Method for improving quality of service management in a mobile packet radio communication cellular system

1. A method of improving quality of service management in a packet mode cellular mobile radio system, the method comprising:

in the event of a change of cell from an old cell to a new cell, transferring information on a quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell to the new cell, and

performing a quality of service management procedure to prevent degraded quality of service if the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell is not offered in the new cell,

wherein the transferring of the information on the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell is performed by a base station subsystem (BSS) in response to a request by a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), and

wherein the information on the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell corresponds to a base station subsystem context which is associated with a mobile station and liable to contain a plurality of packet flow contexts (PFC).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell for each packet flow context (PFC) corresponds to an aggregate base station subsystem quality of service profile (ABQP).

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the base station subsystem (BSS) transfers the aggregate BSS QoS profile (ABQP) that has been negotiated in the old cell for each packet flow context (PFC) to the serving GPRS support node (SGSN) in the new cell.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing of the quality of service management procedure comprises:

communicating from the base station subsystem to the serving GPRS support node information relating to a feasibility of the transfer of the quality of service profile information negotiated in the old cell.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing of the quality of service management procedure comprises:

communicating from the base station subsystem to the serving GPRS support node information indicating whether at least one packet flow context of a mobile station may be transferred to the new cell.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the performing of the quality of service management procedure further comprises:

if the quality of service profile information may not be transferred, executing a new packet flow context creation procedure for the new cell, said context being characterized by a quality of service profile that a radio access network indicates it is able to offer in the new cell.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and the base station subsystem (BSS) communicate information necessary for implementing said method by means of a procedure for transferring to new cell data waiting in the old cell.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said procedure is a “FLUSH-LL” procedure.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said information communicated by said serving GPRS support node to said base station subsystem is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL PDU” message.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said information communicated by said base station subsystem to said serving GPRS support node is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL-ACK PDU” message.

11. A core network entity for a packet mode cellular mobile radio system, in particular a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) entity, comprising:

means for, in the event of a change of cell from an old cell to a new cell, requesting from a radio access network entity, in particular a Base Station Subsystem (BSS) entity, a transfer to the new cell of information on a quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell, and

means for performing an additional quality of service management procedure, to prevent degraded quality of service if the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell may not be offered in the new cell,

wherein the quality of service profile information transferred corresponds to a base station subsystem context associated with a mobile station and liable to contain a plurality of packet flow contexts (PFC),

wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for, if quality of service profile information may not be transferred, performing a new packet flow context creation procedure for the new cell, said context being characterized by a quality of service profile adapted to the new cell, and said adaptation taking account of the quality of service profile that the radio access network indicates it is able to offer in the new cell.

12. A core network entity according to claim 11 , wherein the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell for each packet flow context (PFC) corresponds to an aggregate BSS QoS profile (ABQP).

13. A core network entity according to claim 11 , wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for receiving from the base station subsystem (BSS) entity, information relating to the feasibility of said transfer of quality of service profile information.

14. A core network entity according to claim 11 , wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for receiving from the base station subsystem (BSS) entity information indicating if the packet flow context(s) (PFC(s)) of a mobile station may be transferred to the new cell or not.

15. A core network entity according to claim 11 , comprising means for communicating necessary information with a radio access network entity, in particular the base station subsystem (BSS) entity, by means of a procedure for transferring to the new cell data waiting in the old cell.

16. A core network entity according to claim 15 , wherein said procedure is a “FLUSH-LL” procedure.

17. A core network entity according to claim 15 , wherein said information communicated by said core network entity to said radio access network entity is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL PDU” message.

18. A core network entity according to claim 15 , wherein said information communicated by said radio access network entity to said core network entity is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL-ACK PDU” message.

19. A radio access network entity for a packet mode cellular mobile radio system, in particular a base station subsystem (BSS) entity, comprising:

means for, in the event of a change of cell from an old cell to a new cell, transferring to the new cell information on a quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell, on request of a Core Network entity, in particular a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) entity, and

means for performing an additional quality of service management procedure, to prevent degraded quality of service if the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell may not be offered in the new cell

wherein the quality of service profile information transferred corresponds to a base station subsystem context associated with a mobile station and liable to contain a plurality of packet flow contexts (PFC),

wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for, if quality of service profile information may not be transferred, performing a new packet flow context creation procedure for the new cell, said context being characterized by a quality of service profile adapted to the new cell, and said adaptation taking account of the quality of service profile that the radio access network indicates it is able to offer in the new cell.

20. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein the quality of service profile negotiated in the old cell for each packet flow context (PFC) corresponds to an aggregate BSS QoS profile (ABQP).

21. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein as soon as there is a base station subsystem context for a mobile station in the old cell, the radio access network entity assumes that the aggregate BSS QoS profile (ABQP) that has been negotiated in the old cell for each packet flow context (PFC) is required in the new cell by a core network entity, in particular the serving GPRS support node (SGSN).

22. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for communicating to a core network entity, in particular the serving GPRS support node (SGSN), information relating to the feasibility of said transfer of quality of service profile information.

23. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein said means for performing additional quality of service management procedure comprise:

means for communicating to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) information indicating if the packet flow context(s) (PFC(s)) of a mobile station may be transferred to the new cell or not.

24. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , comprising means for communicating necessary information with a core network entity, in particular the serving GPRS support node (SGSN), by means of a procedure for transferring to the new cell data waiting in the old cell.

25. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein said procedure is a “FLUSH-LL” procedure.

26. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein said information communicated by said core network entity to said radio access network entity is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL PDU” message.

27. A radio access network entity according to claim 19 , wherein said information communicated by said radio access network entity to said core network entity is transmitted in a “FLUSH-LL-ACK PDU” message.