User equipment control in a multi-core long term evolution system

• US 9,392,584 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gauba, Maneesh, Bales, Stephen R., Patton, Dwight Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jae Y
• Application Number:
  US14/323,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system, a User Equipment (UE) receives Mobility Management Entity (MME) selection data. The UE processes the MME selection data to select one of multiple MMEs. The UE wirelessly transfers an LTE attachment request to an LTE access point. The LTE attachment request indicates the selected MME. The UE wirelessly receives an attachment acceptance from the selected MME through the LTE access point in response to selecting and indicating the MME in the LTE attachment request.

Claims

1. A method of operating Long Term Evolution (LTE) User Equipment (UE) to use different Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), the method comprising:

receiving MME selection data into the UE and processing the MME selection data to select one of the MMEs;

wirelessly transferring an LTE attachment request to an LTE access point and indicating the selected one of the MMEs in the LTE attachment request; and

wirelessly receiving an attachment acceptance from the selected one of the MMEs through the LTE access point responsive to indicating the selected one of the MMEs in the LTE attachment request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises graphically displaying a mode selection interface, receiving a user mode instruction responsive to the mode selection interface, and selecting the one of the MMEs based on the user mode instruction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises graphically displaying an LTE network selection interface, receiving a user network instruction responsive to the LTE network selection interface, and selecting the one of the MMEs based on the user network instruction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises graphically displaying a user access interface, receiving a user access code responsive to the user access interface, and selecting the one of the MMEs based on the user access code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the different MMEs use separate LTE core networks.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the different MMEs use separate LTE gateways.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises processing a current time of day to select the one of the MMEs.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises processing a current date to select the one of the MMEs.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises processing a current UE location to select the one of the MMEs.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the MME selection data to select the one of the MMEs comprises processing a current UE mobility status to select the one of the MMEs.

11. A Long Term Evolution (LTE) User Equipment (UE) to use different Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), the LTE UE comprising:

a processing system configured to process MME selection data to select one of the MMEs;

a communication interface configured to wirelessly transfer an LTE attachment request to an LTE access point and indicate the selected one of the MMEs in the LTE attachment request; and

the communication interface configured to wirelessly receive an attachment acceptance from the selected one of the MMEs through the LTE access point responsive to indicating the selected one of the MMEs in the LTE attachment request.

12. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to direct a graphical display of a mode selection interface, receive a user mode instruction through to the mode selection interface, and select the one of the MMEs based on the user mode instruction.

13. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to direct a graphical display of an LTE network selection interface, receive a user network instruction through the LTE network selection interface, and select the one of the MMEs based on the user network instruction.

14. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to direct a graphical display of a user access interface, receive a user access code through the user access interface, and select the one of the MMEs based on the user access code.

15. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the different MMEs use separate LTE core networks.

16. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the different MMEs use separate LTE gateways.

17. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to select the one of the MMEs based on a current time of day.

18. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to select the one of the MMEs based on a current date.

19. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to select the one of the MMEs based on a current UE location.

20. The LTE UE of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to select the one of the MMEs based on a current UE mobility status.