METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING SIGNALING IN A CORE NETWORK

• US 20150173121A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Mikls, Gyrgy, Olsson, Lars-Bertil, Rnneke, Hans Bertil
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• 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 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus in telecommunications, and particularly to reducing signaling in a core network involved in changes of states of a wireless terminal (4). According to the disclosure a reduced context is allocated based on parameters received by a base station (2). The reduced context is used by the base station for reconfiguring a RRC connection between the wireless terminal (4) and the base station (2) by means of the reduced context, such that the signaling is hidden from a Serving GateWay, SGW (10).

Claims

1. A method performed by an evolved Node B, eNB, for reducing signaling in a Core Network, CN, relating to state changes in a User Equipment, UE, said eNB having a Radio Resource Control, RRC, connection with the UE, the method comprising,

sending a request for a UE context release to a Mobile Management Entity, MME, in response to that the UE has been inactive during a predetermined time,

receiving, from the MME, a command for a UE context release together with parameters for enabling local eNB paging of the UE,

releasing the RRC connection,

allocating a reduced context based on the received parameters and storing the reduced context in a memory of the eNB,

retrieving the stored reduced context after receiving a downlink packet to the UE, and

paging the UE locally by means of the reduced context.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the reduced context is made after receiving a service request from the UE in response to that the UE requests to return to a connected state and further comprises,

reconfiguring the RRC connection by means of the reduced context, such that the signaling is hidden from a Serving GateWay, SGW of the CN.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

starting timer when storing the reduced context and upon timing out thereof,

releasing the stored reduced context.

4. The method according claim 1, further comprising

monitoring memory resources in the eNB and upon detection that a predetermined amount of the memory resources are occupied,

releasing the reduced context.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced context comprises a System architecture evolution Temporary Mobile Station Identity, S-TMSI, a International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI mod 1024 and/or a UE specific Discontinuous Reception, DRX.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the reduced context comprises bearer and security configuration parameters.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allocating a key comprising a DownLink Internet Protocol address, DL IP@, and a Tunnel End point IDentifier, TEID on S1-U for identifying the reduced context when a downlink package associated with the reduced context arrives.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced context is a partial UE context enabling the reconfiguring of the RRC connection between the UE and the eNB without signaling with the SGW.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced context is a mini MME context enabling the eNB to handle a service request from the UE without signaling with the MME.

10. An evolved Node B, eNB, for reducing signaling in a Core Network, CN, relating to state changes in a User Equipment, UE, said eNB being configured to have Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections with the UEs, said eNB comprising:

a communications interface (IF), via which, the eNB is connectable to the UE and a Mobile Management Entity, MME, a processor, and a computer readable medium storing computer program code which, when run in the processor causes the eNB to;

send a request for a UE context release to a Mobile Management Entity, MME, in response to that the UE has been inactive during a predetermined time,

receive, from the MME, a command for a UE context release together with parameters for enabling local eNB paging of the UE,

release the RRC connection,

allocate a reduced context based on the received parameters and storing the reduced context in a memory of the eNB,

retrieve the stored reduced context after receiving a downlink packet to the UE, and

page the UE locally by means of the reduced context.

11. The eNB according to claim 10, which is further cased to:

retrieve the stored reduced context when a service request from the UE is received in response to that the UE requests to return to a connected state, and

reconfigure the RRC connection by means of the reduced context, such that the signaling is hidden from a Serving GateWay, SGW, of the CN.

12. The eNB according to claim 10, which further is caused to:

start a timer when the reduced context is stored and upon timing out thereof,

release the stored reduced context.

13. The eNB according to claim 10, which is further caused to:

monitor memory resources in the eNB and upon detection that a predetermined amount of the memory resources are occupied,

release the reduced context.

14. The eNB according to claim 10 wherein the reduced context comprises a System architecture evolution Temporary Mobile Station Identity, S-TMSI, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI mod 1024 and/or a UE specific Discontinuous Reception, DRX.

15. The eNB according to claim 10, wherein the reduced context comprises bearer and security configuration parameters.

16. The eNB according to claim 10, which is further caused to allocate a key comprising a DownLink Internet Protocol address, DL IP@, and a Tunnel End point IDentifier, TEID on S1-U for identifying the reduced context when a downlink package associated with the reduced context arrives.

17. The eNB according to claim 10, wherein the reduced context is a partial UE context usable to cause the eNB to reconfigure the RRC connection between the UE and the eNB without signaling with the SGW.

18. The eNB according to claim 10, wherein the reduced context is a mini MME context usable to cause the eNB to handle a service request from the UE such that the signaling is hidden both from the MME and the SGW.