Mobile communication system, node apparatus, and inter-network handover control method

Abstract

A mobile communication system includes at least one mobile terminal that can access a circuit switched network and a wireless broadband network, and a node apparatus. The node apparatus integrates, into one physical node, a first gateway node interconnecting the circuit switched network and an IP network and a second gateway node interconnecting a core network accommodating the wireless broadband network and an external packet data network. When the mobile terminal performs handover from one of the circuit switched network and the wireless broadband network to the other network, one of the first gateway node and the second gateway node, being a handover-destination node, allocates call connection path node identification information managed by the other gateway note being a handover-source node, as new call connection path node identification information of the handover-destination node.

1 . A mobile communication system comprising:
 at least one mobile terminal that can access a circuit switched network and a wireless broadband network; and   a node apparatus integrating, into one physical node, a first gateway node interconnecting said circuit switched network and an IP network and a second gateway node interconnecting a core network accommodating said wireless broadband network and an external packet data network through said IP network,   wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from one of said circuit switched network and said wireless broadband network, being a handover-source network, to the other network being a handover-destination network, one of said first gateway node and said second gateway node, being a handover-destination gateway node, allocates call connection path node identification information managed by the other gateway note being a handover-source gateway node, as new call connection path node identification information of said handover-destination gateway node.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said wireless broadband network to said circuit switched network, said first gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network, which is the information managed by said second gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said circuit switched network. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said circuit switched network to said wireless broadband network, said second gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network, which is the information managed by said first gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said wireless broadband network. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network is an IP address of said first gateway node. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network is an IP address of said mobile terminal. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first gateway node comprises a media gateway node that performs conversion between data of said circuit switched network and data of said IP network when transferring user information, and a media gateway control function node that performs protocol conversion between a session initiation protocol and an ISDN user part when transferring control information. 
     
     
         7 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein said circuit switched network is a circuit switched network having a third generation mobile communication network. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein said circuit switched network is a circuit switched network having a second generation mobile communication network. 
     
     
         13 . A node apparatus provided in a mobile communication system comprising at least one mobile terminal that can access a circuit switched network and a wireless broadband network,
 wherein said node apparatus integrates, into one physical node, a first gateway node interconnecting said circuit switched network and an IP network and a second gateway node interconnecting a core network accommodating said wireless broadband network and an external packet data network through said IP network, and   when said mobile terminal performs handover from one of said circuit switched network and said wireless broadband network, being a handover-source network, to the other network being a handover-destination network, one of said first gateway node and said second gateway node, being a handover-destination gateway node, allocates call connection path node identification information managed by the other gateway note being a handover-source gateway node, as new call connection path node identification information of said handover-destination gateway node.   
     
     
         14 . The node apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said wireless broadband network to said circuit switched network, said first gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network, which is the information managed by said second gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said circuit switched network. 
     
     
         15 . The node apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said circuit switched network to said wireless broadband network, said second gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network, which is the information managed by said first gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said wireless broadband network. 
     
     
         16 . The node apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network is an IP address of said first gateway node. 
     
     
         17 . The node apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network is an IP address of said mobile terminal. 
     
     
         18 . The node apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said first gateway node comprises a media gateway node that performs conversion between data of said circuit switched network and data of said IP network when transferring user information, and a media gateway control function node that performs protocol conversion between a session initiation protocol and an ISDN user part when transferring control information. 
     
     
         19 . An inter-network handover control method in a mobile communication system comprising at least one mobile terminal that can access a circuit switched network and a wireless broadband network, said method comprising:
 integrating, into one physical node, a first gateway node interconnecting said circuit switched network and an IP network and a second gateway node interconnecting a core network accommodating said wireless broadband network and an external packet data network through said IP network,   wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from one of said circuit switched network and said wireless broadband network, being a handover-source network, to the other network being a handover-destination network, one of said first gateway node and said second gateway node, being a handover-destination gateway node, allocates call connection path node identification information managed by the other gateway note being a handover-source gateway node, as new call connection path node identification information of said handover-destination gateway node.   
     
     
         20 . The inter-network handover control method according to  claim 19 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said wireless broadband network to said circuit switched network, said first gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network, which is the information managed by said second gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said circuit switched network. 
     
     
         21 . The inter-network handover control method according to  claim 19 , wherein when said mobile terminal performs handover from said circuit switched network to said wireless broadband network, said second gateway node allocates the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network, which is the information managed by said first gateway node, as the call connection path node identification information of said wireless broadband network. 
     
     
         22 . The inter-network handover control method according to  claim 19 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said circuit switched network is an IP address of said first gateway node. 
     
     
         23 . The inter-network handover control method according to  claim 19 , wherein the call connection path node identification information in said wireless broadband network is an IP address of said mobile terminal.