RESTORATION OF MOBILE TERMINATING CS SERVICES IN CASE OF FAILURE OF A CORE NETWORK ENTITY IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140106742A1
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Landais, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 10,477,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method for restoration of MT (Mobile Terminating) CS services in case of failure of a PS Core Network CN entity, referred to as original CN entity, originally identified as to be contacted for a paging request towards a User Equipment UE for said MT CS services, in a mobile communication system, comprises:

• • providing that an alternative CN entity is contacted instead of said original CN entity, and that said alternative CN entity is forced to accept said paging request even if said UE is unknown to said alternative CN entity.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. A method for restoration of MT (Mobile Terminating) CS services in case of failure of a Mobility Management Entity MME in Evolved Packet System EPS, referred to as original MME, originally identified by a MSC/VLR in CS domain having an SGs association with said original MME for said UE, as to be contacted for a paging request for MT CS services delivery to said UE, in a system supporting CS Fallback and/or SMS over SGs in EPS, said method comprising:

providing that an alternative MME is contacted instead of said original MME, and that said alternative MME if forced to accept said paging request even if said UE is unknown to said alternative MME.

5. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

providing that said alternative MME is forced to handle said paging request as if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME were set to true, even if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME is set to false.

6. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

during normal operation, the original MME signalling to the MSC/VLR identity information of at least one alternative MME.

7. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

during normal operation, the original MME signalling to the MSC/VLR, in an SGSAP-Location-Update-Request, identity information of at least one alternative MME.

8. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

during normal operation, the original MME signalling to the MSC/VLR, in an SGSAP-Reset-lndication message, identity information of at least one alternative MME.

9. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

pre-configuring the MSC/VLR with identity information of at least one alternative MME.

10. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

the MSC/VLR detecting a failure of the original MME by detecting that there is no more SCTP association in service with that MME.

11. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

upon reception of a request for MT CS services delivery to said UE, in case of failure of the original MME, the MSC/VLR selecting an alternative MME and sending an SGSAP Paging Request to the selected alternative MME.

12. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

upon reception of a request for MT CS services delivery to said UE, in case of failure of the original MME, the MSC/VLR selecting an alternative MME and sending an SGSAP-Paging-Request to the selected alternative MME, said SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request.

13. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

upon reception of an SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request, the alternative MME handling said Paging Request as if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME were set to true, even if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME is set to false.

14. A method according to claim 4, comprising:

upon reception of an SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request, the alternative MME handling the paging request such that, regardless of the state of the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME ;

if the SGsAP-Paging-Request message includes a Location Area Identifier information element, the MME pages the UE in all the Tracking Areas served by the MME that can be mapped to the Location Area indicated in the Location Area Identifier information element;

or

if the SGsAP-Paging-Request message does not include the Location Area Identifier information element, the MME may page in all the Tracking Areas served by the MME, or the Tracking Areas served by the MME and by the VLR.

16. A Mobility Management Entity MME supporting CS Fallback and/or SMS over SGs in EPS, configured for performing a restoration of MT (Mobile Terminating) CS services according to claim 4.

17. A MSC/VLR or MSC Server/VLR (MSC/VLR) supporting CS Fallback and/or SMS over SGs in EPS, configured for performing a restoration of MT (Mobile Terminating) CS services according to claim 4.

18. An MME according to claim 16, acting as an original MME, configured for:

during normal operation, signalling to the MSC/VLR identity information of at least one alternative MME.

19. An MME according to claim 16, acting as an original MME, configured for:

during normal operation, signalling to the MSC/VLR, in an SGSAP-Location-Update-Request, identity information of at least one alternative MME.

20. An MME according to claim 16, acting as an original MME, configured for:

during normal operation, signalling to the MSC/VLR, in an SGSAP-Reset-Indication message, identity information of at least one alternative MME.

21. An MME according to claim 16, acting as an alternative MME, configured for:

upon reception of an SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request, handling said Paging Request as if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME were set to true, even if the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME is set to false.

22. An MME according to claim 16, acting as an alternative MME, configured for:

upon reception of an SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request, handling the paging request such that, regardless of the state of the MME-Reset parameter at the alternative MME ;

if the SGsAP-Paging-Request message includes a Location Area Identifier information element, the MME pages the UE in all the Tracking Areas served by the MME that can be mapped to the Location Area indicated in the Location Area Identifier information element;

or

if the SGsAP-Paging-Request message does not include the Location Area Identifier information element, the MME may page in all the Tracking Areas served by the MME, or the Tracking Areas served by the MME and by the VLR.

23. An MSC/VLR or MSC Server/VLR according to claim 17, configured for:

pre-configuring said MSC/VLR with identity information of at least one alternative MME.

24. An MSC/VLR or MSC Server/VLR according to claim 17, configured for:

detecting a failure of the original MME by detecting that there is no more SCTP association in service with that MME.

25. An MSC/VLR or MSC Server/VLR according to claim 17, configured for:

upon reception of a request for MT CS services delivery to said UE, in case of failure of the original MME, selecting an alternative MME and sending an SGSAP Paging Request to the selected alternative MME.

26. An MSC/VLR or MSC Server/VLR according to claim 17, configured for:

upon reception of a request for MT CS services delivery to said UE, in case of failure of the original MME, selecting an alternative MME and sending an SGSAP-Paging-Request to the selected alternative MME, said SGSAP-Paging-Request containing a restoration indicator flag forcing the alternative MME to accept said Paging Request.

15. (canceled)