Network accessing method

• US 9,867,121 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Hai, Zhou, Lei, Zheng, Xufeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko, Sithu
• Application Number:
  US13/464,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 370256, 370312-313, 370328-329, 370390, 370392, 370432, 709209, 455445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A network accessing method includes selecting a group representative dynamically from each machine to machine (M2M) terminal group, wherein terminals in the M2M terminal group not selected as the group representative serve as group members. The method also includes requesting, by the group representative, network access from a base station, and serving, as a group member automatically after entering an idle state or entering another cell. This enables multiple M2M terminals to access a network at the same time while avoiding network access congestion.

Claims

1. A method to access a network, the method comprising:

determining, by a terminal, whether the terminal is elected as a machine to machine (M2M) terminal group representative based on at least one threshold value received from a base station and a random parameter generated by the terminal wherein the terminal is one among one or more terminals included in an M2M terminal group;

requesting, by the terminal, network access to the base station, for the M2M terminal group, if the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative; and

monitoring, by the terminal, a response message transmitted from the base station in response to a request for directly accessing to the base station if the terminal is not elected as the M2M terminal group representative,

wherein the request for directly accessing to the base station is transmitted from another terminal that was elected as the M2M terminal group representative to the base station, and

wherein the M2M terminal group representative transits to a member of the M2M terminal group when the M2M terminal group representative enters an idle state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative comprises determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative when the base station pages the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group or when the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group is to transmit data to the base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one random parameter comprises information about a probability that the terminal is the M2M terminal group representative.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the terminal is the M2M terminal group representative comprises:

determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a first threshold value and a first random parameter;

when none of the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group determines that they are elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter or when the request sent by the terminal that determined it was elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter is not successfully received by the base station;

determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a second threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the terminal is the M2M terminal group representative comprises:

determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a first threshold value and a first random parameter;

when none of the one or more terminals determines that they are elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter or when the request sent by the terminal that determined it was elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter is not successfully received by the base station;

determining whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a second threshold value and a second random parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group comprise all terminals in the M2M terminal group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group exclude terminals that were previously elected as the M2M terminal group representative.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group comprise terminals that have received an activation message from the base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group comprise terminals that have received an activation message from the base station and have not previously been elected as the M2M terminal group representative.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the activation message is transmitted by the base station in response to the base station determining to update the M2M terminal group representative.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the activation message is transmitted by the base station in response to the base station determining to update the M2M terminal group representative.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before determining whether the terminal of the one or more terminals in the M2M groups is elected as the M2M terminal group representative;

selecting, from the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group, a subset of terminals that were previously elected as the M2M terminal group representative;

requesting, by the subset of terminals, network access to the base station as current M2M terminals group representatives of the M2M terminal group on behalf of the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group; and

determining whether the request is successfully received by the base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the request is not successfully received by the base station, performing the determination of whether the terminals of the one or more terminals is elected as the M2M terminal group representative.

14. A machine to machine (M2M) terminal group comprising one or more terminals configured to access a network, the M2M terminal group comprising:

the one or more terminals each configured to;

determine whether that a terminal is elected as an M2M terminal group representative based on at least one threshold value received from a base station and at least one random parameter generated by that the terminal;

request network access to the base station, for the M2M terminal group, if the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative; and

monitor a response message transmitted from the base station in response to a request for directly accessing to the base station if the terminal is not elected as the M2M terminal group representative,

wherein the request for directly accessing to the base station is transmitted from another terminal that was elected as the M2M terminal group representative to the base station, and

wherein the M2M terminal group representative transits to a member of the M2M terminal group when the M2M terminal group representative enters an idle state.

15. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more terminals is configured to determine whether that terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative when the base station pages the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group or when the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group are to transmit data to the base station.

16. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein the at least one random parameter comprises information about a probability that the terminal is the M2M terminal group representative.

17. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein to determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal representative, each terminal is configured to:

determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a first threshold value and a first random parameter;

wherein when none of the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group determine that they are elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter or when the request sent by the terminal that determined it was elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter is not successfully received by the base station, each terminal is configured to;

receive, from the base station, a second threshold to the M2M terminal group; and

re-perform re-determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a second threshold value.

18. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein to determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative, each terminal is configured to:

determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a first threshold value and a first random parameter;

wherein when none of the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group determines that they are elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter or when the request sent by the terminal that determined it was elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on the first threshold value and the first random parameter is not successfully received by the base station, each terminal is configured to;

re-determine whether the terminal is elected as the M2M terminal group representative based on a second threshold value and a second random parameter.

19. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein the one or more terminals comprise all terminals in the M2M terminal group.

20. The M2M terminal group of claim 14, wherein the one or more terminals in the M2M terminal group exclude terminals that were previously elected as the M2M terminal group representative.