METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USER EQUIPMENT INTERACTION WITH A NETWORK USING INTERACTION INFORMATION

• US 20080280620A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bishop, Craig, Chin, Chen Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A method of operating a communications network and mobile user equipment (UE) in the network includes providing the UE with an algorithm usable with at least one input parameter to derive a quantity of interaction information according to the at least one input parameter, transmitting at least one said input parameter from the network to the UE, using the algorithm with the received at least one input parameter to derive a quantity of interaction information according to the received at least one parameter, and using the derived quantity of interaction information to determine at least one aspect of interaction between the UE and the network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications network and mobile user equipment (UE) in said network, the UE interacting with the network in accordance with interaction information, the method comprising:

providing the UE with an algorithm usable with at least one input parameter to derive a quantity of interaction information according to the at least one input parameter;

transmitting at least one said input parameter from the network to the UE;

determining a quantity of interaction information using the algorithm with the received at least one input parameter; and

determining at least one aspect of interaction between the UE and the network using the derived quantity of interaction information.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitted at least one said input parameter includes an input parameter indicative of at least one of a size, shape, or location of an area or portion of the network.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information includes an indication of whether a particular location, area or region is within said area or portion of the network.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said particular location, area or region is a location, area, or region in which the UE is currently located.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information includes a list of tracking area (TA) codes of TAs defining the area or portion of the network.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information further includes an indication of whether a particular TA is within the defined area or portion.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said particular TA is a TA in which the UE is currently located.

8. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the step of using the derived quantity of interaction information further includes sending a message from the UE to the network if the UE is not within said area or portion of the network.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said area or portion of the network is an area or portion in which the UE is registered as located, and the step of sending a message from the UE further includes sending a message to update the registered location of the UE with the network.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitted at least one input parameter includes an input parameter indicative of a range of TA identity codes.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information further includes a list of the TA identity codes in said range.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information further includes an indication of whether a particular TA identity code is within said range.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said particular TA identity code is an identity code of a TA in which the UE is currently located.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitted at least one input parameter comprises an input parameter indicative of a range of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, each IP address corresponding to a respective eNB of the network.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information includes a list of the IP addresses in said range.

16. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the derived quantity of interaction information includes an indication of whether a particular IP address is within said range.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein said particular IP address is an IP address of an E-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (eNB) with which the UE is currently interacting.

18. A method of operating a cellular communications network and mobile user equipment (UE) in said network, the cellular network including a plurality of tracking areas (TAs), the method comprising:

registering the UE with the network for operation within a registration area defined by a plurality of TAs;

transmitting from the network to the UE a first list identifying a plurality of said TAs defining the registration area,

wherein transmitting said first list includes transmitting a signalling interface (S1) message including said first list to an E-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (eNB), and transmitting from the eNB to the UE a plurality of data packets including said first list.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said S1 interface message is an S1-application part (AP) signal or an S1 Direct transfer message.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising adjusting a size of the first list to fit inside the S1 interface message.

21. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the transmitted S1 interface message includes additional data.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising adjusting a size of the first list to fit inside the S1 interface message with the additional data.

23. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting from the network to the UE a second list identifying a further plurality of TAs and a plurality of closed subscriber groups in which the UE is allowed to access the network,

wherein transmitting the second list includes transmitting the second list in a same S1 interface message as the first list, and the plurality of data packets include the second list and the first list.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, further comprising adjusting a size of at least one of the first and second lists such that both the first and second lists fit inside the S1 interface message.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the S1 interface message comprises additional data and the step of adjusting includes adjusting a size of at least one of the first and second lists such that both the first and second lists fit inside the S1 interface message together with the additional data.

26. A method in accordance with claim 24, further comprising adjusting the sizes of the first and second lists, respectively.

27. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the S1 interface message has a maximum length, and the method further comprises truncating the S1 interface message if the first list, together with any second list and any additional data occupies less than the maximum length.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the step of truncating comprises terminating the S1 interface message with an end indicator.

29. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising receiving at the UE the data packets including the list or lists, and processing in the UE the received list or lists.

30. A method in accordance with claim 29, wherein said processing in the UE comprises determining whether a particular TA is a TA identified in one of said lists.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein said processing in the UE comprises:

determining whether a TA in which the UE is currently located is identified in the first list, and if the current TA is not identified in the first list, sending a message from the UE to the network.