Method, system and apparatus for paging access terminals

Abstract

A method for paging access terminals. The method includes: a network entity sends a paging message to a target AN. The paging message carries the information required for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message. The information includes the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state. Upon receipt of the paging message, the target AN determines when to send the paging message to the AT according to the information carried in the paging message. The present embodiments also disclose a system and apparatus for paging access terminals. The apparatus is a network entity that sends the paging message. The method, system and apparatus can be used to determine the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message, thus ensuring that the AT paging is not missed.

Description

T₂₃=T₁₂+Period2−[(T₁₂+256×R)mod Period2]+Period2×[24×(WakeCount2+1)−1]  (1)

Different forms of formulas regarding T₁₂ and T₂₃ are available in different systems. The Tc in formula 1 indicates the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

C. The target AN compares the system time with the calculated T₁₂ and T₂₃, and then determines the period values that the system adopts in different time scopes according to formula 2.

$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{Period}=\{\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{Period}1,\mathrm{System}\mathrm{time}<T_{12}\\ \mathrm{Period}2,T_{12}\le \mathrm{System}\mathrm{time}<T_{23}\\ \mathrm{Period}3,\mathrm{Other}\mathrm{system}\mathrm{time}\end{array}& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

D. The determined period value, R, and offset values of the attribute parameters in each sector that are obtained in the overhead message broadcasted by the system are put into formula 3 to calculate the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message.
(T+256*R)mod Period=Offset   (3)

T indicates the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message. R indicates the number of features that are used to identify the AT. In some radio systems, the offset value in each sector is equal to 0. Period indicates the period that the AT currently uses.

Step 104: The target AN sends the paging message to the AT at the calculated time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message.

In the preceding embodiment, the network entity sends the paging message to the target AN through the current serving AN of the AT. In fact, the network entity may directly send the paging message to the target AN without using the serving AN of the AT.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for paging access terminals. The system includes an AT, at least a target AN and a network entity that sends a paging message, as shown in FIG. 2.

The network entity that sends the paging message is adapted to send the paging message to the target AN. The paging message carries the information required for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message. The information includes the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

The target AN is adapted to receive the paging message from the network entity that sends the paging message. It uses the information carried in the received paging message to calculate the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message. It also sends the received paging message to the AT that requires paging at the calculated time.

The AT is adapted to receive the paging message sent from the target AN.

In this system, the network entity that sends the paging message includes a time storage unit and a paging message sending unit.

The time storage unit is adapted to store the absolute time Tc that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

The paging message sending unit is adapted to carry the absolute time Tc that is stored in the time storage unit with other information used for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message within the paging message, and sends the paging message to the target AN.

The system further includes the serving AN of the AT in the connected state.

The AT is further adapted to send a Connection Close message to the serving AN after the AT is disconnected and before the AT enters the idle state. The serving AN determines the absolute time Tc according to the time carried in the Connection Close message from the AT, and also sends the Tc to the time storage unit.

Alternatively, when the serving AN of the AT determines that the AT is disconnected exceptionally and enters the idle state, the serving AN monitors the state of the radio link with the AT and determines the time when the AT enters the idle state. It then determines the Tc according to the preceding time, and sends the Tc to the time storage unit.

The serving AN of the AT may also send the determined time when the AT enters the idle state to the time storage unit. When sending a paging message, the paging message sending unit determines the absolute time Tc according to the time that is determined according to the time when the AT enters the idle state. It carries the Tc in the paging message with other information used for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message, and sends the paging message to the target AN.

The system may further include the serving AN of the AT. The network entity may send the paging message to the target AN through the current serving AN.

The current serving AN of the AT may be the same as or different from the previously serving AN of the AT in the connected state.

In this system, the network entity that sends the paging message may be the anchor AN of the AT or other special paging controllers.

As seen from the preceding embodiments, by carrying in the paging message sent to the target AN the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state, the embodiments enable the target AN to calculate the time when the AT wakes to monitor the paging message in any scenario according to the information carried in the paging message. In this way, the embodiments can ensure that the target AN does not miss paging the AT.

Although the invention has been described through several exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is intended to cover the modifications and variations provided that they fall in the scope of protection defined by the following claims or their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for paging access terminals, comprising:

receiving, by a target access network, AN, a first paging message from a network entity, wherein the first paging message carries information required for calculating the time when an access terminal, AT, wakes to monitor the a second paging message, and the information includes an absolute time determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state; and

determining, by the target AN, the time to send the second paging message to the AT according to the information carried in the first paging message.

2. The method of claim 1, before receiving the first paging message from the network entity, further comprising:

sending, by a current serving AN of the AT, the absolute time to the network entity, when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

3. The method of claim 1, before receiving the first paging message from the network entity, further comprising:

monitoring, by a current serving AN of the AT, the state of the radio link between the current serving AN and the AT when the AT is disconnected exceptionally, previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state;

determining, by the current serving AN, a time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state;

determining, by the current serving AN, the absolute time according to the time;

sending, by the current serving AN, the absolute time to the network entity.

4. The method of any one of claim 1, wherein the network entity is an anchor AN of the AT or a special paging controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute time is equal to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute time is determined by converting the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state with a preset algorithm.

7. A system for paging access terminals, comprising: at least a target access network, AN, and a network entity, wherein

the network entity is adapted to send a first paging message to the target AN, wherein, the first paging message carries an information required for calculating the time when an access terminal, AT, wakes to monitor the a second paging message, and the information includes an absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state; and

the target AN is adapted to receive the first paging message and use the information carried in the first paging message to calculate the time when the AT wakes to monitor the second paging message and send the second paging message to the AT at the calculated time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the network entity comprises a time storage unit and a paging message sending unit, wherein

the time storage unit is adapted to store the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state; and

the paging message sending unit is adapted to carry the absolute time that is stored in the time storage unit with other information used for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the second paging message within the first paging message and send the first paging message to the target AN.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising: a serving AN of the AT, wherein

the serving AN is adapted to receive the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state sent by the AT, to determine the absolute time according to the received time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state, and to send the absolute time to the time storage unit.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising: a serving AN of the AT, wherein

the serving AN is adapted to monitor the state of the radio link between the serving AN and the AT when the serving AN of the AT determines that the AT is disconnected exceptionally and enters the idle state, to determine the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state, to determine the absolute time according to the time, and to send the absolute time to the time storage unit.

11. A An apparatus for paging access terminal, comprising: a time storage unit and a paging message sending unit, wherein

the time storage unit is adapted to store the absolute time that is determined according to the time when the AT previously shifts from the connected state to the idle state; and

the paging message sending unit is adapted to carry the absolute time that is stored in the time storage unit with other information used for calculating the time when the AT wakes to monitor the a second paging message within the a first paging message and send the first paging message to the target AN.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is one of an anchor AN of the AT and a special paging controller.