MTC service activation

• US 8,995,336 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Diachina, John, Molander, Anders, Bergstrm, Andreas, Persson, Claes-Gran, Schliwa-Bertling, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/090,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20110280184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 455/403, 455/466
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

An MTC device activates an MTC service by first performing an MTC device attachment procedure to attach to a mobile communication network. After the MTC device is attached to the mobile communication network, the MTC device activates a packet data protocol context for the MTC device with the mobile communication network. After the packet data protocol context is activated, the MTC device activates an MTC service with an MTC server.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a machine-type communication (MTC) device of activating an MTC service, said method comprising:

performing an MTC device attachment procedure to attach to a mobile communication network;

after the MTC device is attached to the mobile communication network, establishing a packet data protocol context for the MTC device with the mobile communication network;

after the packet data protocol context is activated, activating an MTC service with an MTC server, wherein said activating the MTC service with the MTC server comprises sending an MTC activation request to the MTC server with a device type indicator; and

receiving, during the activating of the MTC service, one or more service attributes for use in subsequent network access procedures.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein performing an MTC device attachment procedure comprises sending, during the MTC device attachment procedure, an attach type indication to the network in an attach request message to indicate that an MTC device attachment is being performed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing a packet data protocol context for the MTC device with the mobile communication network comprises sending a create packet data protocol context request from the MTC device to the mobile communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the MTC activation request includes a default priority indication.

5. A machine-type communication device comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with a base station in a mobile communication network; and

a processing circuit configured to;

perform an MTC device attachment procedure to attach to a mobile communication network;

after the MTC device is attached to the mobile communication network, establish a packet data protocol context for the MTC device with the mobile communication network;

after the packet data protocol context is activated, activate an MTC service with an MTC server, wherein to activate the MTC service with the MTC server, the processing circuit is configured to send an MTC service activation request to the MTC server with a device type indicator; and

receiving, during activation of the MTC service, one or more service attributes for use in subsequent network access procedures.

6. The machine-type communication device of claim 5 wherein to attach to the mobile communication network, the processing circuit is configured to send, to the mobile communication network, an attach request message with an attach type indication to indicate that an MTC device attachment is being performed.

7. The machine-type communication device of claim 5 wherein to establish a packet data protocol context for the MTC device with the mobile communication network, the processing circuit is configured to send a create packet data protocol context request to the mobile communication network to activate the packet data protocol context.

8. The machine-type communication device of claim 5 wherein the processing circuit includes a default priority indication in the MTC activation request.

9. A method implemented by a machine-type communication (MTC) server of managing network access of an MTC device, said method comprising:

receiving an MTC activation request from an MTC device, the MTC activation request including a device type indicator;

transmitting an MTC activation reply including one or more service attributes to the MTC device based on the service request; and

transmitting service restrictions applicable to the service attributes to at least one of a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) for management of subsequent network access of the MTC device.