Communication control method, master base station, secondary base station, and user terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016337925-A1
Application number	US-201615222588-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication control method according to a first aspect is a method in a mobile communication system for supporting dual connectivity communication using a master base station for establishing RRC connection with a user terminal and a secondary base station for providing additional radio resources to the user terminal. The communication control method comprises: an inter-master base station handover procedure for performing handover of the user terminal from a source master base station to a target master base station without changing the secondary base station.

First claim

1 . A target master evolved Node-B (MeNB) for a mobile communication system supporting dual connectivity communication using: an MeNB for establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a user equipment (UE); and a secondary evolved Node-B (SeNB) for providing additional radio resources to the UE, the target MeNB comprising:
a controller containing at least one processor and at least one memory, and configured to perform controls for an inter-MeNB handover procedure that performs handover of the UE from a source MeNB to the target MeNB without changing the SeNB, wherein the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the target MeNB to perform processes of: receiving a handover request massage from the source MeNB, the handover request massage including information relating to the SeNB, the information including a global eNB ID, which is identification information of the SeNB; and transmitting an SeNB addition request message to the SeNB in response to receiving the handover request massage, the SeNB addition request message used to configure the SeNB as a new SeNB for the target MeNB.

2 . The target MeNB of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the target MeNB to perform a process of: receiving an SeNB addition request acknowledge message, which is response to the SeNB addition request message, from the SeNB, the SeNB addition request acknowledge message including algorithm information indicating a security algorithm selected by the SeNB to perform communication with the UE.

3 . The target MeNB of claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the target MeNB to perform a process of: transmitting a handover request acknowledge massage, which is response to the handover request massage, to the source MeNB, in response to receiving the SeNB addition request acknowledge message, the handover request acknowledge massage including the algorithm information.

4 . A secondary evolved Node-B (SeNB) for a mobile communication system supporting dual connectivity communication using: a master evolved Node-B (MeNB) for establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a user equipment (UE); and the SeNB for providing additional radio resources to the UE, the SeNB comprising:
a controller containing at least one processor and at least one memory, and configured to perform controls for an inter-MeNB handover procedure that performs handover of the UE from a source MeNB to a target MeNB without changing the SeNB, wherein the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the SeNB to perform a process of: receving an SeNB addition request message from the target MeNB that receives a handover request massage from the source MeNB, the SeNB addition request message used to configure the SeNB as a new SeNB for the target MeNB.

5 . The SeNB of claim 4 , wherein
the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the SeNB to perform a process of: transmitting an SeNB addition request acknowledge message, which is response to the SeNB addition request message, to the target MeNB, the SeNB addition request acknowledge message including algorithm information indicating a security algorithm for performing communication with the UE.

6 . The SeNB of claim 5 , wherein
the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the SeNB to perform processes of: receiving an SeNB release request message for requesting releasing configurations corresponding to the source MeNB, from the source MeNB that receives a handover request acknowledge massage from the target MeNB; releasing configurations corresponding to the source MeNB in response to receiving the SeNB release request message; and receiving a UE context release message from the source MeNB, the UE context release message requesting release of a UE context for the UE.

7 . A source master evolved Node-B (MeNB) for a mobile communication system supporting dual connectivity communication using an MeNB for establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a user equipment (UE) and a secondary evolved Node-B (SeNB) for providing additional radio resources to the UE, the source MeNB comprising:
a controller containing at least one processor and at least one memory, and configured to perform controls for an inter-MeNB handover procedure that performs handover of the UE from the source MeNB to a target MeNB without changing the SeNB, wherein the controller is further configured, for the inter-MeNB handover procedure, to cause the source MeNB to perform processes of: transmitting a handover request massage to the target MeNB, the handover request massage including information relating to the SeNB, the information including a global eNB ID, which is identification information of the SeNB; receiving a handover request acknowledge massage, which is response to the handover request massage, from the target MeNB, the handover request acknowledge massage including algorithm information indicating a security algorithm selected by the SeNB to perform communication with the UE; transmitting an SeNB release request message to the SeNB in response to receiving the handover request acknowledge massage, the SeNB release request message requesting release of configurations corresponding to the source MeNB; receiving a first UE context release message from the target MeNB, the first UE context release message requesting release of a UE context for the UE; and transmitting a second UE context release message to the SeNB, the second UE context release message requesting release of the UE context.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Fujishiro Masato
• Mitsui Katsuhiro
• Nagasaka Yushi
• Morita Kugo
• Tong Fangwei
• Chang Henry

Classifications

• H04W36/28 Primary

  involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections · CPC title

• H04W36/0055

  Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link · CPC title

• H04W16/32

  Hierarchical cell structures · CPC title

• H04W36/00695

  using split of the control plane or user plane · CPC title

• H04L61/2592

  using tunnelling or encapsulation · CPC title