Communication node and network node

• US 8,886,167 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Aso, Keigo, Ikeda, Shinkichi, Aoyama, Takahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/635,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/445, 455/520, 455/406, 455/411, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/414.2, 455/456.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 370/328, 370/252, 370/254, 370/338, 370/432, 370/401, 370/255, 370/400, 370/389, 370/327, 370/352, 709/231, 709/217, 709/224, 709/227, 710/1
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a technique to enable a communication node to acquire predetermined newer information (e.g., configuration information) held by another communication node while minimizing power consumption by communication nodes. According to the technique, when receiving a request for configuration information from a new MTC device 100, a MME 220 checks whether an existing MTC device 110 as a request target for configuration information connects or not. When the existing MTC device does not connect, the new MTC device is notified of time information (e.g., next connection time of the existing MTC device, a next connection time of a new MTC device or a next connection time zone of the new MTC device). This time information enables the new MTC device to specify a time after the MME acquires and holds the configuration information from the existing MTC device. The new MTC device reconnects based on this time information, whereby the new MTC device can acquire desired configuration information from the MME.

Claims

1. A network node in a communication system including an existing communication node already connected to a network under management of the network node and including a new communication node newly connecting to the network to acquire predetermined information of the existing communication node, comprising:

a connection checking unit configured to check whether the existing communication node connects or not to the network when receiving a request for the predetermined information from the new communication node;

a first predetermined information acquisition unit configured to request the predetermined information from the existing communication node and acquire the predetermined information from the existing communication node when the connection checking unit confirms that the existing communication node connects to the network;

a first predetermined information notification unit configured to notify the new communication node of the predetermined information acquired by the first predetermined information acquisition unit;

a time information notification unit configured to notify the new communication node of time information to allow the new communication node to decide a next connection time, when the connection checking unit confirms that the existing communication node does not connect to the network;

a second predetermined information acquisition unit configured to request the predetermined information from the existing communication node and acquire the predetermined information from the existing communication node, when a connection of the existing communication node to the network is confirmed after notification of the time information to the new communication node by the time information notification unit;

a predetermined information holding unit configured to hold the predetermined information acquired by the second predetermined information acquisition unit; and

a second predetermined information notification unit configured to notify the new communication node of the predetermined information held by the predetermined information holding unit, when a connection of the new communication node to the network based on the time information is confirmed.

2. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the time information includes a next connection time of the existing communication node to the network.

3. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the time information includes a next connection time of the new communication node to the network.

4. The network node according to claim 3, further comprising a connection time decision unit configured to decide a next connection time of the new communication node to the network so that the next connection time of the new communication node to the network is a time later than a next connection time of the existing communication node to the network.

5. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the time information includes a next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network.

6. The network node according to claim 5, further comprising a connection time zone decision unit configured to decide a next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network so that the next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network is a time zone later than a next connection time zone of the existing communication node to the network.

7. The network node according to claim 1, wherein when identification information of the existing communication node is notified from the new communication node with the request for the predetermined information, the connection checking unit is configured to check whether the existing communication node specified by the identification information connects or not to the network.

8. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the connection checking unit is configured to specify the existing communication node located geographically close to the new communication node, and check whether the specified existing communication node connects or not to the network.

9. A communication node operating as a new communication node in a communication system including an existing communication node already connected to a network under management of a network node and including the new communication node newly connecting to the network to acquire predetermined information of the existing communication node, comprising:

a first predetermined information request unit configured to transmit a request for the predetermined information to the network node;

a first predetermined information acquisition unit configured to receive the predetermined information from the network node as a response to the request for the predetermined information by the first predetermined information request unit;

a time information reception unit configured to receive time information to decide a next connection time of the new communication node as a response to the request for the predetermined information by the first predetermined information request unit;

a connection time decision unit configured to decide a next connection time of the new communication node to the network on a basis of the time information;

a second predetermined information request unit configured to connect to the network at the connection time decided by the connection time decision unit to transmit a request for the predetermined information to the network node; and

a second predetermined information acquisition unit configured to receive the predetermined information from the network node as a response to the request for the predetermined information by the second predetermined information request unit.

10. The communication node according to claim 9, wherein the time information includes a next connection time of the existing communication node to the network.

11. The communication node according to claim 10, wherein the connection time decision unit is configured to decide a next connection time of the new communication node to the network so that the next connection time of the new communication node to the network is at a time later than a next connection time of the existing communication node to the network.

12. The communication node according to claim 9, wherein the time information includes a next connection time of the new communication node to the network.

13. The communication node according to claim 9, wherein the time information includes a next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network.

14. The communication node according to claim 13, wherein the connection time decision unit is configured to decide any time in the next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network as a next connection time zone of the new communication node to the network.

15. The communication node according to claim 9, wherein the first predetermined information request unit is configured to make a notification of identification information of the existing communication node as well as the request for the predetermined information.

16. A communication node operating as an existing communication node in a communication system including the existing communication node already connected to a network under management of a network node and including a new communication node newly connecting to the network to acquire predetermined information of the existing communication node, comprising:

a predetermined information request reception unit configured to receive a request for the predetermined information from the network node during a connection to the network; and

a predetermined information notification unit configured to notify the network node of the predetermined information as a response to the request for the predetermined information.

17. The communication node according to claim 16, further comprising a next connection time notification unit configured to notify the network node of a next connection time to the network, prior to disconnection of a connection to the network.

18. The communication node according to claim 16, further comprising a connection time decision unit configured to shorten an ending time of a typically allocated accessible time interval to the network to shorten the accessible time interval and set a time included in the shortened accessible time interval as a next connection time to the network, when there is information to be reported preferentially.