Small data communications in a wireless communication network

• US 8,923,210 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Puneet K., Wang, Shao-Cheng, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US14/285,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/254, 455/517, 455/466
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0038 Blind format detection for detection of modulation format H04L27/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/34 Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 : Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 : for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 : Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations for transmitting small data payloads such as, for example, Machine Type Communication (MTC) data in a wireless communication network. A system may include features to implement an interworking function (IWF) to receive, from a machine type communication (MTC) server, a trigger to send a data payload, which is smaller than a preconfigured threshold, to a user equipment (UE) over a wireless communication network, and send, over a first reference point to a first module including a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node (SGSN) or a second reference point to a second module including a Home Location Register (HLR) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), the data payload and a request to forward the data payload to the UE.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry to receive, by a machine type communications interworking function (MTC-IWF) over a first reference point from a services capability server (SCS), a device trigger request message comprising a trigger payload that is to be sent to a user equipment (UE) over a wireless communication network and to send, over a second reference point to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN), the trigger payload and a request to forward the trigger payload to the UE; and

circuitry to authorize the SCS before communication is established with the wireless communication network and to authorize control plane requests from the SCS,

wherein the MTC-IWF is to terminate the first reference point and the second reference point, hide internal public land mobile network (PLMN) topology, and relay or translate signaling protocols used over the first reference point to invoke specific functionality in the PLMN.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry to communicate over a third reference point with a Home Location Register (HLR) or Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to obtain an identity of a serving node of the UE.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the circuitry to communicate is to communicate over the third reference point with the HLR or HSS in response to receiving the device trigger message; and

the circuitry to communicate is to send the trigger payload to the MME or SGSN based on the identity of the serving node of the UE.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry to authorize the SCS before communication is established, is further to indicate that the MTC-IWF is to authenticate the SCS before control plane requests from the SCS are authorized.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MME or the SGSN is to send, to a base station of the wireless communication network, a paging message that includes a small data indicator that indicates a location of the trigger payload to be forwarded to the UE.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the MME is to send a paging message that includes the small data indicator to the base station, the small data indicator to indicate that the trigger payload is at the MME.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MME is to page the UE if the UE is in idle mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless communication network includes a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network, Evolved HSPA (E-HSPA) network, or Long Term Evolution (LTE) network; and

the wireless communication network is accessible by a GSM Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) or Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN).

9. A machine type communications interworking function (MTC-IWF) comprising:

communications interface configured to receive, over a first reference point from a services capability server (SCS), a device trigger request message comprising a trigger payload that is to be sent to a user equipment (UE) over a wireless communication network and send, over a second reference point to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN), the trigger payload and a request to forward the trigger payload to the UE; and

a processor configured to authorize the SCS before communication is established with the wireless communication network and to authorize control plane requests from the SCS,

wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to terminate the first reference point and the second reference point, hide internal public land mobile network (PLMN) topology, and relay or translate signaling protocols used over the first reference point to invoke specific functionality in the PLMN.

10. The MTC-IWF of claim 9, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate over a third reference point with a Home Location Register (HLR) or Home Subscriber Server (HSS) to obtain an identity of a serving node of the UE.

11. The MTC-IWF of claim 10, wherein:

the communications interface is configured to communicate over the third reference point with the HLR or HSS in response to receiving the device trigger message; and

the communications interface is configured to send the trigger payload to the MME or SGSN based on the identity of the serving node of the UE.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a node configured to receive, over a first reference point from a machine type communications interworking function (MTC-IWF), a trigger payload and a request to forward the trigger payload to a user equipment (UE) over a wireless communication network, wherein the trigger payload is received by the MTC-IWF over a second reference point from a services capability server (SCS) and wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to terminate the first reference point and the second reference point, hide internal public land mobile network (PLMN) topology, and relay or translate signaling protocols used over the second reference point to invoke specific functionality in the PLMN and wherein the MTC-IWF is further configured to authorize the SCS before communication is established with the wireless communication network and to authorize control plane requests from the SCS, wherein the node is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN).

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the node is to send the trigger payload to the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the node is to send the trigger payload to the UE using Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the node is to send the trigger payload to the UE in a paging message.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the node is to page the UE if the UE is in idle mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the node is to send, to a base station of the wireless communication network, a paging message that includes a small data indicator that indicates a location of the trigger payload to be forwarded to the UE.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a node of a wireless communication network over a first reference point from a machine type communications interworking function (MTC-IWF), a trigger payload and a request to forward the trigger payload to a user equipment (UE), wherein the trigger payload is received by the MTC-IWF over a second reference point from a services capability server (SCS) and wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to terminate the first reference point and the second reference point, hide internal public land mobile network (PLMN) topology, and relay or translate signaling protocols used over the second reference point to invoke specific functionality in the PLMN and wherein the MTC-IWF is further configured to authorize the SCS before communication is established with the wireless communication network and to authorize control plane requests from the SCS, wherein the node is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN); and

sending, by the node, the trigger payload to the UE.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein sending the trigger payload to the UE comprises sending the trigger payload in a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein sending the trigger payload to the UE comprises sending the trigger payload in a paging message.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

paging the UE if the UE is in idle mode.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein sending the trigger payload to the UE comprises sending, to a base station of the wireless communication network, a paging message that includes a small data indicator that indicates a location of the trigger payload to be forwarded to the UE.