Method and apparatus for non-access stratum message processing during handover in evolved network

• US 10,075,880 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hongzhuo, Qiu, Yong, Huang, Ying, Wang, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chandrahas B
• Application Number:
  US14/968,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0079 in case of hand-off failure or rejection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for non-access stratum (NAS) message processing during handover in an evolved network are provided. The method includes the following steps. An evolved packet core (EPC) receives a message which indicates that a UE is being handed over sent by a source evolved NodeB (S-eNB), and stops sending an NAS message to the UE temporarily. The EPC receives a message which indicates that the UE returns to an S-eNB service area sent by the S-eNB. The EPC sends the NAS message to the UE through the S-eNB, if needed. With the method and the apparatus, the EPC can acquire a location of the UE in time in the case of a handover failure of the UE, a time limit of a retransmission timer is set precisely, and a specific implementation for forwarding an NAS message through an X2 interface is provided.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising:

sending, by a mobility management device, a first message to a base station, the first message including a non-access stratum (NAS) message to be sent to a user equipment;

sending, by the base station, a second message to the mobility management device, the second message indicating that the user equipment is being handed over;

buffering, by the mobility management device, the NAS message; and

sending, by the mobility management device, the NAS message to the UE according to a result of handover of the user equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second message including cause information and the NAS message, the cause information indicating the NAS message is not delivered by the base station to a user equipment because of a handover.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base station is a source base station in the handover.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

sending, by the base station, a third message to the mobility management device, the third message indicating that the handover is failed and the user equipment is in a service area of the base station;

wherein sending, by the mobility management device, the NAS message to the UE according to a result of handover of the user equipment, comprises;

sending, by the mobility management device, the NAS message to the base station; and

sending, by the base station, the NAS message to the user equipment.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobility management device, a handover complete message from a target base station;

wherein sending, by the mobility management device, the NAS message to the UE according to a result of handover the user equipment, comprises;

sending, by the mobility management device, the NAS message to the target base station; and

sending, by the target base station, the NAS message to the user equipment.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first message is a direct-transfer message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second message is a direct transfer failure message.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second message is a direct transfer response message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base station is an evolved Node B (eNodeB), the mobility management device is a mobility management entity.

10. A communication system, comprising:

a mobility management device, configured to send a first message to a base station, the first message including a non-access stratum (NAS) message to be sent to a user equipment;

the base station is configured to send a second message to the mobility management device, the second message indicating that the user equipment is being handed over; and

the mobility management device is further configured to buffer the NAS message, and send the NAS message to the user equipment according to a result of handover of the user equipment.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second message including cause information and the NAS message, the cause information indicating the NAS message is not delivered by the base station to a user equipment because of a handover.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the base station is a source base station in the handover.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the base station is further configured to send a third message to the mobility management device, the third message indicating that the handover is failed and the user equipment is in a service area of the base station;

wherein the mobility management device is further configured to send the NAS message to the base station;

the base station is further configured to send the NAS message to the user equipment.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the mobility management device is further configured to receive a handover complete message from a target base station, and send the NAS message to the target base station;

and

the target base station is configured to send the NAS message to the user equipment.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first message is a direct-transfer message.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second message is a direct transfer failure message.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second message is a direct transfer response message.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the base station is an evolved Node B (eNodeB), the mobility management device is a mobility management entity.