AVOIDING EXCESSIVE SIGNALING DURING WIRELESS TERMINAL TOGGLING

• US 20110105153A1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Miklós, György, Mildh, Gunnar, Gustafsson, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A core network node (40) maintains history information configured to provide a log (L) of location information, and uses the history information to determine whether a wireless terminal (30) is in a location update toggling scenario. The history information can also be used to curtail the toggling scenario. One example mode comprises using the history information to determine whether the wireless terminal is toggling between plural radio access networks of differing radio access technologies. Another example mode comprises using the history information to determine whether the wireless terminal is toggling between a first area update location and a second area update location. Yet another example mode comprises using the history information to determine whether the wireless terminal is toggling between a first core network node and a second core network node.

Claims

1. A method of operating a core network node of a communications system, the method characterized by:

maintaining, in the core network node, history information configured to provide a log (L) of location information for a wireless terminal;

using the history information to detect whether the wireless terminal (30) is in a location update toggling scenario.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the history information serves as a log (L) of sites visited by a wireless terminal, and wherein maintaining the history information comprises configuring the history information to comprise an integer N number of records, each record comprising plural fields, and wherein record j includes a site identifier field and a time field, the site field indicating a site involved in area update j and wherein the time field is configured to facilitate a determination of an amount of time the wireless terminal has spent in the site identified for the record j.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising including in the record j an location area field which identifies an area update identifier utilized by the wireless terminal in the site of the record j.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising including in the record j a UE node field which identifies a core network node involved in the area update of the record j.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the toggling scenario comprises a toggling between a first radio access technology network and a second radio access technology network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the toggling scenario comprises the wireless terminal transitioning through more than a threshold number of networks of differing radio access technologies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the toggling scenario comprises the wireless terminal toggling between a first location area and a second location area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the toggling scenario comprises the wireless terminal toggling between a first core network node and a second core network node (10).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the history information to curtail the toggling scenario.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising curtailing the toggling scenario comprises reconfiguring a parameter utilized by the wireless terminal in selecting a site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reconfiguring the parameter comprises:

sending the reconfigured parameter to a radio access network (RAN) node;

the radio access network (RAN) node then providing the parameter to the wireless terminal when the wireless terminal transitions from connected mode to idle mode.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein reconfiguring the parameter comprises signaling a priority list of radio access technologies to the wireless terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising temporarily reconfiguring the parameter utilized by the wireless terminal in selecting a radio access technology;

and then returning the parameter to an original value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein returning the parameter to the original value comprises returning the parameter to the original value upon expiration of a network node timer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein returning the parameter to the original value comprises returning the parameter to the original value upon expiration of a timer maintained by the wireless terminal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein returning the parameter to the original value comprises returning the parameter to the original value when the wireless terminal has moved away from areas involved in the toggling scenario.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein returning the parameter to the original value comprises returning the parameter to the original value when the wireless terminal enters connected mode.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising curtailing the toggling by paging the wireless terminal and bringing the wireless terminal-W) to a connected mode.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising curtailing the toggling by rejecting an area update attempt by the wireless terminal.

20. A node of a communications network which is characterized as being configured to use history information to determine whether a wireless terminal is in a location update toggling scenario.

21. The node of claim 20, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the history information comprising a log (L) of area updates requested for the wireless terminal;

a detector configured to use the history information to determine whether the wireless terminal is in the toggling scenario.

22. The node of claim 20, wherein the node comprises at least one of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN).

23. The node of claim 20, further comprising a memory configured to store the history information, the history information comprising a log (L) of area updates requested for the wireless terminal, and wherein the memory is configured to maintain the history information in a UE context for the wireless terminal.

24. The node of claim 20, wherein the history information serves as a log (L) of sites visited by a wireless terminal, and wherein the history information comprises an integer N number of records, each record comprising plural fields, and wherein record j includes a site identifier field and a time field, the site identifier field indicating a site involved in area update j and wherein the time field is configured to facilitate a determination of an amount of time the wireless terminal has spent in the site identified for the record j.

25. The node of claim 20, wherein the node is configured to use the history information to determine whether the toggle scenario involves the wireless terminal toggling between a first radio access technology network and a second radio access technology network.

26. The node of claim 20, wherein the node is configured to use the history information to determine whether the toggle scenario involves the wireless terminal transitioning through more than a threshold number of networks of differing radio access technologies.

27. The node of claim 20, wherein the node is configured to use the history information to determine whether the toggle scenario involves the wireless terminal toggling between a first area update location and a second area update location.

28. The node of claim 20, wherein the node is configured to use the history information to determine whether the toggle scenario involves the wireless terminal toggling between a first core network node and a second core network node.

29. The node of claim 20, further comprising a toggle arrester configured to use the history information to curtail the toggling scenario.

30. The node of claim 29, wherein the toggle arrester is configured to curtail the toggling scenario by:

reconfiguring a parameter utilized by the wireless terminal in selecting a radio access technology;

sending the reconfigured parameter to the radio access network (RAN) node;

the radio access network (RAN) node then providing the parameter to the wireless terminal when the wireless terminal transitions from connected mode to idle mode.

31. The node of claim 29, wherein the toggle arrester is configured to curtail the toggling scenario by signaling a priority list of radio access technologies to the wireless terminal.

32. The node of claim 20, further comprising a toggle arrester configured to curtail the toggling scenario by temporarily reconfiguring a parameter utilized by the wireless terminal in selecting a radio access technology.

33. The node of claim 20, further comprising a toggle arrester configured to curtail the toggling by paging the wireless terminal and bringing the wireless terminal to a connected mode.

34. The node of claim 20, further comprising a toggle arrester configured to curtail the toggling by rejecting an area update attempt by the wireless terminal.