Handover method, communication device and communication system

• US 9,801,098 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Jing, Chang, Ningjuan, Wang, Ke, Peng, Yan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mian, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US14/553,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20150078341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

The present invention provides a handover method. An access node obtains mobility management entity pool MME pool information which is sent by a donor station of the access node and is used for identifying a mobility management entity MME to which a user equipment UE is attached. The access node initiates handover for the UE according to the MME pool information used for identifying the MME to which the UE is attached. The present invention further provides a communication device and a communication system.

Claims

1. A handover method, used for a handover of a user equipment (UE) from a source access node to a target access node, wherein the source access node accesses a mobility management entity (MME) through a donor station of the source access node, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the source access node, a globally unique MME identifier (GUMMEI) of the MME from the donor station in an S₁ handover request message;

obtaining, by the source access node, a globally unique group ID (GU Group ID) of the target access node from the donor station in an evolved node B (eNB) configuration update message;

determining, by the source access node, a handover type of the handover according to the GUMMEI of the MME and the GU Group ID of the target access node, wherein the handover type of the handover comprises at least one of a S₁ handover and X₂ handover; and

handing over, by the source access node, the UE to the target access node according to the determined handover type;

wherein before handing over the UE from the source access node to the target access node, an S₁ handover procedure is performed for the UE to enter coverage of the source access node from a first access node, and the GUMMEI of the MME is obtained in the S₁ handover procedure by receiving, from the donor station, the S₁ handover request message that carries the GUMMEI, the S₁ handover request message being sent for handing over the UE from the first access node to the source access node in the S₁ handover procedure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the handover type of the handover comprises:

determining a X₂ interface availability between the source access node and the target access node; and

determining the handover type according to the GUMMEI of the MME, the GU Group ID of the target access node, and the X₂ interface availability.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the source access node is a relay node, the donor station is a donor evolved node B (DeNB), the target access node is a target eNB, and an X₂ interface between the source access node and the target access node comprises an X₂ interface between the DeNB and the target eNB.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

before handing over the UE from the source access node to the target access node, an eNB configuration update procedure is performed by the source access node;

and

the GU Group ID of the target access node is obtained in the eNB configuration update procedure by receiving the eNB configuration update message that carries the GU Group ID from the donor station.

5. A communication device, serving as a source access node of a handover of a user equipment (UE), wherein:

the source access node accesses a mobility management entity (MME) through a donor station of the source access node;

the device comprises a processing hardware platform executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

the instructions, when executed, cause the device to;

obtain a globally unique MME identifier (GUMMEI) of the MME from the donor station in an S₁ handover request message;

obtain a globally unique group ID (GU Group ID) of a target access node from the donor station in an evolved node B (eNB) configuration update message;

determine a handover type of the handover according to the GUMMEI of the MME and the GU Group ID of the target access node, wherein the handover type of the handover comprises at least one of a S₁ handover and X₂ handover; and

hand over the UE to the target access node according to the determined handover type;

wherein before handing over the UE from the source access node to the target access node, an S₁ handover procedure is performed for the UE to enter coverage of the source access node from a first access node, and the GUMMEI of the MME is obtained in the S₁ handover procedure by receiving the S₁ handover request message that carries the GUMMEI from the donor station, the S₁ handover request message being sent for handing over the UE from the first access node to the source access node in the S₁ handover procedure.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the instructions which, when executed, cause the device to determine the handover type comprise instructions which, when executed, cause the device to:

determine a X₂ interface availability between the source access node and the target access node; and

determine the handover type according to the GUMMEI of the MME, the GU Group ID of the target access node, and the X₂ interface availability.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the source access node is a relay node, the donor station is a donor evolved node B (DeNB), the target access node is a target eNB, and an X₂ interface between the source access node and the target access node comprises an X₂ interface between the DeNB and the target eNB.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein

before handing over the UE from the source access node to the target access node, an eNB configuration update procedure is performed by the source access node;

and

the GU Group ID of the target access node is obtained in the eNB configuration update procedure by receiving the eNB configuration update message that carries the GU Group ID from the donor station.

9. A communication device, serving as a donor station of a source access node of a handover of a user equipment (UE) to a target access node, wherein:

the source access node accesses a mobility management entity (MME) through the donor station;

the device comprises a processing hardware platform executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and

the instructions, when executed, cause the device to;

obtain a globally unique MME identifier (GUMMEI) of the MME from the MME, wherein the GUMMEI is obtained in an S₁ handover request message sent by the MME during a S₁ handover procedure for the UE to enter a coverage of the source access node from a first access node, or wherein the GUMMEI is obtained in an initial context setup request message sent by the MME during an initial context setup procedure of the UE with the source access node;

send the GUMMEI of the MME to the source access node in the initial context setup request message or the S₁ handover request message;

obtain a globally unique group ID (GU Group ID) of the target access node from the target access node or a donor station of the target access node in an eNB configuration update procedure; and

send the GU Group ID to the source access node in an evolved node B (eNB) configuration update message, wherein the GUMMEI of the MME and the GU Group ID of the target access node are used for the source access node to determine a handover type of the handover for handing over the UE from the source access node to the target access node, and the handover type of the handover comprises at least one of a S₁ handover and X₂ handover.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the device further to:

determine a X₂ interface availability between the device and the target access node; and

inform a determining result to the source access node, so that the source access node determines a handover type of the handover according to the GUMMEI of the MME, the GU Group ID of the target access node, and the X₂ interface availability.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the source access node is a relay node, the donor station is a donor evolved node B (DeNB), the target access node is a target eNB, and an X₂ interface between the source access node and the target access node comprises an X₂ interface between the DeNB and the target eNB.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein

the instructions, when executed, cause the device further to perform the eNB configuration update procedure;

and

in the eNB configuration update procedure, the GU Group ID is obtained from the donor station of the target access node.