Method and device for transmitting location information of user equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9591439-B2
Application number	US-201214233728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2012
Priority date	Jul 20, 2011
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for transmitting location information about user equipment, used for determining the location of user equipment more accurately by the core network, benefitting operations such as accurate charging by the core network. The method includes: a control plane management device receiving location information reported by a relay node (RN), wherein the location information includes relevant information about the donor cell where the RN is located; and the control plane management device determining the location of UE according to the received location information, and sending the latest location information about the UE to a charging function node after the location of the UE has changed. Also disclosed is an implementing method for the charging function node side, and a device used for implementing these methods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transmitting location information of a User Equipment, UE, comprising:
receiving, by a control plane management device of the UE, the location information reported by a Relay Node, RN, serving the UE, wherein the location information comprises relevant information of a donor cell where the RN is connected; and
determining, by the control plane management device of the UE, a location of the UE according to the received location information, and sending the latest location information of the UE to a charging function node when there is a change in location of the UE;
wherein before receiving, by the control plane management device of the UE, the location information reported from the RN, the method further comprises:
sending, by the control plane management device of the UE, configuration information to indicate a user location information reporting condition to the RN;
wherein before the control plane management device of the UE sends the configuration information to indicate the user location information reporting condition to the RN, the method further comprises: sending, by the control plane management device of the UE, an indication flag to indicate a support of a location information reporting function to the charging function node and receiving an activation indicator from the charging function node, wherein the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function is an additional location information reporting indication flag to indicate a support of a donor cell location information reporting function or a location information change reporting indication flag to indicate a support of a serving cell location information reporting function.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the relevant information of the donor cell comprises at least one of the following information:
an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Tracking Area Identifier, TAI, corresponding to the donor cell, a global eNode B identifier of a Donor eNode B, DeNB, corresponding to the donor cell, an eNode B name of the DeNB corresponding to the donor cell, geographical location information of the RN and geographical location information of the DeNB corresponding to the donor cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information to indicate the user location information reporting condition comprises at least one of the following conditions:
immediately reporting;
reporting when the RN is handed over to a new donor cell or donor eNB; and
reporting when the User Equipment, UE, is handed over between different cells.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending, by the control plane management device of the UE, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function to the charging function node comprises:
sending, by the control plane management device of the UE, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function to the charging function node upon reception of an indication flag indicating no support of the donor cell location information reporting function sent from another control plane management device.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
sending, by the control plane management device of the UE, no indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function to the charging function node upon reception of an indication flag indicating a support of the donor cell location information reporting function sent from the another control plane management device.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the location information further comprises relevant information of a serving cell of the UE.

7. A method for transmitting location information of a User Equipment, UE, comprising:
receiving, by a charging function node, the location information of the UE sent from a control plane management device of the UE, wherein the location information is reported by a Relay Node, RN, serving the UE to the control plane management device of the UE, and the location information comprises relevant information of a donor cell where an RN is connected; and
determining, by the charging function node, a location of the UE according to the received location information;
wherein before the charging function node receives the location information sent from the control plane management device of the UE, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the charging function node, an indication flag to indicate a support of a location information reporting function sent from the control plane management device of the UE and sending an activation indicator to the control plane management device of the UE, wherein the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function is an additional location information reporting indication flag to indicate a support of a donor cell location information reporting function or a location information change reporting indication flag to indicate a support of a serving cell location information reporting function.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the relevant information of the donor cell comprises at least one of the following information: an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Tracking Area Identifier, TAI, corresponding to the donor cell, a global eNode B identifier of a Donor eNode B, DeNB, corresponding to the donor cell, an eNode B name of the DeNB corresponding to the donor cell, geographical location information of the RN and geographical location information of the DeNB corresponding to the donor cell.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein receiving, by the charging function node, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function sent from the control plane management device of the UE comprises: receiving, by the charging function node, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function sent from the control plane management device of the UE in a Create Session Request message; and
sending the activation indicator to the control plane management device of the UE comprises: sending, by the charging function node, the activation indicator to the control plane management device of the UE in a Create Session Response message; or
receiving, by the charging function node, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function sent from the control plane management device of the UE comprises: receiving, by the charging function node, the indication flag to indicate a support of the location information reporting function sent from the control plane management device of the UE in a Modify Bearer Request message; and
sending the activation indicator to the control plane management device of the UE comprises: sending, by the charging function node, the activation indicator to the control plane management device of the UE in a Modify Bearer Response message.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the location information further comprises relevant information of a serving cell of the UE.

11. A control plane management device of a User Equipment (UE), comprising:
a first interface module configured to receive location information of a UE reported by a Relay Node, RN, serving the UE, wherein the location information comprises relevant information of a donor cell where the RN is connected; and
a second interface module configured to determine a location of the UE according to the

Assignees

• Yang Yi
• China Academy Telecommunications Technology

Inventors

• Yang Yi

Classifications

• H04L12/1485

  Tariff-related aspects · CPC title

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G01S5/0027

  of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile · CPC title

• H04L12/1403

  Architecture for metering, charging or billing · CPC title

• H04W8/10

  between location register and external networks · CPC title