METHOD OF DETERMINING EXPIRATION PERIOD OF TIMER, NETWORK NODE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20150173013A1
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwai, Takanori, Tamura, Toshiyuki, Zembutsu, Hajime, Futaki, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A network node (300) determines an expiration period of a timer (101) based on a predetermined parameter. The timer (101) is used to determine a transition from a CONNECTED state to an IDLE state of a mobile terminal (200) connected to a core network (20) through a radio access network (10). The predetermined parameter includes at least one of (a) a parameter regarding a frequency of connection of the mobile terminal (200) to the core network (20), (b) a parameter regarding a load on control signal processing by a mobility management node (300) arranged in the core network (20), (c) a parameter regarding a frequency of movement of the mobile terminal (200) between base stations (100), and (d) a parameter regarding software installed in the mobile terminal (200).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, based on a predetermined parameter, an expiration period of a first timer used to determine a transition from a CONNECTED state to an IDLE state of a mobile terminal connected to a mobile core network through a radio access network, wherein the predetermined parameter comprises at least one of;

(a) a first parameter regarding a frequency of connection of the mobile terminal to the mobile core network;

(b) a second parameter regarding a load on control signal processing by a mobility management node arranged in the mobile core network;

(c) a third parameter regarding a frequency of movement of the mobile terminal between base stations; and

(d) a fourth parameter regarding software installed in the mobile terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter, and

the determining comprises increasing the expiration period when the frequency of connection is a relatively high value compared to a case in which the frequency of connection is a relatively low value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter, and

the determining comprises increasing the expiration period compared to an occurrence interval of the connection to the mobile core network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the second parameter, and

the determining comprises increasing the expiration period when the load on the control signal processing by the mobility management node is a relatively large value compared to a case in which the load on the control signal processing by the mobility management node is a relatively small value.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second parameter indicates a frequency of occurrence of control signals processed by the mobility management node regarding a plurality of mobile terminals including the mobile terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the control signals comprises service requests from the plurality of mobile terminals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the third parameter, and

the determining comprises decreasing the expiration period when the frequency of movement is a relatively high value compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is a relatively low value.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

the predetermined parameter further comprises a parameter regarding a frequency of communication of the mobile terminal, and

the determining comprises decreasing the expiration period when the frequency of movement is higher than the frequency of communication compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is lower than the frequency of communication.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter and the third parameter, and

the determining comprises determining the expiration period in consideration of both the frequency of movement and the frequency of connection.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining comprises decreasing the expiration period when the frequency of movement is higher than the frequency of connection compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is lower than the frequency of connection.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, according to the determination of the expiration period of the first timer, an expiration period of a second timer used to determine a start of discontinuous reception (DRX) while the mobile terminal is in the CONNECTED state.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring, at the mobility management node, at least one of the first to the third parameters,

wherein the determining comprises determining, at the mobility management node, the expiration period based on at least one of the first to the third parameters.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising notifying, of the expiration period, a node that is arranged in the radio access network and executes the first timer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the notifying comprises notifying about an update of the expiration period of a plurality of timers regarding a plurality of mobile terminals including the mobile terminal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timer measures duration time of an inactive state during which user data regarding the mobile terminal is neither transmitted nor received.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timer is started by a node arranged in the radio access network.

17. A network node comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a predetermined parameter, an expiration period of a first timer used to determine a transition from a CONNECTED state to an IDLE state of a mobile terminal connected to a mobile core network through a radio access network, wherein

the predetermined parameter comprises at least one of;

(a) a first parameter regarding a frequency of connection of the mobile terminal to the mobile core network;

(b) a second parameter regarding a load on control signal processing by a mobility management node arranged in the mobile core network;

(c) a third parameter regarding a frequency of movement of the mobile terminal between base stations; and

(d) a fourth parameter regarding software installed in the mobile terminal.

18. The network node according to claim 17, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter, and

the determination unit determines to increase the expiration period when the frequency of connection is a relatively high value compared to a case in which the frequency of connection is a relatively low value.

19. The network node according to claim 17, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter, and

the determination unit determines to increase the expiration period compared to an occurrence interval of the connection to the mobile core network.

20. The network node according to claim 17, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the second parameter, and

the determination unit determines to increase the expiration period when the load on the control signal processing by the mobility management node is a relatively large value compared to a case in which the load on the control signal processing by the mobility management node is a relatively small value.

21. The network node according to claim 20, wherein the second parameter indicates an frequency of occurrence of control signals processed by the mobility management node regarding a plurality of mobile terminals including the mobile terminal.

22. The network node according to claim 21, wherein the control signals comprises connection requests or service requests from the plurality of mobile terminals.

23. The network node according to claim 17, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the third parameter, and

the determination unit determines to decrease the expiration period when the frequency of movement is a relatively high value compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is a relatively low value.

24. The network node according to claim 23, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises a parameter regarding a frequency of communication of the mobile terminal; and

the determination unit determines to decrease the expiration period when the frequency of movement is higher than the frequency of communication compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is lower than the frequency of communication.

25. The network node according to claim 17, wherein:

the predetermined parameter comprises the first parameter and the third parameter, and

the determination unit determines the expiration period in consideration of both the frequency of movement and the frequency of connection.

26. The network node according to claim 25, wherein the determination unit decreases the expiration period when the frequency of movement is higher than the frequency of connection compared to a case in which the frequency of movement is lower than the frequency of connection.

27. The network node according to claim 17, wherein the determination unit further determines, according to the determination of the expiration period of the first timer, an expiration period of a second timer used to determine a start of discontinuous reception (DRX) while the mobile terminal is in the CONNECTED state.

28. The network node according to claim 17, further comprising an acquisition unit configured to acquire at least one of the first to the third parameters,

wherein the determination unit determines the expiration period based on at least one of the first to the third parameters acquired by the acquisition unit.

29. The network node according to claim 17, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify, of the expiration period, a node that is arranged in the radio access network and executes the first timer.

30. The network node according to claim 29, wherein the notification unit notifies about an update of the expiration period of a plurality of timers regarding a plurality of mobile terminals including the mobile terminal.

31. The network node according to claim 17, wherein the network node is the mobility management node.

32. The network node according to claim 17, wherein the first timer measures duration time of an inactive state during which user data regarding the mobile terminal is neither transmitted nor received.

33. The network node according to claim 17, wherein the first timer is started by a node arranged in the radio access network.

34. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method, wherein:

the control method comprises determining, based on a predetermined parameter, an expiration period of a first timer used to determine a transition from a CONNECTED state to an IDLE state of a mobile terminal connected to a mobile core network through a radio access network, and

the predetermined parameter comprises at least one of;

(a) a first parameter regarding a frequency of connection of the mobile terminal to the mobile core network;

(b) a second parameter regarding a load on control signal processing by a mobility management node arranged in the mobile core network;

(c) a third parameter regarding a frequency of movement of the mobile terminal between base stations; and

(d) a fourth parameter regarding software installed in the mobile terminal.