Cisco Technology, Inc.

Ravi Shankar Chamarty

Jacob Eipe

Vinod Kamalaraj

Lingesh Munagala

Pradeep Dakshayani

Vivek Jha

Nirav Salot

Sridhar Bhaskaran

Maulik Vijay Vaidya

Jay Navali

Sebastian Speicher

Rahul Suhas Vaidya

James Paul Seymour

Mruthyunjaya Navali

An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include communicating a message for a group of one or more user equipment (UE) from a machine type communication-interworking function (MTC-IWF) to a packet data network gateway (PGW), wherein the message includes a group identity (ID) associated with the group of one or more UE; communicating the message from the PGW to one or more serving gateways (SGWs); and communicating the message from each of the one or more SGWs to each of the one or more UE of the group of the one via a tunnel for each of the one or more UE.

System and method for providing message delivery and paging to a group of users in a network environment

A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include determining that a periodic timer for a user equipment (UE) is about to expire; communicating to an application service, prior to expiration of the periodic timer for the UE, an indication associated with an availability of the UE to receive data from the application service; and communicating the data from the application service to the UE upon receiving the indication. In some cases, the method can include registering, by the application service, to receive the indication from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), wherein the registering is performed via a service capability exposure function (SCEF) in communication with the MME or the SGSN and the application service.

System and method for providing power saving mode enhancements in a network environment

Some embodiments provide methods for selecting tracking areas, including: receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, each message including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station from which the message is received; performing domain name system queries for the tracking areas to retrieve information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas; based on the information identifying serving gateways, storing, in a local memory, a list of tracking area identities handled by each identified serving gateway; receiving a message from user equipment indicating a first tracking area; selecting at least one tracking area handled by a serving gateway serving the first tracking area based on the list of tracking areas handled by each identified serving gateway stored in the memory; and sending a tracking area identity list to the user equipment based on the selected at least one tracking area.

Systems and methods for reduced latency tracking area selection

An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include configuring paging parameters for a group of one or more user equipment (UE) based, at least in part, on a group identifier (ID) for the group of one or more UE; communicating the paging parameters to each of the one or more UE of the group; and paging one or more idle mode UE of the group according to the paging parameters to transition the idle mode UE to a connected mode for receiving a group message. In some instances, configuring the paging parameters can include configuring a paging frame and paging occasion for the group of one or more UE based on the group ID; configuring extended paging cycle radio frames for the group of one or more UE; and/or configuring a paging group Radio Network Temporary Identifier for the group of one or more UE.

Some embodiments provide methods for selecting a serving gateway to service user equipment in communication with a network, including: receiving a message from a base transceiver station including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station, initiating a domain name system query for at least one tracking area in the list of tracking areas to identify information indicating a serving gateway serving the at least one tracking area, storing, in local memory, the information indicating the serving gateway serving the at least one tracking area, and upon an occurrence of a triggering event, retrieving, from the local memory, the stored information indicating the serving gateway serving the at least one tracking area.

Systems and methods for selecting serving gateways to service user equipment

Systems and methods that provide a mechanism to relocate functions from one gateway to another gateway in a wireless communication network are disclosed. The gateway can implement an access service network (ASN) gateway in a WiMAX based network with a number of functionalities co-located on the gateway such as an authenticator, an anchor FA, an anchor DPF, a PMIP client, and a prepaid client. These functionalities can then be relocated from a first ASN gateway to a second ASN gateway. The proposed system and method reduces the messaging needed for the relocation and the number of components in the network, which can save capital and operating expenses. Additionally, the reduced messaging can reduce latency and delay in the process of relocating, which saves bandwidth and increases the level of service provided to the user.

Gateway relocation in communication networks

Some embodiments disclose a method for providing a tracking area identity list in a communications network. The method includes maintaining a tracking area transition likelihood and a tracking area group transition likelihood, and recording a mobility number and a paging number. The method further includes determining a category associated with the user equipment device based on the recorded mobility number and the recorded paging number, and generating the tracking area identity list for the user equipment device based on the category associated with the user equipment device and one or both of the tracking area transition likelihood and the tracking area group transition likelihood.

Systems and methods for classifying user equipment and selecting tracking areas

Some embodiments disclose methods for classifying user equipment in a network, comprising: recording a first number of times a tracking area identity has changed for a user equipment device during a period of time based on messages exchanged between the user equipment device and a mobility management entity; recording a second number of times the user equipment device is paged during a second period of time; classifying the user equipment device into one of at least three categories based on the first and second recorded numbers; generating a tracking area identity list for the user equipment based device on its category; and sending the generated tracking area identity list to the user equipment device.

Some embodiments provide methods for selecting a serving gateway, including: receiving a message from a base transceiver station including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station; performing a domain name system query for at least one tracking area to retrieve and store in a local memory information identifying a serving gateway serving the at least one tracking area; receiving an attach request from the base transceiver station identifying the user equipment and a tracking area from which the user equipment is connected to the network; searching the information identifying a serving gateway serving the at least one tracking area stored in the local memory to identify a serving gateway to service the user equipment based on the tracking area from which the user equipment is connected to the network; and sending a message identifying the identified serving gateway to the base transceiver station.

Some embodiments provide methods for selecting tracking areas in a network, comprising: receiving messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, the messages identifying a previous tracking area identity and a current tracking area identity; storing probabilities based on a count of transitions between the received previous tracking area identities and current tracking area identities; receiving a message from a user equipment device indicating the user equipment device is located in a first tracking area identified by a first tracking area identity; and selecting at least a second tracking area identity based on the stored probabilities and the first tracking area identity; and sending a tracking area identity list to the user equipment device based on the selected second tracking area.

Growing community of inventors

Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Ravi Shankar Chamarty