Deterministic user equipment barring

• US 9,485,709 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Woonhee, Koskela, Jarkko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/364,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

According to an example embodiment, there is provided a method comprising determining a barring class to which a user equipment belongs, and determining a value for a barring timer, wherein determining the value for a barring timer uses a value derived from a system frame number, SFN, in which the user equipment received an access barring parameter. The method may further comprise initializing the barring timer to the determined value, starting the barring timer and determining, while the barring timer is running, whether a group of user equipment to which the user equipment belongs is barred.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment, an access barring parameter from a network;

determining, by the user equipment, a barring class to which the user equipment belongs;

determining, by the user equipment, a value for a barring timer, wherein the determining of the value for the barring timer uses a value derived from a system frame number in which the user equipment received the access barring parameter; and

establishing, by the user equipment, a connection with the network based at least in part on the barring class and the barring timer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising initializing the barring timer to the determined value, starting the barring timer and determining, while the barring timer is running, whether a group of user equipment to which the user equipment belongs is barred.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether a group of user equipment to which the user equipment belongs is barred and, if the user equipment is barred, initializing the barring timer to the determined value and starting the barring timer.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining of the barring class uses a network identifier of the user equipment in conjunction with the system frame number.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the determining of the barring class is in accordance with the following:

(network identifier+n-bits of the system frame number) Mod m, wherein m is a total number of barring classes other than special barring classes.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein n is the four most significant bits of the system frame number, or is four consecutive bits other than the most significant bits of the system frame number.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the determining of the value for the barring timer is in accordance to the following:

(0.7+0.6 times ((network identifier+n-bits of the system frame number) Mod

     100)/100) times ac-BarringTime), where ac-BarringTime is a value received in broadcast signaling from the network.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein n is the four most significant bits of the system frame number, or is four consecutive bits other than the most significant bits of the system frame number, and where ac-BarringTime is received in a SystemInformationBlock2, SIB2.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the user equipment is barred comprises consulting a table having a number of columns corresponding to n-bits of the system frame number and a number of rows corresponding to k different percentages of barred user equipment, and locating in a pertinent row and column an identity of those barring classes that are currently access barred.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein k is equal to 10 corresponding to values of 10%, 20%, 30%, 90%, 100%.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment establishes a connection with the network when the barring class is not barred by the network and/or at an expiration of the barring timer.

11. An apparatus, comprising at least one data processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code being configured, with the at least one data processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

receive an access parameter from a network;

determine a barring class to which the apparatus belongs;

determine a value for a barring timer, wherein the determining of the value for the barring timer uses a value derived from a system frame number in which the apparatus received the access barring parameter; and

establish a connection with the network based at least in part on the barring class and the barring timer.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least initialize the barring timer to the determined value, start the barring timer and determine, while the barring timer is running, whether a group of user equipment to which the user equipment belongs is barred.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least determine whether a group of user equipment to which the user equipment belongs is barred and, if the user equipment is barred, initialize the barring timer to the determined value and starting the barring timer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the determining of the barring class uses a network identifier of the user equipment in conjunction with the system frame number.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the determining of whether the user equipment is barred comprises consulting a table having a number of columns corresponding to n-bits of the system frame number and a number of rows corresponding to k different percentages of barred user equipment, and locating in a pertinent row and column an identity of those barring classes that are currently access barred.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein k is equal to 10 corresponding to values of 10%, 20%, 30%, 90%, 100%.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory memory medium storing computer instructions, which when executed causes operations comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment, an access barring parameter from a network;

determining, by the user equipment, a barring class to which the user equipment belongs

determining, by the user equipment, a value for a barring timer, wherein the determining of the value for the barring timer uses a value derived from a system frame number in which the user equipment received the access barring parameter; and

establishing, by the user equipment, a connection with the network based at least in part on the barring class and the barring timer.