Paging method, location update method and device

• US 8,837,325 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Tao, Lin, Bo, Xiong, Xin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US13/283,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20120039246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370254-255, 370310-350, 370/395.2, 370400-401, 455/404.2, 4554141-4143, 4554221-423, 455/426.1, 455/434, 455/440, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A paging method may reduce signaling overhead of system paging and save system paging resources. The method includes: receiving, by an eNodeB, a paging message, where the paging message carries a tracking area identity; paging a user equipment if the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB; and instructing a relay to page. A location update method is also disclosed, which reduces signaling load produced by location update. The method includes: generating, by a relay, a system message, where the system message includes a tracking area identity of the relay; and broadcasting the system message, and triggering a user equipment in a cell of the relay to initiate a location update request. The embodiments of the present invention disclose an eNodeB, a relay, a communication system.

Claims

1. A paging method, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by an eNodeB, a paging message, wherein the paging message carries a tracking area identity;

paging, by the eNodeB, a user equipment if the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB; and

instructing, by the eNodeB, a relay to page the user equipment if the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the relay of the eNodeB.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the eNodeB receives the paging message, the method further comprises:

forwarding, by the eNodeB, a location update request message of the user equipment;

wherein the tracking area identity in the location update request message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB when the user equipment camps on a cell of the eNodeB; and

the tracking area identity in the location update request message is the tracking area identity of the relay when the user equipment camps on a cell of the relay.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the location update request message comprises an access domain message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein when the user equipment camps on the cell of the relay, the tracking area identity of the relay is:

obtained by the user equipment from the relay and added to the location update request message;

or added by the relay to the location update request message;

or obtained by the eNodeB from the relay and added to the location update request message.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the tracking area identity of the relay is obtained by the user equipment from the relay comprises:

receiving, by the user equipment, the tracking area identity of the relay broadcasted by the relay when accessing the cell of the relay.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the eNodeB, a first mapping relationship or a second mapping relationship;

wherein the first mapping relationship is a mapping relationship between the relay of the eNodeB and the tracking area of the relay; and

the second mapping relationship is a mapping relationship among the relay of the eNodeB, the tracking area of the relay, and user equipment camping on a cell of the relay;

determining, by the eNodeB, whether the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB or the relay of the eNodeB according to the first or second mapping relationship.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the eNodeB, the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay reported by the relay after the relay of the eNodeB moves to a cell of the eNodeB or after the relay powers on; and

recording, by the eNodeB, the received identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay into the first or second mapping relationship.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

updating, by the eNodeB, the second mapping relationship according to the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay, and user equipment identity;

wherein the identity of the relay is added by the relay to the location update request message.

9. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprises:

sending, by the eNodeB, a message including the tracking area identity of the relay to Mobility Management Entity (MME).

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the eNodeB determining the first or second mapping relationship comprises:

determining, by the eNodeB, the first or second mapping relationship by querying a mapping table or database.

11. A location update method, wherein the method comprises:

generating, by a relay, a system message, wherein the system message carries a tracking area identity of the relay; and

broadcasting, by the relay, the system message directly to a plurality of user equipments (UEs), and

triggering the plurality of UEs in a cell of the relay to initiate a location update request.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein before the relay generates the system message, the method further comprises:

reporting, by the relay, the identity of the relay and the tracking area identity of the relay to an eNodeB after the relay moves to a cell of the eNodeB or after the relay powers on.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein after the relay broadcasts the system message, the method further comprises:

forwarding, by the relay, the location update request message of the user equipment to an eNodeB; and

adding the identity of the relay to the forwarded location update request message.

14. An eNodeB, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive a paging message, wherein the paging message carries a tracking area identity; and

a paging module, configured to page a user equipment when the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB; and

instruct a relay to page the user equipment when the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the relay of the eNodeB.

15. The eNodeB according to claim 14, further comprising:

a forwarding module, configured to forward a location update request message of the user equipment;

wherein the tracking area identity in the location update request message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB when the user equipment camps on a cell of the eNodeB; and

the tracking area identity in the location update request message is the tracking area identity of the relay when the user equipment camps on a cell of the relay.

16. The eNodeB according to claim 14, further comprising:

a first determination module, configured to determine a first mapping relationship or a second mapping relationship;

wherein the first mapping relationship is a mapping relationship between the relay of the eNodeB and the tracking area of the relay; and

the second mapping relationship is a mapping relationship among the relay of the eNodeB, the tracking area of the relay, and user equipment camping on a cell of the relay; and

a second determination module, configured to determine whether the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB or the relay of the eNodeB according to the first or second mapping relationship.

17. The eNodeB according to claim 16, wherein the receiving module is further configured to receive the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay reported by the relay after the relay moves to a cell of the eNodeB or after the relay powers on;

and

the eNodeB further comprises;

a recording module, configured to record the received identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay into the first or second mapping relationship.

18. The eNodeB according to claim 17, further comprising:

an updating module, configured to update the second mapping relationship according to the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay in the location update request message, and user equipment identity;

wherein the identity of the relay is added by the relay to the location update request message.

19. The eNodeB according to claim 16, wherein the first determining module is further configured to determine the first or second mapping relationship by querying a mapping table or database.

20. A relay, comprising:

a generating module, configured to generate a system message, wherein the system message carries a tracking area identity of the relay; and

a broadcasting module, configured to broadcast the system message directly to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) and trigger the plurality of UEs in a cell of the relay to initiate a location update request.

21. The relay according to claim 20, further comprising:

a reporting module, configured to report the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay to an eNodeB after the relay moves to a cell of the eNodeB or after the relay powers on.

22. The relay according to claim 20, further comprising:

a forwarding module, configured to forward the location update request message of the user equipment to an eNodeB; and

an adding module, configured to add the identity of the relay to the location update request message forwarded by the forwarding module.

23. A communication system, comprising:

the relay according to claim 20;

an eNodeB configured to receive the identity of the relay and tracking area identity of the relay reported by the relay,

wherein the relay is configured to forward a location update request message of a user equipment to the eNodeB and add the identity of the relay to the forwarded location update request message.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program instruction code for performing a mobile paging operation, the instruction code being executable by a computer unit to cause the computer unit to perform acts of:

receiving a paging message, wherein the paging message carries a tracking area identity;

paging a user equipment if the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the eNodeB; and

instructing a relay to page the user equipment if the tracking area identity in the paging message is the tracking area identity of the relay of the eNodeB.