Telecommunications apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309448-A1
Application number	US-201414781172-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of paging in a wireless telecommunications system. A core network element selects a base station from plural base stations including a tracking area to have primary responsibility for paging a terminal device and conveys an indication of the terminal device to the selected base station. Each base station maintains a paging database identifying one or more terminal devices for which it has a responsibility for paging. When a terminal device is to be paged, the core network element transmits a paging request to the plural base stations including the tracking area. The respective base stations then determine whether to onward transmit a paging message for the terminal device based on a comparison between an identifier for the terminal device being paged with entries in their paging database, and if the comparison indicates it has responsibility for paging the terminal device, it will transmit a paging message accordingly.

First claim

1 . A method of operating a base station in a wireless telecommunications system comprising a core network, a plurality of base stations and a plurality of terminal devices, the method comprising:
identifying one or more terminal devices for which the base station is to have a responsibility for paging; maintaining a paging database identifying the one or more terminal devices for which the base station is to have a responsibility for paging; receiving from the core network a paging request conveying an identifier for a terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system; and determining whether or not to transmit a paging message for the terminal device being paged by comparing the identifier for the terminal device being paged with entries in the paging database to determine if the base station has a responsibility for paging the terminal device being paged.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying the one or more terminal devices for which the base station has a responsibility for paging comprises receiving an indication of the one or more terminal devices from the core network.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying the one or more terminal devices for which the base station has a responsibility for paging comprises receiving an indication of the one or more terminal devices from another base station of the wireless telecommunications system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying an identifier for the terminal device being paged to one or more further base stations to request the one or more further base stations transmit a paging message for the terminal device being paged.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more further base stations are selected based on channel condition reports received by the base station from the terminal device being paged.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the base station and the one or more further base stations comprise a predefined group of base stations.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the core network a subsequent paging request conveying the identifier for the terminal device being paged, and, in response thereto, transmitting a paging message for the terminal device being paged irrespective of the contents of the paging database.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the core network a further paging request conveying an identifier for a terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system, determining that the further paging request has a characteristic which indicates the base station should transmit a paging message for the terminal device identified in association with the further paging request irrespective of the contents of the paging database, and transmitting a paging message for the terminal device identified in association with the further paging request.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from another base station a paging request conveying an identifier for a further terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system, and transmitting a paging message for the further terminal device being paged irrespective of the contents of the paging database.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a paging message for the terminal device being paged if it is determined the base station has a responsibility for paging the terminal device being paged.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether a response to the paging message is received from the terminal device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting signalling to the core network to indicate a failure to page the terminal device if a response to the paging message is not received from the terminal device.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising modifying the paging database to indicate the base station no longer has a responsibility for paging the terminal device if a response to the paging message is not received from the terminal device.

14 . A base station for use in a wireless telecommunications system comprising a core network, a plurality of base stations and a plurality of terminal devices, wherein the base station is configured to:
identify one or more terminal devices for which the base station is to have a responsibility for paging; maintain a paging database identifying the one or more terminal devices for which the base station is to have a responsibility for paging; receive from the core network a paging request conveying an identifier for a terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system; and determine whether or not to transmit a paging message for the terminal device being paged by comparing the identifier for the terminal device being paged with entries in the paging database to determine if the base station has a responsibility for paging the terminal device being paged.

15 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to identify the one or more terminal devices for which the base station has a responsibility for paging by receiving an indication of the one or more terminal devices from the core network.

16 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to identify the one or more terminal devices for which the base station has a responsibility for paging by receiving an indication of the one or more terminal devices from another base station of the wireless telecommunications system.

17 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to convey an identifier for the terminal device being paged to one or more further base stations to request the one or more further base stations transmit a paging message for the terminal device being paged.

18 . The base station of claim 17 , wherein the base station is configured such that the one or more further base stations are selected based on channel condition reports received by the base station from the terminal device being paged.

19 . The base station of claim 17 , wherein the base station and the one or more further base stations comprise a predefined group of base stations.

20 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to receive from the core network a subsequent paging request conveying the identifier for the terminal device being paged, and, in response thereto, transmit a paging message for the terminal device being paged irrespective of the contents of the paging database.

21 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to receive from the core network a further paging request conveying an identifier for a terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system, determine that the further paging request has a characteristic which indicates the base station should transmit a paging message for the terminal device identified in association with the further paging request irrespective of the contents of the paging database, and transmit a paging message for the terminal device identified in association with the further paging request.

22 . The base station of claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to receive from another base station a paging request conveying an identifier for a further terminal device being paged in the wireless telecommunications system, and transmit a paging message for the further terminal device being paged irrespective of the con

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Truelove Stephen
• Wakabayashi Hideji
• Kahtava Jussi

Classifications

• H04W68/06

  using multi-step notification by changing the notification area · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04W60/00

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title

• H04W68/04 Primary

  multi-step notification using statistical or historical mobility data · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title