Method and device for sharing user equipment context

• US 10,531,345 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baicells Technologies Co. Ltd (Baicells Technologies North America, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baicells Technologies Co. Ltd (Baicells Technologies North America, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopata, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US16/085,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20190090166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A method and device for sharing a user equipment context are provided. The method for sharing a user equipment context includes: acquiring a global unique temporary identity (GUTI) of the UE in a network to which the UE is registered; in the case that a public land mobile network identity (PLMN-ID) in the GUTI is a neutral host access indicator (NHAMI) representing a unique network identity shared by a global Multefire neutral host (NH) network, determining that the network to which the UE is registered is a NH network, and acquiring a NH network identity (NHN-ID) of the NH network to which the UE is registered; and acquiring, based on the NHN-ID and the GUTI, context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered.

Claims

1. A method for sharing a user equipment (UE) context, applied to a second mobility management unit (MME) and comprising:

acquiring a global unique temporary identity (GUTI) of the UE in a network to which the UE is registered;

in the case that a public land mobile network identity (PLMN-ID) in the GUTI is a neutral host access indicator (NHAMI) representing a unique network identity shared by a global Multefire neutral host (NH) network, determining that the network to which the UE is registered is an NH network, and acquiring an NH network identity (NHN-ID) of the NH network to which the UE is registered; and

acquiring, based on the NHN-ID and the GUTI, context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in the case that the PLMN-ID in the GUTI is not the NHAMI representing the unique network identity shared by the global Multefire NH network, determining that the network to which the UE is registered is a 3GPP network, and acquiring, based on the GUTI, the context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring the GUTI of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered comprises:

acquiring a non-access stratum (NAS) request message sent by the UE and carrying at least the GUTI of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered, wherein the request message is a tracking area update (TAU) request message, a service request (SR) message, or an attach request message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the acquiring the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered comprises:

acquiring from the request message the NEIN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered, in the case that the request message carries the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the acquiring the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered comprises:

acquiring via a S1 interface the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered, or determining that the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered is the NHN-ID supported by the second MME, in the case that the request message does not carry the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring, based on the NHN-ID and the GUTI, the context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered comprises:

determining, based on an MME identity in the GUTI and the NHN-ID, a first MME for the UE in the network to which the UE is registered;

sending a UE context request message carrying the MME identity and the NHN-ID to the first MME; and

receiving the context information of the UE sent by the first MME, wherein the context information of the UE comprises a Participating Service Provider Identity (PSP-ID) authenticated by the UE, the NHN-ID and security context information of the UE.

7. A device for sharing a user equipment (UE) context, applied to a second mobility management unit (MME) and comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read a program in the memory to:

a acquire a global unique temporary identity (GUTI) of the UE in a network to which the UE is registered;

a in the case that a public land mobile network identity (PLMN-ID) in the GUTI is a neutral host access indicator (NHAMI) representing a unique network identity shared by a global Multefire neutral host (NH) network, determine that the network to which the UE is registered is an NH network, and acquire an NH network identity (NHN-ID) of the NH network to which the UE is registered; and

a acquire, based on the NHN-ID and the GUTI, context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to read a program in the memory to:

a in the case that the PLMN-ID in the GUTI is not the NHAMI representing the unique network identity shared by the global Multefire NH network, determine that the network to which the UE is registered is a 3GPP network, and acquire, based on the GUTI, the context information of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to read a program in the memory to:

a acquire a non-access stratum (NAS) request message sent by the UE and carrying at least the GUTI of the UE in the network to which the UE is registered, wherein the request message is a tracking area update (TAU) request message, a service request (SR) message, or an attach request message.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to read a program in the memory to:

acquire from the request message the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered, in the case that the request message carries the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to read a program in the memory to:

acquire via a S1 interface the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered, or determine that the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered is the NHN-ID supported by the second MME, in the case that the request message does not carry the NHN-ID of the NH network to which the UE is registered.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to read a program in the memory to:

a determine, based on an MME identity in the GUTI and the NHN-ID, a first MME for the UE in the network to which the UE is registered;

a send a UE context request message carrying the MME identity and the NHN-ID to the first MME; and

a receive the context information of the UE sent by the first MME, wherein the context information of the UE comprises a Participating Service Provider Identity (PSP-ID) authenticated by the UE, the NHN-ID and security context information of the UE.

13. A method for sharing a user equipment (UE) context, applied to a UE and comprising:

in the case that a registered network is a Multefire neutral host (NH) network, sending a global unique temporary identity (GUTI) of the registered network and an NH network identity (NHN-ID) of the registered network to a second mobility management unit (MME), to enable the second MME to acquire context information of the UE based on the GUTI and the NHN-ID, wherein a public land mobile network identity (PLMN-ID) in the GUTI is a neutral host access indicator (NHAMI) representing a unique network identity shared by a global Multefire NH network.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

in the case that the registered network is not the Multefire NH network, sending the GUTI of the registered network to the second MME, to enable the second MME to acquire the context information of the UE based on the GUTI, wherein the PLMN-ID in the GUTI is the PLMN-ID of the registered network.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sending the GUTI of the registered network and the NHN-ID of the registered network to the second MME comprises:

sending, through a non-access stratum (NAS) request message, the GUTI of the registered network and the NHN-ID of the registered network to the second MME, wherein the request message is a tracking area update (TAU) request message, a service request (SR) message, or an attach request message.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sending the GUTI of the registered network and the NHN-ID of the registered network to the second MME comprises:

determining whether a currently selected NH network is the registered NH network;

sending the GUTI of the registered network to the second MME in the case that the currently selected NH network is the registered NH network, or sending the GUTI of the registered network and the NHN-ID of the registered network to the second MME in the case that the currently selected NH network is not the registered NH network.