Method for use in a communication system

• US 7,899,448 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Molnar, Jozsef, Muhonen, Janne
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karikari; Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US10/986,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,297 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/448, 455/426.1, 455/454, 455/432.1
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for use in a communications system comprising the steps of determining if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology and obtaining from said user equipment information about said user equipment only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology, said determining comprising examining classmark information received from said user equipment; and

obtaining from said user equipment an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises determining if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology comprising a wireless access technology.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises determining if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology comprising at least one of universal mobile telecommunications system technology, release 99 of a third generation partnership project specification, and a version of the third generation partnership project specification specification.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises examining said information comprising said classmark information, wherein said classmark information is received in at least one of a mobile management location updating request and a classmark information message.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises examining said information comprising information indicating if said user equipment only supports a second technology.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said determining further comprises examining said information if said user equipment only supports said second technology comprising global system for mobile communications.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining is carried out in response to a location updating request message sent by said user equipment.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said obtaining is carried out if a Location updating type is set to at least one of international mobile subscriber identity attach, normal location updating, general packet radio service attach, combined general packet radio service and international mobile subscriber identity attach, and routing area update.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining further comprises using a mobile management identity request procedure.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining further comprises requesting said information about said user equipment from said user equipment.

11. A system, comprising:

an entity configured to determine if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology, wherein said determination comprises examining classmark information received from said user equipment,

wherein said entity is configured to request an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator from said user equipment only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said entity further comprises at least one of a mobile switching center and a serving general packet radio service support node.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a determiner configured to determine if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology, and further configured to examine classmark information received from said user equipment; and

an obtainer configured to obtain from said user equipment an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

14. A system, comprising:

determining means for determining if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology, said determining means comprising examining means for examining classmark information received from said user equipment; and

obtaining means for obtaining from said user equipment an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver processor configured to process information from a user equipment, said information comprising classmark information;

a determiner configured to use said classmark information to determine if said user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology; and

a requester configured to request an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator from said user equipment only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said first technology comprises a wireless access technology and said determiner is configured to use said classmark information to determine if said user equipment is capable of supporting said wireless access technology.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said classmark information is received in at least one of a mobile management location updating request or a classmark information message.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

receiving processing means for receiving processing information from a user equipment, said information comprising classmark information;

a determining means for using said classmark information to determine if said user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology; and

requesting means for requesting an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator from said user equipment only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.

17. A method, comprising:

determining if user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology, said determining comprising examining classmark information received from said user equipment; and

obtaining from said user equipment an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator only if said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology,

wherein said determining further comprises examining said information comprising said classmark information, wherein said classmark information is received in at least one of a mobile management location updating request and a classmark information message.

20. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

process information received from a user equipment, said information comprising classmark information;

use said classmark information to determine if said user equipment is capable of supporting a first technology; and

cause request of an indicator comprising a user equipment identity and a software version indicator from said user equipment only in an instance in which it is determined that said user equipment is capable of supporting said first technology.