Multiplex communications – Wide area network – Packet switching
Patent
1994-04-14
1996-03-26
Hsu, Alpus
Multiplex communications
Wide area network
Packet switching
370 951, 370 953, 3701101, 455 542, 455 571, 379 63, H04J 316, H04B 100
Patent
active
055027210
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to packet data transfer in a cellular radio system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Advanced digital cellular systems typically offer a circuit-switched data channel for data applications. As is well-known, circuit-switched connections are very heavy to establish. In addition, at least one traffic channel of the system capacity has to be allocated to the circuit-switched connection until the connection is released. For these reasons, circuit-switched data connections are suitable mainly for applications which continuously require a transfer capacity of one transfer channel of the system for relatively long periods of time. Allocation of a circuit-switched channel for the transfer is a typical example of applications suitable for the system.
Many data applications involve a low, randomly occurring transfer demand and a need to keep the (virtual) transfer connection open continuously. A circuit-switched connection is not suitable for such purposes as the resources of the cellular system are reserved unreasonably, and the implementation of a service would therefore become too expensive.
Advanced digital cellular systems also comprise a short message service. A short message may be used in data services for the transfer of small amounts of data. In the GSM system, for instance, sending a short message is similar to a conventional call set-up procedure, i.e., it is a very heavy signalling event. The applicability of short messages in the establishment of economical data connections is therefore limited.
There are prior art packet-switched radio systems implemented for data applications. Such systems require separate network investments for data connections. As the modern cellular systems as such comprise functions useful for data applications, it is advantageous to aim at utilizing these functions in providing economical data connections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem by providing a new packet transfer solution which is adapted for a digital cellular system and which offers data connections considerably more economical than the prior art cellular network services.
One concept of the invention is a method for the transfer of user data in packet format in a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations for communication with mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations comprising at least one organization channel shared by all of the mobile radio stations for sending pages from the base station to the mobile stations, for sending connection requests from the mobile stations to the base station, and for sending channel assignments to the mobile stations so as to establish an actual connection on another channel. The method according to the invention is characterized by transferring the user data from the mobile stations to the base station interleaved with the connection request messages on at least one random-access-type organization channel in messages which will not result in a normal connection establishment; sending a random-access-type packet data transfer request on the random-access-type organization channel from the mobile station to the base station; detecting the time of sending the random-access-type transfer request on the basis of the request received at the base station; determining a timing advance corresponding to the distance between the base station and the mobile station on the basis of the detected time; sending the determined timing advance information to the mobile station; sending data packets on the random-access-type organization channel from the mobile station to the base station in messages longer than said transfer request and timing the transfer of the messages with respect to the operation of the base station by means of the timing advance.
Another concept of the invention is a mobile station for a digital cellular radio system comprising base stations for communication with mobile radio stations, each one of the base stations comprising at least one
REFERENCES:
patent: 4472802 (1984-09-01), Didier et al.
patent: 4887265 (1989-12-01), Felix
patent: 5260700 (1993-11-01), Merchant et al.
patent: 5303234 (1994-04-01), Kou
patent: 5377192 (1994-12-01), Goodings et al.
Hsu Alpus
Ngo Ricky Q.
Nokia Telecommunications Oy
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