Connection identifier system and method

• US 11,039,489 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2020
• Issued: 06/15/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Serravalle, Francesca
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US16/822,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20200281029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A method and system are proposed for establishing a requested connection between a source node and a destination node in a telecommunications network. The system and method are described in relation to a 3GPP network, but are applicable to other types of networks. The method includes generating a source application identifier for the connection within the source node, retrieving a source node identifier for the source node and transmitting the source application identifier and the source node identifier to the destination to provide a source connection identifier for the requested connection between the source node and the destination node.

Claims

1. A Mobility Management Entity (MME), configured to operate in accordance with an S1 Application Protocol (S1AP), the MME comprising:

a controller; and

a transceiver;

wherein the controller is configured to control the transceiver;

to communicate with a base station over an S1 interface;

to transmit, to the base station, over the S1 interface, a handover request message for S1AP communication which includes an MME User Equipment S1AP (MME UE S1AP) identity,

wherein the MME UE S1AP identity uniquely identifies a UE over an S1 interface within the MME; and

to receive, from the base station, over the S1 interface, a handover request acknowledgement message for S1AP communication.

2. A method performed by a Mobility Management Entity (MME), wherein the MME is configured to operate in accordance with an S1 Application Protocol (S1AP), the method comprising:

communicating with a base station over an S1 interface;

transmitting, to the base station, over the S1 interface, a handover request message for S1AP communication which includes an MME User Equipment S1AP (MME UE S1AP) identity,

wherein the MME UE S1AP identity uniquely identifies a UE over an S1 interface within the MME; and

receiving, from the base station, over the S1 interface, a handover request acknowledgement message for S1AP communication.

3. A base station, configured to operate in accordance with an S1 Application Protocol (S1AP), the base station comprising:

a controller; and

a transceiver;

wherein the controller is configured to control the transceiver;

to communicate with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) over an S1 interface;

to receive, from the MME, over the S1 interface, a handover request message for S1AP communication which includes an MME User Equipment S1AP (MME UE S1AP) identity,

wherein the MME UE S1AP identity uniquely identifies a UE over an S1 interface within the MME; and

to transmit, to the MME, over the S1 interface, a handover request acknowledgement message for S1AP communication.

4. A method performed by a base station, wherein the base station is configured to operate in accordance with an S1 Application Protocol (S1AP), the method comprising:

communicating with a Mobility Management Entity (MME) over an S1 interface;

receiving, from the MME, over the S1 interface, a handover request message for S1AP communication which includes an MME User Equipment S1AP (MME UE S1AP) identity,

wherein the MME UE S1AP identity uniquely identifies a UE over an S1 interface within the MME; and

transmitting, to the MME, over the S1 interface, a handover request acknowledgement message for S1AP communication.