Optimization of 3GPP network attachment

• US 8,582,515 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Schuringa, Jon, Bachmann, Jens, Hirano, Jun, Ikeda, Shinkichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jianye
• Application Number:
  US12/935,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20110110249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

The current invention relates to a method for a network attachment procedure and a user equipment in a wireless mobile network, the wireless mobile network comprising a user equipment with a temporary identity and at least one mobility management entity. The method comprises the steps of providing an estimation whether the user equipment is unknown at the mobility management entity and sending the user equipment'"'"'s temporary identity during the network attachment procedure. If the user equipment has been estimated to be unknown at the at least one mobility management entity, the user equipment'"'"'s identity is sent during the network attachment procedure. These steps are carried out by the user equipment.

Claims

1. A network connection establishment method carried out by a user equipment in a mobile communication system, wherein the mobile communication system comprises plural access networks with different technologies and a plurality of mobility management entities, and wherein the user equipment has plural identities and is within a first of the plural access networks, the method comprising:

receiving, via the first of the plural access networks, an indication message indicating whether a context of the user equipment is available at one of the plurality of mobility management entities;

determining, based on the received indication message, whether the context of the user equipment is valid;

selecting, based on the determining result, which one of the user equipment'"'"'s plural identities is to be used for establishing a connection to the first or a second of the plural access networks; and

transmitting the selected user equipment'"'"'s identity to the one of the first or the second of the plural access networks, to which a connection is to be established by the user equipment.

2. The network connection establishment method according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment'"'"'s selected identity is transmitted, when the user equipment moves to the second of the plural access networks and when a connection is to be established to the second of the plural access networks.

3. The network connection establishment method according to claim 1, wherein the indication message is attached to an already existing message.

4. The network connection establishment method according to claim 3, wherein the existing message is an access network discovery and selection function message.

5. A user equipment in a mobile communication system carrying out a network connection establishment method, wherein the mobile communication system comprises plural access networks with different technologies and a plurality of mobility management entities, and wherein the user equipment has plural identities and is within a first of the plural access networks, the user equipment comprising:

a receiving unit that receives, via the first of the plural access networks, an indication message indicating whether a context of the user equipment is available at one of the plurality of mobility management entities;

a determining unit that determines, based on the received indication message, whether the context of the user equipment is valid;

a selecting unit that selects, based on the determination result, which one of the user equipment'"'"'s plural identities is to be used for establishing a connection to the first or a second of the plural access networks; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the user equipment'"'"'s selected identity to the one of the first or the second of the plural access networks, to which a connection is to be established by the user equipment.

6. The user equipment according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the user equipment'"'"'s selected identity, when the user equipment moves to the second of the plural access networks and when a connection is to be established to the second of the plural access networks.