Back-off timer for network reattachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020092425-A1
Application number	US-201716494182-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various communication systems may benefit from improved network signaling or attachment. A method, in certain embodiments, may include receiving at a network node an initial attachment request message from a user equipment. The method may also include issuing a back-off timer when accepting the initial attachment request from the user equipment. The back-off timer may include a duration of time in which the user equipment is not allowed to reattach to a network. In addition, the method may include receiving at the network node another attachment request message from the user equipment. Further, the method may include determining whether the duration of the back-off timer has lapsed, and rejecting the another attachment request from the user equipment when the duration of time of the back-off timer has not lapsed.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving at a network node an initial attachment request message from a user equipment; issuing a back-off timer when accepting the initial attachment request from the user equipment, wherein the back-off timer comprises a duration of time in which the user equipment is not allowed to reattach to a network; receiving at the network node another attachment request message from the user equipment; determining whether the duration of the back-off timer has lapsed; and rejecting the another attachment request from the user equipment when the duration of time of the back-off timer has not lapsed.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing the user equipment to reattach to the network after the duration of the back-off timer has lapsed.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the issuing of the back-off timer includes either sending the user equipment the back-off timer that has been determined by the network node or sending the user equipment an indication to use a pre-configured timer.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending from the network node to the user equipment an indication to start the duration of the back-off timer.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
reattaching the user equipment to the network after the user equipment is allowed to reattach to the network.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the duration of the back-off timer is based in part on another duration of a rate control limit or quota imposed by the network.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the back-off timer to the user equipment from the network node, without rejecting the reattachment request received from the user equipment.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the duration of the back-off timer starts when the user equipment detaches from or attaches to the network.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving transmissions other than the another attachment request from the user equipment during at least part of the duration of the back-off timer when the user equipment is still attached to the network.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
limiting an amount of data transmitted to the user equipment and from the user equipment before reattachment of the user equipment to the network.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a response to the user equipment indicating the rejection of the another attachment request, wherein the response comprises the back-off timer.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
reattaching the user equipment during the duration of the back-off timer when the user equipment is prioritized, wherein the another attachment request message comprises an indication that the user equipment is authorized as a prioritized user equipment.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
keeping track of the duration of the back-off timer at the network node.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the duration of the back-off timer based on different authorization levels of the user equipment.

17 . A method, comprising:
sending from a user equipment to a network node an initial attachment request message; receiving a response from the network node indicating that the initial attachment request message is accepted, wherein the response comprises a back-off timer or an indication of the back-off timer, and wherein the back-off timer comprises a duration of time in which the user equipment is not allowed to reattach to a network; starting the back-off timer associated with the user equipment; and refraining from reattaching to the network until after the duration of time of the back-off timer lapsed.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
sending from the user equipment to a network node another attachment request message after the duration of the back-off timer.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the duration of the back-off timer is based in part on another duration of a rate control limit or quota imposed by the network.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the starting of the back-off timer is triggered when the user equipment receives the back-off timer from the network node.

21 .- 23 . (canceled)

24 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
transmitting messages other than another attachment request from the user equipment to the network during at least part of the duration of the back-off timer when the user equipment is still attached to the network.

25 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform a process according to claim 1 .

26 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process according to claim 1 .

27 . (canceled)

28 . A computer program product encoded with instructions for performing a process according to claim 1 .

29 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Hietalahti Hannu Petri
• Koskinen Jussi-Pekka
• Liu Jennifer

Classifications

• H04M15/88 Primary

  Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W60/00

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

• H04W48/02 Primary

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• H04W76/18

  Management of setup rejection or failure · CPC title