Core network node selection in radiocommunication systems having home gateways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045198-B2
Application number	US-200913121023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2009
Priority date	Jun 25, 2009
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for improving communications systems which use home gateways or the like. This can be obtained by avoiding potentially frequent inter-MME (intra-MME pool) context transfers. This can then reduce unnecessary or redundant signalling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for selecting a Mobility Management Entity (MME) for establishment of a connection between the selected MME and a user equipment (UE) in a radio communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a home gateway, a connection establishment message including information facilitating selecting the MME, wherein said home gateway functions as a proxy for a plurality of home base stations;
selecting, by the home gateway, said MME for establishment of said connection using said information,
wherein said information includes at least one of a Globally Unique Mobility Management Entity Identity (GUMMEI) and a Mobility Management Entity Code (MMEC), and
wherein said selecting step includes, if a first MME Group Identity (MMEGI) extracted from said information matches a second MMEGI of an MME pool, selecting said MME from said MME pool, and if said extracted MMEGI does not match said second MMEGI of said MME pool, randomly selecting said MME to be an MME outside said MME pool,
further wherein said selecting step is performed by the home gateway prior to the transmission of the connection establishment message to said selected MME,
wherein said connection establishment message is an S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE including a non-access stratum (NAS) message,
wherein said connection establishment message includes, outside said NAS message, one of a GUMMEI field, and an MME Code (MMEC) field; and
wherein when said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE includes said GUMMEI field, then MMEC is extracted from said GUMMEI field.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE to said selected MME.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting said MME using said MMEC.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing said included GUMMEI field or said included MMEC field from said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE before forwarding said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE to said selected MME.

5. A communications node for selecting a Mobility Management Entity (MME) for establishment of a connection between the selected MME and a user equipment (UE) in a radio communication system, the communications node comprising:
a communications interface configured to receive a connection establishment message including information facilitating selecting the MME, wherein said communications node functions as a proxy for a plurality of home base stations; and
a processor configured to select said MME for establishment of said connection using said information,
wherein said information includes at least one of a Globally Unique Mobility Management Entity Identity (GUMMEI) and a Mobility Management Entity Code (MMEC),
wherein said selecting step includes, if a first MME Group Identity (MMEGI) extracted from said information matches a second MMEGI of an MME pool, selecting said MME from said MME pool, and if said extracted MMEGI does not match said second MMEGI of said MME pool, randomly selecting said MME to be an MME outside said MME pool,
further wherein said selecting step is performed by the communications node prior to the transmission of the connection establishment message to said selected MME,
wherein said connection establishment message is an S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE including a non-access stratum (NAS) message,
wherein said connection establishment message includes, outside of said NAS message, one of a GUMMEI field and an MME Code (MMEC) field, and
wherein when said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE includes said GUMMEI field, then said processor is configured to extract MMEC from said GUMMEI field.

6. The communications node of claim 5 , wherein said communications interface is configured to transmit the S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE to said selected MME.

7. The communications node of claim 5 , wherein said processor is configured to select said MME based upon said MMEC.

8. The communications node of claim 5 , wherein said communications node is configured to remove said included GUMMEI or said included MMEC field from said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE before forwarding said S1AP INITIAL UE MESSAGE to said selected MME.

9. The communications node of claim 5 , wherein said communications node is a home gateway.

Assignees

• Vikberg Jari
• Nylander Tomas
• Rune Johan
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Vikberg Jari
• Nylander Tomas
• Rune Johan

Classifications

• H04W8/04 Primary

  Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server] · CPC title

• H04W36/0033

  with transfer of context information · CPC title

• H04W36/0022

  for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies · CPC title

• H04W36/0005

  Control or signalling for completing the hand-off · CPC title

• H04W36/00222

  between different packet switched [PS] network technologies, e.g. transferring data sessions between LTE and WLAN or LTE and 5G · CPC title