LOCATION REGISTRATION FOR A DEVICE-TO-DEVICE D2D COMMUNICATION USER EQUIPMENT BEING IN IDLE MODE MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

• US 20150281940A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Ling, Van Phan, Vinh, Horneman, Kari Veikko
• Granted Patent: US 9,723,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to device-to-device (D2D) communications an in particular to location registration of a D2D User Equipment (UE) being in idle mode. A D2D capable UE (D2D cluster head) is [1] configured to communicate with a communication network, is [2] able to establish D2D communication with another D2D capable UE, receives [3] from the communication system a configuration so as to send location update related messaging on behalf of UEs with which D2D communications has been established, obtains [4] information of a change of status of a UE regarding a D2D communication or a change of cell of a UE and in response to the information, causes [5] the sending of a message to the communication network, the message comprising a location update request regarding the UE.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

communicate with a communication network;

be configured to establish direct device-to-device communication with user equipment;

control the reception from the communication system of a configuration so as to send location update related messaging on behalf of user equipment with which direct device-to-device communication has been established;

obtain information of a change of status of user equipment regarding a direct device-to-device communication or a change of cell of user equipment; and

in response to the information, cause a sending of a message to the communication network, the message comprising a location update request regarding the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises information on the change of the status including whether the user equipment is joining or leaving direct device-to-device communication or whether the user equipment reselects a new cell to camp on.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to

receive a request from the user equipment to send the message comprising location update request regarding the user equipment;

and

send the message on the basis of the request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the messages are sent on behalf of user equipment which are in idle mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises the identity of the user equipment and security key related parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises information on the identifier of the cell the user equipment is camping on.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a cluster head of a device cluster.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to transmit information to user equipment about the ability to send messages comprising location update requests on behalf of the user equipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to:

receive from the user equipment a location update message; and

forward the location update message to the network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to utilize a device-to-device identification of the user equipment when sending location update requests regarding the user equipment.

9. (canceled)

12-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

obtain information on a device-to-device based location registration; and

establish direct device-to-device communication as a response to the obtained information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further configured to:

obtain information on a device cluster offering a device-to-device based location registration; and

join a device cluster as a response to the obtained information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further configured to:

request the device cluster to send a message comprising location update request regarding on behalf of the apparatus.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is in idle mode.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, further configured to transmit information to a device offering a device-to-device based location registration, the information comprising idle-mode identity of the user equipment and/or the cell the user equipment is currently camping.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, further configured to:

transmit a location update message to the device offering a device-to-device based location registration.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, further configured to:

utilize, when transmitting a message to a communication network, timing information of a device with which direct device-to-device communication has been established.

26-28. -28. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

34. A method comprising:

communicating with a communication network;

being configured to establish direct device-to-device communication with user equipment;

controlling the reception from the communication system of a configuration so as to send location update related messaging on behalf of user equipment with which direct device-to-device communication has been established;

obtaining information of a change of status of user equipment regarding a direct device-to-device communication or a change of cell of user equipment; and

in response to the information, causing the sending of a message to the communication network, the message comprising a location update request regarding the user equipment.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the message comprises information on the change of the status including whether the user equipment is joining or leaving direct device-to-device communication or whether the user equipment reselects a new cell to camp on.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user equipment to send the message comprising location update request regarding the user equipment; and

sending the message on the basis of the request.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the messages are sent on behalf of user equipment which are in idle mode.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the message comprises the identity of the user equipment and security key related parameters.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the message comprises information on the identifier of the cell the user equipment is camping on.

40. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

transmitting information to user equipment about the ability to send messages comprising location update requests on behalf of the user equipment.

42. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving from the user equipment a location update message; and

forwarding the location update message to the network.

43. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

utilizing a device-to-device identification of the user equipment when sending location update requests regarding the user equipment.

41. (canceled)

44-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A method comprising:

obtaining information on a device-to-device based location registration; and

establishing direct device-to-device communication as a response to the obtained information.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

obtaining information on a device cluster offering a device-to-device based location registration; and

joining a device cluster as a response to the obtained information.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

requesting the device cluster to send a message comprising location update request regarding on behalf of the apparatus.

61. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

transmitting information to a device offering a device-to-device based location registration, the information comprising idle-mode identity of the user equipment and/or the cell the user equipment is currently camping.

62. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

transmitting a location update message to the device offering a device-to-device based location registration.

58-60. -60. (canceled)

63-66. -66. (canceled)