Mobile communication system, network node, and mobile communication method

• US 10,172,056 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Itsuma, Fujishima, Daisuke, Suzuki, Keisuke, Miao, Zhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US15/021,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

The invention provides a mobile communication system, a network node, and a mobile communication method, which can cause user equipment of a particular type to attach to a dedicated network regardless of whether or not the user equipment supports a low access priority indicator (LAPI). An MME (60) acquires subscriber information on UE (10) from an HSS (70) based on an attachment request from the UE (10) forwarded by an eNB (50), the subscriber information including availability for the UE (10) to use the dedicated network, and sends the eNB (50) a selection instruction to select the dedicated network based on the acquired subscriber information. When the eNB (50) receives the selection instruction from the MME (60), the eNB (50) determines a dedicated MME (60D) constituting the dedicated network, and transmits the attachment request from the UE (10) to the determined dedicated MME (60D).

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a first network node;

a second network node; and

a dedicated network node comprised in a dedicated network, wherein

the first network node includes;

a first processor coupled to a first receiver and a first transmitter, wherein

the first receiver is configured to acquire subscriber information on user equipment from a subscriber server based on an attachment request from the user equipment forwarded by the second network node, the subscriber information including availability for the user equipment to use the dedicated network, and

the first transmitter is configured to send the second network node a selection instruction to select the dedicated network based on the subscriber information acquired by the first receiver,

the second network node includes;

a second processor coupled to a second receiver and a second transmitter, wherein

the second receiver is configured to receive the selection instruction from the first network node, and

the second processor is configured to determine the dedicated network node comprised in the dedicated network based on the selection instruction received by the second receiver, and

the second transmitter is configured to transmit the attachment request from the user equipment to the determined dedicated network node, and

the dedicated network node includes;

a third processor coupled to a third receiver and a third transmitter, wherein

the third processor is configured, when the dedicated network node receives a handover request for the user equipment from the second network node and if the user equipment is permitted to use the dedicated network, to determine a different dedicated network node comprised in the dedicated network and linked with a handover target of the user equipment, and

the third transmitter is configured to forward the handover request to the determined different dedicated network node.

2. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the subscriber information includes a low priority identifier indicating that the user equipment has a lower priority than a priority of other user equipment, and

when the subscriber information includes the low priority identifier, the first processor determines that use of the dedicated network is permitted and the first transmitter transmits the selection instruction to the second network node.

3. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the subscriber information includes a service identifier indicating a type of a service to be used by the user equipment, and

the first transmitter sends the second network node the selection instruction to select the dedicated network linked with the service identifier, based on the service identifier included in the subscriber information.

4. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated network node includes:

the third receiver configured to acquire from the subscriber server change information indicating a change in availability for the user equipment to use the dedicated network; and

the third processor configured to cancel attachment of the user equipment to the dedicated network based on the change information acquired by the third receiver, and the third processor causes the user equipment to execute a new attachment request.

5. A mobile communication method to be implemented by a first network node, a second network node, and a dedicated network node comprised in a dedicated network, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the first network node to acquire subscriber information on user equipment from a subscriber server based on an attachment request from the user equipment forwarded by the second network node, the subscriber information including availability for the user equipment to use the dedicated network;

causing the first network node to send the second network node a selection instruction to select the dedicated network based on the acquired subscriber information;

causing the second network node to receive the selection instruction from the first network node; and

causing the first network node to determine the dedicated network node comprised in the dedicated network based on the received selection instruction, and to transmit an attachment request from the user equipment to the determined dedicated network node,

wherein the dedicated network node, when the dedicated network node receives a handover request for the user equipment from the second network node and if the user equipment is permitted to use the dedicated network, determines a different dedicated network node comprised in the dedicated network and linked with a handover target of the user equipment, and forwards the handover request to the determined different dedicated network node.