HANDOVER CONTROL METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM

• US 20120094674A1
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wu, Wenfu
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A handover control method is disclosed, including: obtaining an access mode and a closed subscriber group (CSG) identifier (ID) of a target area; deciding whether to allow an UE to be handed over to the target area according to the access mode and/or whether the CSG ID of the target area is included in the allowed CSG list of the UE. The handover control method can ensure the handover of the UE to the target area that the UE is allowed to access, therefore ensuring service continuity of the UE. A handover control apparatus and a handover control system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A handover control method, comprising:

obtaining an access mode and a closed subscriber group (CSG) identifier (ID) of a target area; and

if the access mode of the target area is a Hybrid Access Mode, allowing the UE to be handed over to the target area;

or

if the access mode of the target area is a Closed Access Mode, determining whether the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in an allowed CSG list of the UE;

if the CSG ID of the target area is not comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, allowing the UE to be handed over to the target area;

or

if the CSG ID of the target area is not comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, determining the access mode of the target area;

if the access mode of the target area is a Hybrid Access Mode, allowing the UE to be handed over to the target area;

or

if the allowed CSG list of the UE does not exist, determining the access mode of the target area;

if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode, allowing the UE to be handed over to the target area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is a source access network element (NE), and obtaining, by the source access NE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the source access NE, a measurement report reported by the UE, wherein the measurement report carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is a core management network element (NE), and obtaining, by the core management NE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the core management NE, a Path Switch Request message sent by a target access NE, wherein the Path Switch Request message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is a source core management network element (NE), and obtaining, by the source core management NE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the source core management NE, a Handover Required message sent by a source access NE, wherein the Handover Required message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is a target core management network element (NE), and obtaining, by the target core NE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the target core management NE, a Handover Request Ack message sent by a target access NE, wherein the Handover Request Ack message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area;

or

receiving, by the target core management NE, a Forward Relocation Request message sent by a source core management NE, wherein the Forward Relocation Request message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is a target access network element (NE), and obtaining, by the target access NE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the target access NE, a Handover Request message sent by a source access NE, wherein the Handover Request message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area;

or

receiving, by the target access NE, a Handover Request message sent by a target core management NE, wherein the Handover Request message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an entity that obtains the access mode and CSG ID of the target area is the UE, and obtaining, by the UE, the access mode and CSG ID of the target area comprises:

receiving, by the UE, a Handover Command message sent by a source access NE, wherein the Handover Command message carries the access mode and CSG ID of the target area.

8. The method according to claim 1, after the step of allowing the UE to be handed over to the target area if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode, further comprising:

knowing whether the user of the UE is a CSG member in the target area.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

if the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, knowing that the UE is a CSG member;

or

if the CSG ID of the target area is not comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, or if no allowed CSG list of the UE exists, knowing that the UE is a non-CSG member.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting information about whether the UE is a CSG member to a target access network element (NE).

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting information about whether the UE is a CSG member to a target access network element (NE).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein an entity that allows the UE to hand over to the target area is a source access NE, and transmitting, by the source access NE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the source access NE, a Handover Request message to the target access NE, wherein the Handover Request message carries the information about whether the UE is a CSG member;

or

sending, by the source access NE, a Handover Required message to a source core management NE;

sending, by the source core management NE, a Forward Relocation Request message to a target core management NE; and

sending, by the target core management NE, a Handover Request message to the target access NE, wherein the Handover Required message, the Forward Relocation Request message, and the Handover Request message all carry the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein an entity that allows the UE to be handed over to the target area is a core management NE, and transmitting, by the core management NE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the core management NE, a Path Switch Request Ack message to the target access NE, wherein the Path Switch Request Ack message carries the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein an entity that allows the UE to be handed over to the target area is a source core management NE, and transmitting, by the source core management NE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the source core management NE, a Forward Relocation Request message to a target core management NE; and

sending, by the target core management NE, a Handover Request message to the target access NE, wherein the Forward Relocation Request message and the Handover Request message all carry the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein an entity that allows the UE to be handed over to the target area is a source core management NE, and transmitting, by the source core management NE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the source core management NE, a Forward Relocation Request message to a target core management NE; and

sending, by the target core management NE, a Handover Request message to the target access NE, wherein the Forward Relocation Request message and the Handover Request message all carry the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein an entity that allows the UE to be handed over to the target area is a target core management NE, and transmitting, by the target core management NE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the target core management NE, a Handover Request message to the target access NE, wherein the Handover Request message carries the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein an entity that allows the UE to be handed over to the target area is the UE, and transmitting, by the UE, the information about whether the UE is a CSG member to the target access NE comprises:

sending, by the UE, a Handover Confirm message to the target access NE, wherein the Handover Confirm message carries the information about whether the UE is a CSG member.

18. A handover control apparatus, comprising:

an obtaining unit, configured to obtain an access mode and a closed subscriber group (CSG) identifier (ID) of a target area; and

a handover control unit, configured to;

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the access mode of the target area is a Hybrid Access Mode;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the access mode of the target area is a Closed Access Mode, determine whether the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in an allowed CSG list of the UE, and if the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the CSG ID of the target area is not comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, determine the access mode of the target area;

if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the allowed CSG list of the UE does not exist, determine the access mode of the target area, and if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the handover control unit further comprises an access allowing module and an access rejecting module.

20. A handover control system, comprising:

an information storing unit; and

a handover control apparatus, wherein the handover control apparatus comprises;

an obtaining unit, configured to obtain an access mode and a closed subscribe group (CSG) identifier (ID) of a target area from the information storing unit; and

a handover control unit, configured to

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the access mode of the target area is a Hybrid Access Mode;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the access mode of the target area is a Closed Access Mode, determine whether the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in an allowed CSG list of the UE, and if the CSG ID of the target area is comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the CSG ID of the target area is not comprised in the allowed CSG list of the UE, determine the access mode of the target area, and if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode;

or

allow the UE to be handed over to the target area, if the allowed CSG list of the UE does not exist, determine the access mode of the target area, and if the access mode of the target area is the Hybrid Access Mode.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the handover control apparatus is built in a source access network element (NE), a target access NE, a core management NE, a source core management NE, or a target core management NE.