Enabling circuit-switched services during mobility management congestion control

• US 8,665,716 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heikkinen, Ilkka Mikael, Niemi, Marko Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaur, Pamit
• Application Number:
  US13/347,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20120294144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

A method is provided that includes causing transmission of a first mobility management (MM) message from a UE to a core network including packet-switched (PS) and circuit-switched (CS) domains. The method may include causing transmission of the first MM message to a PS-domain component, and receiving a rejection message from the PS-domain component in response thereto. The rejection message indicates congestion as a cause for rejection of the first MM message. In response to receipt of the rejection message, the method may include running a back-off timer. While the back-off timer is running in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, the method may include causing transmission of a second MM message from the UE to a CS-domain component. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.

Claims

1. Apparatus for enabling circuit-switched services, the apparatus comprising:

a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus at least;

to cause transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, such that a said first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of said packet-switched domain, the user equipment being arranged to receive a rejection message from said packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and

to cause the back-off timer to run in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;

wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the apparatus to cause transmission of a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain, while the back-off timer is running.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, the apparatus being caused to run the back-off timer starting with the value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, the processor system being arranged to cause the apparatus to:

cause transmission of the second mobility management message from the user equipment to a said component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, and while the back-off timer is running.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, the apparatus being arranged such that transmission of the first mobility management message includes transmission of at least one of:

a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises at least one processor and at least one memory device of a mobile phone, the at least one processor being directly or indirectly connected to one or more other components of the mobile phone.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more other components of the mobile phone include:

user interface circuitry; and

user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display.

7. Apparatus for enabling circuit-switched services, the apparatus comprising:

a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus at least;

to be capable of receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being receivable at a component of the packet-switched domain;

to detect congestion in the core network, and in response thereto;

to cause transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to said user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message;

wherein receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,

wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer, and

wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, the apparatus being arranged such that said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causing the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the first mobility management message received at said core network can include at least one of:

a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.

10. A method for enabling circuit-switched services, the method comprising:

causing transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, wherein the first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of the packet-switched domain;

receiving a rejection message at the user equipment from the packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and

running the back-off timer in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;

wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, and

wherein running the back-off timer includes running the back-off timer starting with the value.

12. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

transmitting a said second mobility management message from the user equipment to the component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted and while the back-off timer is running.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first mobility management message includes at least one of:

a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.

14. A method for enabling circuit-switched services, the method comprising:

receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being received at a component of the packet-switched domain;

detecting congestion in the core network, and in response thereto, causing transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to the user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message,

wherein receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,

wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer,

wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, and wherein receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causes the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first mobility management message includes at least one of a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to cause an apparatus:

to cause transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, such that said first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of said packet-switched domain, the user equipment being arranged to receive a rejection message from said packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and

to cause the back-off timer to run in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;

wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the apparatus to cause transmission of a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain, while the back-off timer is running.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, the instructions being such that the apparatus is caused to run the back-off timer starting with the value.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, the instructions being such that the processor system causes the apparatus to:

cause transmission of the second mobility management message from said user equipment to said component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, and while the back-off timer is running.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, the instructions being such that transmission of the first mobility management message includes transmission of at least one of:

a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the processing system comprises at least one processor and at least one memory device of a mobile phone, the at least one processor being directly or indirectly connected to one or more other components of the mobile phone.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the one or more other components of the mobile phone include:

user interface circuitry; and

user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to cause an apparatus:

to be capable of receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being receivable at a component of the packet-switched domain;

to detect congestion in the core network, and in response thereto;

to cause transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to said user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message;

wherein receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,

wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer, and

wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, the instructions being such that said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causing the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, the instructions being such that the apparatus is arranged such that the first mobility management message received at said core network can include at least one of:

a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.