Handover of Connection of User Equipment

• US 20130201904A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Toskala, Antti Anton, Holma, Harri Kalevi, Hakkinen, Hannu Tapio, Vaitovirta, Hannu Pekka Matias
• Application Number:
  US13/819,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/023 Buffering or recovering information during reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided initiating a handover of a connection of user equipment, the connection including a path from an access network to a core network and switching the path to the core network on the basis of data received on the connection exceeding a threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a handover of a connection of user equipment, the connection comprising a path from an access network to a core network; and

switching the path to the core network on the basis of data received on the connection exceeding a threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

executing a handover of the user equipment from a source access node to a target access node, wherein the source access node provides the path from the access network to the core network; and

relaying data between the source access node and the target node when data received on the connection is below a threshold.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

relaying data between the user equipment and an access node providing the path from the access network to the core network; and

establishing a new path to the core network, on the basis of the data received on the connection exceeding the threshold.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining a distance between the user equipment and an access node providing the path from the access network to the core network; and

establishing a new path to the core network, on the basis of the distance exceeding a threshold.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the distance comprises one or more from a group comprising:

an omitted path switch counter, a number of access nodes, correspondence of tracking area identifiers of access nodes, addresses of access nodes, measurement information on access nodes.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

initiating a second handover of the user equipment from a source access node to a target access node;

executing the second handover; and

maintaining the path to the core network, on the basis of the data received on the network connection is below a threshold.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the handover comprises a handover of the user equipment from a source access node to a target access node, said source access node providing the path from the access network to the core network, the method comprising:

deriving a security key for the target access node from a security key used between the source access node and the user equipment; and

maintaining the path to the core network at the source access node.

8. A method according to claim 1, deriving the security key to a plurality of target access nodes from a security key of a first source access node of a plurality of handovers of the user equipment, each of said handovers comprising a source and a target access node.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

setting the threshold on the basis of deriving a security key of a target access node from a security key of a first source access node of a plurality of handovers of the user equipment, each of said handovers comprising a source and a target access node.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein deriving a security key for a target access node comprises horizontal key derivation.

10. (canceled)

12-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An apparatus configured to:

initiate a handover of a connection connecting user equipment, the connection comprising a path from an access network to a core network; and

switch the path to the core network on the basis of data received on the connection exceeding a threshold.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to:

execute a handover of the user equipment from a source access node to a target access node, wherein the source access node provides the path from the access network to the core network; and

relay data between the source access node and the target node, when data received on the connection is below a threshold.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to:

relay data between the user equipment and an access node providing the path from the access network to the core network; and

establish a new path to the core network, on the basis of the data received on the connection exceeding the threshold.

28. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to:

determine a distance between the user equipment and an access node providing the path from the access network to the core network; and

establish a new path to the core network, on the basis of the distance exceeding a threshold.

29. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the distance comprises one or more from a group comprising:

an omitted path switch counter, a number of access nodes, correspondence of tracking area identifiers of access nodes, addresses of access nodes, measurement information on access nodes.

30. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to:

initiate a second handover;

execute the second handover of the user equipment from a second source access node to a second target access node; and

maintain the path to the core network, on the basis of the data received on the network connection is below a threshold.

31. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the handover comprises a handover of the user equipment from a source access node to a target access node, said source access node providing the path from the access network to the core network, the apparatus being configured to:

derive a security key for the target access node from a security key used between the source access node and the user equipment; and

maintain the path to the core network at the source access node.

32. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to derive the security key to a plurality of target access nodes from a security key of a first source access node of a plurality of handovers of the user equipment, each of said handovers comprising a source and a target access node.

33. An apparatus according to claim 25, configured to:

set the threshold on the basis of deriving a security key of a target access node from a security key of a first source access node of a plurality of handovers of the user equipment, each of said handovers comprising a source and a target access node.

35. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein deriving a security key for a target access node comprises horizontal key derivation.

34. (canceled)

36-54. -54. (canceled)

55. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium and embodying program instructions thereon executable by a computer operably coupled to a memory, which, when executed by the computer, carry out:

initiating a handover of a connection of user equipment, the connection comprising a path from an access network to a core network; and

switching the path to the core network on the basis of data received on the connection exceeding a threshold.

56. (canceled)

57. (canceled)