SERVICE CONTROL METHOD, MOBILITY MANAGEMENT ENTITY, AND MOBILE SWITCHING CENTER

• US 20150365851A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Haopeng, Jiang, Tao, Wu, Xiaobo, Sun, Xiaoji, Tan, Wei, Wang, Xinyong
• Application Number:
  US14/834,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00226 wherein the core network technologies comprise IP multimedia system [IMS], e.g. single radio voice call continuity [SRVCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a service control method, a mobility management entity, and a mobile switching center, and the method includes: determining one or more user equipments; in a scenario of unsolicited circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading, sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, and when a registration request message or a combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments; or in a scenario of solicited circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading, when a registration request message or a combined registration request message sent by the one or more user equipments is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, so that a user equipment can communicate via a CS domain rather than suffering a voice call failure.

Claims

1. A service control method for use by a mobility management entity (MME) of a mobile network supporting Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice over packet-switched (PS) session (IMS Voice Over PS session), the method comprising:

determining one or more user equipments;

in a scenario of unsolicited circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading, sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message or the combined registration message indicates to the one or more user equipments that voice over Internet Protocol IP multimedia subsystem IMS (VoIMS) is unavailable;

or

in a scenario of solicited circuit switched fallback CSFB offloading, when a registration request message or a combined registration request message sent by the one or more user equipments is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message or the combined registration accept message indicates to the one or more user equipments that VoIMS is unavailable.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the registration request message is an attach message or a tracking area update (TAU) message;

the registration accept message is an attach accept message or a TAU accept message;

the combined registration request message is a combined attach message or a combined TAU message; and

the combined registration accept message is a combined attach accept message or a combined TAU accept message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein before determining one or more user equipments, the method further comprises:

determining that the MME is in network congestion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining that the MME is in network congestion comprises:

determining that the MME is in network congestion according to cell congestion information sent by a network side device, wherein the cell congestion information comprises a cell congestion level and cell information;

or

when congestion statistics information reaches a preset threshold, determining that the MME is in network congestion, wherein the congestion statistics information comprises signaling-plane congestion statistics information and a quality-of-service class identifier (QCI) bearer setup success rate that are based on a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining one or more user equipments comprises:

determining the one or more user equipments according to user equipment information sent by a network side device, wherein the user equipment information comprises one or multiple of the following;

location information of a user equipment served by the network side device, state information of the user equipment served by the network side device, and service information of the user equipment served by the network side device.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the combined registration request message to the MME, wherein the combined registration request message is the combined TAU message; and

when the combined TAU message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the combined registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, and sending the combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the combined registration accept message is the combined TAU accept message.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is a globally unique temporary identity (GUTI) reallocation message carrying an invalid TAI list, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is the TAU message; and

when the TAU message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, and sending the registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message is the TAU accept message.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an evolved packet system (EPS) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is the attach message; and

when the attach message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, and sending the registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message is the attach registration accept message.

9. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein when an offload indication is sent to the one or more user equipments, the method further comprises:

determining that the one or more user equipments are user equipments that have been CSFB-offloaded; and

in a combined location update procedure via an SGs interface, sending an offload indication to a mobile switching center (MSC), wherein the offload indication is used to notify the MSC that the one or more user equipments are user equipments that have been CSFB-offloaded, so that the MSC manages and controls the one or more user equipments.

10. The method according to any one of claim 1, further comprising:

during determining one or more user equipments, marking the one or more user equipments, so that the one or more user equipments are restored to voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) user equipments.

11. A service control method for use by a mobile switching center (MSC), the method comprising:

receiving an offload indication sent by a mobility management entity (MME), wherein the offload indication is used to notify that one or more users are users for whom circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading has been performed;

determining, according to the offload indication, that the user who has been CSFB-offloaded is an offloaded user; and

when a voice call made by the offloaded user ends, adding return information to a clearing message sent to a base station or a radio network controller, so that the base station of the radio network controller performs a fast-return procedure, wherein the return information comprises fourth generation (4G) public land mobile network (PLMN) information and a CSFB indication.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

adding a tariff indication to a charging data record for the voice call fallback of the offloaded user, wherein the tariff indication is used to indicate that the offloaded user uses a same tariff policy as a voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) user.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

when the offloaded user makes a voice call, determining that high-speed encoding and decoding is used.

14. A service control method for use by a mobility management entity (MME) of a mobile network supporting Internet Protocol IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice over packet-switched (PS) session (IMS Voice Over PS session), the method comprising:

determining one or more user equipments, wherein the one or more user equipments are user equipments supporting voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE);

in a scenario of unsolicited switch to voice over IMS (VoIMS), sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message or the combined registration message indicates to the one or more user equipments that VoIMS is available;

or

in a scenario of solicited switch to VoIMS, when a registration request message or a combined registration request message sent by the one or more user equipments is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message or the combined registration accept message indicates to the one or more user equipments that VoIMS is available.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

the registration request message is an attach message or a tracking area update (TAU) message;

the registration accept message is an attach accept message or a TAU accept message;

the combined registration request message is a combined attach message or a combined TAU message; and

the combined registration accept message is a combined attach accept message or a combined TAU accept message.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the combined registration request message to the MME, wherein the combined registration request message is the combined TAU message; and

when the combined TAU message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the combined registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, and sending the combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the combined registration accept message is the combined TAU accept message.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is a globally unique temporary identity (GUTI) reallocation message carrying an invalid TAI list, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is the TAU message; and

when the TAU message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, and sending the registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message is the TAU accept message.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein sending a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send a registration request message or a combined registration request message to the MME, and when the registration request message or the combined registration request message is received, sending a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments comprises:

sending the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an evolved packet system (EPS) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is the attach message; and

when the attach message is received, setting an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, and sending the registration accept message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the registration accept message is the attach registration accept message.

19. The method according to any one of claim 14, wherein after determining one or more user equipments, sending a restore indication to a mobile switching center (MSC), so as to notify the MSC to delete the one or more user equipments, wherein the restore indication is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message.

20. A service control method for use by a mobile switching center (MSC), the method comprising:

receiving a restore indication sent by a mobility management entity (MME); and

determining to delete one or more users according to the restore indication, wherein the one or more users are users for whom circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading has been performed.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the restore indication is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message.

22. A mobility management entity (MME) of a mobile network supporting Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice over packet-switched PS session (IMS Voice Over PS session), the MME comprising:

a control unit, configured to determine one or more user equipments;

a receiving unit, configured to receive a registration request message or a combined registration request message sent by the one or more user equipments, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message, wherein the registration accept message or the multiple combined registration messages are used to indicate to the one or more user equipments that voice over Internet Protocol IP multimedia subsystem IMS (VoIMS) is unavailable; and

a sending unit, configured to send the registration accept message or the combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments.

23. The MME according to claim 22, wherein the sending unit is further configured to:

send a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message or the combined registration request message to the MME.

24. The MME according to claim 22, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine that the MME is in network congestion.

25. The MME according to claim 23, wherein:

the receiving unit is further configured to receive cell congestion information sent by a network side device, wherein the cell congestion information comprises a cell congestion level and cell information; and

the control unit is configured to determine that the MME is in network congestion according to the cell congestion information.

26. The MME according to claim 24, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

collect congestion statistics information, wherein the congestion statistics information comprises signaling-plane congestion statistics information and a quality-of-service class identifier (QCI) bearer setup success rate that are based on a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell; and

determine that the MME is in network congestion according to the congestion statistics information.

27. The MME according to claim 22, wherein:

the receiving unit is further configured to receive user equipment information sent by a network side device, wherein the user equipment information comprises one or multiple of the following;

location information of a user equipment served by the network side device, state information of the user equipment served by the network side device, and service information of the user equipment served by the network side device; and

the control unit is specifically configured to determine the one or more user equipments according to the user equipment information.

28. The MME according to claim 23, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the combined registration request message to the MME, wherein the combined registration request message is a combined tracking area update (TAU) message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the combined TAU message;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the combined registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, wherein the combined registration accept message is a combined TAU accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the combined TAU accept message to the one or more user equipments.

29. The MME according to claim 23, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is a globally unique temporary identity (GUTI) reallocation message carrying an invalid TAI list, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is a TAU message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the TAU message sent by the one or more user equipments;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, wherein the registration accept message is a TAU accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the TAU accept message to the one or more user equipments.

30. The MME according to claim 23, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an evolved packet system (EPS) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is an attach message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the attach message sent by the one or more user equipments;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to false, to indicate that VoIMS is unavailable, wherein the registration accept message is an attach accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the attach accept message to the one or more user equipments.

31. The MME according to any one of claim 22, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to determine that the one or more user equipments are user equipments for which circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading has been performed; and

the sending unit is further configured to send, in a combined location update procedure via an SGs interface, an offload indication to a mobile switching center (MSC), wherein the offload indication is used to notify the MSC that the one or more user equipments are user equipments that have been CSFB-offloaded.

32. The MME according to any one of claim 22, wherein the control unit is further configured to mark the one or more user equipments.

33. A mobile switching center (MSC), comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive an offload indication sent by a mobility management entity (MME);

a control unit, configured to;

determine, according to the offload indication, that a user for whom circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading has been performed is an offloaded user, and

add return information to a clearing message, wherein the return information comprises fourth generation (4G) public land mobile network (PLMN) information and a CSFB indication; and

a sending unit, configured to send the clearing message to a base station or a radio network controller.

34. The MSC according to claim 33, wherein the control unit is further configured to add a tariff indication to a charging data record for the voice call fallback of the offloaded user, wherein the tariff indication is used to indicate that the offloaded user uses a same tariff policy as a voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) user.

35. The MSC according to claim 33, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine, when the offloaded user makes a voice call, that high-speed encoding and decoding is preferably used.

36. A mobility management entity (MME) of a mobile network supporting Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice over packet-switched (PS) session (IMS Voice Over PS session), the MME comprising:

a control unit, configured to determine one or more user equipments, wherein the one or more user equipments are user equipments supporting voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE);

a receiving unit, configured to receive a registration request message or a combined registration request message sent by the one or more user equipments, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a registration accept message or a combined registration accept message, wherein the registration accept message or the multiple combined registration messages are used to indicate to the one or more user equipments that voice over Internet Protocol IP multimedia subsystem IMS (VoIMS) is available; and

a sending unit, configured to send the registration accept message or the combined registration accept message to the one or more user equipments.

37. The MME according to claim 36, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send a notification message to the one or more user equipments, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message or the combined registration request message to the MME.

38. The MME according to claim 37, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the combined registration request message to the MME, wherein the combined registration request message is a combined tracking area update (TAU) message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the combined TAU message;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the combined registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, wherein the combined registration accept message is a combined TAU accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the combined TAU accept message to the one or more user equipments.

39. The MME according to claim 37, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is a globally unique temporary identity (GUTI) reallocation message carrying an invalid TAI list, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is a TAU message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the TAU message sent by the one or more user equipments;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, wherein the registration accept message is a TAU accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the TAU accept message to the one or more user equipments.

40. The MME according to claim 37, wherein:

the sending unit is configured to send the notification message to the one or more user equipments, wherein the notification message is an evolved packet system (EPS) detach message, so as to trigger the one or more user equipments to send the registration request message to the MME, wherein the registration request message is an attach message;

the receiving unit is configured to receive the attach message sent by the one or more user equipments;

the control unit is configured to set an IMS voice over PS session supported indication in the registration accept message to true, to indicate that VoIMS is available, wherein the registration accept message is an attach accept message; and

the sending unit is configured to send the attach accept message to the one or more user equipments.

41. The MME according to any one of claim 36, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) detach message to a mobile switching center MSC.

42. A mobile switching center (MSC), comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a restore indication sent by a mobility management entity (MME); and

a control unit, configured to determine and delete one or more users according to the restore indication, wherein the one or more users are users for whom circuit switched fallback (CSFB) offloading has been performed.