METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING BEARER DURING X2 HANDOVER

• US 20190327646A1
• Filed: 04/22/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: GOYAL, Nitin
• Granted Patent: US 11,012,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0079 in case of hand-off failure or rejection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a communication scheme and system for converging a 5^th generation (5G) communication system for supporting a data rate higher than that of a 4^th generation (4G) system with an internet of things (IoT) technology. The disclosure is applicable to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, health care, digital education, retail, and security and safety-related services) based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology. A mobility management entity (MME) and a bearer management method of the MME during an X2 handover in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes receiving, from a source base station, a response message related to a radio access bearer (RAB) of a network and including information indicating whether the X2 handover is triggered, starting a timer based on the response message, and resuming, based on an expiration of the timer, a procedure for managing the RAB of the network with a target base station.

Claims

1. A bearer management method of a mobility management entity (MME) during an X2 handover in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source base station, a response message related to a radio access bearer (RAB) of a network and including information indicating whether the X2 handover is triggered;

starting a timer based on the response message; and

resuming, based on an expiration of the timer, a procedure for managing the RAB of the network with a target base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message corresponds to an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) RAB (E-RAB) setup response message corresponding to an E-RAB setup request message or an E-RAB modify response message corresponding to an E-RAB modify request message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a path switch request message is received from the target base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resuming of the procedure comprises, when the path switch request message is received from the target base station before the expiration of the timer, transmitting, to the target base station, a message for requesting establishing or modifying of an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) RAB (E-RAB).

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, to a serving gateway (S-GW), a successful bearer management response message (successful create/update bearer response).

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the resuming of the procedure comprises, when the path switch request message is not received before the expiration of the timer, transmitting, to a serving gateway (S-GW), an unsuccessful bearer management response message including information indicating that there are no available resources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a serving gateway (S-GW), a bearer management request message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the response message does not include the information indicating that the X2 handover is triggered, transmitting, to a serving gateway (S-GW), an unsuccessful bearer response message including information indicating that there are no available resources.

9. A mobility management entity (MME) performing bearer management during an X2 handover in a wireless communication system, the MME comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller configured to;

control the transceiver to receive, from a source base station, a response message related to a radio access bearer (RAB) of a network and including information indicating whether the X2 handover is triggered,

start a timer based on the response message, and

resume, based on an expiration of the timer, a procedure for managing the RAB of the network with a target base station.

10. The MME of claim 9, wherein the response message corresponds to an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) RAB (E-RAB) setup response message corresponding to an E-RAB setup request message or an E-RAB modify response message corresponding to an E-RAB modify request message.

11. The MME of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a path switch request message is received from the target base station.

12. The MME of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to, when the path switch message is received from the target base station before the expiration of the timer, transmit, to the target base station, a message for requesting establishing or modifying of an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) RAB (E-RAB).

13. The MME of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to transmit, to a serving gateway (S-GW), a successful bearer management response message.

14. The MME of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to, when the path switch message is not received from the target base station before the expiration of the timer, transmit, to a serving gateway (S-GW), an unsuccessful bearer management response message including information indicating that there are no available resources.

15. The MME of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to receive, from a serving gateway (S-GW), a bearer management request message.

16. The MME of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to, when the response message does not indicate that the X2 handover is triggered, transmit, to a serving gateway (S-GW), an unsuccessful bearer response message including information indicating that there are no available resources.