MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, QoS CONTROL STATION AND MOBILE STATION

Abstract

A first access network in which a bearer transfer path that guarantees a predetermined QoS has been established and a second access network in which a transfer path which is different from that in the first access network has been established are provided, and PCRF 60 transmits to a mobile station an uplink traffic switching request including information of a flow of which the access system type is switched, out of flows in which a UE 10 performs communication, and information of an access system type to be a switching destination of the flow, and the UE 10, upon receiving the uplink traffic switching request, switches a transfer path of the flow included in the uplink traffic switching request to that of the access system type. This makes it possible to provide a mobile communication system or the like in which a transmission path of a flow established by a mobile station capable of being simultaneously connected to a plurality of radio access networks is able to be switched without making alterations to all the radio access networks, with initiative taken by a control station installed in a core network.

1 . A mobile communication system provided with a first access network in which a bearer transfer path that guarantees a predetermined QoS has been established and a second access network in which a transfer path which is different from that in the first access network has been established, comprising:
 a control station;   a mobile station in which a path is set to perform a plurality of flows of communication with the control station via a transfer path designated by an access system type; and   a QoS control station which controls a QoS,   wherein   the QoS control station has an uplink traffic switching request transmitting section for transmitting to the mobile station an uplink traffic switching request including:
 information of a flow of which the access system type is switched, out of flows in which the mobile station performs communication; and 
   information of an access system type to be a switching destination of the flow, and the mobile station has an uplink transfer path switching section for switching a transfer path of the flow included in the uplink traffic switching request to that of the access system type upon receiving the uplink traffic switching request.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the mobile station further includes a notifying section for notifying the control station that the transfer path of the flow is switched to the transfer path of the access system type by the uplink transfer path switching section, and
 the control station further includes the downlink transfer path switching section for switching a transfer path from the control station to the mobile station to the transfer path of the access system type when the control station is notified by the notifying section that the mobile station has switched the transfer path of the flow to the transfer path of the access system type. 
   
     
     
         3 . A QoS control station constituting a mobile communication system provided with a first access network in which a bearer transfer path that guarantees a predetermined QoS has been established and a second access network in which a transfer path which is different from that in the first access network has been established, comprising:
 a control station;   a mobile station in which a path is set to perform a plurality of flows of communication with the control station via a transfer path designated by an access system type; and   a QoS control station which controls a QoS,   wherein   the QoS control station has an uplink traffic switching request transmitting section for transmitting to the mobile station an uplink traffic switching request including   information of a flow of which the access system type is switched, out of flows in which the mobile station performs communication, and   information of an access system type to be a switching destination of the flow.   
     
     
         4 . A mobile station constituting a mobile communication system provided with a first access network in which a bearer transfer path that guarantees a predetermined QoS has been established and a second access network in which a transfer path which is different from that in the first access network has been established, comprising:
 a control station;   a mobile station in which a path is set to perform a plurality of flows of communication with the control station via a transfer path designated by an access system type; and   a QoS control station which controls a QoS,   wherein   the mobile station has an uplink traffic switching request receiving section for receiving, from the QoS control station, an uplink traffic switching request including information of a flow of which the access system type is switched, and information of an access system type to be a switching destination of the flow, and   an uplink transfer path switching means-section for switching a transfer path of the flow included in the uplink traffic switching request to that of the access system type upon receiving the uplink traffic switching request.