Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W52/00—Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes
  • H04W52/02—Power saving arrangements
  • H04W52/0209—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices
  • H04W52/0212—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
  • H04W52/0216—Power saving arrangements in terminal devices managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W28/00—Network traffic management; Network resource management
  • H04W28/16—Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
  • H04W28/18—Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W76/00—Connection management
  • H04W76/20—Manipulation of established connections
  • H04W76/28—Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W68/00—User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
  • H04W68/02—Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02D—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
  • Y02D30/00—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
  • Y02D30/70—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks in wireless communication networks

Definitions

• the invention is located in communications networks, in particular mobile networks, and aims to allow the deployment of mobile terminals in access environments comprising equipment that does not uniformly manage the functions relating to the putting to sleep of the mobile terminals. during periods of inactivity.
• Mobile network infrastructures can use an eDRX function (in English Extended Discontinuous Reception) which allows a Mobile Terminal (UE) to go into rest mode (in English "Sleep Mode") for a period negotiated between the EU and a mobile network equipment with which the EU registers.
• the rest period is negotiated in accordance with cycles comprising successively periods of rest and wakefulness, a rest period that can last up to 44 minutes or even 3 hours for NB-IoT (NarrowBand Internet of Things) accesses.
• NB-IoT NearBand Internet of Things
• the eDRX function is likely to be implemented by equipment in access networks using different technologies (4G or LTE) to the exclusion of fifth generation radio access technology type NR (New Radio).
• NR New Radio
• Core network devices, including fifth generation, are likely to implement this function.
• fifth generation radio access technology in communication networks will be gradual and an EU supporting both fourth and fifth generation radio access technologies will be able to attach itself to a core network of fifth generation by using indiscriminately at least one of these two radio access technologies, and switch between these two radio access technologies while remaining attached to the core network.
• Such mixed use of radio access technologies, especially fourth and fifth generations will be frequent, at least in the early stages of the deployment of 5G technology.
• a UE is assigned a registration area (in English Registration Area) composed of a set of tracking areas (in English Tracking Area), defined by an AMF equipment of the core network and which can contain both access equipment (or functions) using fourth generation technologies, such as eNodeB (eNB base station) and equipment (or functions) implementing fifth generation technologies, such as gNB (5G base station) using NR technology).
• fourth generation technologies such as eNodeB (eNB base station) and equipment (or functions) implementing fifth generation technologies, such as gNB (5G base station) using NR technology.
• eNodeB eNodeB base station
• gNB 5G base station
• a UE can be under the coverage of different cells of the mobile network, each cell belonging to a tracking area and being served either by an eNodeB or by a gNB station, knowing that an eNodeB or gNB node can cover several cells.
• the UE In “passive” mode, that is to say when the UE is attached to the network but has no active communication, the UE “camps" on only one of the cells under whose coverage it is located (i.e. 'that is to say, he listens to the information broadcast in this cell) and selects a new cell autonomously (for example when it moves or when the radio conditions change) by using the information broadcast in the cells and the information relating to the signal level of the radio transmissions specific to each of these cells.
• the UE communicates with the core network only if the new selected cell broadcasts tracking area information which is not part of the registration area of the UE.
• a monitoring zone can include cells served by eNBs and cells served by gNBs
• the core network equipment does not know, when the UE is in mode. “Passive”, if the cell that the UE has selected is served by an eNodeB type station or a gNB type station.
• a UE having previously negotiated the use of eDRX during an attachment to a communication network can therefore select a cell served by an eNB device and use eDRX, then select a cell served by a gNB device and stop the use of eDRX and then again select a cell served by an eNB device without the core network being notified of these modifications.
• the core network devices are not notified of this modification.
• an AMF type device in English Access and Mobility Management Function
• the AMF type device will consider that the UE is normally reachable because does not use eDRX since served by gNB equipment while UE is served by eNB equipment and possibly eDRX will have been activated.
• the AMF will transmit several successive “paging” messages, which the UE will not be able to receive if, as is probable, none of these paging messages is transmitted during a waking period of the eDRX cycle; the AMF will abandon the procedure and the EU will not receive the information intended for it. Failure to support the eDRX function on gNB equipment, as described in document S2-1908410 of 3GPP TSG-WG SA2 is therefore likely to impact the provision of services in a mobile infrastructure and increase the signaling data on the network. mobile infrastructure as well as reducing the quality of service provided to terminals connected to the mobile network.
• the object of the present invention is to provide improvements over the state of the art.
• the invention improves the situation using a method for detecting the reachability of a terminal previously served by a first access device of a registration area of a communication network, said area comprising said first access device incapable of managing periods of rest and waking up of said terminal and a second access device capable of managing said periods, implemented by a management entity of said network and comprising the learning of periods of rest and awakening of the terminal, obtaining information relating to data to be sent to the terminal, sending a contact request message to said terminal during a determined awakening period of said terminal.
• the terminals are likely to alternate periods of wakefulness and rest.
• a waking period is characterized by listening and taking into account by the terminal of data sent to it by an access station serving the terminal, in particular the contact request messages, while a rest period is characterized by a period during which the terminal does not listen to messages transmitted by the access station serving it and therefore does not receive the messages which are possibly transmitted to it.
• heterogeneous access devices in terms of supporting a function for managing the idle and waking states of the terminals, which may be mobile terminals, can lead to poor knowledge of the state of a terminal. given by a management entity of a communications network. This poor knowledge is annoying because it is likely to prevent the implementation of a communications service on mobile terminals. Indeed, the management entity mistakenly believing that the terminal cannot be reached, following the sending of one or more contact request message during a rest period of the terminal, does not transmit any data to this terminal, which impacts the service implemented by the terminal. The method allows the management entity to obtain information on the reachability of the terminal.
• the management entity will receive a response from the terminal, and will then be able to transmit the data of signaling or application data to be transmitted to the terminal.
• the method also makes it possible to avoid the multiple retransmissions of terminal location request messages transmitted by the management entity in the absence of a response from the terminal, these requests most likely being transmitted during periods of sleep of the terminal, more longer than the waking periods.
• the detection method is implemented when the terminal is in passive mode.
• the method is particularly advantageous when the terminal is in passive mode (in English idle mode), that is to say that it does not have an activated connection with the selected access device.
• the management entity does not have the means of knowing whether the access device selected by the terminal is capable or not of managing the rest and wake periods, which makes the method reachability all the more relevant.
• the method is implemented when the terminal is served by the first access device according to the management entity.
• the method is particularly interesting during a period when, according to the information available to the management entity, the terminal is served by an access device which is not able to manage the rest and wake periods of the terminal.
• the method effectively makes it possible to obtain reliable information on the state of the terminal.
• a terminal no-response when the terminal is attached to the first device would likely mean that the terminal is out of service or out of coverage, which may not be the case if the terminal is served by the second access device.
• Sending a contact entry message while the access device serving the terminal does not support the waking and resting management function of the terminal makes it possible to ensure the accessibility or otherwise of the terminal. terminal.
• the sending of the contact request message during the waking period follows the sending of at least one contact entry message. during a rest period of the terminal.
• the nominal operation of the management entity is to transmit at least one contact request message (paging) when necessary, that is to say when data is to be transmitted to the terminal.
• the management entity transmits a first immediate request then a few requests for contact in the seconds which follow, independently of the periods of rest and awakening of the terminal.
• the sending of a contact request message during a waking period can thus be carried out in addition to nominal operation, making it possible to cover both cases, i.e. when the mechanism such as eDRX is supported or not.
• the determination of the rest and wake periods of the terminal is performed during the registration of the terminal to the communications network.
• the terminal and the management entity determine the rest periods or cycles and wake-up allowing the management entity to have rest and wake-up cycles for each registered terminal. For example, the management entity can fix these respective periods. In the event that the terminal registers via an access device capable of managing the rest and wake periods, the access device can intervene in determining the respective periods.
• the first device is an access device of a mobile network of fifth generation technology and the second device is an access device of a mobile network of fourth generation technology.
• the method can be advantageously implemented in a communications network where the recording area includes access devices of technologies of different generations, in particular of the fourth and fifth generation, these devices not offering the same functionalities.
• the fourth generation technology device for example of the eNB type, is able to manage the rest and wake periods of a terminal, for example in accordance with the eDRX mechanism, while the fifth generation technology device, for example gNB type, is not suitable.
• the contact request message includes data relating to the rest and wake periods of the terminal.
• the contact request message advantageously includes data relating to the waking and resting periods of the terminal.
• This data allows in particular that a device of an access network, responsible for receiving the contact entry request message from the management entity, can transmit it to the terminal during a period when the terminal is awake, according to the information in the message. This is particularly interesting in the event that the access device did not intervene in the registration of the terminal to the communications network.
• the data relating to the rest and wakefulness periods may in a non-exhaustive way be the periods themselves, the time of the next "awakening" of the terminal, the time remaining before the end of the current rest phase.
• the detection method further comprises the updating by the management entity of connectivity information relating to the terminal, carried out on the basis of data from an input response message in contact obtained from the terminal in response to the received contact request message.
• the management entity having detected the reachability of the terminal, following the response obtained from the terminal following the contact request, can advantageously take into account the data received in the response message to update the relative data. at the terminal.
• the type of connectivity and the new location can be updated in the event that the cell in which the terminal is located is different from the last cell in which the terminal was in the connected state.
• the type of connectivity may correspond to a different technology (cellular or non-cellular) or a different generation (3G, 4G, 5G).
• Information on the support of a function managing periods of rest and awakening of the terminals by an access device to which the terminal is attached can also be updated by the management entity.
• the management entity is a core network device, of the AMF type.
• the management entity When the method is implemented in a passive mode, idle mode in English, it is advantageous for the management entity to be a core network device managing the mobility of the terminal and in charge of supporting the accessibility of the terminal. according to prior techniques.
• the management entity is an access device of the communication network.
• the management entity When the method is implemented when the terminal is in a "CM (Connection Management) - Connected with RRC (Radio Resource Control) Inactive" state, it is advantageous for the management entity to be a device of the access network, such as a device of a radio network, for example of the NG-RAN type, managing the accessibility of the terminal to the access network in this mode.
• the management entity can be an eNodeB or gNB type access station.
• the invention also relates to a device for detecting the reachability of a terminal previously attached to a first access device of a registration area of a communication network, said area comprising said first access device unsuitable for managing periods of rest and awakening of said terminal and a second access device capable of managing said periods, comprising a learning module, capable of determining periods of rest and awakening of the terminal, an obtaining module , capable of obtaining information relating to data to be transmitted to the terminal, a transmitter, capable of sending a contact request message to said terminal during a determined waking period of said terminal.
• the invention also relates to a system for detecting the accessibility of a terminal comprising a detection device, at least two access devices, one of them not being able to manage periods of rest and 'awakening of a terminal, a terminal capable of receiving a contact request message during one of its awakening periods.
• the invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the steps of the detection method which has just been described, when this program is executed by a processor and a recording medium readable by a recording device. detection on which the computer program is recorded.
• This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and code.
• object such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.
• the invention also relates to an information medium readable by a computer, and comprising instructions of the computer program as mentioned above.
• the information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the programs.
• the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or else a magnetic recording means, for example a floppy disk or a disk. hard.
• the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means.
• the program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from an Internet type network.
• the information medium can be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.
• FIG 1 shows a communications network in which the detection method is implemented, according to a first embodiment of the invention
• FIG 2 presents an overview of the method for detecting the reachability of a terminal according to a second embodiment of the invention
• FIG 3 shows an example of the structure of a detection device according to one aspect of the invention.
• the communication network can be used to transmit data from terminals of any type, for example for interpersonal communication or between machines.
• FIG 1 shows a communications network 10 in which the detection method is implemented, according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• a mobile terminal 100 is in motion within the network 10.
• the terminal 100 can equally well be a smartphone, a laptop computer, a communication module associated with a sensor or any equipment that can be attached to the network.
• the communication network 10 is a mobile network using technologies, such as those specified within the 3GPP organization (in English 3rd Generation Partnership Project).
• the terminal 100 when it attaches to the network 10 to send and / or receive data, is associated with a registration area RA (in English Registration Area).
• a registration area RA in English Registration Area
• the RA recording area includes a set of tracking areas.
• the recording zone RA comprises three monitoring zones named TA1, TA2 and TA3.
• the terminal 100 is allocated the RA area comprising the tracking zones TA1, TA2 and TA3 while another terminal could be allocated a different registration zone comprising, for example, the zone TA1 and a zone TA5 not shown in [FIG. 1]
• the monitoring zones are defined by the operator administering the communications network 10.
• the registration area (RA) represents the knowledge that the network 10 has of the location of the terminal 100 within it when the terminal 10 is in "passive" mode.
• a monitoring area also includes several radio access stations.
• Tracking area TA1 includes radio access stations 101, 102, 103, 104.
• station 101 is considered an eNodeB station and station 102 is a gNB type station.
• An eNodeB access station is a station implementing certain LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies grouped under the name WB-E-UTRA (WideBand Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) or also 3G technologies and communicates using radio waves with the terminal 100.
• the eNodeB 101 access station transmits radio waves into several cells represented by Cell1, Cell2 and Cell3.
• a cell corresponds to a coverage area within which a terminal can transmit and receive data, this area relating to the transmission power of the station 101 and each cell is further characterized by a frequency, called a carrier, used. to send radio signals to terminals within the cell.
• the station 101 of the eNodeB type is also connected to a core network, not shown in [Fig. 1], of the communication network 10
• the station 102 is a gNB station, that is to say an access station implementing NR technology (in English New Radio) for the radio links, as well as for the plan user than the control plane.
• the gNB station is also connected with the core network of the communication network 10. It is considered here that the core network of the communication network 10 is a network implementing fifth generation (5G) technologies.
• 5G fifth generation
• the so-called 5GC core network is connected to access stations, some being based on NR technology, therefore of the 5G type, and some of the access stations being based on LTE technologies, therefore of the 4G type.
• the 102 gNB access station transmits radio waves on three cells identified as Cell4, Cell5 and Cellô in [Fig. 1] as described for access station 101, except that access station 102 implements NR technology.
• Access stations 103 and 104 are either eNodeB or gNB type access stations, or even access stations broadcasting radio frequencies according to different technologies. These access stations therefore also emit radio frequencies, each on a set of cells not shown in [Fig. 1]
• the monitoring zone TA2 in accordance with the description relating to the monitoring zone TA1, comprises access stations 105 and 106, transmitting radio frequencies within the respective cells Cell7, Cell8, Cell9 and Cell10, Celll 1, Celll2.
• Radio access station 105 is an eNodeB station implementing WB-E-UTRA technology and radio access station 106 is a gNB access station implementing NR technology.
• the TA3 monitoring zone also includes access stations, conforming to the previous descriptions, not shown in the figure.
• the RA recording area may include a different number of 3 tracking areas, and each tracking area may include a higher or lower number of access stations of different types (eNodeB, gNB, others access stations) and access stations may broadcast over a plurality of cells, the number may be other than 3.
• the terminal 100 in particular when it is moving, can thus be listening to one or the other of the access stations, that is to say served by an access station belonging to a zone monitoring, using a frequency and coding specific to a given cell, then change cells in the same access station, or change access station in the same monitoring area, or even monitoring station. access to a different tracking area.
• Terminal 100 can also leave its registration area, i.e. terminal 100 can be served by an access station covering a tracking area not included in the initial registration and terminal 100 must then register again, the new registration zone allocated by the network comprising the monitoring zone serving it during this new registration.
• the different states in which the terminal 100 is located successively are as follows:
• the terminal 100 In order to be able to exchange data with a correspondent, the terminal 100 must register with the entities of the network 10 and in particular with an entity of the core network, not shown in [Fig. 1], the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function).
• the AMF of the network 10 registers the terminal 100 and manages the location of the terminal 100 by allocating it a registration area comprising at least the tracking area corresponding to the access station serving the terminal 100 during registration and by memorizing this registration area in association with the identity of the terminal.
• the terminal 100 When registering, the terminal 100 is authenticated and is assigned configuration parameters allowing it to transmit and receive data in the network 10.
• the terminal 100 When the terminal 100 exchanges data, it is in a CM-Connected state, that is to say that signaling data and / or so-called payload data are transmitted between the terminal and between a piece of equipment in the core network 10. , for example the AMF entity for the signaling data and a UPF type device (in English User Plane Function) not shown in [Fig. 1] for payload data.
• the terminal 100 changes radio access station (or possibly cell)
• the new radio access station informs the AMF equipment of the new location (cell identifier) and the AMF (as well as the UPF after an exchange of information between the AMF, the SMF (in English Session Management Function) and the UPF) can send data to the terminal 100 to the access station serving the terminal 100.
• CM-Connected with RRC inactive exists where the terminal is connected from the point of view of the AMF entity but there are no exchanges at the radio level between the terminal 100 and an entity of the network.
• the terminal 100 does not inform the access network entity if it changes cells unless it leaves its notification area.
• a notification area shares common concepts with a tracking area, but it is unique to the access network (for example the access radio network).
• This zone can be submitted in any form (list of cells, list of monitoring zones, monitoring zones and cells, ).
• the terminal 100 When the terminal 100 leaves its notification zone, it must inform the new access station serving it so that the latter retrieves the information contained in the station. access that served it previously, that is to say before it moved for example.
• the terminal 100 From the point of view of the core network (in particular from the point of view of the AMF), the terminal 100 is connected but from the radio point of view, the terminal 100 is inactive, i.e. it is not has no dedicated radio resources to communicate with the radio access station but it listens to the signaling messages transmitted to it, in particular to ask it to return to the RRC-Connected state.
• the terminal 100 When the terminal 100 is in passive mode (CM-Idle), that is to say that there is no active communication between the terminal and a device of the network 10, there is no exchange. signaling between terminal 100 and AMF equipment.
• the terminal 100 selects a new cell, in particular following a movement, autonomously, that is to say without informing the AMF entity. It then uses the information broadcast by an access station to the cells it is under coverage and the signal level in each of those cells to select a cell and an access station. It is then said to be served by the access station. It only sends a signaling message to the AMF entity if, within the new selected cell, tracking zone information different from those in which it is recorded is broadcast, therefore different from TA1, TA2 and TA3 in the network 10.
• the terminal listens to this information but does not transmit any information to the AMF entity and the terminal is then served by the access device broadcasting the radio information in the cell covering the geographical area where the terminal 100 is located. For example, if the terminal 100 is listening for information relating to the Cell7 cell of the device. access 105, it is considered that it is served by the device 105 but it has not performed a network registration procedure from this cell Cell7 and from the device 105.
• the terminal 100 can use the eDRX function consisting of the terminal 100 successively placing itself in an awake state, listening for request messages. contact also called paging messages, and in an idle state where the terminal does not listen to the signaling messages.
• the network 10 is not uniform in terms of support for the eDRX function, information problems may arise for the management equipment in charge of sending these paging messages, namely the AMF entity or an entity managing the radio accesses such as an access station of the eNodeB type or of the gNB type.
• the management entity thinks that the terminal 100 is served by the Cell6 cell of the access station 102 not supporting the eDRX function, while the terminal 100 is in fact served by the Cell7 cell of the station access 105 supporting the eDRX function, for example following a movement of the terminal 100 while the terminal is in a CM-Idle or “CM-Connected with RRC inactive” state, the entity transmitting the paging messages could not consider the eDRX function to enter into contact with the terminal 100.
• the method therefore allows the AMF management entity or an access station managing the radio access to transmit at least one paging message during a wake-up phase of the terminal 100, that said entity considers that the terminal 100 is served by an access station supporting eDRX or by an access station not supporting eDRX, whether the terminal uses eDRX or not. All the access stations, including the access station 105, effectively supporting eDRX, will send the paging message to the terminal 100 during a waking period of the terminal 100, while the AMF entity assumed and determined that the terminal 100 was covered by the access station 102 not supporting the eDRX function.
• the AMF in fact sends the paging message to all the access stations of the recording zone RA in CM-Idle mode, which effectively allows the access station 102 and the access station 105 to receive the message. All the access stations which receive this message broadcast it in their cells; access stations supporting eDRX (eNodeB) taking eDRX into account because they know when exactly the waking phase starts (in accordance with PTW information - Paging Time Windows - relating to eDRX), and access stations do not not supporting eDRX (eg gNB type). But only the message broadcast in the cell on which the terminal 100 is camped, that is to say transmitted by the access station 105 serving the terminal 100, will actually be received by the terminal 100.
• eDRX eNodeB
• F AMF for signaling data
• UPF for payload data
• the method of detecting the reachability of the terminal 100 therefore makes it possible to correct information on the access station which serves the terminal 100, the entity AMF management wrongly considering that the terminal 100 is served by the access station 102 not supporting eDRX, the network 10 comprising access stations supporting the eDRX function and access stations not supporting the eDRX function.
• the AMF entity must first learn the said wake-up and rest periods, for example during the phase of registering terminal 100 to network 10.
• FIG. 1 The embodiment of [Fig. 1] is based on eNodeB stations and gNB stations but the method can also be used in a network comprising other types of non-uniform access stations in terms of management of the awake and idle states of the terminals, the eDRX function being an example of such a function.
• Reachability consists in being able to determine whether a terminal is accessible or even if it is possible to be able to contact this terminal.
• the mobile terminal 100 sends a request for attachment to the communication network 10. During the attachment procedure, it registers and authenticates itself with the network 10 according to known registration methods, in particular specified at 3GPP.
• the terminal 100 is served by the access device 101 (also called the access station or access node) of the network 10.
• the access device 101 is an eNodeB type device and the terminal 100 is attached to the network. 10 type 5GC (in English 5G Core Network).
• step 300 the access station does not consult the eDRX parameters and the registration can also be done via a gNB access station by the terminal 100 supporting the eDRX function.
• the eNodeB 101 transmits the registration request to an entity 110 for managing the core of the network 10 during a step 301.
• the management entity 110 is an AMF device of the network 10.
• the request for recording, carried out during steps 300/301, can contain the eDRX parameters that the terminal 100 wishes to use.
• the eDRX function is a function allowing the terminal 100 and the network 10 to agree on the waking and resting periods of the terminal 100.
• the eDRX parameters can in particular contain the duration of the waking (PI) and resting (P2) periods desired by the terminal 100.
• the entity 110 AMF transmits an attachment response message to the terminal 100, indicating to it that it is attached and authenticated with the network 10.
• the terminal 100 and the entity 110 AMF negotiate the duration of the waking (PI) and idle (P2) periods of the terminal 100.
• the AMF can for example impose the durations PI and P2.
• the entity 110 AMF learns, thanks to the messages exchanged during the registration of the terminal 100 to the network 10, the waking periods (PI) during which it will be able to transmit signaling data to the terminal 100 because the terminal 100 is will find listening during these periods.
• the PI wake-up and P2 rest periods can be transmitted, either in the messages exchanged during steps 300/301 or during step 302.
• Step 302 can thus include transmission and reception by terminal 100.
• the AMF entity 110 can send and receive messages with other entities (UDM (Unified Data Management), PCF (Policy Control Function), etc.) for the attachment of terminal 100.
• UDM Unified Data Management
• PCF Policy Control Function
• the learning of the waking and resting periods can be carried out during a phase distinct from the recording phase, for example by specific messages transmitted after the recording phase.
• the terminal 100 performs mobility in the “passive” mode or in the “CM-CONNECTED with RRC-Inactive” state and is then no longer served by FeNodeB 101. In fact, it receives when of step 303, a radio signal from the access device 102 of the gNB type, implementing the NR technology, and this radio signal being stronger than the radio signal from FeNodeB 101, it selects the gNB 102. As gNB 102 indicates to it in the information that it broadcasts that it belongs to TA1, which is part of the RA of the terminal 100, the terminal 100 does not signal its mobility to the entity 110 AMF. The terminal 100 deactivates the eDRX function since it is not supported by the NR technology.
• the terminal 100 wishing to send payload data or signaling data, sends a message to the AMF entity 110 during step 305, for example using a "Service Request" type procedure.
• This message sent from terminal 100 to AMF 110 passes through gNB 102, which inserts its identity; the AMF 110 therefore learns on this occasion that the terminal 100 is served by an entity 102 of the gNB type, therefore not supporting the eDRX function.
• the terminal 100 performs a new registration procedure and the 110 AMF entity is informed of the location of the terminal 100 during this registration.
• This step 305 includes exchanges for updating the location and acknowledgment of the terminal 100 with the entity 110 AMF via the access station 102.
• the terminal 100 transmits data to the destination, for example. of a corresponding terminal 108. If the data transmitted is signaling data, it is sent to the 110 AMF entity.
• the terminal 100 while on the move, then receives a radio message from FeNodeB 105 during step 307 allowing it to detect during step 308 that it is now served by access station 105 which is an eNodeB and not more by the access station 102 gNB.
• the terminal 100 implements the eDRX function.
• the mobility of the terminal 100 is performed while the terminal 100 is in passive mode. (Idle mode), that is to say that it has no active connection to send or receive data, routed on the network 10. It should be noted that a change of access device which serves a terminal 100 can intervene in the absence of mobility of the terminal 100. At this moment, the entity 110 AMF has not received any update of the location of the terminal 100 and therefore thinks, wrongly, that the terminal 100 is still served by access station 102.
• the AMF entity 110 obtains information relating to data to be sent to the terminal 100.
• the data may be so-called useful data relating to an application or else signaling data.
• the AMF entity 110 is for example requested by the node 106 to enter into contact with the terminal 100.
• the node 106 which is an SMF (Session Management Function) type entity, sends a message of the type Namf_Communication_NlN2MessageTransfer to the AMF entity 110 during a step 309 triggering the sending of a paging message to the terminal 100 by the AMF entity 110.
• SMF Session Management Function
• the entity 110 AMF has determined, according to the latest information in its possession, that the terminal 100 is served by the access station 102 of the gNB type.
• the entity 110 AMF also knows that the terminal 100 supports eDRX following the information exchanged during steps 301 and 302.
• the entity 110 AMF wrongly assumes that the terminal is served by the entity 102 of the gNB type, does not support eDRX, but nevertheless takes into account the eDRX parameters exchanged, to come into contact with the terminal 100 during a phase of awakening of the terminal 100.
• the entity 110 AMF wants to enter into contact with the terminal 100.
• the terminal 100 being in passive mode, it transmits, during this step 312, a contact request message (contact message. paging) to all the access stations of the recording area RA during a PI period corresponding to a waking phase of the terminal 100 or shortly before a PI period to let the access stations process the message and allow that the terminal 100 can receive the message during a period P1.
• a contact request message contact message. paging
• the three access stations 101, 102, 105 receive a paging message.
• Access station 105 effectively serving terminal 100, transmits the paging message to terminal 100.
• the entity 110 AMF transmits beforehand, to the access stations of the recording area RA, therefore to the access stations 101, 102, 105 one or more messages d 'entry into contact (paging messages) in order to be able to reach the terminal 100 during a rest phase P2.
• Sending several messages during phase P2 makes it possible to avoid an unnecessary response delay in the event that the terminal 100 is served by the node 102 or any other access station in the recording area RA that does not support eDRX.
• the entity 110 AMF can be configured to send a paging message only to the access station 102, serving the terminal 100 according to the knowledge of the entity 110 AMF, then by then transmitting the paging message to other access stations in the registration area in the event of no response from the terminal 100 to the paging message transmitted to the access station 102.
• the contact entry message sent by the entity 110 AMF during step 312 further comprises information allowing the entities of the access network to join the UE during its waking periods (this information which may correspond to the awakening (Pl) and rest (P2) phases initially negotiated between the terminal 100 and the entity 110 AMF).
• this information which may correspond to the awakening (Pl) and rest (P2) phases initially negotiated between the terminal 100 and the entity 110 AMF.
• the access stations receiving the message can, if they support eDRX, use this information to transmit the message when the terminal 100 is in a waking phase (PI).
• the terminal 100 sends a response message to the AMF entity 110, for example of the "Service Request" type, in response to the contact request received.
• This message is, according to an alternative, used by the entity 110 AMF to update data relating to the terminal 100, such as for example location information corresponding for example to information on the access station serving the terminal 100 , a type of connectivity or an update of the waking and resting periods.
• the information on the support of the eDRX function may also be updated.
• the terminal 100 performs mobility during step 308 while it is for example in a CM-Connected with RRC Inactive state.
• the management entity 110 managing the mobility of the terminal is an access device of the communication network 10 such as an eNodeB type device.
• FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of a detection device according to one aspect of the invention.
• the detection device 400 implements the detection method in the various embodiments which have just been described.
• Such a detection device 400 can be implemented in a core network device of a communications network, such as for example an AMF type device, which can be instantiated by a virtual instance, or a device of an AMF type. access network, for example transmitting and receiving data transmitted over a radio medium, to or from a terminal.
• a core network device of a communications network such as for example an AMF type device, which can be instantiated by a virtual instance, or a device of an AMF type.
• access network for example transmitting and receiving data transmitted over a radio medium, to or from a terminal.
• the device 400 comprises a processing unit 430, equipped for example with an mR microprocessor, and controlled by a computer program 410, stored in a memory 420 and implementing the detection method according to the invention.
• a computer program 410 stored in a memory 420 and implementing the detection method according to the invention.
• the code instructions of the computer program 410 are, for example, loaded into a RAM memory, before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 430.
• Such a device 400 comprises: a learning module 401, capable of determining periods of rest and waking up of a terminal, a obtaining module 402, capable of obtaining information relating to data to be sent to the terminal, a transmitter 403, capable of transmitting a request message Dem for contacting said terminal during a determined awakening period of said terminal.
• a terminal using eDRX, and in the passive state (idle), moving in a communication network cannot be located by a network device if the device in question requests it unexpectedly because it is very likely that the request or sent when the terminal is in idle period. Indeed, the terminal in passive mode, is positioned awake only for short periods in order to be able in particular to listen to messages which are transmitted to it and in particular to be able to receive the data which are intended for it. It is therefore necessary to synchronize the sending of the solicitation messages from the network equipment with the waking periods of the terminal.
• the network equipment when it has to call on the terminal, not knowing which access station is able to transmit the data to the moving terminal, must therefore consider that the access station serving the terminal is able to manage the waking and resting periods of the terminal.
• the network equipment must call on the terminal during a waking period to obtain reliable information on the accessibility of the terminal.
• the transmission of data to the terminal will be guaranteed and accelerated and the location of the terminal will be updated in a guaranteed manner.
• the request of the terminal during a rest period of the latter will indicate to the equipment of the network that the terminal is unreachable while it is in rest and therefore reachable during well determined periods.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Quality & Reliability (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

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• 2019
  • 2019-09-10 FR FR1909922A patent/FR3100684A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 2020
  • 2020-09-04 WO PCT/FR2020/051532 patent/WO2021048487A1/fr unknown
  • 2020-09-04 US US17/642,076 patent/US12114260B2/en active Active
  • 2020-09-04 EP EP20786312.7A patent/EP4029349A1/de active Pending

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