Providing RNC internet protocol address to circuit switched domain

• US 20040203640A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Israelsson, Martin, Molander, Anders, Aberg, Fredrik
• Application Number:
  US10/141,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Upon receipt of a request message from a core network (CN) relating to a procedure for a radio access bearer, a radio network controller node (26) of a radio access network (RAN) sends to a core network a first message (4-2) which includes, e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the radio network controller node. Subsequently the radio network controller node sends to the core network a second message (4-4) which indicates an outcome of the procedure. In one example implementation, the procedure for the radio access bearer is one of a RAB establish procedure and a RAB modify procedure. The RAB establish procedure can be initiated by an RAB Assignment Request message and is particularly useful for a RAB Assignment Request message which specifies a support mode. In this example implementation, both the first message and the second message are separate transmissions of a RAB Assignment Response message. Both transmissions of the RAB Assignment Response message preferably have a same format, but with a first transmission of the RAB Assignment Response message including, e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) address (and, optionally, UDP port) of the radio network controller node.

Claims

1. A method of operating a radio network controller node comprising:

upon receipt of a request message relating to a procedure for a radio access bearer, sending from the radio network controller node a first message which includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the radio network controller node;

sending from the radio network controller node a second message which indicates an outcome of the procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure is one of a RAB establish procedure and a RAB modify procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein a user plane mode information element in the RAB Assignment Request message specifies a support mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein the procedure is a RAB modify procedure for a RAB already using a user plane support mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first message and the second message are RAB Assignment Response messages having a same format.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the first message and the second message to a core network node.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the first message and the second message to a core network node which issued the request message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first message confirms that the radio access bearer is being queued.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further includes a UDP port number of the radio network controller node.

14. A method of operating a radio network controller node comprising:

upon receipt of a request message relating to a procedure for a radio access bearer, queuing the radio access bearer as part of the procedure;

sending from the radio network controller node a first message which includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the radio network controller node; and

then

at least attempting to initialize a user plane; and

then

sending from the radio network controller node a second message which indicates an outcome of the procedure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the procedure is one of a RAB establish procedure and a RAB modify procedure.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein a user plane mode information element in the RAB Assignment Request message specifies a support mode.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein the procedure is a RAB modify procedure for a RAB already using a user plane support mode.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein both the first message and the second message are RAB Assignment Response messages having a same format.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending the first message and the second message to a core network node.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending the first message and the second message to a core network node which issued the request message.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first message which includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer confirms that the radio access bearer is being queued.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message further includes a UDP port number of the radio network controller node.

26. A radio network controller node having a unit which performs a procedure for a radio access bearer, and wherein in conjunction with receipt of a request message relating to the procedure, the node sends a first message which includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the radio network controller node and a second message which indicates an outcome of the procedure.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the procedure is one of a RAB establish procedure and a RAB modify procedure.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein a user plane mode information element in the RAB Assignment Request message specifies a support mode.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein the procedure is a RAB modify procedure for a RAB already using a user plane support mode.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the second message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein both the first message and the second message are RAB Assignment Response messages having a same format.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first message and the second message are sent to a core network node.

35. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first message and the second message are sent to a core network node which issued the request message.

36. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first message further includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first message which includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer confirms that the radio access bearer is being queued.

38. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first message further includes a UDP port number of the radio network controller node.

39. A radio network controller node having a unit which performs a procedure for a radio access bearer, and wherein in conjunction with receipt of a request message relating to the procedure, the node performs the steps of:

queuing the radio access bearer as part of the procedure;

sending from the radio network controller node a first message which includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the radio network controller node; and

then

at least attempting to initialize a user plane; and

then

sending from the radio network controller node a second message which indicates an outcome of the procedure.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the procedure is one of a RAB establish procedure and a RAB modify procedure.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein a user plane mode information element in the RAB Assignment Request message specifies a support mode.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the request message is a RAB Assignment Request message, and wherein the procedure is a RAB modify procedure for a RAB already using a user plane support mode.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the first message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

45. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the second message is a RAB Assignment Response message.

46. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein both the first message and the second message are RAB Assignment Response messages having a same format.

47. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the first message and the second message are sent to a core network node.

48. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the first message and the second message are sent to a core network node which issued the request message.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the first message which includes information regarding the queuing of the radio access bearer confirms that the radio access bearer is being queued

50. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the first message further includes a UDP port number of the radio network controller node.