METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS OF LOCATION-BASED MACHINE-TO-MACHINE COMMUNICATION

• US 20130070710A1
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: GUO, Xiaolong
• Application Number:
  US13/674,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070710A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information

Abstract

A method, a system and an apparatus of location-based machine-to-machine communication are disclosed. The method includes: a network device receives a first service request sent by an MTC server and intended for obtaining service data of a first service in a first area, where the network device uses a first terminal identifier to trigger first MTC devices that execute the first service in the first area to access a network, and the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and first subscription information; the network device receives the service data of the first service reported by the first MTC devices after the first MTC devices access the network as triggered; and the network device sends the service data to the MTC server. Embodiments of the present invention can save storage space and bearer resources of the network side and reduce network overhead, device overhead and air interface resource consumption.

Claims

1. A location-based machine-to-machine communication method, comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a first service request sent by a machine type communications (MTC) server and intended for obtaining service data of a first service in a first area, wherein the network device uses a first terminal identifier to trigger first MTC devices that execute the first service in the first area to access a network, and the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and first subscription information;

receiving, by the network device, the service data of the first service reported by the first MTC devices after the first MTC devices access the network as triggered;

sending, by the network device, the service data to the MTC server;

or,

receiving, by the network device, an access request sent by the first MTC devices proactively by using the first terminal identifier of the MTC devices, wherein the access request is triggered after the first MTC devices enter the first area, and the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and the first subscription information;

receiving, by the network device, the service data reported by the first MTC devices after the first MTC devices that send the access request proactively access the network; and

sending, by the network device, the service data to the MTC server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

before and/or after the MTC devices access the network as triggered, the method further comprises;

performing, by the first MTC devices, no mobility management process;

or

before and/or after the MTC devices that send the access request proactively access the network, the method further comprises;

performing, by the first MTC devices, no mobility management process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the network device receiving the first service request sent by the MTC server and intended for obtaining the service data of the first service in the first area, and using the first terminal identifier to trigger the MTC devices in the first area to access the network, comprises;

receiving, by the core network device, the first service request sent by the MTC server and intended for obtaining service data of the first service in the first area; and

, according to location information of the first area and the first terminal identifier carried in the service request, sending an access trigger message that carries the first terminal identifier to an eNodeB that covers the first area;

sending, by the eNodeB, the access trigger message to the first MTC devices in the first area so that the first MTC devices access the network, wherein the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and the first subscription information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the first MTC devices accessing the network as triggered or by sending an access request proactively comprises;

adding, by a home subscriber server (HSS), an identifier of a core network device that sends an Update Location Request into a core network device list, and forbidding sending a Cancel Location message to a core network device existent in the core network device list if the HSS receives the Update Location message sent by the core network device in a process of accessing the network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the first MTC devices accessing the network as triggered or by sending an access request proactively comprises;

carrying, by a RRC Connection Request message sent by the first MTC devices to an eNodeB, different user identifiers when the first MTC devices that share the first terminal identifier and the first subscription information in the first area access the network through the same eNodeB simultaneously in a process of accessing the network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the first MTC devices accessing the network as triggered or by sending an access request proactively comprises;

creating, by an eNodeB, different radio access network contexts, different radio bearers, and different Si interface connections for the first MTC devices in a process of accessing the network when the first MTC devices that share the first terminal identifier and the first subscription information in the first area access the network through the same eNodeB.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the first MTC devices accessing the network as triggered or by sending an access request proactively comprises;

sending, by the first MTC devices, a RRC Connection Setup Complete message to an eNodeB in a process of accessing the network;

searching, by the eNodeB, for a core network device identifier mapped to the first terminal identifier according to the first terminal identifier carried in the RRC Connection Setup Complete message as well as a mapping relationship between the first terminal identifier and the core network device identifier; and

, selecting, by the eNodeB, a core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier, wherein the mapping relationship is set in the eNodeB or obtained through network broadcast;

or

selecting, by the eNodeB, the core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier according to the core network device identifier carried in the RRC Connection Setup Complete message; and

selecting, by the eNodeB, the core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of the first MTC devices accessing the network as triggered or by sending an access request proactively comprises;

checking, by an HSS, whether a stored core network device list comprises a core network device that is in a same core network device pool as a core network device corresponding to a requested first subscription information when the core network device lacks a context of a first MTC device and requests the first subscription information of the first MTC device from the HSS in a process of accessing the network;

if so, returning, by the HSS, a stored core network device identifier that is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information;

if not, returning, by the HSS, the first subscription information of the first MTC device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

after the core network device receives the stored core network device identifier returned by the HSS, where the core network device identifier is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information, the method further comprises;

returning, by the core network device, the core network device identifier, which is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information, to the first MTC device, and releasing a connection with the first MTC device; and

, initiating, by the first MTC device, a new connection according to the core network device identifier that is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information;

or,

returning, by the core network device, the core network device identifier, which is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information, to an eNodeB; and

selecting, by the eNodeB, the core network device that is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information according to the core network device identifier that is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information, and initiating a new connection.

20. A computer program product, characterized in, comprising computer program code, which, when executed by a computer unit, will cause the computer unit to perform the steps of a user terminal according to claim 1.

10. A location-based machine-to-machine system, wherein:

the system comprises a network device, first machine type communications (MTC) devices communicationally connected with the network device, and an MTC server communicationally connected with the network device;

the network device is configured to;

after receiving a first service request sent by the MTC server and intended for obtaining service data of a first service in a first area, use a first terminal identifier to trigger the first MTC devices that execute the first service in the first area to access a network, wherein the first MTC devices share a first terminal identifier and first subscription information; and

receive the service data reported by the first MTC devices as triggered after the first MTC devices access the network as triggered, and send the reported service data to the MTC server.

11. A location-based machine-to-machine system, wherein:

the system comprises a network device, first machine type communications (MTC) devices communicationally connected with the network device, and an MTC server communicationally connected with the network device;

the network device is configured to;

receive an access request sent by the first MTC devices proactively by using a first terminal identifier, wherein the access request is triggered after the first MTC devices enter a first area, and the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and first subscription information;

receive service data reported by the first MTC devices after the first MTC devices that send the access request proactively access a network; and

send the service data to the MTC server.

12. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a triggering module, configured to;

after receiving a first service request sent by an MTC server and intended for obtaining service data of a first service in a first area, use a first terminal identifier to trigger first machine type communications (MTC) devices that execute the first service in the first area to access a network, wherein the first MTC devices share a first terminal identifier and first subscription information;

a receiving module, configured to receive the service data of the first service reported by the first MTC devices after the first MTC devices access the network as triggered; and

a sending module, configured to send the service data to the MTC server.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the triggering module comprises a first receiving unit and a sending unit;

the first receiving unit is configured to receive the first service request sent by the MTC server and intended for obtaining service data of the first service in the first area, whereupon, according to location information of the first area and the first terminal identifier carried in the service request, the core network device sends an access trigger message that carries the first terminal identifier to an eNodeB that covers the first area; and

the sending unit is configured to send the access trigger message to the first MTC devices in the first area so that the first MTC devices access the network, wherein the first MTC devices share the first terminal identifier and first subscription information.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a home subscriber server (HSS), wherein:

the HSS is configured to;

upon receiving an Update Location message sent by the core network device, add an identifier of the core network device that sends the Update Location Request into a core network device list, and forbid sending a Cancel Location message to the core network device existent in the core network device list.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the receiving module is specifically configured to create different radio access network contexts, different radio bearers, and different Si interface connections for the MTC devices if the first MTC devices that share the first terminal identifier and the first subscription information in the first area access the network through the same eNodeB while the first MTC devices access the network.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the receiving module comprises a second receiving unit and a selecting unit;

the second receiving unit is configured to;

while the first MTC device accesses the network, receive a radio resource control (RRC) Connection Setup Complete message sent by the first MTC device, search for a core network device identifier mapped to the first terminal identifier according to the first terminal identifier carried in the RRC Connection Setup Complete message as well as a mapping relationship between the first terminal identifier and the core network device identifier, and select a core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier, wherein the mapping relationship is set in an eNodeB or obtained through network broadcast;

or

select the core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier according to the core network device identifier carried in the RRC Connection Setup Complete message; and

the selecting unit is configured to select the core network device corresponding to the core network device identifier.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a home subscriber server (HSS), wherein:

the HSS is further configured to;

upon receiving a request sent by the receiving module and intended for requesting the first subscription information of the first MTC device, check whether a stored core network device list comprises a core network device that is in a same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information;

if so, return the stored core network device identifier that is in the same core network device pool as the core network device that has requested the first subscription information;

if not, return the first subscription information of the first MTC device.

18. A transmitter, comprising:

an access request unit, configured to send an access request to a network device proactively by using a terminal identifier of the transmitter, wherein the access request is triggered after the transmitter enters a first area, and the transmitters share the terminal identifier and first subscription information; and

an accessing and sending unit, configured to access a network after the access request unit sends the access request, and report service data to the network device so that the network device sends the service data to an MTC server.

19. The transmitter according to claim 18, further comprising:

a processor, configured to forbid triggering an area update process in a movement process of the transmitters;

and/or,

a processor, configured to forbid notifying the network device of the power-on or power-off of the transmitters when the transmitters get powered on or powered off.