Apparatus and method for handling mobile terminal capability informanion

The present invention relates to a device and a method for handling the capability information of the mobile terminal, specifically, but is not exclusive, and can be applied when the mobile terminal is in an environment consisting of networks of different wireless access technology types.

Radio access networks (RANs) using different radio access technologies (RATs) are deployed in overlapping configurations and proposed for deployment, making mobile radios increasingly heterogeneous in urban areas (even in the countryside). Leading the system infrastructure. Potentially, this provides the mobile terminal with a choice of network types along with multi-RAT capabilities. Network operators have identified benefits from simultaneous and alternative use by interworking between different technologies.

Usually, during the development of a new wireless access technology, interoperability with other RATs already or in the future will be less powerful until the technology type is reasonably defined following the adoption of the main proposal. There is a tendency not to work on it. One aspect of interaction relates to notifying the RAN of which technologies are supported by mobile wireless terminals, also known as user devices (UEs), and related information (UE capability information). To achieve interworking between different RATs, network nodes must be able to handle and interpret UE capability information presented in different formats, involving several different technologies.

Ericsson's proposal for 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 # 57-bis R2-071328 incorporated here as a reference provides an overview of UE capabilities in Universal Mobile Communications (UMTS) and related capabilities for Long Term Evolution (LTE). To do. UE capabilities include, for example, PDCP capabilities (such as the types of header compression supported) and RLC capabilities (maximum RLC). AM window size, maximum number of AM entities, etc.), transport channel capability (channel, maximum number of received bits), RF capability FDD / TDD (supported bandwidth, UE power class, Tx / Rx frequency separation), physical channel Capabilities (code, SF, maximum number of received bits), UE multimode / multiRAT capabilities (GSM, multicarrier support), security capabilities (supported encryption / integrity algorithms), measurement capabilities (compression on GSM) Mode, need for multi-carrier measurement), and UE positioning capability. UE capabilities also include inter-RAT UE radio access capabilities such as GSM and GERAN capabilities. The 3GPP standard TS25.331 "RRC Protocol Standard" (included here as a reference) also lists UE capability information.

UMTS, a member of RAT's 3GPP family, allows explicit queries of UE capabilities. The radio controller (RNC) sends a "UE capability inquiry" message to the UE via e-node B (eNB), and receives "UE capability information" from the UE as a response. The RNC responds to the receipt of the UE capability information message by sending the final "UE capability information confirmation" message to the UE. If the UE's capabilities change while belonging to the network, the UE can indicate this to the RNC by sending a voluntary "UE capability information" message to the RNC, thereby "verifying the UE capability information". Confirm again with a message. Therefore, the transfer of capability information may be initiated by the UE or RNC, depending on the circumstances.

In addition to the explicit query of capability information, UE capability information can be included as part of several messages within different signaling procedures as an information element (IE). During the radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure, for example, the UE capability is included in the final "RRC connection setup complete" message, which is sent from the UE to the RNC.

It is necessary to perform a handover to RAN of RAT to which the RCN to which the UE belongs is different. Handovers between different RATs are called "vertical handovers". For example, an RNC in a UMTS network can be handed over to a base station controller (BSC) in GSM. If the UE's UE capability information is already available in the serving RNC, the UE capability information is included in a given message during handover signaling in the network. The structure of UE capability information in a given message is specified taking into account the two types of RAT involved. If other types of RAT are involved, different structures can be specified.

Similar procedures are included for RATs other than those mentioned above, and UE capability information defined in RAT-specific procedures is handled to enable interworking.

<p> According to the first aspect of the present invention, a method of handling mobile terminal capability information is a container containing content consisting of information about the ability of the mobile terminal to communicate with a predetermined type of network and an indicator indicating the predetermined type. To the first network, and if the first network receives the container and the indicator indicates that the first network is of a given type, decrypt the contents of the container and the indicator is the first network Steps not to decrypt content if indicates that is not of the given type including.</p><p> The use of the method according to the invention allows for a generalized handling of UE capability information. The first network only needs to decode the mobile terminal capability information about its own technology, not the information specific to other types of technology. Also, information can be formatted into a technology-specific structure, but the first network only needs to decode the information structured according to its own technology. Therefore, there is no need for information structures of other technology types specified in the first network. This simplifies and simplifies the standardization aspect. This is in contrast to previous proposals for inter-RAT interworking, where specific message structures must be specified and are RAT-specific. Therefore, the content-independent handling of mobile terminal capability information using the method of the invention leads to improved interworking between different RATs. The method can be applied to existing RATs, those currently under development and future RATs.</p><p> UE capability information is used in different ways depending on the network. For handover in 3GPP, the wireless controller configures and initiates UE measurements. They are either in a mere RAT that directs a particular UE to scan adjacent cells of the same technology, or (if the UE indicates that it is of multiple RAT capabilities by its transmitted UE capability). One of the measurements between RATs where the UE also scans adjacent cells of different technologies.</p><p> The present invention relates to wireless access technology networks such as 3GPP RAT (UMTS, GSM, LTE), 3GPP2 (CDMA2000, HRPD), and other types of networks such as IEEE802.xy (WiMAX, WLAN), fixed. Applicable to mobile interworking.</p><p> In another method according to the invention, if there is a second adjacent network of a given type, the first network stores the container for potential future use by the second network without decrypting the content. .. The storage may be temporary to facilitate messaging between the first and second networks, if there is sufficient storage space, and, for example, the handover will be in the future. The first network will already have UE capability information available to send to the second network, as it may be retained on a longer-term basis if time is taken into account. In another aspect of the invention, the container may be immediately transmitted by the first network to the second network. The mobile terminal capability information can also be used for network operations other than handover.</p><p> In another method according to the invention, the first network transfers the container to a second network that decrypts the content, and the information extracted from the content is second to the first network for use by the first network. Sent by the network. This consultation mechanism between networks of different technology types provides an aspect of retrieving information in a generalized format for the contents of receiving containers of different technologies. A generalized format is such that for these supported technologies, information is not represented in a particular format depending on the technology type, but is similarly represented for different technologies. The generalized information returned from the second network to the first network can be used, for example, to support the decisions made by the serving network elements of the first network. Generalized reply information relates to supported frequencies and ranges. For example, for GSM, the frequency range may include 850/900/1800 / 1900 MHz. Handover to GSM networks requires the correct range of support, which works well when US 850 / 1900MHz mobile terminals move between regions by GSM networks operating in different frequency ranges, such as North America and Europe. do not go. If the first network to which the mobile terminal belongs is a non-GSM network, generalized information from the second network of adjacent GSMs can provide a supported frequency range for GSM operation. This makes it possible for the first network to determine whether a handover is possible for the second network of the adjacent GSM. The total supported bandwidth returned for a different technology can support the decision as to whether an ongoing streaming service can continue in the adjacent network of that technology. The returned information is sent and received by different technologies that are active at the same time, for example on a mobile phone or a properly equipped laptop.</p><p> According to a second aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal is generated to generate a container containing content consisting of information about the ability (of the mobile terminal) to communicate with a predetermined type of network and an indicator indicating the predetermined type. Equipped with a vessel. The generator can generate a number of different containers for different capabilities of the mobile terminal.</p><p> According to a third aspect of the invention, the communication network operates according to the method according to the invention. Examples and methods according to the present invention will be illustrated by way of reference to the accompanying drawings.</p>

<figref num="1">Figure 1 simulates a communication system that includes two networks of different technology types.</figref>

Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 1 (in this case, a mobile phone) belongs to a serving RNC in the first network 2 shown as RAN1 operating under the first RAT "RAT1". In this example, RAN1 is a UTRAN network with UMTS. The mobile terminal 1 includes a generator that outputs a plurality of containers 3a, 3b ... 3n in response to an inquiry. Each container is related to the type of technology that the mobile terminal 1 is compatible with, and if the mobile terminal 1 has multi-RAT capability as in this case, multiple containers will be sent to RAN1 and RAN2. Each container 3a, 3b ... 3n includes content that gives UE capability information regarding a predetermined RAT, which is indicated as 4a, 4b ... 4n, respectively. Each container 3a, 3b ... 3n also has indicator tags 5a, 5b ... 5n, respectively, which indicate the RAT to which the content is associated. Thus, the container is created by the mobile terminal 1 for each supported radio technology, including its capability parameters. The actual content is only specified by a given RAT standard, but the head of the container is equipped with the same tag for each radio technology. When the mobile terminal 1 handles different types of data transmission in different manners, this can be reflected in the contents and tags of the container. For example, for inter-RAT load management, data transmission is handled by voice transmission using one RAT and another RAT.

Upon receiving the containers 3a, 3b ... 3n, the first network 2 decodes each of the tags 5a, 5b ... 5n. If the first container 3a is determined to be related to the RAT1 technology (which is the technology type of the first network), its content 4a is also properly decrypted and used by the first network 2. The second container 3b relates to a different technology type, RAT2, which is GSM technology in this embodiment. Therefore, the first network 2 leaves the contents of container 3b in a coded format and checks if there is an adjacent network of the second technology type. If there is no such adjacency network, the container is discarded. However, in this configuration, the second network 6 of the adjacent GSM exists as indicated by RAN2. If the handover is imminent, or if it is necessary to obtain generalized information derived from the contents of the second container 3b, the first network 1 will take the second container 3b to the second network 6 Can be transferred to. The receiving second network 6 can see the tag 5b for the display of its own technology, decrypt the container's related content 4b, and return the information to the first network 2 in a generalized format. ..

Following a successful handover to the second network 6, container information about the UE capability is retained in the second network 6 for later decisions regarding radio resources or mobility control such as further handover. This can avoid the need for an explicit query of the UE capabilities of RAN2 currently serving.

If there is no urgent request for container 3b sent by the first network 2 to the second network 6, it will be stored in the first network 2 if it has sufficient storage capacity, otherwise it will be discarded. Ru. However, if it is discarded, messaging to reacquire capability information from mobile terminal 1 will need to be repeated at a later time.

If the UE belongs to the first network 2 and the content of container 3b is related to the currently serving RAN1, the adjacent RAN2 of the given technology is negotiated. The consultation mechanism consists of inquiry / response message procedures. The inquiry message includes an undecrypted container and a selective display of request information for the reply reply message. The recipient RAN of the appropriate technology (indicated by the container's RAT tag) decrypts the content and returns a reply message containing a generalized display of the query information. The generalized information consists of, for example, a supported bandwidth or a supported mobile positioning system for wireless transmission. For the implementation of the consultation mechanism, only the format of the returned generalized information, such as GPS reception capability or maximum or expected transmit bandwidth (eg, for QoS-related handover decisions) must be defined.

In terms of backwards compatibility, a simple Boolean flag provides support for the method of invention. If the responding UE does not support that method, it works by the previous mechanism. By adopting the method of the invention for forward compatibility, the need for further standardization effort regarding UE capability is greatly reduced in the presence of additional radio technologies supported for inter-system handover. Decryption of the container's content is only performed within its predetermined relevant technology, so no further inter-technical coordination at the standards body level is required.

The present invention can be embodied in other particular forms and can be carried out in different ways without departing from its spiritual or essential features. The examples and methods described are not limiting and should be considered for illustrative purposes only. Therefore, the scope of the invention is shown not by the above description but by the appended claims. The meaning of equality in the claims and all changes that fall within the scope are included within those scopes.