DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ENABLING MATCHING PAGING OCCASIONS FOR A LIGHTLY CONNECTED WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20190320412A1
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: DREVO, Markus, AXEN, Rasmus, SCHLIWA-BERTLING, Paul, MILDH, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 10,757,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• 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

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, a method by a first network node is provided for enabling paging of a user equipment (UE) in an inactive state. The method includes the first network node receiving a UE identity index value for the UE while the UE is in a connected state or during an initial context setup for the UE. The UE identity index value is stored. The method further includes transitioning the UE from the connected state to an inactive state and using the UE identity index value that was stored while the UE was in the connected state to initiate a transmission of a page to the UE in the inactive state.

Claims

1. A method by a first network node for enabling paging of a user equipment, UE, in an inactive state, the method comprising:

while the UE is in a connected state or during an initial context setup for the UE, receiving, by the first network node, a UE identity index value for the UE;

storing the UE identity index value;

transitioning the UE from the connected state to an inactive state;

using the UE identity index value to determine a paging occasion for transmitting a page to the UE; and

transmitting the page to the UE at the paging occasion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connected state comprises a lightly connected state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.

4. The method of any of claim 1, wherein storing the UE identity index value comprises storing the UE identity index value with a UE context indicating a state of the UE as being connected.

5. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the UE identity index value is received in a message from the UE.

6. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the UE identity index value is received in a message from a core network node, the message comprising at least one of:

a handover request;

an initial context setup request;

a downlink NAS transport message; and

a Path Switch Request Acknowledge message.

7. The method of any of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first network node, the UE identity index value to a second network node for transmission of the page to the UE by the second network node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the UE identity index value is transmitted to the second network node in a paging request.

9. The method of any of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to transitioning the UE to the inactive state and while the UE is in a connected state, transmitting, by the first network node, the UE identity index value to a second network node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE identity index value is transmitted to the second network node in a message, the message comprising:

a handover request;

or

a response to a UE context request from the second network node.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network node is a target network node and the UE identity index value for the UE is received from a source network node.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE identity index value is received by the first network node or transmitted to the second network node over an X2 interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the UE from the connected state to the inactive state comprises:

transmitting a suspend or release message to the UE, the suspend or release message ordering the UE to enter the inactive state or a sleep state.

14. A first network node for enabling paging of a user equipment, UE, in an inactive state, the network node comprising:

memory storing instructions; and

processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to cause the first network node to;

while the UE is in a connected state or during an initial context setup for the UE, receive a UE identity index value for the UE;

store the UE identity index value;

transition the UE from the connected state to an inactive state;

use the UE identity index value to determine a paging occasion for transmitting a page to the UE; and

transmit the page to the UE at the paging occasion.

15. The first network node of claim 14, wherein the connected state comprises a lightly connected state.

16. The first network node of claim 14, wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.

17. The first network node of claim 14, wherein storing the UE identity index value comprises storing the UE identity index value with a UE context indicating a state of the UE as being connected.

18. The first network node of claim 14, wherein the UE identity index value is received in a message from the UE.

19. The first network node of claim 14, wherein the UE identity index value is received in a message from a core network node, the message comprising at least one of:

a handover request;

an initial context setup request;

a downlink NAS transport message; and

a Path Switch Request Acknowledge message.

20. The first network node of any of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the first network node to:

transmit the UE identity index value to a second network node (204B) for transmission of the page to the UE by the second network node.

21. The first network node of claim 20, wherein the UE identity index value is transmitted to the second network node in a paging request.

22. The first network node of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the first network node to:

prior to transitioning the UE to the inactive state and while the UE is in a connected state, transmit the UE identity index value to a second network node.

23. The first network node of claim 22, wherein the UE identity index value is transmitted to the second network node in a message, the message comprising:

a handover request;

or

a response to a UE context request from the second network node.

24. The first network node of claim 14 wherein the first network node is a target network node and the UE identity index value for the UE is received from a source network node.

25. The first network node of claim 22, wherein the UE identity index value is received by the first network node or transmitted to the second network node over an X2 interface (206).

26. The first network node of claim 14, wherein transitioning the UE from the connected state to the inactive state comprises:

transmitting a suspend or release message to the UE, the suspend or release message ordering the UE to enter the inactive state or a sleep state.

27. A method by a first network node for paging a user equipment, UE, in an inactive state, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second network node, a UE identity index value for the UE in the inactive state;

using the UE identity index value to determine a paging occasion for transmitting a page to the UE in the inactive state; and

at the paging occasion, transmitting the page to the UE in the inactive state.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the UE identity index value is received from the second network node with a paging request.

29. The method of any of claim 27, wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the UE identity index value is received from the second network node over an X2 interface.

31. A first network node for paging of a user equipment, UE, in an inactive state, the first network node comprising:

memory storing instructions; and

processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to cause the first network node to;

receive, from a second network node, a UE identity index value for the UE in the inactive state;

use the UE identity index value to determine a paging occasion for transmitting a page to the UE in the inactive state; and

at the paging occasion, transmit the page to the UE in the inactive state.

32. The first network node of claim 31, wherein the UE identity index value is received from the second network node with a paging request.

33. The first network node of claim 31 wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.

34. The first network node of claim 31, wherein the UE identity index value is received from the second network node over an X2 interface.

35. A method by a user equipment, UE, for receiving a page while in an inactive state, the method comprising:

transmitting a UE identity index value for the UE to a network node;

based on the UE identity index value, determining a paging occasion for receiving a page from the network node; and

at the paging occasion determined based on the UE identity index value, listening for the page from the network node.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

at a paging occasion determined based on the UE identity index value, receiving the page from the network node.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.

38. A user equipment, UE, for receiving a page while in an inactive state, the UE comprising:

storage storing instructions; and

processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to cause the UE to;

transmit a UE identity index value for the UE to a network node;

based on the UE identity index value, determine a paging occasion for receiving a page from the network node; and

at the paging occasion determined based on the UE identity index value, listen for the page from the network node.

39. The UE of claim 38, further comprising:

at a paging occasion determined based on the UE identity index value, receiving the page from the network node.

40. The UE of claim 38, wherein the UE identity index value comprises:

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI;

a portion of an IMSI;

or

a checksum derived from the IMSI.