IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,504,045

Granted Patent B2

US 8,504,045 · App. 12/740,930 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Mobile communication method and radio base station

Inventors: Wuri Andarmawanti Hapsari (Yokosuka, JP); Masayuki Motegi (Yokohama, JP); Yasuhiro Kato (Yokosuka, JP); Yoshitsugu Shimazu (Kawasaki, JP); Takehiro Nakamura (Yokohama, JP)

Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 8,504,045
App. No.: 12/740,930
Granted: Aug 6, 2013
Kind: B2

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USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A radio base station (T-eNB) is configured to set up a data forwarding tunnel for forwarding user plane data to the radio base station (T-eNB) only for an access bearer for which the user plane data to be forwarded exists, when receiving a notification from a handover-source radio base station (S-eNB) as to whether or not the user plane data to be forwarded exists for each access bearer. The notification being made by using a handover request message for the mobile station (UE), and the access bearer being set up between the radio base station (T-eNB) and a upper level node (SGW).

Claims (77)

1. A mobile communication method in which a mobile station performs a handover from a handover-source radio base station to a handover-target radio base station, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) judging whether or not user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists for each access bearer set up with an upper level node, when a handover for the mobile station is determined to be performed;

(B) notifying, to the handover-target radio base station, a result of the judgment by using a handover request message for the mobile station;

(C) setting up a data forwarding tunnel for forwarding user plane data from the handover-source radio base station to the handover-target radio base station only for an access bearer for which the user plane data to be forwarded exists, and notifying, to the handover-source radio base station, setup information on the data forwarding tunnel by using a handover request response message for the handover request message; and

(D) forwarding the user plane data to the handover-target radio base station by the handover-source radio base station via the data forwarding tunnel on the basis of the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel,

wherein the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

2. The mobile communication method according to claim 1 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of a same upper level node;

in the step (A), the handover-source radio base station makes the judgment;

in the step (B), the handover-source radio base station notifies, to the handover-target radio base station, the result of the judgment by using the handover request message for the mobile station; and

in the step (C), the data forwarding tunnel is set up not through the upper level node.

3. The mobile communication method according to claim 2 , wherein

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is a GTP TE-ID for the handover-target radio base station in the data forwarding tunnel.

4. The mobile communication method according to claim 3 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes instruction information indicating whether or not the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists, for each access bearer.

5. The mobile communication method according to claim 3 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

6. The mobile communication method according to claim 2 , wherein

7. The mobile communication method according to claim 2 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

8. The mobile communication method according to claim 1 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of different upper level nodes, respectively; and

in the step (C), the data forwarding tunnel is set up through the upper level nodes, and the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is notified to the handover-source radio base station through the upper level nodes.

9. The mobile communication method according to claim 8 , wherein

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is a GTP TE-ID for the upper level nodes in the data forwarding tunnel.

10. The mobile communication method according to claim 9 , wherein

11. The mobile communication method according to claim 9 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

12. The mobile communication method according to claim 8 , wherein

13. The mobile communication method according to claim 8 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

14. The mobile communication method according to claim 1 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of different upper level nodes, respectively; and

in the step (C), the data forwarding tunnel is set up not through the upper level nodes, and the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is notified to the handover-source radio base station not through the upper level nodes.

15. The mobile communication method according to claim 14 , wherein

16. The mobile communication method according to claim 14 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

17. The mobile communication method according to claim 1 , wherein

18. A radio base station capable of serving as a handover-target radio base station in a mobile communication system in which a mobile station can perform a handover, wherein

the handover-target radio base station is configured to set up a data forwarding tunnel for forwarding user plane data to the handover-target radio base station only for an access bearer for which the user plane data to be forwarded exists, when receiving a notification from a handover-source radio base station as to whether or not the user plane data to be forwarded exists for each access bearer, the notification being made by using a handover request message for the mobile station, and the access bearer being set up between the handover-source radio base station and a upper level node; and

the handover-target radio base station is configured to notify, to the handover-source radio base station, setup information on the data forwarding tunnel by using a handover request response message for the handover request message,

wherein the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

19. The radio base station according to claim 18 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes instruction information indicating whether or not the user plane data to be forwarded to the radio base station exists for each access bearer.

20. The radio base station according to claim 18 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

21. The radio base station according to claim 18 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of a same upper level node;

the data forwarding tunnel is set up not through the upper level node; and

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is a GTP TE-ID for the handover-target radio base station in the data forwarding tunnel.

22. The radio base station according to claim 18 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of different upper level nodes, respectively;

the handover request message for the mobile station is transmitted to the handover-target radio base station through a handover-source upper level node and a handover-target upper level node;

the data forwarding tunnel is set up through the handover-source upper level node and the handover-target upper level node;

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is notified to the handover-source radio base station through the handover-source upper level node and the handover-target upper level node; and

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel notified to the handover-source radio base station is a GTP TE-ID for the handover-source upper level node in the data forwarding tunnel.

23. A radio base station capable of serving as a handover-target radio base station in a mobile communication system in which a mobile station can perform a handover, wherein

the handover-target radio base station is configured to set up a data forwarding tunnel for forwarding user plane data to the handover-target radio base station only for an access bearer for which the user plane data to be forwarded exists, when receiving a notification from a upper level node as to whether or not the user plane data to be forwarded exists for each access bearer, the notification being made by using a handover request message for the mobile station, and the access bearer being set up between a handover-source radio base station and the upper level node;

the handover-target radio base station is configured to notify, to the handover-source radio base station, setup information on the data forwarding tunnel via the upper level node by using a handover request response message for the handover request message; and

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

24. The radio base station according to claim 23 , wherein

25. The radio base station according to claim 23 , wherein

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

26. The radio base station according to claim 23 , wherein

the handover-source radio base station and the handover-target radio base station are provided under the control of a same upper level node;

the data forwarding tunnel is set up not through the upper level node; and

the setup information on the data forwarding tunnel is a GTP TE-ID for the handover-target radio base station in the data forwarding tunnel.

27. A radio base station capable of serving as a handover-source radio base station in a mobile communication system in which a mobile station can perform a handover, wherein

the handover-source radio base station is configured to judge whether or not user plane data to be forwarded to a handover-target radio base station exists for each access bearer set up with an upper level node, when a handover for the mobile station is determined to be performed;

the handover-source radio base station is configured to notify, to the handover-target radio base station, a result of the judgment by using a handover request message for the mobile station; and

the handover request message for the mobile station includes a list of the access bearers for which the user plane data to be forwarded to the handover-target radio base station exists.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2010

From: HAPSARI, WURI ANDARMAWANTI; MOTEGI, MASAYUKI; KATO, YASUHIRO; SHIMAZU, YOSHITSUGU; NAKAMURA, TAKEHIRO

To: NTT DOCOMO, INC.

Reel/Frame 024765/0770 →

Priority Claims (1)

JP 2007-282380 · Oct 30, 2007 · national

Continuity (1)

Related Publication 20100297998A1 · Nov 25, 2010