METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING NETWORK SHARING

• US 20150072678A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yanping, Zhu, Fenqin, Yu, Yijun
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/065 involving selection of the user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for sharing a core network, where the method includes: first, determining, by a mobility management network element, that a user equipment does not support network sharing; and then, sending, by the mobility management network element, a location update request message to a mobile switching center or visitor location register MSC/VLR, where the location update request message includes indication information that the user equipment does not support network sharing, or the location update request message includes a location area identity LAI including a common public land mobile network identifier common PLMN ID, or the location update request message includes an LAI including a common PLMN ID and includes a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier CS domain PLMN ID. The present invention is applicable to the field of communications systems.

Claims

1. A method for processing network sharing, the method comprising:

determining, by a mobility management network element, that a user equipment does not support network sharing; and

sending, by the mobility management network element, a location update request message to a mobile switching center or visitor location register (MSC/VLR), wherein the location update request message comprises;

indication information that the user equipment does not support network sharing, or

a location area identity (LAI) comprising a common public land mobile network identifier (PLMN ID), or

an LAI comprising a common PLMN ID comprising a circuit switched (CS) domain PLMN ID selected by the mobility management network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining, by a mobility management network element, that a user equipment does not support network sharing comprises:

obtaining, by the mobility management network element, capability information indicating whether the user equipment supports network sharing; and

according to the capability information, determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a target radio access technology (RAT) preferably selected by circuit service fallback (CSFB) or that the user equipment does not support network sharing of an RAT preferably selected by a circuit switched (CS) domain.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a target radio access technology (RAT) preferably selected by circuit service fallback (CSFB) comprises:

determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a GSM EDGE radio access network (GERAN), wherein the target RAT is the GERAN, and the GERAN network supports network sharing;

or

determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), wherein the target RAT is the UTRAN, and the UTRAN network supports network sharing.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of an RAT preferably selected by a circuit switched (CS) domain comprises:

determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a GSM EDGE radio access network (GERAN), wherein the RAT is the GERAN, and the GERAN network supports network sharing;

or

determining, by the mobility management network element, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), wherein the RAT is the UTRAN, and the UTRAN network supports network sharing.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information is a common PLMN ID.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location update request message comprises the indication information that the user equipment does not support network sharing, which comprises that:

the location update request message comprises the indication information and the CS domain PLMN ID selected by the mobility management network element.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the CS domain PLMN ID selected by the mobility management network element is obtained by the mobility management network element from an old mobility management network element;

or

the CS domain PLMN ID selected by the mobility management network element is obtained by the mobility management network element from a tracking area identifier (TAI) of the user equipment currently located;

or

the CS domain PLMN ID selected by the mobility management network element is obtained by the mobility management network element from an LAI stored by the mobility management network element.

8. A method for processing network sharing, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile switching center or visitor location register (MSC/VLR), a location update request message sent by a mobility management network element, wherein the location update request message comprises a first information element, and the first information element is a location area identity (LAI); and

selecting, by the MSC/VLR, a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier according to whether the location update request message comprises a second information element, wherein the second information element is a second circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier; and

wherein selecting, by the MSC/VLR, a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier according to whether the location update request message comprises a second information element comprises;

determining, by the MSC/VLR, that the location update request message comprises the second information element, and selecting, by the MSC/VL, a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier as the second circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier, wherein the first information element comprises a common public land mobile network identifier (PLMN ID).

9. A mobility management network element apparatus, comprising:

a determining unit;

at least one sending unit comprising a first sending unit, a second sending unit and a third sending unit;

wherein the determining unit is configured to determine that a user equipment does not support network sharing;

wherein the first sending unit is configured to send a location update request message to a mobile switching center or visitor location register (MSC/VLR), wherein the location update request message comprises indication information that the user equipment does not support network sharing;

wherein the second sending unit is configured to send a location update request message to the mobile switching center or visitor location register MSC/VLR, wherein the location update request message comprises a location area identity (LAI) comprising a common public land mobile network identifier (PLMN ID); and

wherein the third sending unit is configured to send a location update request message to the mobile switching center or visitor location register MSC/VLR, wherein the location update request message comprises an LAI comprising a common PLMN ID and comprises a circuit switched (CS) domain PLMN ID.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the determining unit is configured to obtain capability information indicating whether the user equipment supports network sharing, and determine, according to the capability information, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a target radio access technology (RAT) preferably selected by circuit service fallback (CSFB).

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the determining unit is configured to obtain capability information indicating whether the user equipment supports network sharing, and determine, according to the capability information, that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a target radio access technology (RAT) preferably selected by a CS domain.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the determining unit is configured to:

determine that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a GSM EDGE radio access network (GERAN), wherein the target RAT is the GERAN, and the GERAN network supports network sharing;

or

determine that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), wherein the target RAT is the UTRAN, and the UTRAN network supports network sharing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the determining unit is configured to:

determine that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a GSM EDGE radio access network (GERAN), wherein the RAT is the GERAN, and the GERAN network supports network sharing;

or

determine that the user equipment does not support network sharing of a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), wherein the RAT is the UTRAN, and the UTRAN network supports network sharing.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the indication information is a common PLMN ID.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first sending unit is configured to send, to the MSC/VLR, the location update request message comprising the indication information and a selected CS domain PLMN ID.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first sending unit comprises:

an obtaining module, configured to;

obtain the CS domain PLMN ID from an old mobility management network element, or

obtain the CS domain PLMN ID from a tracking area identifier (TAI) of the user equipment currently located, or

obtain the CS domain PLMN ID from a stored LAI comprising the CS domain PLMN ID; and

a sending module, configured to send the location update request message to the MSC/VLR.

17. A mobile switching center or visitor location register (MSC/VLR) apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a location update request message sent by a mobility management network element, wherein the location update request message comprises a first information element, and the first information element is a location area identity;

a selecting unit, configured to select a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier according to whether the location update request message comprises a second information element, wherein the second information element is a second circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier; and

wherein the selecting unit is configured to determine that the location update request message comprises the second information element, and select a circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier as the second circuit switched domain public land mobile network identifier, wherein the first information element comprises a common public land mobile network identifier common PLMN ID.