Solution for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network

• US 7,460,862 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Anttalainen, Pekka, Pasanen, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/462,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/403, 455/414.1, 370/465
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

A method for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network is provided. A mobile communications network, a network element of core network, and a user equipment implement the method. The mobile communications network comprises a plurality of user equipment, a plurality of network elements, and one or more user equipment version corresponding to a user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment. At least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined signaling message transmitted from the user equipment to a network element, and at least one network element is configured to receive the signaling message and to extract the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from the signaling message.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a plurality of user equipment;

a radio access network;

a core network comprising a plurality of core network elements; and

a plurality of user equipment groups, a user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set of the user equipment in the group,

wherein at least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined non-access stratum signaling message transparently transmitted over the radio access network from the at least one user equipment to the at least one core network element, and

at least one of the core network elements is configured to receive the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message and to extract the identifier that indicates a user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message, and

the at least one of the core network element is configured to map the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.

2. A network according to claim 1, wherein the radio access network element is configured to adjust the communication with the at least one user equipment according to the received at least one user equipment specific behavior information element.

3. A network according to claim 1, wherein the defined non-access stratum signaling message is delivered using a direct transfer procedure.

4. A network according to claim 1, wherein the non-access stratum signaling message carrying the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated to one of the following signaling messages:

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

5. A network according to claim 1, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message to which the non-access stratum signaling message carrying the identifier is spontaneously integrated is a response to an identity request by a mobile communications network.

6. A method, comprising:

defining at least one user equipment version presenting a user equipment radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment;

integrating spontaneously in a user equipment an identifier that indicates a user equipment version of the user equipment within a defined non-access stratum signaling message from a user equipment to at least one core network element transparently transmitted over the radio access network;

extracting in the at least one core network element from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version; and

mapping of the received identifier to the at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and sending the at least one user equipment specific behavior information from the core network element to a radio access network element.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting an operation of the radio access network element according to the received at least one user equipment specific behavior information.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

delivering the defined non-access stratum signaling message using a direct transfer procedure.

9. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

integrating the non-access stratum signaling message carrying the identifier that indicates the user equipment version to one of the following signaling messages;

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

10. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

integrating the identifier that indicates the user equipment version together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message to which the non-access stratum signaling message carrying the identifier is spontaneously integrated is a response to an identity request by the network.

11. An apparatus, comprising

at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,

wherein the apparatus is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined non-access stratum signaling message for transparent transmission over the radio access network from the at least one user equipment to at least one core network element.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user equipment is configured to deliver the defined non-access stratum signaling message using a direct transfer procedure.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user equipment is configured to integrate the non-access stratum signaling message carrying the identifier that indicates the user equipment version into one of the following signaling messages:

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user equipment is configured to integrate the identifier that indicates the user equipment version together with at least one other identity information element, and integrate the identifier in a response to an identity request by a mobile communications network.

15. An apparatus, comprising

at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,

wherein the apparatus is an element of the core network and configured to receive an identifier that indicates a user equipment version within a defined transparently over the radio access network transmitted non-access stratum signaling message, the identifier being spontaneously integrated to the non-access stratum signaling message by at least one user equipment, the user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment, and

the core network element is configured to extract from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message;

and

the apparatus is configured to map the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive the defined non-access stratum signaling message using a direct transfer procedure.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive the identifier that indicates the user equipment version integrated together with at least one other identity information element within a response to an identity request.

18. A mobile communications network, comprising:

user equipment means;

a radio access network;

a core network comprising plurality of core network means; and

user equipment group means, a user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set of the user equipment in the group,

wherein

at least one user equipment means is provided for spontaneously integrating an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined non-access stratum signaling message transparently transmitted over the radio access network from the at least one user equipment to the at least one core network means, and

at least one core network means is provided for receiving the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message and for extracting the identifier that indicates a user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message; and

the at least one core network means is provided for mapping the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and for sending the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.

19. A method, comprising:

defining at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,

wherein the apparatus is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined non-access stratum signaling message for transparent transmission over the radio access network from the at least one user equipment to at least one core network element.

20. A method, comprising:

defining at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,

wherein the apparatus is an element of the core network and configured to receive an identifier that indicates a user equipment version within a defined transparently over the radio access network transmitted non-access stratum signaling message, the identifier being spontaneously integrated to the non-access stratum signaling message by at least one user equipment, the user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment, and

the core network element is configured to extract from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message; and

the apparatus is configured to map the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.