SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING UE-BASED NETWORK PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS

• US 20110319115A1
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Rácz, András
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/514
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing UE-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network. An eNB may receive a trace activation message from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, or a Network Management Entity, wherein the trace activation message includes eNB-specific, and optionally MME-specific, selection conditions for selecting a UE for a trace session. The eNB selects a UE for tracing when the eNB-specific selection conditions are satisfied, and may send the MME-specific selection conditions to the MME for evaluation. When all selection conditions are satisfied, the eNB activates the trace session with the selected UE. The Trace Activation IE utilized in the Trace Start message, the UE Context Setup Request message, and the Handover Request message is extended with additional IEs in order to implement the method.

Claims

1. A method of managing User Equipment, UE,-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an eNodeB, eNB, a trace activation message from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, wherein the trace activation message includes eNB-specific selection conditions for selecting a UE for a trace session;

evaluating by the eNB, the eNB-specific selection conditions; and

initiating the trace session by the eNB toward a selected UE when the eNB-specific selection conditions are satisfied.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the eNodeB selection conditions are a list of cells or device capabilities.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the eNB, measurement reports from the selected UE; and

sending the measurement reports in a trace record from the eNB to a Trace Collection Entity, TCE.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the receiving step, the steps of:

configuring the MME with trace control and configuration parameters including MME-specific selection conditions;

the MME pre-selecting the UE for a trace session based on the MME-specific selection conditions; and

sending the trace activation message from the MME to the eNB.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the receiving step, the steps of:

previously activating an immediate trace session for the UE and storing a UE context in the MME that includes an immediate trace configuration;

subsequently entering idle state by the UE;

re-entering connected state by the UE; and

initiating by the MME, reactivation of the immediate trace session in accordance with the stored UE context in response to the reactivation of the UE.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the receiving step, the steps of:

evaluating by the MME, portions of the eNB-specific selection conditions for which the MME has information;

pre-selecting a UE for a trace session when the UE meets the evaluated portions of the eNB-specific selection conditions; and

sending the trace activation message to the eNB for the pre-selected UE.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein when the MME knows a particular eNB where the UE is located and the cell-specific UE selection condition does not include any of the cells from the particular eNB, the MME does not initiate the trace session.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein when the trace activation message indicates a pre-selected UE, the eNB evaluates the eNB-specific part of the UE selection conditions and initiates the trace session toward the UE when the eNB-specific part of the UE selection conditions is satisfied.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

when a handover of the UE is required, sending the eNB-specific selection conditions from the eNB to a target eNB;

evaluating by the target eNB, the eNB-specific selection conditions; and

continuing the immediate MDT trace measurement collection in the target cell when the eNB-specific selection conditions are satisfied; and

deactivating the immediate MDT trace measurement collection in the target cell when the eNB-specific selection conditions are not satisfied.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of deactivating the trace measurement collection includes sending an RRC measurement reconfiguration message from the target eNB to the UE and stopping the trace recording session in the eNB.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising deactivating the trace session, wherein for an immediate trace session, the eNB deactivates corresponding performance measurements in any UEs that have been configured for immediate trace as part of the given trace session.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, for a logged trace session, the steps of:

storing logged performance measurements by the UE when a logging duration expires; and

indicating by the UE to the network, that logged performance measurements are available when the UE reenters connected mode.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the eNB activates a trace session for a given UE when the selection conditions are satisfied for the UE, no trace recording sessions of the same kind are ongoing for the UE, and a trace session has been previously activated for the UE.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the eNB configuring the corresponding performance measurements at the UE.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trace activation message includes a Trace Activation information element, IE, which describes the eNB-specific selection conditions for the trace session.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the trace session is an immediate Minimization of Drive Test, MDT, trace session and the UE is in connected mode, the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving by the eNB, a trace session deactivation from the MME;

deactivating by the eNB, corresponding MDT Radio Resource Control measurements in the UE; and

discarding a corresponding trace session context by the eNB.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the trace session is an immediate Minimization of Drive Test, MDT, trace session, the UE is in idle mode, and the trace session is to be deactivated, the method further comprises silently discarding a corresponding trace session context by the MME.

18. A method of managing User Equipment, UE,-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an eNodeB, eNB, trace control and configuration parameters from a network management entity, wherein the parameters include both eNB-specific selection conditions and Mobility Management Entity, MME, specific selection conditions;

pre-selecting by the eNB, UEs for tracing based on the eNB-specific selection conditions;

sending a trace request message from the eNB to an MME notifying the MME that a given one of the UEs has been pre-selected by the eNB for tracing, the trace request message including the MME-specific selection conditions;

evaluating by the MME, the MME-specific selection conditions;

sending a trace start message from the MME to the eNB when the MME-specific selection conditions are satisfied; and

initiating the trace by the eNB toward the given UE.

19. A method of managing User Equipment, UE,-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an eNodeB, eNB, trace control and configuration parameters from a network management entity, wherein the parameters include only eNB-specific selection conditions;

selecting by the eNB, UEs for tracing based on the eNB-specific selection conditions; and

initiating a trace by the eNB toward a given one of the selected UEs.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein when the given UE changes cells, the eNB deactivates an immediate Minimization of Drive Test, MDT, trace recording session for the given UE by sending a Radio Resource Control, RRC, measurement reconfiguration message to the given UE.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the eNB, measurement reports from the given UE; and

sending the measurement reports in a trace record from the eNB to a Trace Collection Entity, TCE.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising, for a logged trace session, the steps of:

storing logged performance measurements by the given UE when a logging duration expires; and

indicating by the given UE to the network, that logged performance measurements are available when the given UE reenters connected mode.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving by the eNB, a message from an Element Manager to deactivate a trace session for identified cells; and

deactivating the trace session by the eNB for the cells identified in the message;

wherein when the trace session is an immediate Minimization of Drive Test, MDT, trace session, the eNB deactivates corresponding MDT Radio Resource Control, RRC, measurements in UEs that have been configured for immediate MDT trace as part of the given trace session.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of initiating a trace by the eNB toward a given one of the selected UEs includes:

initiating a trace recording session in the eNB for each selected UE that satisfies the eNB-specific selection conditions, provided that an Element Manager (EM) has previously activated a trace session in the eNB for the given cell(s); and

configuring by the eNB, corresponding Radio Resource Control, RRC, measurements at the selected UEs.

25. An apparatus in an eNodeB, eNB, for managing User Equipment, UE,-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network, the apparatus comprising:

an input mechanism configured to receive a trace activation message from a Mobility Management Entity, MME, or a Network Management Entity, NME, wherein the trace activation message includes eNB-specific selection conditions for selecting a UE for a trace session;

a processing unit having an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the eNB-specific selection conditions, and a UE selection unit configured to select a UE based on a result from the evaluation unit; and

an output mechanism for initiating the trace session toward the selected UE when the eNB-specific selection conditions are satisfied.

26. An apparatus in a Mobility Management Entity, MME, for managing User Equipment, UE,-based network performance measurements utilizing a process of tracing a UE in a radio telecommunication network, the apparatus comprising:

an input mechanism configured to receive a trace activation message from a Network Management Entity, NME, wherein the trace activation message includes both MME-specific selection conditions and eNB-specific selection conditions for selecting a UE for a trace session;

a processing unit having an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the MME-specific selection conditions, and a UE selection unit configured to select a UE based on a result from the evaluation unit; and

an output mechanism for sending a trace start command to a source eNB, wherein the trace start command includes an identity of a selected UE and the eNB-specific selection conditions.