Method and Apparatus for Closed Subscriber Group Information Transmission

• US 20170105128A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: XU, Xiang, CHIBA, Tsunehiko, SELVAGANAPATHY, Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 10,341,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method comprises responsive to adding of an additional base station for a user equipment, said additional base station having a closed subscriber cell, causing a message to be transmitted to a network entity, said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with said additional base station.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to;

responsive to adding of an additional base station for a user equipment, said additional base station having a closed subscriber cell, cause a message to be transmitted to a network entity, said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with said additional base station.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said message further comprises at least one of:

information of bearers allocated to one or more closed subscriber cells;

information about radio access bearers to be switched;

bearer type information;

downlink tunnel endpoints;

information indicating if a UE is single or dual connectivity mode;

access mode information;

closed subscriber group information and closed subscriber membership status information.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said access mode information indicates that said access mode is set to hybrid access mode.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least one of said access mode information, closed subscriber group information and closed subscriber membership status information is related to the secondary cell group.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said message comprises at least one of path switch request message and an S1 message.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to receive update information indicating an updated membership of a user equipment to a closed subscriber cell.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the updated membership closed subscriber cell is of the master base station or the at least one added base station.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to cause resources associated with the updated membership of said user equipment to be released or modified.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said the update information comprises information of a bearer or closed subscriber group for the updated membership.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to provide said update information to at least one additional base station.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to send closed subscriber identity information of said additional base station and a current base station, and receive membership status of the added base station prior to the addition of said additional base station.

31. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a message, said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with an added base station, said added base station being added for a user equipment and having a closed subscriber cell.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to determine a change in membership of the user equipment of the closed subscriber group and cause a user context modification request to be sent to a base station.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said user context modification request comprises at least one of closed subscriber group membership status and the cell group with which said closed subscriber group membership status is associated.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to determine that said user context modification request has not released one or more resources of said user equipment associated with the closed subscriber group and cause a bearer modification or bearer release or user equipment release message to be sent.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to send a GTP message indicating closed subscriber information for each bearer.

36. A method comprising:

responsive to adding of an additional base station for a user equipment, said additional base station having a closed subscriber cell, causing a message to be transmitted to a network entity, said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with said additional base station.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said message further comprises at least one of:

information of bearers allocated to one or more closed subscriber cells;

information about radio access bearers to be switched;

bearer type information;

downlink tunnel endpoints;

information indicating if a UE is single or dual connectivity mode;

access mode information;

closed subscriber group information and closed subscriber membership status information.

38. A method comprising:

receiving a message, said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with an added base station, said added base station being added for a user equipment and having a closed subscriber cell.

39. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions which when run cause a message to be transmitted to a network entity, responsive to adding of an additional base station for a user equipment, wherein said additional base station having a closed subscriber cell and said message comprising information identifying a closed subscriber group associated with said additional base station.