Abstract:
A method of managing network operation information in a mobile communication system is disclosed. The method comprises: establishing a database comprising information management tables comprising the network operation information; defining a message format to transmit the network operation information among the nodes; collecting the network operation information for cell areas managed by the nodes, according to a set period; packeting the collected network operation information in the message format using a predetermined general-purpose protocol; transmitting the packeted message to neighboring nodes; and analyzing the transmitted message to update the network operation information in the information management tables of the nodes in the database.

Description:
PRIORITY  
         [0001]    This application claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-68573, filed on Nov. 6, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a method of transmitting, sharing, and managing network operation information in a decentralized processing manner.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 illustrates a network structure of a mobile communication system suggested by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The mobile communication system includes a radio access network (RAN)  11  with a hierarchical structure and a core network (CN)  13 . Each of the RAN  11  and the CN  13  includes network components to offer mobile communication services. The RAN  11  processes radio connection and mobility of mobile terminals, and the CN  13  processes connections to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or the Internet network. The RAN  11  includes radio network controllers (RNCs) to perform a handover control function, an admission control function, etc., and base stations, i.e., nodes B, which radio-communicate with the mobile terminals. The CN  13  conducts a voice communication with the PSTN via a mobile service switching center (MSC), and a packet communication with the Internet network via a Servicing GPRS Support Node (SGSN)/Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN). In other words, in the conventional network structure, the RAN  11  is connected to the mobile terminals via the base stations and the CN  13  is connected to the Internet network or the PSTN.  
           [0006]    In the above-described conventional network structure, the RNCs, the SGSN/GGSN, and the MSC transmit and manage various types of network operation information in a centralized processing method. Such a centralized processing method is easily managed in closed private networks. However, because the centralized processing method requires a complicated network structure, the centralized processing method operates at a large cost and extends in the limited range. In addition, because the centralized processing method cannot be compatible with other types of networks, the centralized processing method is not convenient for roaming.  
           [0007]    In a next generation mobile communication system, a complicated network structure including a RAN, a CN, a PSTN, and the Internet network tends to be simplified. More specifically, an ALL-IP architecture based on an Internet Protocol (IP) packet network has been introduced to unite all networks into one. However, it is ineffective to manage network operation information in the centralized processing method in the simplified network structure or the ALL-IP based network structure.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention provides a method of transmitting, sharing, and managing network operation information in a decentralized processing manner using a general-purpose protocol stack regardless of a network structure of a mobile communication system.  
           [0009]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of managing various network operation information in a mobile communication system including a plurality of nodes connecting wired networks and wireless networks. The method comprises: establishing a database including information management tables including the network operation information; defining a message format to transmit the network operation information among the nodes; collecting the network operation information for cell areas managed by the nodes, according to a set period; packeting the collected network operation information in the message format using a predetermined general-purpose protocol; transmitting the packeted message to neighboring nodes; and analyzing the transmitted message to update the network operation information in the information management tables of the nodes in the database. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional 3GPP network structure;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a network structure for a next generation mobile communication system utilizing a method of managing network operation information, according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing network operation information, according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an information management table stored in a database (DB), according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a type length value (TLV) format, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted for clarity where they are well known in the art.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of a network structure for a mobile communication system utilizing a method of managing network operation information, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a public Internet network  21  includes a plurality of IP routers  22   a  through  22   d , a home agent  24 , and an authorization authentication accounting (AAA) server  25 . A plurality of nodes, that is, radio access points  23   a  through  23   d  are connected to the IP routers  22   a  through  22   d , respectively.  
         [0018]    Before describing each element of the network architecture of FIG. 2, it should be noted that data is transmitted over the public Internet network  21  according to such Internet protocol as, for example, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) specified by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)&#39;s Request for Comments (RFC) 2460.  
         [0019]    The IP routers  22   a  through  22   d  serve as gateways for transmitting data between a sending node and a destination node by using typical Internet addresses and routing protocols. The nodes, that is, RAPs  23   a  through  23   d , can be accessed by mobile terminals in a wireless manner. In addition, the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  are connected to the IP routers  22   a  through  22   d  in a wired manner, connect mobile terminals with the public Internet network  21 , and perform router functions and general radio link functions. The RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  set a signalling path to each other, the home agent  24 , and the AAA server  25  through a typical virtual private network (VPN) service. Accordingly, when any of the mobile terminals requests mobile communication service, each of RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  in the vicinity of which the mobile terminal is located can communicate with adjacent RAPs  23   a  through  23   d , the home agent  24  and the AAA server  25  along a VPN signalling path while guaranteeing security.  
         [0020]    Each of the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  serves as a radio network controller (RNC), a gateway general-packet-radio-service (GPRS) support node (GGSN), and a mobile service switching center (MSC) in the network architecture illustrated in FIG. 1, which is proposed by the third-generation partnership project (3GPP). Accordingly, the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  may use session initiation protocol (SIP) for call setting, telephony routing over IP (TRIP) for telephone services, E.164 telephone numbers, and protocols defined by the IETF&#39;s Telephone Number Mapping (ENUM) working group for corresponding to Domain Name System (DNS).  
         [0021]    Additionally, the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  are required to reserve resources on a network for guaranteeing different qualities of service depending on the types of communications, such as voice communications, videophone services, or data communications. The reservation of resources is performed by using either resource reservation protocol (RSVP), Differentiated Services (DiffServ), or by using both. RSVP is a protocol that enables resources to be reserved along a predetermined path, and DiffServ is an architecture that transmits data according to their priority. If a mobile terminal moves from the vicinity of an RAP to the vicinity of another RAP, a micromobility protocol operates and quickly performs a handover and also resource reservation changes only in areas, which have undergone a change in the setup of the path. Thereafter, a binding update message, generated by the RAP ( 23   a  through  23   d ) in the vicinity of which the mobile terminal is located, is transmitted to the home agent  24  via a corresponding IP router ( 22   a  through  22   d ).  
         [0022]    The home agent  24  controls all the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  in the public Internet network  21 , which is a wired network, and performs a variety of functions, such as initial registration of mobile terminals, IP routing and root optimization, management of the address and migration information of the mobile terminal, tunnelling, and inverse tunnelling. Preferably, the home agent  24  supports virtual private network services of the mobile terminal.  
         [0023]    In order to manage and support migration of the mobile terminal, in particular, the home agent  24  receives location information of the mobile terminal contained in the binding update message delivered from the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  when the mobile terminal leaves its home network and then attempts to access a network outside the home network. Thereafter, the home agent  24  stores the received location information of the mobile terminal in a database. The home agent  24  stores a home IP address of each of the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  as location information of the mobile terminal in the form of a table and, if necessary, transmits data received from the mobile terminal to the RAP  23   a  through  23   d  through tunnelling and encapsulation. In other words, if a mobile terminal sends data to its home network with only knowledge of a home IP address of the destination mobile terminal, the home agent  24  analyzes the data, extracts location information of the destination mobile terminal from the database based on a result of the analysis, and transmits the data to a network where the destination mobile terminal belongs using the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d . The home agent  24  may use IETF&#39;s mobility IP protocol as a macromobility protocol and Cellular IP or HAWAII as a micromobility protocol. In addition, the home agent  24  may use a content transfer protocol for transmitting current connection information and a handoff candidate discovery protocol for a handover.  
         [0024]    The AAA server  25  serves as a subscriber server from a mobile IP&#39;s point of view and performs authorization of subscribers who attempt to access the public Internet network  21  from mobile terminals, authentication of the subscribers&#39; rights to use the public Internet network  21 , and charging the subscribers for access to the public Internet network  21 . The AAA server  25  stores AAA information of each mobile terminal. For these functions, the AAA server  25  may use a protocol, such as Remote Authentication Dial in User Service (RADIUS), Diameter, or Common Open Policy Service (COPS). Like the home agent  24 , the AAA server  25  preferably supports VPN services of mobile terminals.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing network operation information, according to an embodiment of the present invention. This method is applicable to all kinds of network structures including nodes offering communications with wired or wireless networks such as the Internet network, for example, the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  as well as a network structure illustrated in FIG. 2.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 3, in step  31 , each of the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  establishes a DB to store an information management table as illustrated in FIG. 4. The information management table includes RAP address information  41 , RAP cell type information  42 , location information  43 , traffic load information  44 , time stamp information  45 , and other types of information. The information management table may further include PHY parameter information, service type information, security feature information, etc. The RAP cell type information  42  indicates whether the mobile communication system includes hierarchical cells or different cells with their own features. The location information  43  indicates location information of neighboring RAPs, which can be obtained using a global positioning system or the like. The traffic load information  44  indicates resources assigned to cells currently managed by current RAPs and available extra resources. The time stamp information  45  indicates the time required for generating a message including network operation information and enables an RAP receiving the message to determine from a calculation of a transmission delay value or a time to live (TTL) value among the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  whether the network operation information is discarded. The PHY parameter information may include information on types of modulation methods supported by the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d . The service type information indicates types of services that the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  offer to users. The security feature information indicates security-related information necessary among the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  or between the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  and the mobile terminals.  
         [0027]    In step  32 , a message format is defined to transmit the network operation information among the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d . As illustrated in FIG. 5, information may be arranged in a type length value (TLV) format widely used by IEFT. In the TLV format, 1 octet may be used for data type, 2 octets for data length, and variable octets for actual data. When such a TLV format is used, the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  can effectively receive and transmit only useful information with one another.  
         [0028]    In step  33 , the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  collect various types of information to operate networks for their managed cells, according to a set period. The network operation information may include the RAP cell type information  42 , the location information  43 , the traffic load information  44 , the time stamp information  45 , the PHY parameter information, the service type information, the security feature information, etc.  
         [0029]    In step  34 , the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  packet the network operation information in the message format using a general-purpose protocol stack such as an IP to generate one piece of packet data. In step  35 , the RAPs  23   a  through  23   d  transmit the packet data to neighboring RAPs located within a predetermined range. The packet data may be transmitted using a broadcast method, a multicast method, or Inter Access Point Protocol (IAPP), which is under development within IEEE 802.11f. The range of the transmission of the packet data may be set using the TTL value. In other words, when one RAP starts transmitting a message to neighboring RAPs, the TTL value is set to a hop number or an elapsed time. The neighboring RAPs then receive the message to collect information and checks whether the TTL value exceeds a threshold before transmitting the message to other RAPs. If the TTL value exceeds the threshold, the neighboring RAPs discard the message.  
         [0030]    In step  36 , each RAP analyzes the message received from another RAP and then stores information on neighboring RAPs in respective RAP addresses in the DB to update the network operation information. As a result of the message analysis, a signal delay time or a hop number is obtained. Here, the signal delay time refers to transmission delay which is expected when signaling is performed between a transmitter RAP and a receiver RAP via a wire network. The signal delay time can be calculated from the time stamp information  45  and the actual time required for receiving a message from an RAP. Also, the hop number refers to a distance from a network between the transmitter RAP and the receiver RAP to a hop. The distance can be checked by indicating a number of hops whenever the packet data is transmitted to neighboring RAPs.  
         [0031]    Due to the above-described steps, each RAP can periodically update its information management table. Thus, a mobile communication system can rapidly and appropriately process an admission control function, a handover control function, a resource management function, an AAA function, a quality of service (QoS) function, and the like between mobile terminals and RANs without exchanging information with additional devices.  
         [0032]    As described above, according to the present invention, nodes can exchange in advance various types of control information with one another to operate networks. Thus, information management tables of the nodes can be periodically updated to rapidly process an admission control function, a handover control function, a resource management function, an AAA function, a QoS function, and so forth. Also, because it is not necessary to use various types of devices needed in a centralized management method, the costs for constituting a mobile communication system can be considerably reduced. In addition, the nodes can share various kinds of information in a decentralized management method to operate networks. Thus, the networks can extend and the poor performance of the mobile communication system caused a load of traffic in a specific device can be prevented. Further, because the network operation information can be transmitted using a general-purpose protocol stack, the mobile communication system can operate together with other systems.  
         [0033]    While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.