Enhanced connection management for multiple access networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016135247-A1
Application number	US-201514935051-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Semi-connected state operation for UEs in multiple-access networks is described. In the semi-connected state, UEs may monitor system information and paging, and mobility may be UE-controlled. Base stations may determine whether to transition UEs from the connected state to the semi-connected state based on capabilities, priority, data connections, or loading conditions. Base stations may maintain context information and logical traffic connections for UEs while UEs continue to be served by the base station in the semi-connected state. Thus, when a transition from the semi-connected state to the connected state occurs, the base station does not have to re-establish security parameters, nor re-establish logical traffic connections within the network for carrying control plane and user plane data for the UE. Context information for semi-connected state UEs may be shared between neighboring base stations or base stations within a context area. The techniques may be applied to LTE/LTE-A networks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:
determining, for a user equipment (UE) served by the base station and configured in a connected state with the base station, that the UE is to be transitioned out of the connected state; indicating to the UE that the UE should transition out of the connected state; and maintaining a context for the UE at the base station subsequent to the indicating that the UE should transition out of the connected state and while the UE continues to be served by the base station.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an access request from the UE when the UE is out of the connected state; associating the context for the UE with the UE for connected-state operations of the UE; and indicating to the UE that the UE should transition to the connected state according to the context for the UE.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, after the UE transitions out of the connected state, that the UE should transition to an idle state; indicating to the UE that the UE should transition to the idle state; and releasing the context for the UE.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining that the UE should transition to the idle state is based on any of an expiration of an idle timer, an overload condition, a data traffic type associated with at least one logical traffic connection of the UE, an access point name (APN) associated with the at least one logical traffic connection, or combinations thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a validation paging message to the UE according to a periodic validation interval after the UE transitions out of the connected state; and releasing the context for the UE if a validation response is not received from the UE.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an indication from a network entity that the UE has reselected to a different base station; and releasing the context for the UE in response to receiving the indication.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the context for the UE to at least one other base station associated with one or more of a context area of the base station, a tracking area of the base station, a neighbor list of the base station, or a neighbor list of the UE.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the context for the UE comprises any of UE state information, UE security information, UE capability information, a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for the UE, an identity associated with at least one logical traffic connection for the UE, or combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicating to the UE that the UE should transition out of the connected state comprises sending a first connection release message indicating that the UE should transition from the connected state to a semi-connected state, the semi-connected state associated with at least one of suppression of monitoring of a physical downlink control channel according to at least one temporary network identifier by the UE, suppression of monitoring of a user-specific search space of the physical downlink control channel, a first discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle for paging of the UE that is shorter than a second DRX cycle for paging of the UE when the UE is in an idle state, suppression of reporting of channel state information by the UE, or suppression of availability of uplink control information resources for the UE.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining, at the base station, at least one logical traffic connection with at least one of a mobility management entity or a serving gateway for the UE after the UE transitions out of the connected state.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one logical traffic connection for the UE comprises any of a logical connection for control plane traffic, a logical connection for user plane traffic, or combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the UE is to be transitioned out of the connected state is based on any of an expiration of a connected-state timer, a data traffic condition, an indication from a serving gateway, a data traffic type associated with at least one logical traffic connection of the UE, an access point name (APN) associated with the at least one logical traffic connection, or combinations thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the context for the UE should be maintained when the UE transitions out of the connected state based on any of a UE identity, a UE capability indicator, a UE configuration, UE priority information, UE data traffic history, UE connection history, a packet data network identifier associated with a data connection of the UE, a loading condition of the base station, or combinations thereof.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station comprises an evolved NodeB (eNB) of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) wireless network.

15 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:
a processor; a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine, for a user equipment (UE) served by the base station and configured in a connected state with the base station, that the UE is to be transitioned out of the connected state;
indicate to the UE that the UE should transition out of the connected state; and
maintain a context for the UE at the base station subsequent to the indicating that the UE should transition out of the connected state and while the UE continues to be served by the base station.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive an access request from the UE when the UE is out of the connected state; associate the context for the UE with the UE for connected-state operations of the UE; and indicate to the UE that the UE should transition to the connected state according to the context for the UE.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine, after the UE transitions out of the connected state, that the UE should transition to an idle state; indicate to the UE that the UE should transition to the idle state; and release the context for the UE.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
page the UE according to a periodic validation interval after the UE transitions out of the connected state; and release the context for the UE if a response to the paging is not received from the UE.

19 . A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
establishing a radio resource configuration in a connected state while being served by a first base station of a wireless communications network; receiving, from the first base station, an indication that the UE is to transition to a semi-connected state; and maintaining at least a portion of the radio resource configuration after transitioning to the semi-connected state while continuing to be served by the first base station.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further compri

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ozturk Ozcan
• Wang Jun
• Damnjanovic Aleksandar
• Vajapeyam Madhavan Srinivasan
• Patwardhan Ravindra Manohar

Classifications

• H04W68/02

  Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel · CPC title

• H04W76/27 Primary

  Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W52/0212 Primary

  managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is leader and terminal is follower · CPC title

• H04W76/28

  Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] · CPC title