Method and apparatus for enhanced connection control

• US 9,883,422 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Yang, Li, Haitao, Zhang, Dajiang
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US14/373,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20150017976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-4352, 455436-453, 4554561-4563, 370329-334
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• 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 36/00695 using split of the control plane or user plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

An enhanced connection control including maintaining a first connection between a first network node and a user equipment which has a second connection with a second network node, determining a third network node for re-establishing a third connection between the third network node and the user equipment, in response to a link failure of the second connection, and transferring context information of the user equipment from the first network node to the third network node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining, by a user equipment, network connections comprising a first connection between a first network node and the user equipment and a second connection between a second network node and the user equipment, the first network node having a first network node type and the second network node having a second network node type different from the first network node type;

determining, by the user equipment, a third network node for establishing a third connection between the third network node and the user equipment, in response to a link failure of the second connection, the third network node having the second network node type;

sending, by the user equipment and in response to the link failure, an instruction to transfer context information of the user equipment from the first network node to the third network node, while maintaining the first connection between the first network node and the user equipment; and

establishing, by the user equipment and in response to the link failure, the third connection between the third network node and the user equipment, the third connection established based on the transferred context information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the third network node for establishing the third connection comprises:

receiving an indication of the third network node from the user equipment.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the third network node for establishing the third connection comprises:

receiving a notification of the link failure from the user equipment;

selecting the third network node based at least in part on a measurement report from the user equipment; and

sending an indication of the third network node to the user equipment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information of the user equipment comprises at least one of:

a security key for the third connection and security information related to the user equipment.

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

initiating a key refresh procedure to update a local key for the user equipment.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network node is in a first mobile communications network, and the second network node and the third network node are in a second mobile communications network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first connection between the first network node and the user equipment provides a first service and the second connection with the second network node and the third connection with the third network node provide a second service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node type is a local area network node and the second network node type is a cellular network node.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

maintain a first connection between the apparatus and a user equipment which has a second connection with another apparatus, the apparatus having a first apparatus type and the another apparatus having a second apparatus type different from the first apparatus type;

determine a target apparatus for establishing a third connection between the target apparatus and the user equipment, in response to a link failure of the second connection, the target apparatus having the second apparatus type; and

transfer, to the target apparatus and in response to the link failure, context information of the user equipment to establish the third connection between the target apparatus having the second apparatus type and the user equipment, while maintaining the first connection between the apparatus and the user equipment.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive an indication of the target apparatus from the user equipment.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive a notification of the link failure from the user equipment;

select the target apparatus based at least in part on a measurement report from the user equipment; and

send an indication of the target apparatus to the user equipment.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the context information of the user equipment comprises at least one of:

a security key for the third connection and security information related to the user equipment.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least initiate a key refresh procedure to update a local key for the user equipment.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is in a first mobile communications network, and the another apparatus and the target apparatus are in a second mobile communications network.

15. A method, comprising:

maintaining, by a user equipment, network connections comprising a first connection between a first network node and the user equipment and a second connection between a second network node and the user equipment, the first network node having a first network node type and the second network node having a second network node type different from the first network node type;

detecting, by the user equipment, a link failure of the second connection;

sending, by the user equipment and in response to the link failure, a message to the first network node to instruct the first network node to transfer context information of the user equipment to a third network node, the third network node having the second network node type; and

performing, by the user equipment and in response to the link failure, an establishment procedure for a third connection with the third network node having the context information transferred from the first network node and having the second network node type, while maintaining the first connection between the first network node and the user equipment.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the message comprises a notification of the link failure, and the method further comprises:

receiving an indication of the third network node from the first network node, wherein the third network node is selected based at least in part on a measurement report provided by the user equipment.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the message comprises an indication of the third network node and the context information of the user equipment comprises at least one of:

a security key for the third connection and security information related to the user equipment.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

maintain network connections comprising a first connection between a first network node and the apparatus and a second connection between a second network node and the apparatus, the first network node having a first network node type and the second network node having a second network node type different from the first network node;

detect a link failure of the second connection;

send, in response to the link failure, a message to the first network node to instruct the first network node to transfer context information of the apparatus to a third network node, the third network node having the second network node type; and

perform, in response to the link failure, an establishment procedure for a third connection with the third network node having the context information transferred from the first network node and having the second network node type, while maintaining the first connection between the first network node and the apparatus.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the message comprises an indication of the third network node.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the message comprises a notification of the link failure, and the apparatus is caused to at least:

receive an indication of the third network node from the first network node, wherein the third network node is selected based at least in part on a measurement report provided by the apparatus.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the context information of the apparatus comprises at least one of:

a security key for the third connection and security information related to the apparatus.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first network node is in a first mobile communications network, and the second network node and the third network node are in a second mobile communications network.