Enhanced and/or adaptive communication between a telecommunications network and at least one secondary communication device via or using a primary communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10349387-B2
Application number	US-201715434074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A method for communication between a telecommunications network and a secondary communication device via or using a primary communication device includes: performing a discovery operation regarding the secondary communication device, the discovery operation being initiated either by the primary communication device, by the secondary communication device, or by the telecommunications network; and transmitting at least one control information, being related to the secondary communication device or being related to the result of the discovery operation, between, on the one hand, the telecommunications network, and, on the other hand, the primary communication device and/or the secondary communication device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for communication between a telecommunications network and a secondary communication device via or using a primary communication device,
wherein the primary communication device provides a network termination functionality with respect to the telecommunications network, involving a first control plane connection being established between the primary communication device and the telecommunications network such that the primary communication device is directly connected to the telecommunications network, and
wherein the secondary communication device is indirectly connected to the telecommunications network, using a local or short range connection between the secondary communication device and the primary communication device, wherein the local or short range connection between the secondary communication device and the primary communication device includes a radio connection or a wireline connection,
the method comprising:
in a first step, performing a discovery operation regarding the secondary communication device, the discovery operation being initiated either by the primary communication device, by the secondary communication device, or by the telecommunications network; and
in a second step, subsequent to the first step, transmitting control information, being related to the secondary communication device or being related to the result of the discovery operation, between, on the one hand, the telecommunications network, and, on the other hand, the primary communication device and/or the secondary communication device;
wherein a first specific data communication link, the first specific data communication link having a first set of parameters involving one or more first communication bearer(s), is established between the primary communication device and the telecommunications network; and
wherein the method further comprises: in a third step, subsequent to the second step, establishing a second specific data communication link, the second specific data communication link having a second set of parameters involving one or more second communication bearer(s), between the primary communication device and the telecommunications network, as a result of a second control plane connection being established between the secondary communication device and the telecommunications network, or as a result of a connection between the primary communication device and the secondary communication device being used together with the first control plane connection between the primary communication device and the telecommunications network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second control plane connection is established between the secondary communication device and the telecommunications network, and wherein the control information is transmitted using the second control plane connection.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connection between the primary communication device and the secondary communication device is used together with the first control plane connection between the primary communication device and the telecommunications network in order to transmit the control information to or from the secondary communication device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequent to the first step, receiving, by the primary communication device, first configuration information and/or receiving, by the secondary communication device, second configuration information, wherein the primary communication device is configured based on the first configuration information and/or the secondary communication device is configured based on the second configuration information.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the discovery operation involves transmission of at least one endpoint address parameter of the second control plane connection by:
transmitting an endpoint address of the secondary communication device towards the telecommunications network; and/or
transmitting an endpoint address of a corresponding network node of the telecommunications network terminating the second control plane connection towards the primary communication device.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the discovery operation involves transmission of at least one endpoint address parameter of the connection between the primary communication device and the secondary communication device by:
transmitting an endpoint address of the secondary communication device towards the telecommunications network; and/or
transmitting an endpoint address of a corresponding network node of the telecommunications network terminating the first control plane connection towards the primary communication device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discovery operation involves transmission of capability information or device class information regarding the secondary communication device.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the primary communication device is a user equipment or an integrated access device or a customer premises equipment, and wherein the secondary communication device is indirectly connected to a core network of the telecommunications network.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a tertiary communication device is indirectly connected to the telecommunications network via or using the secondary communication device as well as the primary communication device, and using a local or short range connection between the tertiary communication device and the secondary communication device, wherein the local or short range connection between the tertiary communication device and the secondary communication device includes a radio connection or a wireline connection;
wherein the secondary communication device is directly connected to the primary communication device;
wherein the method further comprises:
performing a further discovery operation regarding the tertiary communication device, the further discovery operation being initiated by the primary communication device, by the secondary communication device, by the tertiary communication device, or by the telecommunications network; and
transmitting further control information, being related to the tertiary communication device or being related to the result of the further discovery operation, between, on the one hand, the telecommunications network, and, on the other hand, the primary communication device, the secondary communication device and/or the tertiary communication device;

wherein:
a third control plane connection is established between the tertiary communication device and the telecommunications network, wherein the further control information, being related to the tertiary communication device or being related to the result of the discovery operation, is transmitted using the third control plane connection; or
a connection between the primary communication device and/or secondary communication device and the tertiary communication device is used together with the first control plane connection and/or the second control plane connection between the primary communication device or the secondary communication device, on the one hand, and the telecommunications network, on the other hand, in order to transmit the control information to or from the tertiary communication device;

wherein the method further comprises: establishing a third specific data communication link as a result of the third control plane connection being established between the tertiary communication device and the telecommunications network or as a result of the connection between the primary communication device and/or secondary communication device and the tertiary communication device, wherein the third specific data communication

Assignees

• Deutsche Telekom Ag

Inventors

• Nenner Karl-Heinz
• Michel Uwe
• Janssen Uwe

Classifications

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W72/20 Primary

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W48/20 Primary

  Selecting an access point · CPC title