Alcatel Lucent

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Spatial Communications Technologies, Inc.

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.

Lu Tian

David C Williamson

Bruno Landais

Yong Zhao

Anders H Askerup

John I Ayers

Ping Sha

Bruce Zhao

Eddy Lin

Richard P Ejzak

Seshagiri Rao Madhavapeddy

Ghassan Naim

Pardeep Kohli

Michael R Kelly

John Matthew Gafrick

Ching-Der Lin

Brad Kenyon

Mathew M Kaippallimalil

Chao-Yee Kuan

Rene Raynaud

Lingli Kung

Anuj Jain

Anh Tran

Douglas Heim

Yibo Zhang

Systems and methods are provided for optimizing session continuity management during 5Generation (5G) and 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) interworking. Conventional 4G/LTE and 5G interworking involves session continuity subscription or retrieval operations to obtain the latest mobility data for a user equipment (UE) attempting to attach to a particular communications network. These operations include exchanging various messages can be avoided by determining the existence of an Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA)/evolved Packet Data Network Gateway (ePDG) registration (among other conditions).

4G/5G session continuity management optimization

Examples described herein relate to techniques for session continuity when a User Equipment (UE) is moving to a destination core of a destination communication system in an interworking network architecture. Example techniques may include registering by a destination subscription manager in a Network Repository Function (NRF) a subscription profile and indicating support for a session continuity for the User Equipment (UE). Discovering the subscription profile by a source subscription manager by utilizing the NRF. Receiving the session information by the destination subscription manager from the source subscription manager based on the discovery of the subscription profile. Enabling continuity of the session by the destination subscription based on the received session information.

Session continuity for a user equipment

5G provides for interworking with the 4G/LTE networks, which provides for mobility of user equipment between the 5G and 4G/LTE networks. Mobility from 5G to 4G/LTE requires deregistering user equipment from the 5G core network (5GC) by communicating a deregistration notification from the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) to the 5GC. Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for an optimized deregistration process through avoidance of redundant deregistration notification traffic injected into the 5G network by utilizing 4G/LTE connectivity information to determine whether or not to inject deregistration notifications into the 5G network.

Optimized deregistration interworking

Systems and methods are provided for automatic notifications of expired subscriptions. In various embodiments, a network function can request a subscription from a Unified Data Repository (UDR). The request for the subscription can include a request for a notification when the subscription expires or at a time prior to the expiration of the subscription. When the subscription expires or at the time prior to the expiration of the subscription, the UDR can provide a notification that the subscription has expired or is about to expire. Based on the notification, the network function can request to re-subscribe or request a new subscription from the UDR.

Automatic notifications for expired subscriptions

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a system may comprise a a combination engine to combine an encrypted device identification and a routing indicator resulting in a combined device identification. The system may also include an encryption engine to encrypt the combined device identification and a transmission engine to transmit the encrypted combined device identification.

Device identification encryption

An example method for inter-Mobile Switching Center (MSC) handover of a mobile device includes requesting, by an anchor MSC subsequent to sending a Mobile Application Part (MAP) Prepare Handover message, the International Mobile Equipment Identity and Software Version Number (IMEISV) from the mobile device. The anchor MSC receives the IMEISV of the mobile device in response to the requesting and forwards the IMEISV and/or a corresponding UESBI-Iu in a message to a target MSC. The MAP Prepare Handover message may have been forwarded without the IMEISV of the mobile device when such IMEISV was not yet available at the time the inter-MSC handover was initiated. The IMEISV and/or corresponding User Equipment Specific Behavior Information (UESBI)-Iu may be forwarded in new Information Elements (IEs) in a MAP Forward Access Signaling (FAS) message to the target MSC.

Indication of IMEISV over map for inter-MSC handover

A call loop avoidance capability is provided for preventing formation of a call loop resulting from handling of a mobile terminated (MT) call in parallel with a location update for a mobile device (MD) in a wireless communication network. The call loop avoidance capability prevents formation of a call loop between an old mobility and call management entity (MCME) and a new MCME when delivery of an MT call to an MD is performed while the MD is in the process of moving from the old MCME to the new MCME using a location update procedure. An enhanced call routing procedure supports direct delivery of the MT call from the new MCME to the MD (rather than delivery of the MT call by the new MCME to the MD via the old MCME) in order to prevent formation of a call loop between the old MCME and the new MCME.

Avoiding formation of a call loop resulting from handling of a mobile terminated call in parallel with a location update in a wireless communication network

A method for delivering a mobile terminated call to a mobile device communicating with a mobile switching center (MSC) in one example comprises steps of attempting to deliver the mobile terminated call to a mobile device, receiving a message that the mobile device is no longer in the location area served by the visiting MSC and forwarding the mobile terminated call to a different visiting MSC. The mobile terminated call is forwarded directly from one VMSC to another VMSC without requiring two potentially international calls to be placed serially from the GMSC to a VMSC. This method of Mobile Termination Roaming Forwarding can reduce substantial delay in call setup while saving network resources during establishment of the first call.

Mobile termination roaming forwarding for mobile devices

As a mobile device moves from one location area to another, the mobile device detects the different location identifiers broadcast by the wireless network(s) in those locations areas. The mobile device stores the location identifier for the last location area in which the mobile device was located. By comparing a received location identifier to the stored location identifier, the mobile device determines if the mobile device has entered a new location area. If so, the mobile device sends a location update request. In one embodiment, if the location update request is for a location area to which access by the mobile device is restricted, the network sends a communication to the mobile device that triggers the mobile device to update a location identifier stored at the mobile device to the location identifier for the restricted location area so that the mobile can update the network after entering/selecting a different location area.

Method for handling roaming of mobile device to restricted area

A Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) of a home Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is provided. In one embodiment, the GMSC is configured, for receiving a roaming caller originated call from a visited PLMN including a Routing Number (RN), validating the RN against configured Network Camel Subscription Information (N-CSI) in response to receiving the roaming caller originated call, and sending a home network issued Initial Detection Point (IDP) to a Service Control Point (SCP) of the home PLMN in response to the RN being successfully validated. The home network issued IDP includes said RN. The GMSC is further configured for receiving at least a portion of information for facilitating connection of the roaming caller originated call from the SCP of the home PLMN and facilitating connection of the roaming caller originated call in response to receiving the at least portion of the information.

Inter-PLMN roaming

A method and apparatus for delivering a mobile terminated call to user equipment (UE) in a circuit switched fallback (CSFB) capable wireless network system using prepaging. When the VMSC registered in the HLR of the called UE receives a provide roaming number message from the HLR indicating that a CS call to the UE has been originated at a GMSC, the VMSC starts a paging process with a mobility management entity (MME) then returns a mobile station roaming number (MSRN) to the HLR when the called UE is in EMM-connected mode. Alternatively, the VMSC sets a guard timer and returns the MSRN to the HLR when the guard timer expires. In the meantime, the VMSC remain in a paging stage waiting for the response from the UE falling back to the UMTS/GSM network from the LTE network.

Circuit switch fallback (CSFB) during prepaging

A method for facilitating inter-PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) roaming comprises a plurality of operations. A home PLMN of a caller's wireless communication device performs an operation for determining that the caller's wireless communication device is not located in the home PLMN and, in response to determining that the caller's wireless communication device is not located in the home PLMN, an operation for facilitating a call routing service in a Service Control Point (SCP) of the home PLMN. The call routing service causes a call originated by the caller's wireless communication device while roaming in a visited PLMN to be routed back to a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) of the home PLMN thereby allowing the home PLMN to have control over the roaming caller originated call and to have limited dependency on the visited PLMN.

Paging of a mobile device within a mobile pool area serviced by two or more mobile switching nodes is reduced using logical paging areas. The mobile pool area includes a plurality of location areas, each serviced by the two or more switching nodes. In addition, the mobile pool area is divided into multiple logical paging areas, in which each logical paging area includes at least two location areas. Upon receiving a mobile terminated call for the mobile device, if the location area of the mobile device is unknown, the logical paging area within which the mobile device is located is determined in order to page the mobile device and deliver the mobile terminated call to the mobile device.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Lu Tian