METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING SET-UP OF USER-PLANE BEARER (AS AMENDED)

• US 20180092154A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: China Academy of Telecom Technology (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: AI, Ming
• Granted Patent: US 10,701,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and device for controlling set-up of a user side bearer, aiming to solve the problem of an unnecessary signaling overhead caused by the fact that a UE initiates a TAU process after an SGW deletes cached downlink data of the UE when a timer has timed out, and an MME still initiates a set-up process of a user side between the UE and a base station. The method comprises: in a tracking area updating (TAU) process, a mobility management entity (MME) determining that a serving gateway (SGW) needs to send cached downlink data to a terminal UE; and the MME initiating a set-up process of an air interface user side bearer of the UE.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a user-plane bearer to be established, the method comprises:

determining, by a Mobility Management Entity, MME, that a Serving Gateway, SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to a User Equipment, UE, in a Tracking Area Update, TAU procedure; and

initiating, by the MME, a procedure of establishing a user-plane bearer for the UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining, by the MME, that the Serving Gateway, SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the User Equipment, UE comprises:

obtaining, by the MME, an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, and determining that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, according to the Indication;

or

determining, by the MME, that a local timer does not expire, wherein the timer is started by the MME when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and a timing length of the timer is a length of time T for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE;

or

determining, by the MME, a time of receiving a Context Request message of a new MME which is relocated, is earlier than a recorded timestamp, the recorded timestamp is determined by the MME from a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable;

or the recorded timestamp is a sum of a time when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE;

or

determining, by the MME, that a time when a bearer related message of the SGW is received is earlier than a recorded timestamp, which is determined by the MME from a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable;

or which is a sum of a time when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein if the MME is changed during the TAU procedure, then the method further comprises:

if the MME determines that the local timer does not expire, then transmitting the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, to the new MME, so that the new MME initiates the procedure of establishing an user-plane bearer for the UE;

or

if the MME determines that a stored timestamp does not expire, then transmitting the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, to the new MME, so that the new MME initiates the procedure of establishing a user-plane bearer for the UE.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein if the MME is a new MME during the TAU procedure, then obtaining, by the MME, the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE comprises:

receiving, by the MME, an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, the indication is transmitted by an old MME in the TAU procedure upon determining that a local timer does not expire;

or

receiving, by the MME, an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, the indication is transmitted by an old MME in the TAU procedure upon determining that the SGW needs to transmit buffered data.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE is carried in a Modify Bearer Response message of the SGW.

6. A method for controlling a user-plane bearer to be established, the method comprises:

determining, by a Serving Gateway, SGW, that there is buffered downlink data of a User Equipment, UE; and

transmitting, by the SGW, to a Mobility Management Entity, MME an indication that buffered downlink data need to be transmitted to the UE.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining, by the SGW, that there is buffered downlink data of the UE comprises:

determining, by the SGW, that a local timer does not expire, wherein the operating length of the timer is transmitted by the MME when the MME determines that the UE is unreachable, and the timer is started upon reception of an indication from the MME to buffer the downlink data for the UE;

or

determining, by the SGW, the downlink data exists in a local buffer to be transmitted to the UE.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the indication that buffered downlink data need to be transmitted to the UE is carried in a Modify Bearer Response message transmitted to the MME.

9. A Mobility Management Entity, MME, comprising a memory configured to store computer readable programs and at a least one processor:

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer readable programs to;

determine that a Serving Gateway, SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to a User Equipment, UE, in a Tracking Area Update, TAU procedure; and

initiate a procedure of establishing a user-plane bearer for the UE.

10. The MME according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable program to:

obtain an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, and determine that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, according to the indication;

or

determine that a local timer does not expire, wherein the timer is started by the MME when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in a case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and a timing length of the timer is a length of time T for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE;

or

determine that a of receiving a Context Request message of a new MME which is relocated, is earlier than a recorded timestamp, the recorded timestamp is determined by the MME from a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in case of determining that the UE is unreachable;

or recorded timestamp is the sum of a time when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE;

or

determine that the time when a bearer related message of the SGW is received is earlier than a recorded timestamp, which is determined by the MME from a length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in case of determining that the UE is unreachable;

or which is a sum of the time when the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE in case of determining that the UE is unreachable, and the length of time for which the MME indicates the SGW to buffer downlink data of the UE.

11. The MME according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable programs to:

if the MME is changed in the TAU procedure, and it is determined that the local timer does not expire transmit the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, to the new MME, so that the new MME initiates the procedure of establishing a user-plane bearer for the UE;

or

if the MME is changed in the TAU procedure, and it is determined that a stored timestamp does not expire transmit the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, to a new MME, so that the new MME initiates the procedure of establishing a user-plane bearer for the UE.

12. The MME according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable programs to:

if the MME is a new MME in the TAU procedure, receive an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, wherein the indication is transmitted by an old MME in the TAU procedure upon determining that a local timer does not expire;

or

if the MME is a new MME in the TAU procedure, to-receive an indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE, wherein the indication is transmitted by an old MME in the TAU procedure upon determining that the SGW needs to transmit buffered data.

13. The MME according to claim 10, wherein the indication that the SGW needs to transmit buffered downlink data to the UE is carried in a Modify Bearer Response message of the SGW.

14. A Serving Gateway, SGW, comprising a memory configured to store computer readable programs and at a least one processor:

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer readable programs to;

determine that there is buffered downlink data of a User Equipment, UE; and

transmit to a Mobility Management Entity, MME are indication that buffered downlink data need to be transmitted to the UE.

15. The SGW according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable programs to:

determine that a local timer does not expire, wherein the operating length of the timer is transmitted by the MME when the MME determines that the UE is unreachable, and the timer is started upon reception of an indication for buffering downlink data for the UE;

or

determine that there is downlink data to be transmitted to the UE in a local buffer.

16. The SGW according to claim 14, wherein the indication that buffered downlink data need to be transmitted to the UE is carried in a Modify Bearer Response message transmitted to the MME.