Method and apparatus for selecting equivalent PLMN

• US 9,432,891 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Han Na, Cho, Song Yean, Jeong, Sang Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US14/377,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20150045025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• 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: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for selecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). A method for providing a PLMN list in a Mobility Management Entity (MME) may include: receiving a request from a user equipment (UE); determining whether the UE prefers Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) according to the request; and sending, when the UE prefers VoLTE, a variant equivalent PLMN list that contains, for each PLMN, information indicating whether VoLTE is supported by the PLMN or a VoLTE-support PLMN list that contains only PLMNs supporting VoLTE. Hence, the UE having a preference for VoLTE may select an equivalent PLMN supporting VoLTE in an effective manner.

Claims

1. A method for providing a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list in a Mobility Management Entity (MME), the method comprising:

receiving a request including information on user equipment (UE) preference for Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) from a UE;

determining whether the UE prefers VoLTE according to the request;

generating the PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting the VoLTE based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of an evolved Node B (eNB); and

transmitting, if the UE prefers the VoLTE and the eNB serving the UE supports the VoLTE, the PLMN list associated with the PLMN supporting the VoLTE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the PLMN list comprises transmitting a variant equivalent PLMN list or a VoLTE-support PLMN list if the UE prefers the VoLTE and the eNB serving the UE supports the VoLTE, and

wherein the variant equivalent PLMN list includes, for each PLMN, information indicating whether the VoLTE is supported by the PLMN, and the VoLTE-support PLMN list includes only PLMNs supporting the VoLTE.

3. A method for selecting an equivalent Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

transmitting a request including information on UE preference for Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) to a Mobility Management Entity (MME);

receiving a PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting the VoLTE; and

selecting an equivalent PLMN supporting VoLTE based on the PLMN list,

wherein the PLMN list is generated by the MME based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of an evolved Node B (eNB).

4. A method for selecting an equivalent Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) in an evolved Node B (eNB), the method comprising:

receiving a PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting the VoLTE;

selecting, if PLMN selection is needed for a UE having a preference for VoLTE, an equivalent PLMN supporting VoLTE based on the PLMN list; and

sending a “

handover required”

message to a target eNB corresponding to the selected PLMN,

wherein the PLMN list is generated by the MME based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of the eNB.

5. A Mobility Management Entity (MME) providing Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) lists, comprising:

a communication unit to receive a request including information on user equipment (UE) preference for Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) from a UE; and

a control unit to determine whether the UE prefers VoLTE on the basis of the request, and generate a PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting the VoLTE based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of an evolved Node B (eNB),

wherein, if the UE prefers the VoLTE and the eNB serving the UE supports the VoLTE, the communication unit transmits the PLMN list associated with the PLMN supporting the VoLTE.

6. The MME of claim 5, wherein the communication unit transmits the PLMN list comprising a variant equivalent PLMN list or a VoLTE-support PLMN list if the UE prefers VoLTE and the eNB serving the UE supports the VoLTE, and

wherein the variant equivalent PLMN list includes, for each PLMN, information indicating whether the VoLTE is supported by the PLMN, and the VoLTE-support PLMN list includes only PLMNs supporting the VoLTE.

7. A user equipment (UE) selecting an equivalent Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), comprising:

a communication unit to transmit a request including information on UE preference for Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and receive a PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting the VoLTE; and

a control unit to select an equivalent PLMN supporting VoLTE based on the PLMN list,

wherein the PLMN list is generated by the MME based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of an evolved Node B (eNB).

8. An evolved Node B (eNB) selecting an equivalent PLMN, comprising:

a communication unit to receive a PLMN list associated with a PLMN supporting a Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE); and

a control unit to select, if PLMN selection is needed for a user equipment (UE) having a preference for VoLTE, an equivalent PLMN supporting VoLTE based on the PLMN list,

wherein the communication unit sends a “

handover required”

message to a target eNB corresponding to the selected PLMN, and

wherein the PLMN list is generated by the MME based on the UE preference for VoLTE and VoLTE support of the eNB.