Abstract: When uplink signalling radio bearers steal capacity from a user bearer, at least the amount of data waiting for transmission on a TBF established for the user bearer should be informed to the network. This can be done by using separate countdown values for each radio bearer, using a first countdown value for the bearer the TBF was established for and a second countdown value which indicates the total amount of data on stealing bearers, or by calculating a common countdown value indicating the total amount of data on all bearers using the TBF.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of handing over user equipment from a source cell to a target cell in a cellular communications network. The cellular communications system comprises a plurality of control units. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message indicating if the operation of the radio link control protocol is to be continued or reset when changing cell, resetting the operation of the radio link control protocol if the message indicates that the current radio link control protocol is to be reset, or continuing the operation of said radio link control protocol if the message indicates that the radio link control protocol is to be continued.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are described for increasing the flexibility of uplink resource allocation for a mobile station (MS) (100), that is backwards compatible with earlier standards that provide only a single data flow per MS. The method includes steps of (A) associating an allocated uplink resource (an Uplink State Flag (USF)) with one or more Temporary Block Flows (TBFs) for a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), and not with a MS per se (although a given USF is associated with only a single MS); and (B) using a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) for identifying a TBF, where a TFI may be unique to a PDCH and, if not, is unique with respect to the MS on a PDCH (and hence with respect to the USF). The result is that the MS is enabled to send any of its TBFs on allocated resources of the same PDCH. An uplink resource may be allocated to the MS dynamically using the Uplink State Flag (USF) or by using a fixed allocation. A total of n Radio Bearers are associated with a single TBF, where n?1.

Abstract: A packet-switched handover from a first cell to a second cell in a cellular network is discussed. Packet-switched services are provided for a mobile station in the first cell based on a set of information relating to provision of packet-switched services and a protocol for handling provision of packet-switched services for mobile stations, said protocol being a protocol between a cell and a respective control network element. In a control network element relating to the first cell a first message is received, which indicates a request for a packet-switched handover for a mobile station. In response to said first message, a second message is sent to the second cell. This second message requests creation of a set of information relating to provision of packet-switched services for the mobile station in the second cell, and the second message belongs to said protocol for handling provision of packet-switched services for mobile stations.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method and an arrangement for transferring information in a packet radio service. The invention further concerns the technology of transferring control information relating to packet data transfer resources on individual packet-switched radio connections at the interface between a transmitting device and a receiving device. It s an objective of this invention to provide a method and a system that offers solutions to the prior art problems. Especially, it is an object of this invention to provide a solution for signalling, which enables the use of more than one connection (TBF) and time slot for packet data transfer in one data transfer direction, and the use of asymmetric resources for uplink/downlink data transfer. The objectives of the invention are fulfilled by providing a procedure, in which the one and same uplink control channel is used for transferring uplink control information, which relates to at least two downlink TBFs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for indicating requirements for broadcast and multicast service reception. A basic method comprises a step of transmitting a message indicating the requirements over the air interface to terminals within the service range. An alternative method comprises a step of informing the terminal's capabilities to the system which deduces on the basis of informed data whether the terminal is capable of joining the service or not. A wireless system comprising a network element and at least one wireless terminal operable in the system is presented. The wireless terminal is capable of receiving the broadcast message indicating the requirements and sending a capability notification. The network element is capable of receiving the notification and sending the message indicating the requirements. Service requirements and corresponding terminal capabilities are divided into a number of capability classes which can be announced instead of explicit data.

Abstract: A method as described by which an application executing in an application layer of a multi-layer communication protocol forming part of a general packet radio service (GPRS) session can signal for the setup and release of Temporary Block Flow (TBF) which will not be released during application execution in silent (inactive) periods. When applications such as voice, telnet or web browsing have specific traffic type data that have inactive periods between active periods are to be carried over GPRS, the session consists of multiple active periods. Current TBF release procedures lead to multiple TBF setups during such sessions. With the method described, a special type of TBF can be set up with special procedures for release of this TBF which greatly minimizes the need for multiple TBF setups during a session containing data transfers with inactive periods between active data transmissions.

Abstract: A method for routing MBMS (Multicast/Broadcast Multimedia Service) service data from a first network entity to a second network entity is presented. Accordingly, a system comprising a Gb interface between a first and a second network entity arranged to route MBMS service data over the Gb interface is presented. A device for routing data over the Gb interface is presented. The routing is enabled by defining a PFI (Packet Flow Identifier) and by creating a corresponding PFC (Packet Flow Context) for said MBMS service.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method and an arrangement for transferring information in a packet radio service. Especially the invention applies to transferring delay sensitive data, such as speech and video data, in a mobile cellular telecommunications system. It is an object of this invention to provide a solution, in which the physical connection of a packet radio service is kept reserved also during the passive periods of a session but the same physical resource can still be shared between multiple users. In the present solution after the end of an active period of data transmission a predetermined time period is waited until the connection is released. The length of the time period is informed to the mobile station by the network on a dedicated or on a broadcast channel. The length of the time period is preferably made dependent on the required quality of service value of the connection and on the momentary communication activity in the network or cell.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are described for increasing the flexibility of uplink resource allocation for a mobile station (MS) (100), that is backwards compatible with earlier standards that provide only a single data flow per MS. The method includes steps of (A) associating an allocated uplink resource (an Uplink State Flag (USF)) with one or more Temporary Block Flows (TBFs) for a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), and not with a MS per se (although a given USF is associated with only a single MS); and (B) using a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) for identifying a TBF, where a TFI may be unique to a PDCH and, if not, is unique with respect to the MS on a PDCH (and hence with respect to the USF). The result is that the MS is enabled to send any of its TBFs on allocated resources of the same PDCH. An uplink resource may be allocated to the MS dynamically using the Uplink State Flag (USF) or by using a fixed allocation. A total of n Radio Bearers are associated with a single TBF, where n≧1.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of handing over user equipment from a source cell to a target cell in a cellular communications network. The cellular communications system comprises a plurality of control units. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message indicating if the operation of the radio link control protocol is to be continued or reset when changing cell, resetting the operation of the radio link control protocol if the message indicates that the current radio link control protocol is to be reset, or continuing the operation of said radio link control protocol if the message indicates that the radio link control protocol is to be continued.

Abstract: A method provides a first network element (22) or a user equipment of a radio access system with a current value of at least one parameter (TS) during a change of access of the user equipment (20) from another network element (21) of a radio access system to the first network element (22). The parameter is required for creating headers for packets in which data of user equipment is transmitted. In order to guarantee continuous parameter values without jumps, the current parameter values (TS) are transmitted from the other network element (21), which knows the current parameter value, to the first network element (22) or to the user equipment, and that in addition, the network element (22) or the user equipment are synchronized to the other network element (21). The network element (22) or the user equipment then corrects the received parameter value (TS) based on the synchronization.

Abstract: A modified unacknowledge mode of a telecommunications system interface is defined by providing for a special signaling indication by way of a selected packet, signaling sequence, message, or the like, from a transmitting side to a receiving side that a given message, packet, cell, signaling sequence, or the like is to be treated specially, despite the unacknowledge mode being used, by acknowledging receipt thereof at the receiving side back to the transmitting side. In this way, certain important messages can be acknowledged, while less important messages can be sent without acknowledgement. This reduces the need for wasteful use of capacity for applications in which some of the messages are more important than others to be received correctly.

Abstract: When uplink signalling radio bearers steal capacity from a user bearer, at least the amount of data waiting for trans-mission on a TBF established for the user bearer should be informed to the network. This can be done by using separate countdown values for each radio bearer, using a first countdown value for the bearer the TBF was established for and a second countdown value which indicates the total amount of data on stealing bearers, or by calculating a common countdown valule indicating the total amount of data on all bearers using the TBF.

Abstract: A communications system comprising a first station capable of communication with a second station over a wireless channel, data being carried over the wireless channel in superframes, each superframe comprising a plurality of frames and each frame comprising a plurality of timeslots; the system having: a first mode of operation in which a full rate data channel for circuit switched communications is defined by the allocation to that data channel of corresponding time slots in each frame; a second mode of operation in which two half rate data channels for circuit switched communications are defined by the allocation to each of those data channels of an equal number of corresponding time slots of frames in each superframe; and a third mode of operation in which four quarter rate data channels for circuit switched communications are defined by the allocation to each of those data channels of an equal number of corresponding time slots of frames in each superframe.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method and an arrangement for transferring information in a packet radio service. Especially the invention applies to transferring delay sensitive data, such as speech and video data, in a mobile telecommunications system. It is an object of this invention to provide a solution, in which the physical connection of a packet radio service is kept reserved also during the passive periods of a session but the same physical resource can still be shared between multiple users. A basic idea of the invention is that the network is informed at the end of an active period, on whether a passive period follows the active period or if the connection can be released. When an active period starts after a passive period, the connection preferably reserves the packet data channel again, and possible other users of the channel are assigned to other channels.

Abstract: A method for transferring a data packet from a compressor to a decompressor said data packet including a header with header data fields. A number of the header data fields that remain constant during the data transfer are stored in the decompressor. In a compressed data packet, a header data field that varies is replaced by a compressed value identifying a data packet in a compression sequence. In the decompressor context data comprising information for relating the received compressed value to a corresponding compression sequence is maintained and the information is updated according to the received compressed values. The compressed value and the information of the corresponding compression sequence are used for mapping the compressed value into a decompressed header data field. Thus compressed data is unambiguously mapped to a full packet data header field in the decompressor side throughout the session.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are described for increasing the flexibility of uplink resource allocation for a mobile station (MS) (100), that is backwards compatible with earlier standards that provide only a single data flow per MS. The method includes steps of (A) associating an allocated uplink resource (an Uplink State Flag (USF)) with one or more Temporary Block Flows (TBFs) for a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), and not with a MS per se (although a given USF is associated with only a single MS); and (B) using a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) for identifying a TBF, where a TFI may be unique to a PDCH and, if not, is unique with respect to the MS on a PDCH (and hence with respect to the USF). The result is that the MS is enabled to send any of its TBFs on allocated resources of the same PDCH. An uplink resource may be allocated to the MS dynamically using the Uplink State Flag (USF) or by using a fixed allocation. A total of n Radio Bearers are associated with a single TBF, where n≧1.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for providing parameter values required at different locations of a cellular communications system for packet header creation, to cellular communications systems and to their components. In order to enable a supply of continuous values for said parameters after a change of access of a user equipment from one network element to another, it is proposed that the parameter is either continuously stored and/or generated in the user equipment throughout a connection or transmitted from a first network element to the user equipment when the access of the user equipment is changed from the first to a second network element. On the other hand, it is proposed that the user equipment transmits said parameter to a network element to which it changes or that the network element to which the user equipment was connected transmits said parameter to the network element to which the user equipment changes.

Abstract: A GPRS system comprises a plurality of mobile terminals and a GPRS network. In order to obtain uplink radio resources, the mobile terminals send channel requests to the network and receive control blocks in return. The control blocks contain a number of fields, one of which, the uplink state flag field, contains the sending permissions. In order to extend the numbering space of the uplink state flag field, unused bits present in another field are used.