Mobile communications network, infrastructure equipment, mobile communications terminal and method
First Claim
1. A mobile communications network for communicating data to/from one or more communications devices, the network comprising:
- one or more base stations that provide a wireless access interface to the one or more communications devices;
the one or more communications devices that communicate packets with the one or more base stations via the wireless access interface; and
one or more mobility management entities that send and receive signalling packets between the one or more base stations and a destination;
wherein;
the one or more mobility management entities, upon reception of a signalling packet, from a communications device of the one or more communications devices, and comprising user data intended for the destination, detect that the signalling packet is not associated with any established signalling connection between the one or more mobility management entities and the communication device,the one or more mobility management entities, upon reception of the signalling packet from the communications device, determine whether or not to maintain or discard a temporary mobility management entity context for transmitting the user data to the destination by comparing a number of a plurality of packets, including the signalling packet, that have been exchanged with the communications device to a predetermined threshold number of packets, the temporary mobility management entity context being set up responsive to the reception of the signalling packet by the one or more mobility management entities, andthe one or more mobility management entities, responsive to said detection, transmit the user data comprised in the signalling packet to the destination.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile communications network communicating data to/from communications devices, the network including base stations operable to provide a wireless access interface to communications devices; communications devices operable to communicate packets with the base stations via the wireless access interface; packet gateways operable to transmit user data packets received via the base stations from/to the communications devices; and mobility managers operable to send/receive signalling packets for controlling user data communications between communications devices and packet gateways. The mobility managers can, upon receiving a signalling packet from a communications device and including user data intended for a destination, detect the packet is not associated with any established signalling connection between the mobility managers and the communication device. The mobility managers can, responsive to the detection, transmit the user data in the signalling packet to the destination. Accordingly a short message may be sent in a reduced context or context-less manner.
13 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A mobile communications network for communicating data to/from one or more communications devices, the network comprising:
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one or more base stations that provide a wireless access interface to the one or more communications devices; the one or more communications devices that communicate packets with the one or more base stations via the wireless access interface; and one or more mobility management entities that send and receive signalling packets between the one or more base stations and a destination; wherein; the one or more mobility management entities, upon reception of a signalling packet, from a communications device of the one or more communications devices, and comprising user data intended for the destination, detect that the signalling packet is not associated with any established signalling connection between the one or more mobility management entities and the communication device, the one or more mobility management entities, upon reception of the signalling packet from the communications device, determine whether or not to maintain or discard a temporary mobility management entity context for transmitting the user data to the destination by comparing a number of a plurality of packets, including the signalling packet, that have been exchanged with the communications device to a predetermined threshold number of packets, the temporary mobility management entity context being set up responsive to the reception of the signalling packet by the one or more mobility management entities, and the one or more mobility management entities, responsive to said detection, transmit the user data comprised in the signalling packet to the destination.
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2. A method of communicating data to/from one or more communications devices in a mobile communications network, the mobile communications network comprising one or more base stations to provide a wireless access interface to the one or more communications devices;
- the one or more communications devices to communicate packets with the one or more base stations via the wireless access interface; and
one or more mobility management entities to send and receive signalling packets for controlling user data communications between the one or more base stations and a destination, the method comprising;upon reception of a signalling packet, from a communications device of the one or more communications devices, and comprising user data intended for the destination, detecting, by the one or more mobility management entities, that the signalling packet is not associated with any established signalling connection between the one or more mobility management entities and the communication device; upon reception of the signalling packet from the communications device, determining, by the one or more mobility management entities, whether or not to maintain or discard a temporary mobility management entity context for transmitting the user data to the destination by comparing a number of a plurality of packets, including the signalling packet, that have been exchanged with the communications device to a predetermined threshold number of packets, the temporary mobility management entity context being set up responsive to the reception of the signalling packet by the one or more mobility management entities; and responsive to said detecting, transmitting, by the one or more mobility management entities, the user data comprised in the signalling packet to the destination. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- the one or more communications devices to communicate packets with the one or more base stations via the wireless access interface; and
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15. A mobility management entity for use in a mobile communications network communicating data to/from one or more communications devices, the network including one or more base stations for communicating with one or more communications terminals via a wireless access interface, the mobility management entity comprising:
circuitry configured to send and receive signalling packets for controlling user data communications between the one or more communications devices and a destination; upon reception of a signalling packet, from a communications device of the one or more communications devices, and comprising user data intended for the destination, detect that the signalling packet is not associated with any established signalling connection between the mobility management entity and the communication device; upon reception of the signalling packet from the communications device, determine whether or not to maintain or discard a temporary mobility management entity context for transmitting the user data to the destination by comparing a number of a plurality of packets, including the signalling packet, that have been exchanged with the communications device to a predetermined threshold number of packets, the temporary mobility management entity context being set up responsive to the reception of the signalling packet by the one or more mobility management entities; and responsive to said detection, transmit the user data comprised in the signalling packet to the destination. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
Specification