Patent ID: 8116280
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for managing communications in a radiocommunication system comprising at least one core network including a plurality of nodes and a radio access network including a plurality of radio network controllers, at least some of the radio network controllers being connected to a respective set of core network nodes, wherein a first group of core network nodes are arranged for transmitting a change request from a source radio network controller to a target radio network controller, relating to a communication in progress, to a core network node selected, according to predetermined criteria, from a set of core network nodes to which the target radio network controller is connected, the method comprising the following steps, relating to a communication in progress with a first radio network controller and a first core network node, for which a change from the first radio network controller to a second radio network controller is requested: transmitting a radio network controller change request from the first core network node to a determined second core network node of the first group of core network nodes, wherein the first core network node is not part of the first group; and forwarding the radio network controller change request from the second core network node to a third core network node selected, according to predetermined criteria, from a set of core network nodes to which the second radio network controller is connected, wherein the first core network node is not aware of the loading characteristics of the third core network node, and wherein the predetermined criteria achieves a load balancing in the set of core network nodes to which the second radio network controller is connected.