Communication apparatus, core network node, system, computer program and methods for rerouting NAS-messages

• US 10,631,356 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ianev, Iskren, Tamura, Toshiyuki, Velev, Genadi, Kunz, Andreas, Maeder, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US15/543,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 370230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A system is described in which a default MME (9A) receives a NAS message (S501, S505) from a mobile device (3D); sends a rerouting request (S509) to a base station (5) serving the mobile device (3D) and includes information identifying a group of dedicated MMEs (9D) to which the NAS message should be rerouted. If none of the dedicated MMEs (9D) is available, then the default MME (9A) receives a message from the base station (5), the message rerouting the NAS message to the default MME (9A), instead of a dedicated MME (9D). The default MME (9A) either proceeds (S515a) to serving the mobile device (3D) or the default MME (9A) rejects (S515b) the NAS message.

Claims

1. A communication method of a communication apparatus in a wireless communication system, the communication method comprising:

receiving, from a communication device, a first message for establishing a communication connection with the communication device;

sending the first message to a first core network node;

receiving, from the first core network node, a second message including information identifying a group of at least one core network node;

selecting the first core network node or a core network node within a default dedicated core network as a second core network node in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group;

sending a third message including the first message to the second core network node, wherein the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted; and

receiving information identifying;

a cause for rejecting the first message from the second core network node, and

back-off time.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the group comprises a dedicated core network of at least one Mobility Management Entity (MME) and/or at least one Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN), the dedicated core network corresponding to a type of the communication device that sends the first message.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a core network node from a set of at least one valid core network node in a case where at least one valid core network node of the group is available.

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

determining whether the at least one valid core network node of the group is available based on information identifying at least one of;

a core network type for the group;

a weight factor for a core network node of the group;

a status of a core network node of the group;

a load for a core network node of the group;

a relative load for a core network node of the group;

an overload of a core network node of the group;

a network failure;

a core network node of the group being out of order; and

that at least one of dedicated core network resources and dedicated core networks is not supported.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second core network node based on at least one of;

i) a mobility management entity group identifier (MMEGI),

ii) a network resource identifier,

iii) a Serving General packet radio service Support Node (SGSN) group identifier, and

iv) a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI).

6. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the third message is an Initial UE message.

7. A communication method of a core network node in a wireless communication system, the communication method comprising:

receiving a first message for establishing a communication connection for a communication device from a communication apparatus of the wireless communication system;

sending, after receiving the first message, to the communication apparatus, a second message including information identifying a group of at least one core network node;

receiving, in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group of at least one core network node, a third message including the first message from the communication apparatus; and

providing the communication apparatus with information identifying;

a back-off timer value, and

a cause for rejecting the third message,

wherein the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising completing a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) procedure upon receiving the third message.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising rejecting the third message.

10. A communication method for a communication device configured to communicate with a communication apparatus, comprising:

sending, to the communication apparatus, a first message for establishing a communication connection to cause the communication apparatus to send the first message to a first core network node, wherein

a third message including the first message is sent to the first core network node or a core network node within a default dedicated core network as a second core network node in a case where no valid core network node is available within a group of at least one core network node, the group being identified by information sent from the first core network node,

the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted, and

the communication apparatus receives information identifying;

a cause for rejecting the first message from the second core network node, and

back-off time.

11. A communication apparatus in a wireless communication system, the communication apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

communicate with at least one communication device, and

receive, from a communication device, a first message for establishing a communication connection;

a transmitter configured to send the first message to a first core network node;

a receiver configured to receive from the first core network node, a second message including information identifying a group of at least one core network node; and

at least one processor configured to process to select the first core network node or a core network node within a default dedicated core network as a second core network node in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group, wherein

the transmitter is further configured to send a third message including the first message to the second core network node,

the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted, and

the transmitter is further configured to receive information identifying;

a cause for rejecting the first message from the second core network node, and

back-off time.

12. A core network node in a wireless communication system, comprising:

at least one processor configured to process to

receive a first message for establishing a communication connection for a communication device from a communication apparatus of the wireless communication system,

send, after receiving the first message, to the communication apparatus, a second message including information identifying a group of at least one core network node,

receive, in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group of at least one core network node, a third message including the first message, from the communication apparatus, and

provide the communication apparatus with information identifying;

a back-off timer value, and

a cause for rejecting the third message,

wherein the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted.

13. A system comprising:

a communication apparatus, and a first core network node, wherein

the communication apparatus includes;

a transceiver configured to;

communicate with at least one communication device, and

receive, from a communication device, a first message for establishing a communication connection;

a transmitter configured to send the first message to the first core network node;

a receiver configured to receive from the first core network node, a second message including information identifying a group of at least one core network node; and

at least one processor configured to process to select the first core network node as a second core network node in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group, wherein

the transmitter is further configured to send a third message including the first message to the second core network node,

the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted, and

the transmitter is further configured to receive information identifying;

a cause for rejecting the first message from the second core network node, and

back-off time; and

the first core network node includes;

at least one processor configured to process to;

receive the first message from the communication apparatus,

send, after receiving the first message, to the communication apparatus, the second message including information identifying the group of at least one core network node,

receive, in a case where no valid core network node is available within the group of at least one core network node, the third message including the first message, from the communication apparatus, and

provide the communication apparatus with information identifying;

a back-off timer value, and

a cause for rejecting the third message.

14. A communication device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to process to;

communicate with a communication apparatus, and

send, to the communication apparatus, a first message for establishing a communication connection to cause the communication apparatus to send the first message to a first core network node,

wherein

a third message including the first message is sent to the first core network node or a core network node within a default dedicated core network as a second core network node in a case where no valid core network node is available within a group of at least one core network node,

the group is identified by information sent from the first core network node,

the third message indicates that the first message shall not be rerouted, and

the communication apparatus receives information identifying;

a cause for rejecting the first message from the second core network node, and

a back-off time.