Method and system for controlling access to shared network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301202-B2
Application number	US-201213985373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2012
Priority date	Feb 14, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a method and system for controlling access to a shared network. In both the method and the system, a core network node may send an overload indicator capable of distinguishing PLMNs to an access network node when the core network node is overloaded; and the access network node may learn a PLMN over which access control needs to be performed according to the overload indicator received. The method and the system of the disclosure distinguish the PLMNs in performing access control according to an actual situation of overload of the network node caused by a PLMN sharing the network, ensuring the fairness in performing access control over terminals of all PLMNs sharing the network. Therefore, the problem of unfairness in performing access control over terminals of different PLMNs in a network sharing scenario is solved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling access to a network shared by Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), comprising:
receiving, by an access network node, an overload indicator capable of distinguishing the PLMNs;
learning, by the access network node, a PLMN over which access control needs to be performed according to the overload indicator received;
controlling, by the access network node, access by a terminal via the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed;
wherein the controlling, by the access network node, access by a terminal via the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed is performed in one of the following two modes;
Mode 1: formulating, by the access network node, an Extended Access Barring (EAB) parameter corresponding to each PLMN over which access control needs to be performed, and sending EAB parameters corresponding to respective PLMNs to a terminal in a broadcast message; and
Mode 2: acquiring, by the access network node, a PLMN identifier selected by a terminal from a message sent by the terminal, and rejecting a connection establishment request of the terminal or releasing an established connection of the terminal when the PLMN identifier is the identifier of the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed currently.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by an access network node, an overload indicator capable of distinguishing the PLMNs is:
receiving, by the access network node, the overload indicator capable of distinguishing PLMNs directly from a core network node, when the core network node is overloaded; or
receiving, by the access network node, the overload indicator capable of distinguishing PLMNs via an operation and maintenance system, when a core network node is overloaded.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the receiving, by an access network node, an overload indicator capable of distinguishing the PLMNs is: receiving, by the access network node, an overload message including a PLMN identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the access network node, an overload stop message carrying an identifier of the PLMN for which access control needs to be stopped, when an overload of a core network node terminates.

5. An access network node for controlling access to a network shared by Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), configured to
receive an overload indicator capable of distinguishing the PLMNs;
learn a PLMN over which access control needs to be performed according to the overload indicator received;
control access by a terminal via the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed;
wherein the access network node is configured to control access by a terminal via the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed in one of the following two modes;
Mode 1: the access network node formulates an Extended Access Barring (EAB) parameter corresponding to each PLMN over which access control needs to be performed, and sends EAB parameters corresponding to respective PLMNs to a terminal in a broadcast message; and
Mode 2: the access network node acquires a PLMN identifier selected by a terminal from a message sent by the terminal, and rejects a connection establishment request of the terminal or releases an established connection of the terminal when the PLMN identifier is the identifier of the PLMN over which access control needs to be performed currently.

6. The access network node according to claim 5 , wherein the overload indicator is received directly from a core network node, when the core network node is overloaded, or
wherein the overload indicator is received via an operation and maintenance system, when a core network node is overloaded.

7. The access network node according to claim 5 , wherein the overload indicator is an overload message including a PLMN identifier.

8. The access network node according to claim 5 , further configured to receive, an overload stop message carrying an identifier of the PLMN for which access control needs to be stopped, when an overload of a core network node terminates.

Assignees

• Zhi Chunxia
• Deng Yun
• Xie Baoguo
• Zte Corp

Inventors

• Zhi Chunxia
• Deng Yun
• Xie Baoguo

Classifications

• H04W80/04

  Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol] · CPC title

• H04W92/02

  Inter-networking arrangements · CPC title

• H04W76/36

  for reassigning the resources associated with the released connections · CPC title

• H04W48/06 Primary

  based on traffic conditions · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title