RELEASING CONNECTIONS WITH LOCAL GW WHEN UE MOVES OUT OF RESIDENTIAL/ENTERPRISE NETWORK COVERAGE

• US 20150092665A1
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Choi, Noun, Faccin, Stefano, Chin, Chen Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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

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 addition, each UE may be configured to reconnect or not reconnect to the PDN corresponding to a certain APN or service, depending on how the PDN connection was disconnected by the network.

Claims

1. A method in a core network communicatively connected to a first radio access network (RAN) comprising a first network element, and a second RAN comprising a second network element, comprising:

receiving, by a mobility management node in the core network, a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) message via the second network element from a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE has, with the first network element, at least one of a Local IP Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) PDN connection;

detecting, by the mobility management node, that the UE is connected to the second network element that is different from the first network element that has a first identifying characteristic, wherein the detecting comprises determining that the first NAS message is received via the second network element, the first identifying characteristic associated with the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO PDN connection, and the first identifying characteristic stored at the mobility management node; and

in response to a condition that each active PDN connection of the UE is a LIPA PDN connection or a SIPTO PDN connection, sending, by the mobility management node, a second NAS message causing the UE to perform a new attach procedure, wherein the second NAS message includes at least one of an indication to force the UE to perform the new attach procedure, and a cause code with a value that represents at least one of “

Implicitly Detached” and

“

No EPS Bearer Context Activated.”

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the first NAS message without a second identifying characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the first NAS message with a second identifying characteristic, the second identifying characteristic different from the first identifying characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifying characteristic comprises a closed identity group (CSG) identity associated with the first network element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first NAS message is a Tracking Area Update Request message and the second NAS message is a Tracking Area Update Reject message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first NAS message is a one of a Tracking Area Update Request message, a Service Request message, an Extended Service Request message, a Routing Area Update message, and a paging response message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobility management node is either a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network element includes a Local Gateway (L-GW) that is associated with the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO PDN connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network element has connectivity to a Local Gateway (L-GW) that is associated with the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO PDN connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cause code with the value that represents “

Implicitly Detached”

is to cause the UE to release all bearer contexts.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the cause code with the value that represents “

No EPS Bearer Context Activated”

is to cause the UE to release context information of the UE and establish a new PDN connection.

12. A mobility management node for use in a core network communicatively connected to a first radio access network (RAN) comprising a first network element, and a second RAN comprising a second network element, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) message via the second network element from a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE has, with the first network element, at least one of a Local Internet Protocol (IP) Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) PDN connection;

detect that the UE is connected to the second network element that is different from the first network element that has a first identifying characteristic, wherein the detecting comprises determining that the first NAS message is received via the second network element, the first identifying characteristic associated with the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO PDN connection, and the first identifying characteristic stored at the mobility management node; and

in response to a condition that each active PDN connection of the UE is a LIPA PDN connection or a SIPTO PDN connection, send a second NAS message causing the UE to perform a new attach procedure, wherein the second NAS message includes at least one of an indication to force the UE to perform the new attach procedure, and a cause code with a value that represents at least one of “

Implicitly Detached” and

“

No EPS Bearer Context Activated.”

13. The mobility management node of claim 12, wherein the received first NAS message is without a second identifying characteristic.

14. The mobility management node of claim 12, wherein the first NAS message is received with a second identifying characteristic, the second identifying characteristic different from the first identifying characteristic.

15. The mobility management node of claim 12, wherein the first NAS message is a one of a Tracking Area Update Request message, a Service Request message, an Extended Service Request message, a Routing Area Update message, and a paging response message.

16. The mobility management node of claim 12, wherein the cause code with the value that represents “

Implicitly Detached”

is to cause the UE to release all bearer contexts.

17. The mobility management node of claim 12, wherein the cause code with the value that represents “

No EPS Bearer Context Activated”

is to cause the UE to release context information of the UE and establish a new PDN connection.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code upon execution causing a mobility management node in a core network communicatively connected to a first radio access network (RAN) comprising a first network element and a second RAN comprising a second network element, to:

receive a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) message via the second network element from a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE has, with the first network element, at least one of a Local Internet Protocol (IP) Access (LIPA) packet data network (PDN) connection and a selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) PDN connection;

detect that the UE is connected to the second network element that is different from the first network element that has a first identifying characteristic, wherein the detecting comprises determining that the first NAS message is received via the second network element, the first identifying characteristic associated with the at least one of the LIPA PDN connection and the SIPTO PDN connection, and the first identifying characteristic stored at the mobility management node; and

in response to a condition that each active PDN connection of the UE is a LIPA PDN connection or a SIPTO PDN connection, send a second NAS message causing the UE to perform a new attach procedure, wherein the second NAS message includes at least one of an indication to force the UE to perform the new attach procedure, and a cause code with a value that represents at least one of “

Implicitly Detached” and

“

No EPS Bearer Context Activated.”

.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the received first NAS message is without a second identifying characteristic.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first NAS message is received with a second identifying characteristic, the second identifying characteristic different from the first identifying characteristic.