WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND CONNECTION METHOD BETWEEN USER EQUIPMENT AND A MOBILITY MANAGEMENT ENTITY

• US 20120302230A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Chae Gwon, Cho, Song Yean, Bae, Beom Sik, Lim, Han Na
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and a connection method between user equipment and a mobility management entity and comprises: selecting a mobility management entity and requesting identification information for user equipment by a base station when the user equipment is connected; determining whether to assign identification information by the mobility management entity; and if the identification information is not assigned, selecting another mobility management entity by the mobility management entity, assigning identification information to the user equipment by the other mobility management entity, and performing a connection with the other mobility management entity by the user equipment. According to the present invention, user equipment can be efficiently connected with a mobility management entity in a wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A connection method comprising:

requesting, at a base station when a user equipment is connected, identity information for the user equipment to a mobility management entity;

determining, at the mobility management entity, whether to allocate the identity information to the user equipment;

requesting, when determined not to allocate the identity information, another mobility entity for the identity information;

allocating, at the other mobility entity, the identity information to the user equipment; and

attempting, at the user equipment, connection to the other mobility management entity with the identity information.

2. The connection method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

judging whether the mobility management entity has a function supporting the user equipment;

determining, when the mobility management entity has the function supporting the user equipment, allocation of the identity information; and

determining, when the mobility management entity has no function supporting the user equipment, no allocation of the identity information.

3. The connection method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

judging whether a load of the mobility management entity is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

determining, when the load is greater than the threshold value, not allocation of the identity information; and

determining, when the load is not greater than the threshold value, allocation of the identity information.

4. The connection method of claim 1, wherein allocating comprises:

transmitting, at the other mobility management entity, the identity information to the mobility management entity; and

delivering, at the mobility management entity, the identity information to the user equipment.

5. The connection method of claim 1, further comprising allocating, at the mobility management entity when determined to allocate the identity information, the identity information to the user equipment.

6. The connection method of claim 2, wherein the function is an MTC function.

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

a user equipment having identity information;

a mobility management entity which allocates the identity information to the user equipment, establishes a connection with the user equipment using the identity information, and manages mobility of the user equipment; and

a base station which selects, when the user equipment is connected, the mobility management entity to request for the identity information,

wherein the mobility management entity determines, when the base station request for the identity information, whether to allocate the identity information to the user equipment and requests, when determined not to allocate the identity information, another mobility entity for the identity information.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the mobility management entity judges whether the mobility management entity has a function supporting the user equipment, determining, when the mobility management entity has the function supporting the user equipment, allocation of the identity information and, otherwise, no allocation of the identity information.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the other mobility management entity judges whether a load of the mobility management entity is greater than a predetermined threshold value and determines, when the load is greater than the threshold value, not allocation of the identity information and, otherwise, allocation of the identity information.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the other mobility management entity transmits the identity information to the mobility management entity, and the mobility management entity forwards the identity information to the user equipment.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the mobility management entity allocates, when determined to allocate the identity information, the identity information to the user equipment.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 8, wherein the function is an MTC function.