Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company, Limited

Yee Simon Wong

Ka Ho Mui

Yau Yau Yolanda Tsang

Shijun Fan

Hua Shen

Provided is a method of modifying a data path between a user equipment (UE) and a core network node (CNN) in a wireless communication network. The method comprises the steps of: at a network node handling both signalling messages and user data for an existing data path between said UE and said CNN, obtaining data uniquely associated with a data path resource for said UE and/or uniquely identifying said UE and mapping said data to said existing data path; and modifying said existing data path based on said mapping. The network node handling both signal messaging and user data for an existing data path may comprise a gateway (GW) connecting a source base station (SBS) and a target base station (TBS) to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the core network, said GW being configured to handle both user plane data and control plane data for a plurality of UEs. The data uniquely associated with a data path resource for said UE and/or uniquely identifying said UE may be obtained from a Source to Target Transparent Container Information Element (IE) of a Handover Required message issued by the SBS.

Method and apparatus for modifying a user data path in a wireless communication network

A gateway (GW) acquires an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of a user equipment (UE) without requesting a mobile management entity (MME) of a core network (CN) to provide it. The GW detects arrival of a SAP message for the UE. If the GW does not have the IMSI of the UE, and if a NAS payload of the SAP message is ciphered, send to the UE a rejecting message indicating detaching the UE from the CN, causing the UE to request re-attaching to the CN in a SAP message that is an Initial UE Message, which contains a temporary identifier of the UE. Then alter the Initial UE Message with a fabricated temporary identifier not recognizable by the MME and send the altered message to the MME, causing the MME to ask the UE to identify itself with the IMSI, which is read by the GW.

Acquiring permanent identifier of user equipment by gateway in mobile communication system

A method for reducing paging traffic between a gateway (GW) and plural base stations (BSs) is provided when paging user equipments (UEs). A cache map, which records most-recently visited BSs of selected UEs, is used to limit the number of BSs in the paging of each selected UE, thereby reducing paging traffic. Furthermore, paging requests sent to the same BS node are grouped into one batch in generating a transport-layer payload, reducing the number of generated transport-layer messages. When used in a LTE system, piggybacking paging requests as provided by the SCTP reduces paging traffic and windowing/congestion control overhead at the transport layer. Transmission efficiency is thus improved. In addition, the number of paging requests sent out by the GW node per one paging interval is controlled to be not greater than a pre-determined maximum value to further limit paging traffic for avoiding occurrence of a paging storm.

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Hong Kong, China

Yee Simon Wong