METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIGNALING RELEASE CAUSE INDICATION IN A UMTS NETWORK

• US 20070270140A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Islam, Muhammad Khaledul, Wirtanen, Jeffery
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for processing signaling release indication cause between user equipment and a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.

Claims

1. A method for processing signaling release indication cause between user equipment and a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;

b. appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication;

c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network;

d. receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and

e. filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cause is an abnormal condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the abnormal condition is the expiry of a timer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of a attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cause is a request by the user equipment to end PS data session and thereby transition to an idle mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering step raises an alarm when said cause is an abnormal condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering step ignores the signaling connection release indication when said cause is an idle transition request by the user equipment.

8. A system adapted for processing signaling release indication cause, the system comprising:

a. user equipment, the user equipment having a radio subsystem including a radio adapted to communicate with a network;

a radio processor having a digital signal processor and adapted to interact with said radio subsystem;

memory;

a user interface;

a processor adapted to run user applications and interact with the memory, the radio and the user interface and adapted to run applications, the user equipment characterized by having means for;

i. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;

ii. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and

iii. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; and

b. a wireless network adapted to communicate with the user equipment and further characterized by means for;

i. receiving the signaling connection release indication; and

ii. filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cause is an abnormal condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the abnormal condition is the expiry of a timer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of a attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cause is a request by the user equipment to end PS data session and transition to an idle mode.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for filtering is adapted to raise an alarm when said cause is an abnormal condition.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for filtering is adapted to ignore the signaling connection release indication when said cause is an idle transition request by the user equipment.

15. A method for processing signaling release indication cause at user equipment for improved alarm tracking at a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;

b. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and

c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to which the cause is appended, thereby to request the signaling connection release that identifies the cause of the signaling connection release indication.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cause is an abnormal condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the abnormal condition is the expiry of a timer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of a attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the cause is a request by the user equipment to end PS data session and transition to an idle mode.

20. A user equipment adapted for providing signaling release indication cause in a network, the user equipment having a radio subsystem including a radio adapted to communicate with the network;

a radio processor having a digital signal processor and adapted to interact with said radio subsystem;

memory;

a user interface;

a processor adapted to run user applications and interact with the memory, the radio and the user interface and adapted to run applications, the user equipment characterized by having means for;

a. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;

b. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and

c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication that includes the cause, thereby to identify the cause of the signaling connection release indication along with the signaling connection release indication.

21. Apparatus for user equipment to facilitate release of signaling connection, said apparatus comprising:

a. a checker configured to check whether a signaling connection release indication connection should be sent; and

b. a signaling connection release indication sender configured to send a signaling connection release indication responsive to indication by said checker that the signaling connection release indication should be sent, the signaling connection release indication including a signaling release indication including a signaling release indication cause field.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said checker is further configured to check whether, subsequent to sending of the signaling connection release indication and prior to confirmation of delivery of the signaling connection release indication, signaling connection of the user equipment is needed.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said signaling connection release indication sender is further configured to retransmit the signaling connection release indication.

24. Network apparatus for operating upon a signaling connection release indication, said network apparatus comprising:

a. an examiner configured to examine a signaling release indication cause field of the signaling connection release indication to check whether the signaling release indication cause field indicates an abnormal condition; and

b. an alarm generator configured selectably to generate an alarm if examination by said examiner determines the signaling release indication cause field indicates the abnormal condition.

25. The network apparatus of claim 24 wherein the network apparatus includes logical layers, wherein said examiner is embodied at a first of the logical layers, said examiner further configured to request, to a second of the logical layers, signaling connection release.