Mobile IP network system and connection switching method

Abstract

In a mobile IP network system including a plurality of radio access networks for connecting with mobile stations via radio links and an IP network connected with a plurality of packet nodes for transferring IP packets, each of the radio access networks has at least one base station controller and at least one radio base station connected to the base station controller. Each of the base station controllers in the radio access network is connected to the plurality of packet nodes to each other via a network and selects one of the plurality of packet nodes in accordance with a state of each mobile station to establish a logical connection to be used in IP packet communication of the mobile station.

1 . A mobile IP network system comprising: 
 a plurality of radio access networks each connected to mobile stations via radio links; and    an IP network to which a home agent node and a plurality of packet nodes each for transferring IP packets destined for one of mobile stations and received from the home agent node to one of said radio access networks are connected,    wherein each of the radio access networks has at least one base station controller and at least one radio base station which is connected to the base station controller to perform radio communications with a plurality of mobile stations, and    wherein each of the base station controllers is connected to the plurality of packet nodes through a network, receives an identifier of the previous packet node when one of the mobile stations moved into a control area of the base station controller from a control area of the another base station controller belonging to another radio access network, and selects either the previous packet node which is communicating IP packets for the moved mobile station with said home agent node or a preliminarily designated specific packet node in accordance with a communication state of the mobile station, thereby to selectively carry out IP packet communication for the moved mobile station between the base station controller and the previous packet node or IP packet communication between the base station controller and the specific packet node, after performing a registration procedure between the moved mobile station and said home agent node, depending on the communication state of the mobile station.    
     
     
         2 . The mobile LP network system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said base station controllers selects, with respect to the mobile station moved from the control area of said another base station controller to the control area of the base station controller, said previous packet node when the moved mobile station is in a state of communicating IP packets with the previous packet node and requests the previous packet node to communicate IP packets for the moved mobile station with the base station controller.  
     
     
         3 . The mobile IP network system according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said base station controllers has means for monitoring communication packets of the mobile station which has moved from the control area of said another base station controller, thereby to close the communication between the base station controller and the previous packet node and begin the communication between the base station controller and the specific packet node, upon detecting the data transmission and reception of the moved mobile station is ceased.  
     
     
         4 . The mobile IP network system according to  claim 1 , wherein said specific packet node has means for notifying to a home agent node of the moved mobile station which is connected to the IP network that the mobile station is in a control area of the specific packet node after setting of beginning the communication between the base station controller and the specific packet node so that the home agent node having received the notification transfers IP packets, which are destined for the moved mobile station and received thereafter from the IP network, to the specific packet node.  
     
     
         5 . The mobile IP network system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said packet nodes has a foreign agent function for transferring an IP packet received from the home agent node connected to the IP network to any of the base station controllers.  
     
     
         6 . A method of switching a connection for communication between a mobile station connected to any of a plurality of radio access networks via a radio link and a plurality of packet nodes connected to an IP network, comprising: 
 a step of connecting between a mobile station connected to a first radio access network and a first packet node which is preliminarily related with the first radio access network;    a step of transferring, by said first packet node, IP packets for the mobile station which are received from a home agent node of the mobile station, to the first radio access network using an identifier of the first logical connection;    a step of connecting the mobile station to a second radio access network adjacent to the first radio access network when the mobile station moves into an area of the second radio access network; and    a step of requesting from the second radio access network to the first packet node to communicate IP packets for the mobile station with the second radio access network while the mobile station connected to the first packet node,    wherein IP packets are communicated between the mobile station and the first packet node without performing a registration procedure between the mobile station and said home agent node until communication of IP packets for the mobile station is ceased.    
     
     
         7 . The switching method according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a step of closing, upon detecting that data transmission and reception ceased, the connection between the mobile node and the first packet node and beginning the connection between the mobile node and the second packet, said second packet node being preliminarily related with the second radio access network.    
     
     
         8 . A base station controller for a radio access network for transmitting and receiving an IP packet to and from a packet node which is connected to an IP network and has a foreign agent function for transferring IP packets from a home agent node to mobile stations, comprising: 
 a first communication interface for connection to a radio base station, a second communication interface for communication with a plurality of packet nodes connected to the IP network, and a control unit connected to the first and second communication interfaces,    wherein the control unit selectively begins an IP packet communication between the base station and the packet node or to transfer IP packets for the mobile station to the mobile station connected to another radio access network, via the second interface;    wherein said control unit has means for selecting, when the mobile station has moved into the control area of the base station controller from said another radio access network, a first packet node which is communicating with the mobile station in the another radio access network, to request the first packet node to transfer IP packets for the mobile station to the base station controller;    means for monitoring communication packets for the mobile station which is communicating with said first packet node; and    means for switching a first connection between the mobile station and the first packet node to a second connection between the mobile station and a second packet node preliminarily related to the base station controller when it is detected by the monitoring means that the transmission of communication packets for the mobile station is stopped,    wherein said connection is established after performing a registration procedure between the moved mobile station and said home agent node.    
     
     
         9 . The base station controller according to  claim 8 , wherein said control unit has means for notifying the base station controller in adjacent one of the other radio access networks of identification information of a previous packet node which has been communicating with the mobile station when the mobile station moved out from the control area of the base station controller to a control area of the adjacent radio access network.  
     
     
         10 . The base station controller according to  claim 8 , wherein said second communication interface is connected to a communication network for connecting the plurality of packet nodes, and said switching means closes the first connection by requesting said first packet node to communicate IP packets for the moved mobile station with the base station controller and establishes said second connection by requesting said second packet node to communicate IP packets for the moved mobile station with the base station controller, when said monitoring means detects that the transmission of communication packets has stopped.