RESIDENTIAL/ENTERPRISE NETWORK CONNECTION MANAGEMENT AND HANDOVER SCENARIOS

• US 20130188604A1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Chin, Chen Ho, Choi, Noun, Faccin, Stefano
• Application Number:
  US13/876,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188604A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/32 Release of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Residential/Enterprise network connection management and handover scenarios. A method, system and device are provided for managing LIPA and/or SIPTO connection releases when UE moves out of residential/enterprise network coverage in case service continuity is not supported for the LIPA/SIPTO PDN connection(s). To address problems caused by not providing service continuity for LIPA/SIPTO PDN connections, the PDN connection/PDP context created in the HeNB/HNB by the MME/SGSN includes context information related to the UE indicating whether such connection is a LIPA PDN connection PDN connection or not. In particular, when the MME (1708) receives a handover request (17-1) from a source base station (1704), if it determines that the active PDN connections are LIPA PDN connections and that LIPA PDN continuity cannot be supported towards the target cell, the MME (1708) rejects the handover and sends (17-2) a Failure message to the source base station (1704).

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method in a mobility management node of a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobility management node, a request for a handover from a source base station, the handover request indicating a User Equipment (UE) to handover from the source base station to a target base station;

determining, at the mobility management node, whether the UE has at least one of a Local Internet Protocol (IP) Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offloading (SIPTO) connection, as provided by the source base station; and

preventing the handover on a condition that the UE has at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection, wherein said preventing the handover includes sending a DETACH REQUEST message to the UE to explicitly detach the UE.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining includes determining that at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection is not supported by the target base station.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the handover request includes information about a target cell.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining is based at least in part upon bearer context information stored at the mobility management node.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining is based at least in part upon target base station information.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

releasing at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection at the mobility management node.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said preventing the handover includes:

sending a handover failure message to the source base station.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said preventing the handover includes:

sending a rejection message to the source base station.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the DETACH REQUEST message includes a Detach Type set to re-attach.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein sending the DETACH REQUEST message to the UE is responsive to the UE having no other connection than the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection.

31. A network element apparatus for a wireless communications network, the network element apparatus comprising a mobility management node including processor control logic and/or circuitry for:

receiving a request for a handover from a source base station, the handover request indicating a User Equipment (UE) to handover from the source base station to a target base station;

determining whether the UE has at least one of a Local Internet Protocol (IP) Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offloading (SIPTO) connection, as provided by the source base station; and

preventing the handover on a condition that the UE has at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection, wherein said preventing the handover includes sending a DETACH REQUEST message to the UE to explicitly detach the UE.

32. The network element apparatus of claim 31, wherein the processor control logic and/or circuitry is to determine that at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection is not supported by the target base station.

33. The network element apparatus of claim 31, wherein the handover request includes information about a target cell.

34. The network element apparatus of claim 31, wherein the DETACH REQUEST message includes a Detach Type set to re-attach.

35. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method in first network element of a wireless communications network, comprising:

instructions for receiving, at a mobility management node, a request for a handover from a source base station, the handover request indicating a User Equipment (UE) to handover from the source base station to a target base station;

instructions for determining, at the mobility management node, whether the UE has at least one of a Local Internet Protocol (IP) Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offloading (SIPTO) connection, as provided by the source base station; and

instructions for preventing the handover on a condition that the UE has at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO connection, wherein said preventing the handover includes sending a DETACH REQUEST message to the UE to explicitly detach the UE.