Method for determining target, network element, and system for determining target

• US 10,555,161 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2018
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• 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, Yanping, Zhu, Fenqin, Shi, Shufeng, Zhi, Yuliang
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US16/165,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20190053033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 455433, 455426, 455436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0077 of access information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, a network element, and a system for determining a target RAT. The method includes: receiving, by an access network element, access control information of a UE that is sent by a mobility management network element, where the access control information includes an identity of a PLMN and a radio access technology RAT allowed and/or a RAT not allowed by the PLMN; and determining, by the access network element, a target RAT for the UE according to the access control information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an access network element from a mobility management network element, access control information of a user equipment (UE), wherein the access control information comprises;

a list of public land mobile networks (PLMNs); and

information indicating a radio access type (RAT) allowed or not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs; and

determining, by the access network element, a target RAT for the UE and a target PLMN for the UE according to the access control information, wherein the target RAT is allowed for the UE to access in the target PLMN, wherein determining the target RAT and the target PLMN comprises determining, by the access network element, the target RAT and the target PLMN to avoid migration of the UE to an RAT not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN currently serving the UE.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN allowing access by the UE.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

migrating, by the access network element, the UE to the target RAT.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access control information is transferred in a handover restriction list.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the apparatus to;

control the transceiver to receive, from a mobility management network element, access control information of a user equipment (UE), wherein the access control information comprises;

a list of public land mobile networks (PLMNs); and

information indicating a radio access type (RAT) allowed or not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs; and

determine a target RAT for the UE and a target PLMN for the UE according to the access control information to avoid migration of the UE to an RAT not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs, wherein the target RAT is allowed for the UE to access in the target PLMN.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN currently serving the UE.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN allowing access of the UE.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the apparatus to migrate the UE to the target RAT.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the access control information is transferred in a handover restriction list.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus is an access network element.

12. A communication system, comprising:

an access network element and a mobility management network element, wherein

the mobility management network element, configured to send access control information of a user equipment (UE), wherein the access control information comprises;

a list of public land mobile networks (PLMNs); and

information indicating a radio access type (RAT) allowed or not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs; and

the access network element, configured to receive the access control information, and determine a target RAT for the UE and a target PLMN for the UE according to the access control information, wherein the target RAT is allowed for the UE to access in the target PLMN, wherein, in determining the target RAT and the target PLMN, the access network element is configured to determine the target RAT and the target PLMN to avoid migration of the UE to an RAT not allowed for the UE to access in a PLMN in the list of PLMNs.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN currently serving the UE.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the list of PLMNs comprises a PLMN allowing access of the UE.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the access network element is further configured to migrate the UE to the target RAT.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the access control information is transferred in a handover restriction list.