CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION MODE OF A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20160381573A1
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: OLSSON, Lasse, ROELAND, Dinand, TURNYI, Zoltn
• Granted Patent: US 9,906,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and network nodes of controlling a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, and managing a registered Internet Protocol (IP) address for a mobile terminal.

In a first aspect of the invention, a method performed by at least one control plane node of controlling a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network is provided. The method comprises setting the mobile terminal in idle mode and submitting an instruction to at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point (IAP) serving the mobile terminal to invalidate context for the mobile terminal held by the at least one IAP, wherein the at least one IAP invalidates at least a registered Internet Protocol (IP) address used for the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one control plane node of controlling a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, comprising:

initiating setting of the mobile terminal in idle mode; and

submitting an instruction to at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, serving the mobile terminal to invalidate context for the mobile terminal held by the at least one IAP, wherein the at least one IAP invalidates at least a registered Internet Protocol, IP, address used for the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting an instruction to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network to invalidate context for the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting a notification to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network indicating that the mobile terminal is set in idle mode.

4. The method of claim 1, the initiating further comprising:

receiving, from a base station, a message that the mobile terminal is set in idle mode by the base station.

30. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform steps recited in claim 1, when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the device.

31. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to claim 30 embodied therein.

5. A method performed by at least one control plane network node of controlling a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, comprising:

receiving a query from at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, serving the mobile terminal to obtain an indication of a current location of the mobile terminal from a Location Registry, LR, based on an Internet Protocol, IP, address of the mobile terminal included in the query; and

initiating setting of the mobile terminal in connected mode in response to said query.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

submitting a notification to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network indicating that the mobile terminal is set in connected mode.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network a query as to whether the mobile terminal is set in connected mode.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

submitting an instruction to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network to re-establish context for the mobile terminal.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network a query to receive context for the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

submitting, in response to the query from the IAP, the indication of the current location of the mobile terminal obtained from the LR.

11. A method performed by an Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, of managing context of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, comprising:

receiving an indication that context of the mobile terminal should be invalidated upon the mobile terminal being set in idle mode; and

invalidating, in response to the received indication, at least a registered Internet Protocol, IP, address used for the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, the receiving of an indication further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a control plane network node to invalidate context of the mobile terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, the receiving of an indication further comprising:

acquiring information regarding expiry of a timer specifying a time period since the mobile terminal was last active, the expiry of the timer indicating that context should be invalidated, wherein at least the registered IP address used for the mobile terminal is invalidated.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the invalidating of the registered IP address further comprises:

removing the registered IP address from a local storage of the IAP.

15. A control plane node configured to control a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, which comprises a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said control plane node is operative to:

initiate setting of the mobile terminal in idle mode; and

submit an instruction to at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, serving the mobile terminal to invalidate context for the mobile terminal held by the at least one IAP, wherein the at least one IAP invalidates at least a registered Internet Protocol, IP, address used for the mobile terminal.

16. The control plane node of claim 15, further being operative to:

submit an instruction to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network to invalidate context for the mobile terminal.

17. The control plane node of claim 15, further being operative to:

submit a notification to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network indicating that the mobile terminal is set in idle mode.

18. The control plane node of claim 15, further being operative to:

receive, from a base station, a message that the mobile terminal is set in idle mode by the base station.

19. A control plane system comprising at least two control plane nodes configured to control a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, each control plane node comprising a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said control plane system is operative to:

initiate setting of the mobile terminal in idle mode; and

submit an instruction to at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, serving the mobile terminal to invalidate context for the mobile terminal held by the at least one IAP, wherein the at least one IAP invalidates at least a registered Internet Protocol, IP, address used for the mobile terminal.

20. A control plane node configured to control a communication mode of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, which comprises a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said control plane node is operative to:

receive a query from at least one Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, serving the mobile terminal to obtain an indication of a current location of the mobile terminal from a Location Registry, LR, based on an Internet Protocol, IP, address of the mobile terminal included in the query; and

initiate setting of the mobile terminal in connected mode in response to said query.

21. The control plane node of claim 20, further being operative to:

submit a notification to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network indicating that the mobile terminal is set in connected mode.

22. The control plane node of claim 20, further being operative to:

receive from at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network a query as to whether the mobile terminal is set in connected mode.

23. The control plane node of claim 20, further being operative to:

submit an instruction to at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network to re-establish context for the mobile terminal.

24. The control plane node of claim 20, further being operative to:

receive from at least one other network element in the mobile service chaining network a query to receive context for the mobile terminal.

25. The control plane node of claim 20, further being operative to:

submit, in response to the query from the IAP, the indication of the current location of the mobile terminal obtained from the LR.

26. An Internet Protocol Advertisement Point, IAP, configured to manage context of a mobile terminal in a mobile service chaining network, which comprises a processing unit and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processing unit, whereby said IAP is operative to:

receive an indication that context of the mobile terminal should be invalidated upon the mobile terminal being set in idle mode; and

invalidate, in response to the received indication, at least a registered Internet Protocol, IP, address used for the mobile terminal.

27. The IAP of claim 26, further being operative to:

receive an instruction from a control plane network node to invalidate context of the mobile terminal.

28. The IAP of claim 26, further being operative to:

acquire information regarding expiry of a timer specifying a time period since the mobile terminal was last active, the expiry of the timer indicating that context of the mobile terminal should be invalidated, wherein at least the registered IP address used for the mobile terminal is invalidated.

29. The IAP of claim 26, further being operative to:

remove the registered IP address from a local storage of the IAP.