Solution for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network

• US 20040147242A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Anttalainen, Pekka, Pasanen, Juha
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

A method for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network is provided. A mobile communications network, a network element of core network, and a user equipment implement the method. The mobile communications network comprises a plurality of user equipment, a plurality of network elements, and one or more user equipment version corresponding to a user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment. At least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined signaling message transmitted from the user equipment to a network element, and at least one network element is configured to receive the signaling message and to extract the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from the signaling message.

Claims

1. A mobile communications network comprising:

a plurality of user equipment;

a plurality of network elements,

at least one user equipment version corresponding to at least one user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment;

wherein

the at least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates a corresponding user equipment version within a defined signaling message transmitted from the at least one user equipment to at least one network element;

the at least one network element is configured to receive said signaling message and to extract the identifier that indicates a user equipment version from said signaling message.

2. A mobile communications network according to claim 1, further comprising at least one user equipment specific behavior information element;

wherein the at least one network element is configured to map the received identifier to the at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a second network element.

3. A mobile communications network according to claim 2, wherein the second network element is configured to adjust the communication with the at least one user equipment according to the received at least one user equipment specific behavior information.

4. A mobile communications network according to claim 1, wherein the defined signaling message is delivered using a direct transfer procedure.

5. A mobile communications network according to claim 1, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated to one of the following signaling messages:

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

6. A mobile communications network according to claim 1, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message is a response to an identity request by a mobile communications network.

7. A method for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network comprising a plurality of user equipment, a plurality of network elements, the method comprising:

defining at least one user equipment version corresponding to a user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment;

integrating spontaneously an identifier that indicates a user equipment version within a defined signaling message from a user equipment to at least one network element of a plurality of network elements;

extracting in at least one the network element from said defined signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version.

8. A method according to claim 7, the mobile communications network further comprising at least one user equipment specific behavior information elements;

the method further comprising mapping of the received identifier to the at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and sending the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a second network element.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising adjusting an operation of at least the second network element according to the received at least one user equipment specific behavior information.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising delivering the defined signaling message using a direct transfer procedure.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising integrating the identifier that indicates the user equipment version to one of the following signaling messages:

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

12. A method according to claim 7, further comprising integrating the identifier that indicates the user equipment version together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message is a response to an identity request by the network.

13. A user equipment in a mobile communications network comprising a plurality of user equipment;

a plurality of network elements;

at least one user equipment version corresponding to a user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment, wherein at least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates a corresponding user equipment version within a defined signaling message transmitted from the at least one user equipment to at least one network element of said plurality of network elements.

14. A user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the defined signaling message is delivered using a direct transfer procedure.

15. A user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated to one of the following signaling messages:

uplink attach request, or uplink location updating request.

16. A user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message is a response to an identity request by the mobile communications network.

17. A network element in a mobile communications network comprising a plurality of user equipment;

a plurality of network elements;

at least one user equipment version corresponding to a user equipment functionality set that corresponds to a group of user equipment;

wherein at least one user equipment is configured to spontaneously integrate an identifier that indicates a corresponding version within a defined signaling message transmitted from the at least one user equipment to at least one network element of the plurality of network elements;

at least one network element is configured to receive said signaling message and to extract the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from said signaling message.

18. A network element according to claim 17, the mobile communications network further comprising at least one user equipment specific behavior information element;

wherein the at least one network element is configured to map the received identifier to the at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a second network element.

19. A network element according to claim 17, wherein the defined signaling message is delivered using a direct transfer procedure.

20. A network element according to claim 17, wherein the identifier that indicates the user equipment version is integrated together with at least one other identity information element, and the defined signaling message is a response to an identity request by a mobile communications network.