KR20150005408A - Method and apparatus for controlling of call processing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling a call processing message, which can reduce load after handover. According to the present invention, the apparatus for controlling a call processing message stores information about whether user equipment covered by a mobility management entity (MME) has returned to the current network after using a service from a different network, and also stores authentication information of the user equipment processed in the different network; receives an authentication information request from a new MME when the user equipment, which has returned from the different network, migrates to the new MME; and transmits the authentication information to the new MME in accordance with the authentication information request.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a call processing message,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile communication field, and more particularly, to a call processing message control method for reducing a load on performing a key exchange agreement procedure after a handover in an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network, ≪ / RTI >

In the EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network, eNodeB <-> MME (Mobility Management Entity), MME <-> S-GW (Serving Gateway) and S-GW <-> P-GW ) To perform call processing for voice and data processing. Here, the user terminal can receive services not provided by the EPC network from different networks. However, in a specific case, there is a problem of causing a load on the HSS (Home Subscriber Server) 13 because re-authentication is required in order to receive services from different networks.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a situation where a user terminal moves from a service providing area of an MME (Mobility Management Entity) providing a current service to a user terminal to a service providing area of another MME in the EPC network, Fig.

The user terminal 11 which is not provided with a voice call in the EPC network is capable of receiving a packet service from the EPC network while a voice call is served using a different network. When the user terminal 11 returns to the EPC network after receiving the voice call service in a different network, the MME 12 receives authentication information and various information necessary for processing the call from the different network. The received information is stored by the MME 12 and used for future call processing. At this time, when the user terminal 11 moves to the new MME 12_n without changing the authentication information, the existing MME 12 transmits the authentication information of the user terminal 11 received from the different network to the new MME 12_n The situation does not occur. In this case, since the user terminal 11 and the new MME 12_n store different authentication information values, the authentication information values do not coincide with each other, and the re-authentication process is performed. When performing the re-authentication process, the new MME 12_n newly receives the authentication information and various other information required for the call processing from the HSS 13. As the HSS 13 performs message processing for re-authentication, There is an increasing problem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a call processing message control method and apparatus for reducing a load on a key exchange agreement procedure after a handover in an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network.

The call processing message control apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that information about whether or not a user terminal under the control of an MME (Mobility Management Entity) is provided with a service from a heterogeneous network and returned to the present network, A storage unit for storing authentication information; A control unit for transmitting the authentication information to the new MME when the user terminal receives a request for authentication information from a new MME to which the user terminal moves; And a communication unit for receiving the authentication information request from the new MME and transmitting the authentication information to the new MME.

Also, a call processing message control method of the present invention comprises the steps of: a) confirming that a MME (Mobility Management Entity) has received a service from a heterogeneous network and returned to the current network; b) storing information about the return and authentication information performed by the user terminal in the heterogeneous network; c) receiving a request for authentication information from a new MME to which the user terminal is moving; And d) sending the authentication information to the new MME based on the request for the authentication information.

According to the present invention, when the user terminal moves back from the different network and moves to the MME receiving the service, the load of the HSS can be reduced because the authentication information between the user terminal and the MME does not need to be re-authenticated. This can increase the call processing success rate and reduce the network load by reducing the messages caused by performing the re-authentication procedure.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing a situation in which re-authentication is performed when an MME moves. FIG.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network.
3 is a diagram illustrating a call process for voice service support in a user terminal that does not support voice service according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a diagram illustrating a call processing process when a service area of an MME moves according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a call processing message control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of a call processing message control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of a call processing message control method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions will not be described in detail if they obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an evolved packet core (EPC) network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The EPC network includes a user equipment (UE) 110, an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) (not shown), an MME (Mobility Management Entity) 120, an HSS (Home Subscriber Server) A GW (Packet Data Network Gateway) 150, a Policy & Charging Rule Function (PCRF) 160, and an IMS Node 170 (IP Multimedia Subsystem Nodes such as a P- (Proxy Call Session Control Function) 180, an Interrogating Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF) 190, an Application Function (AF) (not shown), and the like . The EPC network includes a Mobile Switching Center (MGC) / Media Gateway Controller Function (MGCF) 210, a MGW (Media Gateway) 220, an RNC (Radio Network Controller) / BCS 230, an SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; 240 &lt; / RTI &gt;

The user terminal 110 is connected to IMS Nodes via a Gm interface through a channel (E-UTRAN / S-GW 140 / P-GW 150) ) Service for the service. The bearer service is a service that provides a method of transmitting information between a user and a network interface without changing its contents in real time. When a bearer channel used for a bearer service is used, all other traffic except for signaling it is possible to transmit traffic.

The E-UTRAN refers to a network structure located between a user terminal 110 and a core network so as to provide a wireless communication function to the user terminal 110 and to perform a function of managing radio resources therefor . In one embodiment, the E-UTRAN may be configured around a plurality of base stations (eNodeBs) 200 and may be connected to the EPC network using an S1 interface.

The MME 120 manages the mobility of the user terminal 110 and can perform call control functions such as bearer setup / release.

The HSS 130 manages subscription information, location information, and authentication information for the user terminal 110.

The S-GW 140 acts as a gateway to the E-UTRAN and performs a handover between the base station (eNodeB) and the base station handover and the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) And can perform a mobility anchor function for providing mobility.

The P-GW 150 may serve as a gateway to a PDN (Packet Data Network) to allow the user terminal 110 to access a data network such as the Internet and an intranet to receive a service .

The PCRF 160 manages policies and rules for charging and allows the S-GW 140 and the P-GW 150 to communicate with the user terminal 110 with appropriate QoS (quality of service) And perform a billing function for the bearer used and provided.

The IMS Node 170 is configured in detail by a node such as a P-CSCF 180, an I / S-CSCF 190, an AF (not shown) over IP) and a multimedia service such as a video call.

3 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user terminal 110 that does not receive voice service after connection of a service to a user terminal 110 in an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network (for example, a 4G network) according to an embodiment of the present invention And a call processing procedure for voice service support. If there is an incoming call in the user terminal 110, the MME 120 may transmit a paging message to the user terminal 110 to inform the user terminal 110 of the reception of the incoming call (S310). In response to the paging message, the user terminal 110 may inform the MME 120 that it is possible to move to a heterogeneous network (e.g., a 3G network) to support incoming calls (S320). The MME 120 changes various context information to move to different types of networks and informs the base station 200 of the changed information (S330). The base station 200 responds to the MME 120, Preparation may be performed (S340). The base station 200 may instruct the user terminal 110 and the MME 120 to release the radio resources currently connected to the EPC network for movement to the heterogeneous network at steps S350 and S360. The S-GW 140 and the P-GW 150 radio resources that form bearer with the user terminal 110 may be released (S370). After releasing the radio resources, the user terminal 110 moves to a heterogeneous network in step S380, and then, in step S390, a voice service is provided by setting a CS switched call. Accordingly, a user terminal that can not receive a voice service in the EPC network can receive a voice call service from a heterogeneous network, and can receive a packet service in an EPC network.

FIG. 4 illustrates a call processing procedure when a user terminal moves from an area in which an MME currently provides a service to an area where another MME provides services in an EPC network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 110 recognizes that the service area has been changed, and informs the new MME 120_n other than the MME 120 that provides the current service through the TAU request S410). The new MME 120_n may extract identification information of the existing MME 120 through the identification number of the user terminal 110 and may request various information from the existing MME 120 in operation S420. Accordingly, the new MME 120_n may not perform the initial call processing again. The new MME 120_n may support the mobility of the user terminal 110 by performing call processing with various information received from the existing MME 120 (S430 to S470).

5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a call processing message control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, the call processing message control apparatus 500 may include a storage unit 510, a control unit 520, and a communication unit 530. In one embodiment, the call processing message control apparatus 500 may be provided in the MME 120 or may be provided separately from the MME 120.

The storage unit 510 stores information on whether the user terminal 110 managed by the MME 120 receives a service from a heterogeneous network and returns to the present network and information on whether or not the authentication performed by the user terminal 110 in the heterogeneous network Information can be stored. In one embodiment, the storage unit 510 may store information on whether or not the user terminal 110 has returned from the heterogeneous network using a flag.

When the user terminal 110 returned from the heterogeneous network moves to the new MME 120_n and receives the authentication information request performed by the user terminal 110 in the heterogeneous network from the new MME 120_n, And may transmit the authentication information performed by the user terminal 110 to the new MME 120_n in the heterogeneous network stored in the storage unit 510. [ In one embodiment, the authentication information request of the new MME 120 - n may include a request for all the information about the user terminal stored in the MME 120 as well as the authentication information received from the heterogeneous network. In addition, the control unit 520 may perform a procedure for receiving the authentication information request from the new MME and transmitting the authentication information to the new MME in a single call processing flow.

The communication unit 530 can receive the authentication information request from the new MME 120_n and transmit the authentication information to the new MME 120_n.

6 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of a call processing message control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the call processing message control apparatus 500 can confirm that the user terminal 110 receives a service from a heterogeneous network and returns to the current network (S610).

The call processing message control apparatus 500 may include information on whether or not the user terminal 110 is returned from the heterogeneous network and returning to the current network and the authentication information performed by the user terminal 110 in the heterogeneous network (S620).

When the user terminal 110 moves to the new MME 120_n and receives a request for authentication information performed by the user terminal 110 in the heterogeneous network from the new MME 120_n in operation S630, , The MME 120 - n may transmit the authentication information performed by the user terminal 110 in the heterogeneous network stored in the storage unit 510 (S640).

7 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of a call processing message control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7, when the user terminal 110 receives a voice call service from a heterogeneous network and returns to the E-UTRAN and moves to the new MME 120_n, the new MME 120_n transmits the new MME 120_n to the existing MME 120_n ), And the existing MME 120 may transmit the Identification Rsp message to the new MME 120_n in response to the Identification Req message. In one embodiment, the Identification Req message is used in a so-called " Inter Attach " operation that may occur when moving from a 3G (3rd Generation) network to a 4G (4th generation) network or when tracking of a user terminal is impossible with a TAU All information on the user terminal stored in the existing MME 120 can be transmitted to the new MME 120_n. Accordingly, authentication information between the existing MME 120 and the new MME 120_n can be matched and the re-authentication procedure for receiving the authentication vector from the HSS 130 can be avoided. The control unit 520 of the call processing message control apparatus 500 may receive a request for authentication information from a new MME and transmit the corresponding authentication information to the new MME in a call processing flow, One such call processing flow may indicate from the "Inter TAU request" to the "message processing completed" step as shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, the mobile communication system including the call processing message control apparatus 500 may include a user terminal (UE), a base station (eNodeB), and an MME for managing the base station (eNodeB). The MME can also be connected directly to the IP (internet protocol) network via the S-GW and the P-GW. The call processing control signal of the base station is transmitted to the S-GW through the MME, and the S-GW can request the P-GW to perform a call processing operation according to the call processing control signal.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the EPC network, the new MME 120_n transmits a message different from the existing standard in the TAU procedure indicating whether the user terminal 110 is moved according to whether the existing call is received from a different kind of network , Identification Req message) to the existing MME 120. When the user terminal 110 receives a service from a heterogeneous network and returns to the existing MME 120, the existing MME 120 can receive authentication information and various information from heterogeneous networks. Information received from heterogeneous networks may be used for call processing with existing MME 120 when user terminal 110 returns from the heterogeneous network to the EPC network. When the location of the user terminal 110 is changed and moved to the new MME 120_n after the completion of the process, the new MME 120_n can request and receive the authentication information and various information from the existing MME 120 again . At this time, the existing MME 120 informs the new MME 120_n that the user terminal 110 has returned from the heterogeneous network to the new MME 120_n, and the new MME 120_n sends the authentication information and various information to the existing MME 120 You can use the Identification Req message on request. As described above, in the present invention, an Identification Req message, which is a message used in an Inter Attach, can be used. Accordingly, the authentication information of the new MME 120 - n, which has received not only the authentication information received from the heterogeneous network but also all the information about the user terminal stored in the existing MME 120, matches with the information stored in the user terminal And thus does not perform the re-authentication procedure, so that there is no need to request the authentication information to the HSS 130. [ Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the load on the HSS 130 and reduce the message communicating with the user terminal 110, thereby improving call quality and reducing the load on the MME.

Although the method has been described through particular embodiments, the method may also be implemented as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed over network-connected computer systems so that computer readable codes can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the above embodiments can be easily deduced by programmers of the present invention.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with some embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as understood by those skilled in the art. something to do. It is also contemplated that such variations and modifications are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

11, 110: user terminal 12, 120: existing MME
12_n, 120_n: new MME 13,130: HSS
14,140: S-GW 15,150: P-GW
19,200: eNodeB 160: PCRF
170: IMS Node 180: P-CSCF
190: I / S-CSCF 210: MSC / MGCF
220: MGw 230: RNC / BCS

Claims (10)

A call processing message control apparatus comprising:
A storage unit for storing information on whether a user terminal managed by an MME (Mobility Management Entity) is provided with a service from a heterogeneous network and returned to a current network, and authentication information performed by the user terminal in the heterogeneous network;
A control unit for transmitting the authentication information to the new MME when the user terminal receives a request for authentication information from a new MME to which the user terminal moves; And
And a communication unit for receiving the authentication information request from the new MME and transmitting the authentication information to the new MME. The method according to claim 1,
The authentication information request includes:
A request for the authentication information is received using an Identification Req message used when the mobile terminal moves from a 3G (3rd generation) network to a 4G (4th generation) network or when tracking of the location of the user terminal is impossible with a tracking area update (TAU) The call processing message control device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And stores information on whether or not the call is returned using a flag. The method according to claim 1,
The receiving of the authentication information request,
And receiving, from the new MME, a request for all information about the user terminal stored by the MME. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Receiving a request for authentication information from the new MME and transmitting the authentication information to the new MME in a call processing flow. A call processing message control method comprising:
a) confirming that the MME (Mobility Management Entity) has received a service from a heterogeneous network and returned to the current network;
b) storing information about the return and authentication information performed by the user terminal in the heterogeneous network;
c) receiving a request for authentication information from a new MME to which the user terminal is moving; And
and d) sending the authentication information to the new MME based on a request for the authentication information. The method according to claim 6,
The step c)
A request for the authentication information is received using an Identification Req message used when the mobile terminal moves from a 3G (3rd generation) network to a 4G (4th generation) network or when tracking of the location of the user terminal is impossible with a tracking area update (TAU) The method comprising the steps of: The method according to claim 6,
The step b)
And storing information on whether or not the call is returned using a flag. The method according to claim 6,
The step c)
And receiving, from the new MME, a request for all information about the user terminal stored by the MME. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the steps a) to d) are performed within a call processing flow.

Images