Method and apparatus for selecting core network in mobile communication system

• US 10,609,636 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Sangsoo, Park, Jonghan, Choi, Yong-seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US15/985,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for selecting a core network in a mobile communication system are disclosed. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, a method and apparatus are provided for selecting a core network which is appropriate to the type of user'"'"'s subscribed service in a mobile communication system, without the need for re-routing.

Claims

1. A terminal device for selecting a core network in a mobile communication system, the terminal device comprising:

a service information acquisition unit configured to acquire, when a location registration of the terminal device is successful, a service information of a service to which a user subscribed for a specific type of service from a node of a dedicated core network dedicated to a specific service, and to store the service information;

a service information determining unit configured to determine whether the stored service information is valid; and

a service information transmission unit configured to transmit, when the stored service information is determined to be valid, the stored service information to a base station apparatus.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the service information comprises:

at least one of a service type information applicable to the terminal device, a valid timer indicating a time during which the service type information is valid, and a Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN) identification information.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the service information determining unit is configured to determine at least one of:

whether a previously accessed dedicated core network and a new dedicated core network to be accessed have a same PLMN identification information,

whether or not a valid timer included in the service information expires, or

whether the terminal device performs the location registration in a new area rather than an existing area where a previous registration occurred.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the service information includes a dedicated core network identifier.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device determines whether the service information is valid and transmits the service information to the base station apparatus, when registration to a new location is required.

6. A terminal device for selecting a core network in a mobile communication system, the terminal device comprising:

a support service information acquisition unit configured to acquire, in response to a location registration of the terminal device, a support service information which is information on a service supported by a dedicated core network, from a base station apparatus,

a service support/nonsupport confirmation unit configured to compare the support service information with a prestored service information and to confirm whether or not the dedicated core network supports a service to which a user subscribed, and

a service information transmission unit configured to transmit the prestored service information to the base station apparatus when the service support/nonsupport confirmation unit confirms that the dedicated core network supports the service to which the user subscribed.

7. The terminal device of claim 6, wherein the prestored service information is

either acquired from an existing dedicated core network node that underwent a previous location registration or a separate server,

or pre-configured in the terminal device.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the separate server configures a service information suitable for the terminal device by using at least one of an identification information or an attribute information of the terminal device.

9. The terminal device of claim 6, wherein the service information comprises:

one or more of a service type information applicable to the terminal device, a valid timer indicating a time during which the service type information is valid, a priority order information, and a Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN) identification information.

10. The terminal device of claim 6, wherein the service support/nonsupport confirmation unit is configured to compare the support service information with the prestored service information based on a priority order information included in the service information.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the service information transmission unit configured to

select a highest priority service information among pieces of the prestored service information that match the support service information, based on the comparison by the service support/nonsupport confirmation unit, and

transmit the highest priority service information to the base station apparatus.

12. The terminal device of claim 10, configured to select a cell other than a cell of the base station apparatus, when the comparison by the service support/nonsupport confirmation unit indicates that a highest priority service information among pieces of the prestored service information does not match the support service information, in order to select another dedicated core network that supports the highest priority service information.