MACHINE-TYPE COMMUNICATION SUBSCRIPTION CONTROL

• US 20130128777A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Garcia Azorero, Fuencisla
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus configured to operate as a subscriber server (2). The apparatus comprises a memory (11) for storing the subscription information of one or more Machine Type Communications, MTC, subscribers, the subscription information of a MTC subscriber including one or more MTC Features and information regarding the MTC subscriber'"'"'s subscribed services, a processor (10) for assessing which of the one or more subscribed MTC Features are supported, assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and the subscribed services, and determining the subscription information that should be sent to a serving node (1) based on the outcome of the assessments, and a transmitter (13) for sending the determined subscription information to the serving node (1).

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to operate as a subscriber server, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the subscription information of one or more Machine Type Communications, MTC, subscribers, the subscription information of a MTC subscriber including one or more MTC Features and information regarding the MTC subscriber'"'"'s subscribed services;

a processor for assessing which of the one or more subscribed MTC Features are supported, assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and the subscribed services, and determining the subscription information that should be sent to the serving node based on the outcome of the assessments; and

a transmitter for sending the determined subscription information to the serving node.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when assessing which of the one or more subscribed MTC Features are supported, the processor is further configured to

determine if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by a network in which the serving node is provided.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured such that, if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by a network in which the serving node is provided, then the subscribed MTC Features that are not supported are excluded from the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when determining if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device or by a network, the processor is further configured to perform one or more of:

determining if an indication that one or more MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network has been received from the serving node; and

for any MTC Features that require an explicit indication that they are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network, determining if an indication that one or more MTC Features that are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network has been received from the serving node.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features, the processor is further configured to:

determine if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features may interact or conflict with any other supported subscribed MTC Feature.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processor is configured such that, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features may interact or conflict with any other supported subscribed MTC Feature, then an indication of the relative precedence of these MTC Features is included in the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and the subscribed services, the processor is further configured to:

determine if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features imply restrictions on the subscribed services.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor is configured such that, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features imply restrictions on the subscribed services, then the subscribed services that are not allowed by the restrictions of the supported subscribed MTC Features are excluded from the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is configured such that, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device, then an indication that these supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device is included in the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

11. An apparatus configured to operate as a node of a telecommunications network and configured to serve a Machine Type Communications, MTC, Device belonging to a MTC Subscriber, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for identifying MTC Features that are not supported by the MTC Device and/or the network; and

a transmitter for indicating to a subscriber server the MTC Features that are not supported.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to ensure that, when indicating to a subscriber server the MTC Features that are not supported:

for any MTC Features that require an explicit indication that they are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network, an explicit indication is not included in a message to be sent to the subscriber server; and

for any other MTC Features, an indication that the MTC Feature is not supported is included in a message to be sent to the subscriber server.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising:

a receiver for receiving subscription information for the MTC Subscriber from the subscriber server, the subscription information including the supported MTC Features and subscribed services information for the MTC Subscriber; and

the processor being further configured to use the received subscription information to establish a data session for the MTC Device.

14. A method of operating a subscriber server handling subscription information of one or more Machine Type Communications, MTC, subscribers, the subscription information of a MTC subscriber including one or more MTC Features and information regarding the subscriber'"'"'s subscribed services, the method comprising:

when it is required that subscription information for a MTC subscriber is sent to a network node serving an MTC device of the MTC subscriber;

assessing which of the one or more subscribed MTC Features are supported;

assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and the subscribed services;

determining the subscription information that should be sent to the serving node based on the outcome of the assessments; and

sending the determined subscription information to the serving node.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of assessing which of the one or more subscribed MTC Features are supported comprises:

determining if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by a network in which the serving node is provided.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by a network in which the serving node is provided, then the subscribed MTC Features that are not supported are excluded from the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of determining if any of the subscribed MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device or by a network in which the serving node is provided comprises one or more of:

determining if an indication that one or more MTC Features are not supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network has been received from the serving node; and

for any MTC Features that require an explicit indication that they are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network, determining if an indication that one or more MTC Features that are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network has been received from the serving node.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features comprises:

determining if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features may interact or conflict with any other supported subscribed MTC Feature.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features may interact or conflict with any other supported subscribed MTC Feature, then an indication of the relative precedence of these MTC Features is included in the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of assessing any interaction that may occur between each of the supported subscribed MTC Features and the subscribed services comprises:

determining if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features imply restrictions on the subscribed services.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features imply restrictions on the subscribed services, then the subscribed services that are not allowed by the restrictions of the supported subscribed MTC Features are excluded from the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising:

determining if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein, if any of the supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device, then an indication that these supported subscribed MTC Features should only be enabled upon an explicit instruction received from the MTC Device is included in the subscription information that is to be sent to the serving node.

24. A method of operating a node of a telecommunications network that is configured to provided services to a Machine Type Communications, MTC, Device belonging to a MTC Subscriber, the method comprising:

identifying MTC Features that are not supported by the MTC Device and/or the network; and

indicating to a subscriber server the MTC Features that are not supported.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the step of indicating to a subscriber server the MTC Features that are not supported comprises:

for any MTC Features that require an explicit indication that they are supported by the MTC Device and/or by the network, not including an explicit indication in a message to the subscriber server; and

for any other MTC Features, including an indication that the MTC Feature is not supported in a message to the subscriber server.

26. The method as claimed in claim 24, and further comprising:

subsequently receiving subscription information for the MTC Subscriber from the subscriber server, the subscription information including the supported MTC Features and subscribed services information for the MTC Subscriber; and

using the received subscription information to establish a data session for the MTC Device