Method for updating UE capability information in a mobile telecommunications network

• US 8,699,997 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Mildh, Gunnar, Lindstrm, Magnus, Nordstrand, Ingrid, Rcz, Andrs, Wallentin, Pontus
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/745,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20100330959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-436, 4554561-457, 455/410, 455/442, 370328-338
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for handling UE capability information a mobile telecommunications network wherein an eNodeB (100) receives (60) information regarding the UE capability information from the UE (120) and stores (70) the information. The eNodeB (100) sends (80) the UE capability information to the EPC, i.e. the MME (130). The MME (130) receives and stores (90) the UE capability information. When the UE (120) transits from idle to active state, does an initial attach or when a part of the UE capabilities have changed, it sends (10) a message Ma to the eNodeB (100) regarding the update. The eNodeB (100) receives the message and sends (20) it to the MME (130). The MME (130) sends (30) a response associated with the previously stored UE capability information to the eNodeB (100). The eNodeB (100) decides (40) if the UE capabilities stored in the MME (130) is up-to-date based on the message sent from the UE (120) and the received response from the MME (130). If the UE (120) holds updated UE capabilities the eNodeB (100) could request (50) updated UE capability information from the UE (120).

Claims

1. A method for a core network node of handling capability information of a user equipment (UE) for a mobile telecommunications network including at least one UE and at least one eNodeB, comprising:

receiving a first message that includes UE capability information, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information;

storing received UE capability information;

receiving a second message that includes information indicative of UE capabilities; and

sending to the eNodeB, in response to the second message, a third message associated with UE capability information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message (Ma) includes non-access stratum (NAS) security capabilities of the UE;

the method further comprises deriving UE access stratum (AS) security capabilities from the NAS security capabilities; and

the third message includes UE AS security capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes a value tag indicating a version of the UE capability information included in the first message;

the method further comprises storing the value tag;

the second message includes a value tag indicating the version of the UE capability information; and

the third message includes stored UE capability information and a stored value tag.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the value tag in the second message refers to a previously stored value tag, and the third message includes a previously stored value tag and corresponding stored UE capability information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of the UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message includes a flag which indicates whether UE capability needs to be updated;

when the flag is not set, the third message includes stored UE capability information; and

when the flag is set, the third message includes UE capability information set to zero and the method further comprises either erasing stored UE capability information or marking stored UE capability information as outdated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE capability information in the first message is a part of the UE capabilities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the core network node is a Mobility Management Entity.

9. A method for an eNodeB of handling capability information of a user equipment (UE) for a mobile telecommunications network including at least one UE and at least one core network node, comprising:

receiving a first message comprising UE capability information, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information;

storing received UE capability information;

sending a second message comprising UE capability information;

receiving from a UE a third message comprising information indicative of the UE'"'"'s capabilities;

sending the third message indicative of the UE capabilities;

receiving from the core network node, in response to the third message, a fourth message associated with UE capability information.

10. The method claim 9, wherein the third message comprises non-access stratum (NAS) security capabilities of the UE;

the fourth message comprises UE access stratum security capabilities derived from the UE NAS security capabilities; and

the method further comprises sending to the UE a request for the UE'"'"'s capability information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first message includes UE capability information and a first value tag indicating a version of the included UE capability information;

and the method further comprises;

storing the value tag, wherein the third message comprises the value tag indicating the version of the UE capability information, and the fourth message comprises the UE capability information and the value tag stored in the core network node;

comparing the value tag received from the core network node with the value tag received from the UE; and

when the value tag indicates updated UE capabilities in UE, sending a request for the UE capability information to the UE.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the value tag in the third message refers to a previously stored value tag, and the fourth message comprises a previously stored value tag and corresponding stored UE capability information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of the UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the third message comprises a flag which indicates whether the UE capabilities need to be updated;

when the flag is not set, the fourth message comprises UE capability associated information stored in the core network node;

when the flag is set, the fourth message comprises UE capability information set to zero; and

the method further comprises sending to the UE a request for the UE'"'"'s capability information.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE capability information in the first message and the second message is a part of the UE capabilities.

16. A method for a user equipment (UE) having associated UE capabilities of handling UE capability information in a mobile telecommunication network including a core network node and an eNodeB, comprising:

sending a first message comprising UE capability information of the UE, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information; and

sending a second message comprising information indicative of the UE capabilities.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second message comprises non-access stratum security capabilities of the UE, and the method further comprises receiving from the eNodeB a request for UE capability information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first message comprises UE capability information and a first value tag indicating a version of the comprised UE capability information;

the second message comprises a value tag indicating a version of the UE capability information; and

when the value tag indicates updated UE capabilities, the method further comprises receiving from the eNodeB a request for the UE capability information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second message comprises a flag which indicates whether UE capabilities need to be updated;

and when the flag is set, the method further comprises receiving from the eNodeB a request for the UE capability information.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the UE capability information in the first message is a part of the UE capabilities.

22. A core network node for handling capability information of a user equipment (UE) for a mobile telecommunications network including at least one UE and at least one eNodeB, comprising:

a transceiver configured for receiving a first message comprising UE capability information, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information, for storing received UE capability information, for receiving a second message comprising information indicative of UE capabilities, and for sending to the eNodeB, in response to the second message, a third message associated with UE capability information.

23. The core network node of claim 22, wherein the second message comprises non-access stratum (NAS) security capabilities of the UE;

the core network node comprises a processor configured to derive UE access stratum (AS) security capabilities from the NAS security capabilities; and

the third message comprises the UE AS security capabilities.

24. The core network node of claim 22, wherein the first message comprises a value tag indicating a version of the comprised UE capability information;

the core network node comprises a processor configured to store the value tag;

the second message comprises the value tag indicating the version of the UE capability information; and

the third message comprises the stored UE capability information and the stored value tag.

25. The core network node of claim 24, wherein the value tag in the second message refers to a previously stored value tag, and the third message comprises the previously stored value tag and corresponding stored UE capability information.

26. The core network node of claim 24, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of the UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

27. The core network node of claim 22, wherein the second message comprises a flag which indicates whether a capability of the UE needs to be updated;

when the flag is not set, the third message comprises stored UE capability associated information; and

when the flag is set, the third message comprises UE capability information set to zero and the core network node further comprises a processor configured to erase stored UE capability information or to mark stored UE capability information as outdated.

28. The core network node of claim 22, wherein the UE capability information in the first message is a part of the UE capabilities.

29. The core network node of claim 22, wherein the core network node is a Mobility Management Entity.

30. An eNodeB for handling capability information of a user equipment (UE) for a mobile telecommunication network including at least one UE and at least one core network node, comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a first message comprising UE capability information, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information, to store the UE capability information, to send a second message comprising UE capability information, to receive a third message comprising information indicative of the UE capabilities from the UE, to send a third message indicative of the UE capabilities, and to receive in response to a third message a fourth message associated with UE capability information from the core network node.

31. The eNodeB of claim 30, wherein the third message comprises NAS security capabilities of the UE;

the fourth message comprises UE access stratum security capabilities derived from UE non-access stratum security capabilities; and

the transceiver is further configured to send a request for the UE capability information to the UE.

32. The eNodeB of claim 30, wherein the first message comprises UE capability information and a first value tag indicating a version of the comprised UE capability information;

the transceiver is further configured to store the value tag;

the third message comprises the value tag;

the fourth message comprises the UE capability information and the value tag stored in the core network node;

the transceiver is further configured to compare a value tag received from the core network node with a value tag received from the UE; and

if the value tag indicates updated UE capabilities in UE, the transceiver is further configured to send a request for the UE capability information to the UE.

33. The eNodeB of claim 32, wherein the value tag in the third message refers to a previously stored value tag, and the fourth message comprises the previously stored value tag and corresponding stored UE capability information.

34. The eNodeB of claim 32, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of the UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

35. The eNodeB of claim 30, wherein the third message comprises a flag which indicates whether a capability of the UE needs to be updated;

when the flag is not set, the fourth message comprises the UE capability associated information stored in the core network node;

when the flag is set, the fourth message comprises UE capability information set to zero; and

the transceiver is configured to send a request for the UE capability information to the UE.

36. The eNodeB of claim 30, wherein the UE capability information in the first message and second message is a part of the UE capabilities.

37. A user equipment (UE), having associated with UE capabilities, for handling UE capability information in a mobile telecommunication network including a core network node and an eNodeB, comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a first message comprising UE capability information of the UE and to send a second message comprising information indicative of the UE capabilities, wherein the UE capability information includes UE radio capability information.

38. The UE of claim 37, wherein the second message comprises non-access stratum security capabilities of the UE, and the UE further comprises a receiver configured to receive a request for the UE capability information from the eNodeB.

39. The UE of claim 37, wherein the first message comprises UE capability information and a first value tag indicating a version of the comprised UE capability information;

the second message comprises the value tag indicating the version of the UE capability information of the UE; and

if the value tag indicates updated UE capabilities, the receiver is further configured to receive a request for the UE capability information from the eNodeB.

40. The UE of claim 39, wherein the value tag is an integer number incremented after a change of the UE capabilities or a value calculated from present UE capabilities.

41. The UE of claim 37, wherein the second message comprises a flag which indicates whether the UE capabilities need to be updated;

and when the flag is set, the receiver is further configured to receive a request for the UE capability information from the eNodeB.

42. The UE of claim 37, wherein the UE capability information in the first message is a part of the UE capabilities.