Network Congestion Control Via Paging Procedures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018249367-A1
Application number	US-201615754314-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 30, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

For a UE in idle mode and camped on a current cell, in response to receiving a paging message indicating the UE should perform a process to select a cell for camping on for idle mode, the following are performed: performing the process to select one of a plurality of cells for camping on for idle mode; and performing operations to camp on the selected cell. The following are performed as part of a continuous load-balancing process for idle-mode load balancing for a cell: determining whether the cell is congested for UEs camping on the cell while in idle mode; and in response to a determination the cell is congested, sending a paging message to idle-mode UE(s) camped on the cell, wherein the paging message is configured to cause the idle-mode UE(s) to start a process to select a cell for camping on for idle mode.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
performing at least the following as part of a continuous load-balancing process for idle-mode load balancing for a cell: determining whether the cell is congested for user equipment camping on the cell while in idle mode; and in response to a determination the cell is congested, sending a paging message to one or more idle-mode user equipment camped on the cell, wherein the paging message is configured to cause the one or more idle-mode user equipment to modify cell or carrier selection priorities and is configured to cause the one or more idle-mode user equipment to modify at least one of the cell or carrier selection priorities and camp on a cell according to the modification.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a trigger configured to cause the user equipment to activate previously acquired dedicated priorities.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a probability which is to be used by the user equipment to consider whether to trigger a randomization process for selecting a cell for camping on for idle mode.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain an indication configured to cause the user equipment to trigger a randomization process based on one or more probabilities associated to one or more carriers that were previously acquired by the user equipment.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the paging message is sent to a single idle-mode user equipment.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises selecting a group of idle-mode user equipment; and sending further comprises sending the paging message to the group of idle-mode user equipment.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein selecting the group is performed so that a number of user equipment in the group is expected to reduce a load on the cell beneath a threshold if all the user equipment in the group select a different cell for camping on for idle mode.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending an indication in a system information block for priorities that the priorities should remain inactive until the paging message is received.

9 .- 18 . (canceled)

19 . A method, comprising:
for a user equipment in idle mode and camped on a current cell, receiving a paging message indicating the user equipment should modify cell or carrier selection priorities; modifying at least one of the cell or carrier selection priorities; and camping on a selected cell according to the modification.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a trigger configured to cause the user equipment to activate previously acquired dedicated priorities, and
comprising activating the previously acquired dedicated priorities, starting one or more timers, and applying the previously acquired dedicated priorities based on the one or more timers to select the selected cell.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a probability, and comprising considering, based on the probability, whether to trigger a randomization process for selecting a cell for camping on for idle mode, and in response to determining to trigger the randomization process, triggering the randomization process and using the randomization process to select the selected cell.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain an indication configured to cause the user equipment to trigger a randomization process based on one or more probabilities associated to one or more carriers that were previously acquired by the user equipment, and comprising performing the randomization process using the one or more probabilities, to select the selected cell.

23 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising receiving an indication in a system information block for priorities that this corresponding set of priorities should remain inactive until the paging message is received, and comprising activating and using the priorities to select one of a plurality of cells for camping on for idle mode.

24 . An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors one or more memories including computer program code, the one or more memories and the computer program code configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform: for a user equipment in idle mode and camped on a current cell, receiving a paging message indicating the user equipment should modify cell or carrier selection priorities; modifying at least one of the cell or carrier selection priorities; and camping on a selected cell according to the modification.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a trigger configured to cause the user equipment to activate previously acquired dedicated priorities, and wherein the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform the following: activating previously acquired dedicated priorities, starting one or more timers, and applying the previously acquired dedicated priorities based on the one or more timers to select the selected cell.

26 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain a probability, and wherein the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform the following: considering, based on the probability, whether to trigger a randomization process for selecting a cell for camping on for idle mode, and triggering, responsive to determining to trigger the randomization process, the randomization process and using the randomization process to select the selected cell.

27 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the paging message is configured to contain an indication configured to cause the user equipment to trigger a randomization process based on one or more probabilities associated to one or more carriers that were previously acquired by the user equipment, and wherein the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform the following: performing the randomization process using the one or more probabilities, to select the selected cell.

28 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform receiving an indication in a system information block for priorities that this corresponding set of priorities should remain inactive until the paging message is received, and wherein the performing the process further comprises one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform the following: activating and using the corresponding set of priorities to select one of a plurality of cells for camping on for idle mode.

29 . (canceled)

30 . (canceled)

31 . (canceled)

32 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing program code for executing the method according to claim 1 .

33 . (canceled)

34 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing program code for executing the method according to claim 19 .

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Rosa Claudio
• Henttonen Tero
• Shah Ejaz
• Stanczak Jedrzej

Classifications

• H04W28/0284 Primary

  detecting congestion or overload during communication (monitoring arrangements H04L43/00) · CPC title

• H04W28/08

  Load balancing or load distribution (transferring a connection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W48/18

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• H04W28/12

  using signalling between network elements · CPC title

• H04W28/0861

  between base stations · CPC title