generation or the coverage of a specific communication system.

Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the mobile communication service provided from the mobile communication system through the terminal may be provided through a wireless communication network having characteristics that best match the characteristics of each mobile communication service.

For example, services that are important for seamless transmission and reception (such as voice call service, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) based media transmission service), or services that generate intermittent small data (text message service, push notification service, etc.) are widely covered. Even when the mobile communication terminal is moved to be provided to the terminal through the LTE network capable of stable data communication.

On the contrary, a service (a large file transfer service, a VOD service, etc.) or a web-based service that needs to transmit and receive a large amount of data may be provided to the terminal through a 5G network capable of high-speed data transmission. In particular, a service to be provided using the aforementioned 5G network needs to quickly transmit and receive a relatively large amount of data once data transmission is started, and particularly a terminal (i.e., a web service or a transmission control protocol (TCP) based traffic). , Data transmission is started only when requested by the user).

However, due to the initial environment of the introduction of new networks such as 5G networks, all areas requiring services may not be sufficiently covered, or limited to selective areas, compared to existing networks that are already in commercial maturity, such as LTE networks. May be provided. For example, a coverage hole 3 may occur that the 5G network does not cover, as shown in FIG. 1. When the terminal is located in such a coverage hall, a problem may occur that the terminal cannot receive the service provided by the 5G network.

2 illustrates a system 10 that includes a mobile communication terminal 100 and a mobile communication system 200 that can employ techniques in accordance with one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the system 10 includes a terminal 11.

In addition, the system 10 includes mobile communication systems 21, 22, 31, 32, and 40 for providing mobile communication services to the terminal 11. The mobile communication systems 21, 22, 31, 32, and 40 include two or more wireless communication networks having different mobile communication standards. For example, as described above with reference to FIG. 1, the mobile communication systems 21, 22, 31, 32, and 40 may include LTE networks and 5G networks, where an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) 21 is used. And the mobility management entity (MME) 22 represents a subcomponent of the LTE network, and the 5G AN 31 and the access and mobility management function 32 (AMF) represent the subcomponents of the 5G network. Sub-components of the LTE network and the 5G network may have different names as defined in the specification, but detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating configurations of a mobile communication terminal 100 (hereinafter, referred to as a terminal 100) and a mobile communication system 200 according to an embodiment. However, since the detailed configurations of the terminal 100 and the mobile communication system 200 of FIGS. 3A and 3B are merely exemplary, the technical idea of the present invention is not limitedly interpreted by FIGS. 3A and 3B.

First, referring to FIG. 3A, the terminal 100 may include a communication unit 110, and may further include at least one of the control unit 120 and the mode switching unit 130 according to an embodiment. The terminal 100 is an apparatus for providing various mobile communication services to a user by accessing the mobile communication system 200. For example, the terminal 100 may be a hand-held based mobile communication device having portability and mobility, such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, and a smart watch.

The communication unit 110 transmits and receives data and the like with the mobile communication system 200 through a wireless channel under the control of the control unit 120. Such a communication unit 110 may include a data bus for receiving data, a wired / wireless communication module, and the like, and in some cases, may include a computing device such as a microprocessor.

Next, the storage 140 may be implemented in the form of a memory for storing data. The data stored in the storage 140 may include various data received from the mobile communication system 200. For example, setting information about a mobile communication service provided for each mobile communication service may be provided according to the characteristics of each mobile communication service. It may be stored in the storage 140. Herein, the setting information about the mobile communication service provided for each mobile communication service means that when performing data transmission (transmission on the uplink or downlink) on each mobile communication service, It may include information set for the mobile communication standard or which mobile communication network to use.

Meanwhile, the controller 120 and the mode switching unit 130 to be described below may be implemented to include a computing device such as a microprocessor.

First, the controller 120 will be described. The controller 120 controls the overall operation of the terminal 100. Specifically, the controller 120 may control the communication unit 110 to allow the mobile communication system 200 to request the use of the power saving mode. In addition, the controller 120 may control the mode switching unit 130 to be described later to enter the terminal 100 into a power saving mode or to release from the power saving mode already entered.

In addition, the controller 120 may classify each mobile communication service by using various information stored in the storage 130 and then determine which mobile communication standard to use when transmitting traffic related to each mobile communication service. . For example, the controller 120 may determine that uplink traffic related to a specific mobile communication service can be transmitted through a specific wireless communication network, and control the transmission of such traffic to be performed according to the determination.

Here, IP flow information may be used as a parameter for identifying a mobile communication service, or a unique identifier assigned to each application in a specific platform (eg, Android, IOS, Windows, etc.) may be used. Can be. In addition, the IP flow information includes a source IP address, a destination IP address, a protocol ID, a source port number, and a destination port number. It can contain one or more pieces of information.

Next, the mode switching unit 130, under the control of the control unit 120, may enter the terminal 100 into the power saving mode or cancel the power saving mode already entered for a predetermined wireless communication network. have.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the mobile communication system 200 includes a network communication unit 210 and a network control unit 220, and may further include a subscriber information database 230 according to an embodiment.

The mobile communication system 200 includes two or more kinds of wireless communication networks using different mobile communication standards. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the mobile communication system 200 includes a first wireless communication network and a second wireless communication network as such a wireless communication network. The first wireless communication network may be a network having the same characteristics as the 5G network described with reference to FIG. 1, and the second wireless communication network may be a network having the same characteristics as the LTE network described with reference to FIG. 1.

The network communication unit 210 performs data transmission or reception with the terminal 100 through a wireless channel under the control of the network control unit 220. Such a network communication unit 210 may include components required for wireless communication with the terminal 100, such as a base station. In this case, since the mobile communication system 200 includes a first wireless communication network and a second wireless communication network, the network communication unit 210 also includes both the base station of the first wireless communication network and the base station of the second wireless communication network. It may include.

The network controller 220 controls the overall operation of the mobile communication system 200. In detail, when the mode of the terminal 100 for a specific wireless communication network enters the power saving mode or is released from the power saving mode, the network controller 220 may transmit the traffic to the network control unit 220 to enable traffic processing in each case. Each component included can be set. In addition, the network controller 220 determines which downlink or uplink traffic related to a specific mobile communication service is to be transmitted through, or the downlink or uplink traffic is transmitted through the determined wireless communication network. Each component included in 220 may be set. Here, the downlink traffic refers to traffic transmitted from the mobile communication system 200 to the terminal 100, and uplink traffic refers to traffic transmitted from the terminal 100 to the mobile communication system 200.

The network controller 220 may include at least one of the first controller 221, the second controller 222, the policy server 223, and the gateway 224.

The first control unit 221 is a configuration for controlling the first wireless communication network and may correspond to, for example, the AMF 32 shown in FIG. 2.

The second control unit 222 is a configuration for controlling the second wireless communication network and may correspond to, for example, the MME 22 shown in FIG. 2.

The policy server 223 may provide a policy related to power saving mode operation for the terminal 200 or provide configuration information defined for each mobile communication service. The policy server 223 may be implemented by a packet control function (PCF) or a policy and charging rule function (PCRF).

The gateway 224 may correspond to, for example, the gateway (GW) 40 shown in FIG. 2, which is a self-contained configuration in the field of mobile communication systems. The description will be omitted.

The subscriber information database 230 may store information about each terminal 100 subscribed to the mobile communication system 200 and a subscriber of the terminal 100. The information stored in the subscriber information database 230 may be used in various situations, such as when the policy server 223 determines whether to use the power saving mode for the terminal 100, but is not limited thereto. The subscriber information database 230 may be a unified data management (UDM) or a home subscriber server (HSS).

Such subscriber information database 230 may be specifically implemented as a computer readable recording medium, and examples of such computer readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD A hardware device specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as optical media such as optical media, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and flash memory. Can be mentioned.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of a process in which traffic is processed by the aforementioned mobile communication terminal 100 and the wireless communication system 200 will be described. However, since the embodiments to be described below are merely exemplary, the spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the contents described in each embodiment may be combined, merged, or modified with each other.

First, FIG. 4 illustrates a process in which traffic is processed by a mobile communication terminal and a wireless communication network according to the first embodiment. In describing the process of FIG. 4, the description of the overlapping parts with FIGS. 1 to 3B will be omitted. In addition, since the details of the process illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, the types of signals transmitted and received in the process, the subjects transmitting and receiving signals, the order in which the signals are transmitted and received, and the like are merely exemplary, the embodiment different from that illustrated in FIG. It is not excluded by FIG.

First, the process shown in FIG. 4 assumes that the terminal 100 is performed in a state in which both the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network which are employed in the mobile communication system 200 are registered. It will be described as. Here, as described above, the first wireless communication network is a network controlled by the first control unit 221, and the second wireless communication network is a network controlled by the second control unit 222.

On the other hand, the details of such registration may follow the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard. Therefore, the details of such registration are not shown in FIG. 4, and detailed descriptions of the details of such registration will be omitted.

When the registration process of the terminal 100 is completed, the controller 120 of the terminal 100 during the subsequent operation, through the communication unit 110, the terminal of the plurality of wireless communication networks included in the mobile communication system 200 Use of the power saving mode for a particular wireless communication network selected (or set up below) in connection with the mobile communication service provided at 100 (assuming that the specific wireless communication network is the first wireless communication network). A request may be made to the first control unit 221 of the mobile communication system 200 to approve the registration (S100). The request in step S100 includes information indicating that the power saving mode is a mobile initiated communication only (MICO) mode, a session ID (eg, PDU session ID) with the first wireless communication network, and an ID (eg, MME) of the second control unit 222. ID), but the power saving power saving mode is not necessarily limited to MICO.

If there is a request according to the step S100, the mobile communication system 200 including the first control unit 221 may perform two settings (S200). The first of these is a setting for entering the mode of the terminal 100 for the first wireless communication network into a power saving mode, which is not shown in Figures 4 to 9, but only in conjunction with FIG. This will be described in more detail. Second, the downlink to be transmitted to the terminal 100 in connection with the mobile communication service in a state in which the mode of the terminal 100 for the first wireless communication network enters the power saving mode by the first setting described above. ) When traffic occurs, each component included in the mobile communication system 200 is a setting for how to handle such downlink traffic.

Here, the above two settings may be performed sequentially, that is, the second setting may be performed after the first setting is completed, but this is merely exemplary, and for example, some of the steps included in the second setting may be included in the first setting. It may be performed in the middle of the steps being performed, i.e. before completion, or at the same time as these steps are performed. In addition, according to the embodiment, only one of the two settings described above may be performed or other settings not mentioned may be performed. However, the following embodiments will be described on the premise that the two settings mentioned above are performed sequentially, that is, the second setting is performed after the first setting is performed.

As described above, the first setting will be described later. Hereinafter, the second setting will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the first control unit 221, which is requested to use the power saving mode for the first wireless communication network from the terminal 100, receives a notification message indicating that downlink traffic has occurred when downlink traffic occurs. The second control unit 222 requests the gateway 224 to inform it via the second wireless communication network controlled (S111). The downlink traffic herein refers to traffic to be transmitted from the mobile communication system 200 to the terminal 100 in connection with the mobile communication service provided through the first wireless communication network as described above. The request of step S111 may include information that the power saving mode is a MICO mode, a session ID (eg, PDU session ID) with the first wireless communication network, and an ID (eg, ID of an MME) of the second control unit 222. However, it is as described above that the power saving mode is MICO. In addition, if the above function is selectively applied among the services transmitted and received in the corresponding session, the request of step S111 may additionally include information (5QI, QCI, IP flow information, etc.) for defining the target service.

In response to the request of step S111, the gateway 224 is described above through the second wireless communication network controlled by the second control unit 222, not the first wireless communication network controlled by the first control unit 221 when downlink traffic occurs. A notification message indicating that downlink traffic is generated is set to be transmitted to the terminal 100.

In addition, when the first control unit 221 receives the above notification message for the downlink traffic from the gateway 224 to the second control unit 222, the first control unit 221 transmits the notification message to the terminal 100 again through the second wireless communication network. Request to transmit to the terminal 100 (S112). The request of step S112 may include at least one of an ID for identifying the terminal 100, an address of the gateway 224, and session information indicating that the aforementioned notification message may be received from the gateway 224.

In addition, the first controller 221 receives a response to the request of step S111 from the gateway 224 (S113). The response of step S113 may include a session ID (eg, PDU session ID) with the first wireless communication network.

Here, step S113 is performed after step S111 is performed, but step S112 may be performed regardless of the timings at which steps S111 and S113 are performed.

Thereafter, the first controller 221 reports to the terminal 100 that the setting for the transmission of the above-described notification message is completed in response to the request in step S111 (S114). The terminal 100 that has received the report in step S114, when downlink traffic occurs in the mobile communication services promised to be provided through the first wireless communication network, the second wireless communication network instead of the first wireless communication network. Operate to receive notifications through.

On the other hand, when the above two settings are completed, although not shown in FIG. 4, the terminal 100 accepts the use of the power saving mode for the first mobile communication network from the first control unit 221 (registration accept, MICO). Receive. In addition, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the mode switching unit 130 of the terminal 100 based on the approval, so that the terminal 100 enters the power saving mode for the first wireless communication network. It may be (S120). In this power saving mode, the wireless communication function between the mobile communication system 200 and the terminal 100 through the first wireless communication network may be blocked, except for the remaining wireless communication networks except for the first wireless communication network, for example, the second wireless communication network. The connection between the mobile communication system 200 and the terminal 100 through the wireless communication network may not be affected by the power saving mode. In this case, the blocking of the wireless communication function may be implemented by a method in which the mode switching unit 130 cuts off power supply to a function of a part of the component of the terminal 100 performing data communication with the first wireless communication network. One is not limited thereto. In the terminal 100 entering the power saving mode, power consumption may be reduced.

Meanwhile, while the terminal 100 enters and operates a power saving mode with respect to the first wireless communication network, traffic for a mobile communication service related to the first wireless communication network (or transmitted through the first wireless communication network) is transmitted. May be generated from the mobile communication system 200 to the terminal 100, that is, downlink traffic should be transmitted from the mobile communication system 200 to the terminal 100. There is (S130). This situation referred to in step S130 can be recognized by the gateway 224.

When the aforementioned situation described in step S130 occurs, the gateway 224 transmits a notification message indicating that downlink traffic has occurred to the second control unit 222 controlling the second wireless communication network (S140). Subsequently, the second control unit 222 controls the network communication unit 210 to send the traffic including the command (or request) to the terminal 100 to cancel the power saving mode or the above-described notification message. To be transmitted to the terminal 100 through (S150).

Next, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the mode switching unit 130 based on the traffic received in step S150, the mode of the terminal 100 for the first wireless communication network in the power saving mode Release (S160).

Accordingly, the situation in which the power saving mode is released for the first wireless communication network is also reflected in the mobile communication system 200 (S170). For example, the terminal 100 transmits a request (registration request, MICO off) to the first control unit 221 to release the power saving mode for the first wireless communication network. Session ID (eg, PDU session ID) may be included. In addition, a session including a session ID (eg, PDU session ID) and a gNB ID with the first wireless communication network may be updated between the first controller 221 and the gateway 224, and the first controller 221 and the first controller 221 may be updated. 2, information indicating that the terminal 100 is released in the power saving mode may be shared with the ID of the corresponding terminal 100 between the controllers 222.

Finally, the terminal 100 receives downlink traffic from the gateway 224 through the first wireless communication network (S180).

That is, according to the first embodiment, when the power saving mode is applied to a specific wireless communication network among a plurality of wireless communication networks included in one mobile communication system, it should be delivered to (or delivered to) the terminal through this specific wireless communication network. If there is downlink traffic (promised), a notification message related to the downlink traffic may be transmitted to the terminal through another wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. Can be released in the power saving mode. Therefore, since the above-described downlink traffic can be delivered to the terminal through the above-described specific wireless communication network without omission, the quality of the wireless communication service can be improved while maintaining the effect of adopting the power saving mode.

5 and 6 illustrate a process in which traffic is processed by the mobile communication terminal and the wireless communication network according to the second embodiment. Details of the process illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, types of signals transmitted and received in the process, subjects for transmitting and receiving signals, order in which signals are transmitted and received, and the like are merely exemplary, and thus different from those illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The embodiment is not excluded by FIGS. 5 and 6.

5 and 6, the second embodiment shown in Figure 4, there is a part that is different from the part in common with the first embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, hereinafter, only the parts in which the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment will be described, and the parts common to the first embodiment will be referred to the parts described in the first embodiment.

Specifically, steps S200 through S230 in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are the same as steps S100 through S130 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4. In addition, steps S240 to 280 performed when the judgment in step S231 is YES in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are the same as steps S140 to S180 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, the following description will be given with reference to FIG. 6, which illustrates a case where the determination in step S231 and step S231 illustrated in FIG. 5 is no.

As shown in FIG. 5, in a situation where downlink traffic is to be transmitted from the mobile communication system 200 to the terminal 100, the gateway 224 releases the first wireless communication network from the power saving mode for transmission of the downlink traffic. It is determined whether it is appropriate to make (S231). Disabling the first radio network from power saving mode until the downstream traffic is very small or has an intermittent feature is more inefficient than transmitting this downstream traffic over the second radio network. Can be. Accordingly, the gateway 224 determines whether the downlink traffic has a size smaller than the reference size of the downlink traffic defined in the specification of the mobile communication service, or whether the number of transmissions per unit time of the downlink traffic specified in the above specification is smaller than the reference. The above judgment can be made based on the above, but the judgment method is not limited thereto.

If the determination of step S231 is YES, the procedures of steps S240 to S280 are performed.

However, if the determination of step S231 is no, the procedure illustrated in FIG. 6 is performed. Hereinafter, FIG. 6 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 6, if the determination in step S231 is no, the gateway 224 controls the network communication unit 210 to transmit downlink traffic to the terminal 100 through the second wireless communication network (S232).

That is, according to the second embodiment, when a power saving mode is applied to a specific wireless communication network among a plurality of wireless communication networks included in one mobile communication system, it should be delivered to the terminal through this specific wireless communication network (or If there is downlink traffic (preset to be delivered), the downlink traffic may be transmitted to the terminal through another wireless communication network other than the corresponding specific wireless communication network. Therefore, since the aforementioned downlink traffic can be delivered to the terminal without omission, the quality of the wireless communication service can be improved while maintaining the effect of adopting the power saving mode.

On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the first wireless communication network is still in the power saving mode while the second wireless communication network is in the available general mode. In this case, in the second embodiment, if there is uplink traffic to be transmitted from the terminal 100 to the wireless communication system 200 after step S232 (S233), the uplink traffic is transmitted using the second wireless communication network. Or, the process of determining whether to release the first wireless communication network in the power saving mode and transmit it through the first wireless communication network may be performed by the controller 120 (S234). In the determination of step S234, the control unit 120 may consider the type of mobile communication service related to uplink traffic. Information necessary to determine a wireless communication network according to the type of mobile communication service is received from the policy server 223. Information stored in the storage 140 may be the basis.

If it is determined in step S234 to transmit over the second wireless communication network, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the communication unit 110 to control the corresponding uplink traffic to be transmitted through the second wireless communication network ( S235). However, if it is determined in step S234 to transmit over the first wireless communication network, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the mode switching unit 130 to save power for the first wireless communication network of the terminal 100. The mode may be released (S236).

Thereafter, the situation in which the power saving mode is released for the first wireless communication network is reflected in the mobile communication system 200 (S237). When step S237 is completed, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the communication unit 110. By controlling the upstream traffic is transmitted through the first wireless communication network (S238).

Meanwhile, FIG. 7 illustrates a process in which traffic is processed by the mobile communication terminal and the wireless communication network according to the third embodiment. Details of the process illustrated in FIG. 7, for example, types of signals transmitted and received in the process, subjects for transmitting and receiving signals, order in which signals are transmitted and received, and the like are merely exemplary, and thus, embodiments different from those shown in FIG. It is not excluded by.

Referring to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7, there is a part that is different from the parts common to each of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Therefore, hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described only in a part different from the first and second embodiments, and the parts common to the first and second embodiments are the first and second embodiments. The parts described in each section will be used.

Specifically, steps S1100 to S1130 in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 are the same as steps S100 to S130 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the following description will be made from step S1140.

Referring to step S1140 of FIG. 7, the gateway 224 controls the network communication unit 210 to transmit downlink traffic to the terminal 100 through the second wireless communication network (S1140).

That is, according to the third embodiment, when the power saving mode is applied to a specific wireless communication network among a plurality of wireless communication networks included in one mobile communication system, it should be delivered to (or delivered to) the terminal through a specific wireless communication network. When downlink traffic, which is set in advance, occurs, the specific wireless communication network may be controlled to be delivered to the terminal through another wireless communication network without releasing from the power saving mode. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, even when the terminal adopts the power saving mode, network resources and power saving efficiency may be improved, and the quality of the wireless communication service may also be improved.

On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the first wireless communication network is still in the power saving mode while the second wireless communication network is in the available general mode. In this case, in the third embodiment, if there is uplink traffic to be transmitted from the terminal 100 to the wireless communication system 200 after step S1140 (S1150), the uplink traffic is transmitted using the second wireless communication network. Alternatively, the controller 120 may determine whether to release the first wireless communication network in the power saving mode and transmit the first wireless communication network through the first wireless communication network (S1160). In the determination of step S1160, the controller 120 may consider the type of mobile communication service related to uplink traffic. Information necessary to determine a wireless communication network according to the type of mobile communication service is received from the policy server 223. Information stored in the storage 140 may be the basis.

If it is determined in step S1160 to transmit through the second wireless communication network, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the communication unit 110 to control the corresponding upstream traffic is transmitted through the second wireless communication network ( S1170). However, if it is determined in step S1170 to transmit over the first wireless communication network, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the mode switching unit 130 to save power for the first wireless communication network of the terminal 100. The mode may be released (S1180).

Thereafter, the situation in which the power saving mode is released for the first wireless communication network is reflected in the mobile communication system 200 (S1190). When step S1190 is completed, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 connects the communication unit 110. By controlling the upstream traffic is transmitted through the first wireless communication network (S1191).

8 and 9 illustrate a process in which traffic is processed by the mobile communication terminal and the wireless communication network according to the fourth embodiment. Details of the process illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, types of signals transmitted and received in the process, subjects for transmitting and receiving signals, order in which signals are transmitted and received, and so on are merely exemplary, and thus different from those illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. The embodiment is not excluded by FIGS. 8 and 9.

8 and 9 illustrate a fourth embodiment, there is a part that is different from the part in common with the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, hereinafter, only the parts where the fourth embodiment differs from the third embodiment will be described, and the parts common to the third embodiment will be referred to the parts described in the third embodiment.

Specifically, steps S1200 through S1230 in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 are the same as steps S1100 through S1130 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7. In addition, steps S1240 to 1291 performed when the judgment in step S1231 is YES in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 are the same as steps S1140 to S1191 in the third embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, the following description will be given with reference to FIG. 9, which illustrates a case where the determination in step S1231 and step S1231 shown in FIG. 8 is no.

Referring to FIG. 9, if the determination in step S1231 is no, the gateway 224 transmits a notification message indicating that downlink traffic has occurred to the second control unit 222 that controls the second wireless communication network (S1231). Subsequently, the second control unit 222 controls the network communication unit 210 to send the traffic including the command (or request) to the terminal 100 to cancel the power saving mode or the above-described notification message. It is transmitted to the terminal 100 through (S1232).

Next, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 controls the mode switching unit 130 based on the traffic received in step S1232, the mode of the terminal 100 for the first wireless communication network in the power saving mode Release (S1233).

Accordingly, the situation in which the power saving mode is released for the first wireless communication network is also reflected in the mobile communication system 200 (S1234). For example, the terminal 100 transmits a request (registration request, MICO off) to the first control unit 221 to release the power saving mode for the first wireless communication network. Session ID (eg, PDU session ID) may be included. In addition, a session including a session ID (eg, PDU session ID) and a gNB ID with the first wireless communication network may be updated between the first controller 221 and the gateway 224, and the first controller 221 and the first controller 221 may be updated. 2, information indicating that the terminal 100 is released in the power saving mode may be shared with the ID of the corresponding terminal 100 between the controllers 222.

Finally, the terminal 100 receives downlink traffic from the gateway 224 through the first wireless communication network (S1235).

Meanwhile, FIG. 10 illustrates a process of setting a power saving mode which is a part of the processes illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8. Before referring to FIG. 10, the details of the process illustrated in FIG. 10, for example, types of signals transmitted and received in the process, subjects for transmitting and receiving signals, order in which signals are transmitted and received, and the like are merely exemplary. Embodiments different from those shown are not excluded by FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 10 together with FIG. 4, when the first control unit 221 is requested to use the power saving mode from the terminal 100 in step S100, the first control unit 221 is configured to control power saving mode or transmission for each service. Request information about the policy server 223 (not shown in FIG. 5). In this case, the policy server 223 may obtain the above-described information from the subscriber information database 230. The obtained information may include information on whether to permit the use of the power saving mode for the terminal 100 of the subscriber. This information may include the type of the terminal 100 owned by the subscriber, that is, the terminal 100. It may be determined according to whether it is a general smartphone or an Internet of things (IoT) terminal.

In addition, the obtained information may include information on which wireless communication network, among the plurality of wireless communication networks belonging to the mobile communication system, the mobile communication service subscribed to the subscriber communicates with. Such information may be previously determined based on characteristics of each type of mobile communication service, as described above with reference to FIG. 1.

In addition, the obtained information may include information about a priority among a plurality of wireless communication networks. In this regard, when the number of wireless communication networks configured to use a specific mobile communication service is at least two, priorities may be set between these wireless communication networks. Accordingly, the mobile communication service can basically use the highest priority wireless communication network for data transmission, and if the use of the highest priority wireless communication network is not possible, transmit the data to the next priority wireless communication network. Can be used for

The above-described information obtained by the policy server 223 may be returned from the policy server 223 to the first control unit 221 (S10), and then returned from the first control unit 221 to the terminal 100 (S11). ).

Meanwhile, instead of receiving some of the data from the policy server 223, the first controller 221 may directly generate the data based on the instructions of the policy server 223. Accordingly, the data returned from the first control unit 221 to the terminal 100 in step S202 is data generated by the policy server 223 or the first control unit 221 based on information received from the policy server 223. It may also be data generated by.

Next, the control unit 120 of the terminal 100 may perform internal setting of the terminal 100 required for applying the power saving mode based on the information received in step S11 (S12).

In addition, the control unit 120 connects to the first wireless communication network (for example, generating a PDU session when the first wireless communication network is a 5G network) and the second wireless to receive a mobile communication service from the mobile communication system 200. A connection with a communication network (eg, generating a PDN connection when the second wireless communication network is an LTE network) may be performed (S13 and S14).

Thereafter, the control unit 120 may receive approval from the first control unit 221 for using the power saving mode (S15).

As described above, according to an embodiment, when a power saving mode is applied to a specific wireless communication network among a plurality of wireless communication networks included in one mobile communication system, it should be delivered to the terminal through the specific wireless communication network. If there is downlink traffic (or previously set to be delivered), a notification message related to the downlink traffic or the downlink traffic itself may be transmitted to the terminal through another wireless communication network other than the corresponding specific wireless communication network. Therefore, since the aforementioned downlink traffic can be delivered to the terminal without omission, the quality of the wireless communication service can be improved while maintaining the effect of adopting the power saving mode.

Combinations of each block of the block diagram and each step of the flowchart attached to the present invention may be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be embedded in an encoding processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment such that the instructions executed by the encoding processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment are not included in each block or block diagram. It will create means for performing the functions described in each step of the flowchart. These computer program instructions may be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular manner, and thus the computer usable or computer readable memory. It is also possible for the instructions stored in to produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in each block or flowchart of each step of the block diagram. Computer program instructions may also be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, such that a series of operating steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-implemented process to create a computer or other programmable data. Instructions that perform processing equipment may also provide steps for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagram and in each step of the flowchart.

In addition, each block or step may represent a portion of a module, segment or code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing a specified logical function (s). It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions noted in the blocks or steps may occur out of order. For example, the two blocks or steps shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks or steps may sometimes be performed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and changes without departing from the essential quality of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention but to describe the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas that fall within the scope of equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, even when the terminal adopts a power saving mode, network resources and power saving efficiency may be improved, and the quality of a wireless communication service may also be improved.

100: mobile communication terminal
200: mobile communication system

Claims (16)

A communication unit performing communication through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks included in the mobile communication system;
Among the plurality of wireless communication networks, downlink traffic generated in advance to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network has occurred while the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network enters a power saving mode. And a controller configured to control a mode of the mobile communication terminal to be released from the power saving mode when the notification message is received by the communication unit through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network.
Mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 1,
The downward traffic is,
After the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network is released from the power saving mode received by the communication unit via the specific wireless communication network
Mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 1,
The notification message,
And requesting to release the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network from the power saving mode.
Mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
Control uplink traffic to be transmitted from the mobile communication terminal to the mobile communication system through the specific wireless communication network released in the power saving mode or through the wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. Controlling to be transmitted from the terminal to the mobile communication system
Mobile communication terminal. It includes a communication unit for communicating with each of a plurality of wireless communication networks included in the mobile communication system,
In the communication unit,
Among the plurality of wireless communication networks, when a mode of a mobile communication terminal for a specific wireless communication network enters a power saving mode, the wireless communication network is transmitted through the specific wireless communication network through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network. To receive pre-set downlink traffic
Mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 5,
The downward traffic is,
Including a traffic having a size smaller than the reference size of the downlink traffic specified in the specification of a predetermined mobile communication service or the number of transmissions per unit time of the downlink traffic specified in the above specification is smaller than the reference
Mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 5,
Control uplink traffic to be transmitted from the mobile communication terminal to the mobile communication system through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network, or the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network may reduce the power. And a control unit controlling to release from the mode so that the uplink traffic is transmitted from the mobile communication terminal to the mobile communication system through the specific wireless communication network.
Mobile communication terminal. The method according to claim 4 or 7,
The control unit,
Whether to transmit the uplink traffic to the mobile communication terminal through the specific wireless communication network or to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network; Decided based on information about the type
Mobile communication terminal. A network communication unit for communicating with a mobile communication terminal through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks;
Among the plurality of wireless communication networks, a notification message indicating that a predetermined downlink traffic is generated to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network while the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network is entered into a power saving mode. And a network controller for controlling the network communication unit to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network.
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 9,
The network control unit,
Controlling the network communication unit so that the downlink traffic is transmitted to the mobile communication terminal through the specific wireless communication network while the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network is released from the power saving mode.
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 9,
The notification message,
And requesting to release the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network from the power saving mode.
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 9,
The network controller includes a first controller, a second controller, and a gateway,
The first controller requests the gateway to transmit the notification message that the downlink traffic has occurred to the second controller,
The gateway delivers the notification message to the second control unit.
The second control unit,
Controlling the network communication unit to transmit the notification message received from the gateway to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network.
Mobile communication system. A network communication unit for communicating with a mobile communication terminal through each of a plurality of wireless communication networks;
Among the plurality of wireless communication networks, the downlink traffic preset to be transmitted through the specific wireless communication network is transmitted in the state where the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network enters a power saving mode. It includes a network control unit for controlling the network communication unit to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal via a wireless communication network other than
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 13,
The network control unit,
When the downlink traffic has a size smaller than the reference size of the downlink traffic specified in the specification of a predetermined mobile communication service or the number of transmissions per unit time of the downlink traffic specified in the standard is smaller than the reference, the downlink traffic is the specific radio Controlling the network communication unit to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than a communication network;
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 13,
The network communication unit,
When the uplink traffic is further received from the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network or when the mode of the mobile communication terminal for the specific wireless communication network is released from the power saving mode, the specific wireless communication Further receiving the uplink traffic from the mobile terminal through a network
Mobile communication system. The method of claim 15,
The network controller includes a first controller, a second controller, and a gateway,
The first controller requests the gateway to forward the downlink traffic to the second controller,
The gateway delivers the downlink traffic to the second controller,
The second control unit,
Controlling the network communication unit to transmit the downlink traffic received from the gateway to the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network other than the specific wireless communication network;
Mobile communication system.

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