EPC ENHANCEMENT FOR LONG DRX AND POWER SAVING STATE

• US 20160219511A1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Chen, Qian, Yang, Yong, Hedman, Peter, Olsson, Tony
• Application Number:
  US14/915,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and device for detecting when a mobile terminal is in a state where it is incapable of replying to a message. In a first aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method of detecting, at a mobility node in a communications network, a state where a mobile terminal is incapable of replying to a message. The method comprises receiving the message from a gateway node, and determining whether the mobile terminal is incapable of replying to the message. Further, the method comprises sending a response to the gateway node indicating that the mobile terminal is not yet capable to reply to the message.

Claims

1. A method of detecting, at a mobility node in a communications network, a state where a mobile terminal is incapable of replying to a message, the method comprising:

receiving the message from a gateway node;

determining whether the mobile terminal is incapable of replying to the message; and

sending a response to the gateway node indicating that the mobile terminal is not yet capable of replying to the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response indicates that the mobile terminal is in a long Discontinuous Reception and Transmission, DRX, cycle or that the mobile terminal is in a power saving state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the response to the gateway node further is configured to indicate an estimated time when the mobile terminal will be capable of replying to the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the estimated time is based on a DRX cycle period or on a period of an upcoming Tracking Area Update, TAU.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the response at the mobility node; and

forwarding the stored response to another serving mobility node when the mobile terminal changes to said another serving mobility node.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a service request from the mobile terminal;

sending a modify bearer request to the gateway node indicating that the mobile terminal is a capable of replying to a further message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message received at the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer request, update bearer request, delete bearer request, update Packet Data Protocol, PDP, context request, downlink data notification, delete PDP context request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response from the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer response, update bearer response, delete bearer response, update PDP context response, downlink data notification acknowledgement, delete PDP context response.

9. A method of detecting, at a gateway node in a communications network, a state where a mobile terminal is incapable of replying to a message, the method comprising:

sending the message to a mobility node; and

receiving a response from the mobility node indicating that the mobile terminal is not yet capable to reply to the message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the response indicates that the mobile terminal is in a long Discontinuous Reception and Transmission, DRX, cycle or that the mobile terminal is in a power saving state.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the response from the mobility node further is configured to indicate an estimated time when the mobile terminal will be capable of replying to the message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated time is based on a DRX cycle period or on a period of an upcoming Tracking Area Update, TAU.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the message sent to the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer request, update bearer request, delete bearer request, update Packet Data Protocol, PDP, context request, downlink data notification, delete PDP context request.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the response from the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer response, update bearer response, delete bearer response, update PDP context response, downlink data notification acknowledgement, delete PDP context response.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending the response to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, node.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a modify bearer request from the mobility node in response to a service request submitted by the mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal is capable of replying to a further message.

17. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

sending a create bearer request to the mobility node when the estimated time has passed indicating that the mobile terminal is now capable of replying to the further create bearer request.

18. A mobility node in a communications network comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said mobility node is operative to;

receive a message from a gateway node;

determine whether a mobile terminal is incapable of replying to the message; and

send a response to the gateway node indicating that the mobile terminal is not yet capable of replying to the message.

19. The mobility node of claim 18, wherein the response indicates that the mobile terminal is in a long DRX cycle or that the mobile terminal is in a power saving state.

20. The mobility node of claim 18, further being operative to:

estimate an estimated time indicating when the mobile terminal will be capable of replying to the message; and

indicate the estimated time in the response.

21. The mobility node of claim 20, wherein the estimated time is estimated based on a DRX cycle period or on a period of an upcoming TAU.

22. The mobility node of claim 18, further being operative to:

store the response; and

forward the stored response to another serving mobility node when the mobile terminal changes to said another serving mobility node.

23. The mobility node of claim 18, further being operative to:

receive a service request from the mobile terminal;

send a modify bearer request to the gateway node indicating that the mobile terminal is a capable of replying to a further message.

24. The mobility node of claim 18, wherein the message received at the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer request, update bearer request, delete bearer request, update PDP context request, downlink data notification, delete PDP context request.

25. The mobility node of claim 18, wherein the response from the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer response, update bearer response, delete bearer response, update PDP context response, downlink data notification acknowledgement, delete PDP context response.

26. The mobility node of claim 18, said mobility node being a Mobility Management Entity, MME, or a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node, SGSN.

27. A gateway node in a communications network comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said gateway node is operative to;

send a message to a mobility node; and

receive a response from the mobility node indicating that a mobile terminal is not yet capable to reply to the message.

28. The gateway node of claim 27, wherein the response indicates that the mobile terminal is in a long DRX cycle or that the mobile terminal is in a power saving state.

29. The gateway node of claim 27, wherein the response from the mobility node further is configured to indicate an estimated time when the mobile terminal will be capable of replying to the message.

30. The gateway node of claim 29, wherein the estimated time is based on a DRX cycle period or on a period of an upcoming Tracking Area Update, TAU.

31. The gateway node of claim 27, wherein the message sent to the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer request, update bearer request, delete bearer request, update Packet Data Protocol, PDP, context request, downlink data notification, delete PDP context request.

32. The gateway node of claim 27, wherein the response from the mobility node comprises any one of the group consisting of:

create bearer response, update bearer response, delete bearer response, update PDP context response, downlink data notification acknowledgement, delete PDP context response.

33. The gateway node of claim 27, further being operative to:

send the response to a PCRF node.

34. The gateway node of claim 27, further being operative to:

receive a modify bearer request from the mobility node in response to a service request submitted by the mobile terminal indicating that the mobile terminal is capable of replying to a further message.

35. The gateway node of claim 27, further being operative to:

send a create bearer request to the mobility node when the estimated time has passed indicating that the mobile terminal is now capable of replying to the further create bearer request.

36. The gateway node of claim 27, said gateway node being a Serving Gateway, SGW, a Packet Data Network Gateway, PGW, a combination of an SGW and a PGW, or a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node, GGSN.

37-40. -40. (canceled)