NETWORK ACCESSING METHOD

• US 20120284406A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Hai, Zhou, Lei, Zheng, Xufeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,867,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A network accessing method includes selecting a group representative dynamically from each machine to machine (M2M) terminal group, wherein terminals in the M2M terminal group not selected as the group representative serve as group members. The method also includes requesting, by the group representative, network access from a base station, and serving, as a group member automatically after entering an idle state or entering another cell. This enables multiple M2M terminals to access a network at the same time while avoiding network access congestion.

Claims

1. A network accessing method, comprising:

selecting a group representative dynamically from each machine to machine (M2M) terminal group, wherein terminals in the M2M terminal group not selected as the group representative serve as group members; and

requesting, by the group representative, network access from a base station, and serving as a group member automatically after entering an idle state or entering another cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the group representative is performed when the base station is paging the M2M terminal group or when the M2M terminal group is to transmit data to the base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the group representative comprises:

determining, from the M2M terminal group, members participating in the automatic selection;

judging, by each of the members participating in the automatic selection, whether the member itself is the group representative according to a first threshold for representative selection transmitted by the base station; and

determining the member itself is the group representative in response to a judgment that the member itself is the group representative, or determining the member itself is not the group representative in response to a judgment that the member itself is not the group representative.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when no group representative is selected from the M2M terminal group by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station or when the request sent by the group representative which is selected by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station is not successfully received by the base station;

transmitting, by the base station, a second threshold for representative selection to the M2M terminal group; and

re-performing the judging by each of the members participating in the automatic selection whether the member itself is the group representative according to the second threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when no group representative is selected from the M2M terminal group by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station or when the request sent by the group representative which is selected by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station is not successfully received by the base station;

transmitting, by the base station, a second threshold for representative selection to the M2M terminal group;

transmitting, by the base station, a step value to the M2M terminal group; and

re-performing the judging by each of the members participating in the automatic selection whether the member itself is the group representative according to the second threshold and the step value.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise all members of the M2M terminal group.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise members of the M2M terminal group excluding members that were group representatives.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise members that have received an activate message sent by the base station within the M2M terminal group.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise members that have received an activate message sent by the base station and have not served as group representatives within the M2M terminal group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the activate message is sent when the base station determines to update the group representatives.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the activate message is sent when the base station determines to update the group representatives.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before selecting the group representative;

selecting, from the M2M terminal group, members that were group representatives previously;

requesting, by the members which were group representatives, network access from the base station as current group representatives of the M2M terminal group on behalf of the M2M terminal group; and

checking if the request is successfully received by the base station.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein when the request is not successfully received by the base station, the group representative is selected.

14. A machine to machine (M2M) terminal group configured to perform a network accessing method, the M2M terminal group comprising:

a plurality of terminals, each terminal configured to;

select a group representative for the M2M terminal group, wherein terminals in the M2M terminal group not selected as the group representative serve as group members; and

request, when serving as the group representative, network access from a base station, and serve as a group member automatically after entering an idle state or entering another cell.

15. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein each terminal selects the group representative when the base station is paging the M2M terminal group or when the M2M terminal group is to transmit data to the base station.

16. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein to select the group representative, each terminal is configured to:

determine, from the M2M terminal group, members participating in the automatic selection;

judge whether the member itself is the group representative according to a first threshold for representative selection transmitted by the base station; and

determine that the member itself is the group representative in response to a judgment that the member itself is the group representative, or determine that the member itself is not the group representative in response to a judgment that the member itself is not the group representative.

17. The M2M terminal group of claim 16, wherein when no group representative is selected from the M2M terminal group by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station or when the request sent by the group representative which is selected by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station is not successfully received by the base station, each terminal is configured to:

receive, from the base station, a second threshold for representative selection to the M2M terminal group; and

re-perform the judging whether the member itself is the group representative according to the second threshold.

18. The M2M terminal group of claim 16, wherein when no group representative is selected from the M2M terminal group by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station or when the request sent by the group representative which is selected by utilizing the first threshold sent by the base station is not successfully received by the base station, each terminal is configured to:

receive, from the base station, a second threshold for representative selection to the M2M terminal group;

receive, from the base station, a step value to the M2M terminal group; and

re-perform the judging whether the member itself is the group representative according to the second threshold and the step value.

19. The M2M terminal group of claim 16, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise all members of the M2M terminal group.

20. The M2M terminal group of claim 16, wherein the members participating in the automatic selection comprise members of the M2M terminal group excluding members that were group representatives.