Method for performing packet switched handover in a mobile communication system
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a method and system for performing packet switched handover in a mobile communication network. The system comprises a mobile node, a first and a second packet switching node. The method enables the parallel sending of logical link layer frames from the first and the second packet switching node. This is achieved so that the mobile node does not reject incoming frames received from two logical link layer entities having different states. The benefits of the invention are related to improved quality of service and the avoiding of gaps in received data during handover.
1. An apparatus comprising a controller configured to direct the apparatus at least to:
cause establishment of a logical link layer entity;
cause communications with a remote packet switching node, prior to receiving a data packet stream that is routed from the remote packet switching node as a result of a handover to the remote packet switching node, to receive an indication of a packet-switched handover condition associated with a mobile node, to request packet-switched handover preparation, to send logical link layer information, and to receive logical link layer information; and
set a state in said logical link layer entity based on the logical link layer information received and cause logical link layer frames to be sent to said mobile node during a packet-switched handover;
wherein the indication of the packet-switched handover condition comprises at least one parameter not re-negotiated at during eXchange identification (XID) reset procedure.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises a packet switching node that further comprises a general packet radio service serving support node.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said logical link layer entity comprises a general packet radio service logical link control.
4. An apparatus comprising a controller configured to direct the apparatus to at least:
cause communication with a remote packet switching node, prior to receiving a data packet stream that is routed from the remote packet switching node as a result of a handover to the remote packet switching node, to receive an indication of a packet-switched handover condition associated with a first mobile node, and to request packet-switched handover preparation; and
form, via establishment of a logical link layer entity, at least one first logical link layer protocol data unit, to cause said at least one first logical link layer protocol data unit to be sent to said remote packet switching node, and to cause at least one second logical link layer protocol data unit to be sent transparently to a second mobile node;
wherein the indication of the packet-switched handover condition comprises at least one parameter not re-negotiated at during eXchange identification (XID) reset procedure.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the apparatus comprises a packet switching node that further comprises a general packet radio service serving support node.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said logical link layer entity comprises a general packet radio service logical link control.
7. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, direct the apparatus at least to:
cause communications with a remote packet switching node, prior to receiving a data packet stream that is routed from the remote packet switching node as a result of a handover to the remote packet switching node, to receive an indication of a packet-switched handover condition associated with a mobile node, to request packet-switched handover preparation, to send logical link layer information, and to receive logical link layer information;
form a first logical link layer control entity in response to connection establishment and a second logical link layer control entity in response to a packet-switched handover condition;
detect the packet-switched handover condition and a packet-switched handover completion; and cause said second logical link layer control entity to be configured to renegotiate logical link layer parameters with a packet switched node after the packet-switched handover completion when the logical link layer parameters are not suitable:
wherein the indication of the packet-switched handover condition comprises at least one parameter not re-negotiated at during eXchange identification (XID) reset procedure.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein being directed to form the second logical link layer control entity includes being directed to perform said logical link parameter renegotiation using eXchange identification (XID) negotiation.