WO2017157333A1

WO2017157333A1 - Paging method and communication system

Info

Publication number: WO2017157333A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/077116
Authority: WO
Inventors: 刘合伦
Original assignee: 中兴通讯股份有限公司
Priority date: 2016-03-17
Filing date: 2017-03-17
Publication date: 2017-09-21
Also published as: CN107205232A

Abstract

A paging method and a communication system. When a user terminal successfully performs joint registration, the registration mobility management entity updates location information of the use terminal to a visitor location register, and sends the location information of the use terminal to a standby mobility management entity set for the user terminal, so as to perform backup. When the user terminal has a mobile terminated (MT CS) service and the current registration mobility management entity of the user terminal has a fault or is out of service, the visitor location register initiates a paging request to the standby mobility management entity. The standby mobility management entity can initiate a paging to the use terminal according the previously-stored location information of the user terminal.

Description

Paging method and communication system

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, for example, to a paging method and communication system.

Background technique

The Mobility Management Entity MME of the user terminal joint registration fails or exits the service for a long time. When the user has the Mobile Terminated CS (MT CS) service, the visitor location register (Visitor Location Register, VLR) The user terminal needs to be advertised by the MME. When the MME registered by the user terminal fails for a long time or is in the out of service state, the VLR can only page the user terminal through other MMEs in the MME pool. The MME may include multiple MMEs, and the VLR may page the user terminal by registering the MME, or may page the user terminal by using other MMEs.

The other MMEs in the MME pool can page the user terminal. However, since the location information of the user terminal is not available on other MMEs, only the location area (LA) indicated by the VLR (LA in the SGs paging request message) ) or all the tracking areas (TAs) served by the MME to perform paging, and the paging range is too large, which may cause many irrelevant evolved base station eNodeBs to also receive paging messages, which increases the uselessness of the network and air interfaces. Signaling reduces resource utilization.

Summary of the invention

The present disclosure provides a paging method and a communication system, which can solve the problem that the paging range is too large and the unnecessary signaling is too low, resulting in low resource utilization, when paging is performed by other MMEs in the MME pool.

The embodiment provides a paging method, which may include: after the registration of the user terminal is successfully registered, the registration mobility management entity updates the location information of the user terminal to the visit location register, and sends the location information to the user. The alternate mobility management entity set by the terminal.

The visit location register has a mobile termination MT CS service at the user terminal, and determines the When the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service, a paging request is initiated to the alternate mobility management entity.

After receiving the paging request, the standby mobility management entity initiates paging to the user terminal according to the location information.

Optionally, when the registration mobility management entity updates the location information of the user terminal to the visit location register, the information of the standby mobility management entity is sent to the visit location register.

The visitor location register determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service, and initiates paging to the alternate mobility management entity according to the information of the alternate mobility management entity.

Optionally, the visitor location register determining that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service may include: the visited location register determines whether all of the underlying flow control transmission protocol links between the registered mobility management entity are disconnected The chain determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service when it is determined that all of the underlying flow control transport protocols are disconnected from the registered mobility management entity.

Optionally, the location information may include a location area list indicating a location range of the user terminal.

Optionally, the sending, by the standby mobility management entity, the paging to the user terminal according to the location information may include: the standby mobility management entity paging in a location range indicated by the location area list in the location information. .

Optionally, the location information may further include at least one of: a base station where the user terminal is currently located, and a location area where the user terminal is currently located.

The embodiment further provides a communication system including a user terminal, a registered mobility management entity, an alternate mobility management entity set for the user terminal, and a visitor location register.

The registered mobility management entity is configured to update the location information of the user terminal to the visit location register after the user terminal is successfully registered in the joint, and send the location information to the standby mobility management entity set for the user terminal. .

The visit location register is configured to initiate a paging request to the alternate mobility management entity when the user terminal has a mobile terminated MT CS service and determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service.

The standby mobility management entity is configured to initiate paging to the user terminal according to the location information after receiving the paging request.

Optionally, the visitor location register determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service, and includes: the visited location register determines whether all of the underlying flow control transport protocol links between the registered mobility management entity are broken. When it is determined that all of the underlying flow control transmission protocols are disconnected from the registered mobility management entity, it is determined that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service.

The embodiment further provides a computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing any of the paging methods described above.

The embodiment further provides general-purpose hardware of an MME and a VLR, the general-purpose hardware including one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, the one or more programs being stored in the memory when being one or more When the processors are executed, any one of the paging methods described above is executed.

Also provided by the embodiment is a computer program product comprising a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program comprising program instructions, when the program instructions are executed by a computer The computer is caused to perform any of the paging methods described above.

The present disclosure provides a paging method and a communication system. After the registration of the user terminal is successfully registered, the registration mobility management entity updates the location information of the user terminal to the visit location register, and sends the location information of the user terminal to the The alternate mobility management entity set by the user terminal for backup. In this way, when the visited location register has a mobile terminated MT CS service at the user terminal, and the registered mobile management entity of the user terminal fails or exits the service, a paging request is sent to the standby mobility management entity; the standby mobility management entity may The stored location information of the user terminal initiates paging to the user terminal. Instead of paging to the area specified by the visit location register or all areas served by itself, the target is better, which can effectively reduce network and air interface signaling and improve system resource utilization.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a paging method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a paging method of the joint ATTACH according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a general hardware of an MME and a VLR according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. The example is limited. The features of the following embodiments and embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict.

After the registration of the user terminal is completed, the registration MME in this embodiment sends the location information of the user terminal to the standby MME. When the registered MME is in a long-term failure or is in the out-of-service state, and the user terminal has the MT CS service, the VLR performs paging to the designated standby MME, and the standby MME pages the user terminal according to the stored user location information. It can reduce the signaling of network and air interface.

Referring to FIG. 1, the paging method provided in this embodiment may include S110-S140.

In S110, the user equipment (User Equipment, UE) initiates joint registration with the registration MME.

In this embodiment, the user terminal initiates a joint registration with the registered MME, which may be a joint attach ATTACH or a Tracking Area Updating (TAU).

The joint registration means that the UE needs to initiate registration with the MME before the UE accesses the network after the device is powered on. After the registration is successful, the UE and the MME can communicate with each other.

In S120, when the user terminal joint registration is successful, the registration MME sends the updated location information to the VLR, and the VLR stores the location information to complete the update of the registered MME location information, and sends the location information to the user terminal. The standby MME; the standby MME performs backup storage of the location information.

In S130, the VLR initiates a paging request to the standby MME when the user terminal has the MT CS service and determines that the registered MME fails or exits the service.

The standby MME is a concept of a registered MME with respect to the user terminal, but is not only in a working state when the registered MME fails or exits the service. The standby MME may also establish joint registration between other user terminals as the registered MME of other user terminals. All MMEs in the MME pool can be in a normal service state. For one user terminal, a joint registration is initiated to the registered MME, and the standby MME can be used. Used as a called party at the user terminal.

In S140, after receiving the paging request sent by the VLR, the standby MME initiates paging to the user terminal according to the stored location information of the user terminal.

When the standby MME receives the paging request sent by the VLR, it does not directly initiate paging to all TAs served by the standby MME, but initiates paging within the location range indicated by the location information of the user terminal, which can effectively reduce the network and Air interface signaling.

Optionally, the related embodiment is explained by taking the registration MME as the MME-a and the standby MME as the MME-b as an example.

When the user terminal is ATTACH, the registered MME-a sends the location information of the user terminal to another MME in the MME pool, that is, MME-b, when the user terminal ATTACH is successful. And the information of the MME-b office (which may be a plurality of identification information, such as name information, etc.) is carried to the VLR in the location update process.

When the user terminal joins the TAU, the registered MME-a sends the location information of the user terminal to another MME in the MME pool, that is, the MME-b, when the user TAU succeeds. And the information of the MME-b (which may be a plurality of identification information, such as name information, etc.) is carried to the VLR in the location update process.

Optionally, the selection principle of the MME-b in this embodiment may adopt a load balancing principle. When the MME is selected as the backup MME in the MME pool, the MME with the lowest load can be selected as the standby MME according to the current load situation of other MMEs in the MME pool, so that different MME pools can be selected for different user terminals. The other MMEs are used as the backup MMEs to prevent multiple user terminals from paging through the same standby MME when multiple registered MMEs are faulty or exiting the service, thereby causing a problem that the single MME is overloaded. The standby MME of the user terminal in this embodiment may be selected by the registration MME. Optionally, after the joint registration initiated by the user terminal to the registration MME is successful, the registration MME selects one MME as the backup MME in the MME pool, and after determining the standby MME, sends the location information of the user terminal to the standby MME.

In this embodiment, the MME sends the information of the standby MME to the VLR. For example, the MME may send the information of the standby MME to the VLR in the process of updating the location information of the user terminal to the VLR. Optionally, after the registration of the user terminal is successfully registered, the MME sends a location update request to the VLR, where the request carries the location information of the user terminal, and carries the information of the standby MME, so that the VLR invokes the standby MME. use. Optionally, when the location update request is sent to the VLR in this embodiment, the format specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) TS29.118 protocol may be adopted, in addition to including the fields already defined in the protocol. In addition, it is necessary to carry information of the standby MME, such as identification information such as the name of the MME.

Optionally, the determining, by the VLR, that the registration MME is faulty or exiting the service may include: determining, by the VLR, all the underlying flow control transmission protocol (SCTP) links between the MME and the registered MME are disconnected, if determined between the MME and the MME All underlying SCTP links are broken, and it is determined that the registered MME is faulty or exits the service.

Optionally, the location information of the user terminal that is sent by the MME to the backup MME and the VLR may include a LA list, and may also include a base station where the user terminal is currently located, such as an eNodeB (Evolved NodeB, LTE wireless access base station), and current In LA.

After receiving the paging request sent by the VLR, the standby MME indicates that the registered MME is faulty for a long time or exits the service, and the standby MME initiates paging according to the saved location information of the user terminal. Optionally, the standby MME performs paging within a location range indicated by the LA list in the location information of the user terminal. Rather than paging all the TAs served by the LA or the standby MME indicated by the VLR, signaling of the network and air interfaces can be reduced.

Optionally, the standby MME initiates paging to the user terminal according to the location information, and sends a paging message to the user terminal. The paging message may carry an International Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (IMSI), and the standby MME may also indicate a Packet Switched PS Domain, trigger the user terminal to re-register, and restore the circuit switched domain (Circuit Switched). , CS Domain) service.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the MME is configured as the MME-a, and the MME is the MME-b, and the MME is the MME-b. Referring to FIG. 2, the paging method may include the following steps.

In S1, the user terminal initiates joint ATTACH to MME-a.

In S2, the security process, location update, and session creation process in the ATTACH process are performed.

In S3, the MME-a performs location update to the VLR, and the message can carry the 3GPP TS29.118 protocol. The field already defined in the proposal may also carry the name of the MME-b, and the name field definition type may refer to "9.4.13 MME name" in the 3GPP T29.118 protocol. The MME-a can use the load balancing mode to select different backup MMEs in the MME pool for different user terminals to perform backup. This prevents the large number of user terminals from paging through one MME when the MME fails, causing the single MME to be overloaded.

In S4, the VLR returns an update response to the MME-a after completing the location update of the user terminal.

In S5, the Attach process is continued, and the MME-a sends an attach accept message to the user terminal, notifies the eNB to establish a context, and completes the bearer update process.

In S6, the registration MME-a sends the location information of the user terminal to the MME-b selected by the user terminal, and the location information may include location information of the current eNodeB, the current TA, and the TAList of the user.

In S7, the user terminal acts as the called party, and sends Identity and Access Management (IAM) to the VLR through a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (G-MSC).

In S8, the VLR detects that the MME-a registered by the user terminal has failed for a long time or has logged out of the service. Optionally, when the VLR detects that all of the underlying SCTP links between the VLR and the MME-a are broken, it may be determined that the MME-a has exited the service or has been in a long-term failure.

In S9, the VLR selects the standby MME specified by the user terminal to register, and the standby MME refers to the MME-b indicated when the location update in step S3, and the VLR sends a paging request to the MME-b (Paging Request).

In S10, the MME-b in the MME pool receives the paging request sent by the VLR. Although the user terminal is not the MME-b registered user terminal, the MME-b is not directly served by the MME-b. The TA or paging message specifies the intra-LA paging user terminal. Rather, paging is performed in the location range indicated by the location information of the original registered MME, that is, MME-a (the TAList assigned to the user when the user terminal registers), thus reducing the paging signaling of the network side and the air interface.

Optionally, in order to trigger the user to re-register the recovery CS service, the paging request sent by the VLR received by the MME-b carries the IMSI, and indicates that the paging domain is the PS domain.

In S11, the eNodeB pages the user terminal on the air interface.

In S12, after the user equipment (User Equipment, UE) receives the paging message of the eNodeB, The ATTACH process is initiated. In the ATTACH process, any MME in the MME pool performs location update to the VLR, and the CS service is available.

The embodiment further provides a communication system, which may include a user terminal UE, a registration mobility management entity MME, and a standby MME and a visitor location register VLR set for the user terminal.

The registration MME may be configured to update the location information of the UE to the VLR after the UE is successfully registered in association, and send the location information to the standby MME set for the UE.

The VLR may be configured to initiate a paging request to the standby MME when the UE has a mobile terminated MT CS service and determines that the registered MME fails or exits the service.

The standby MME is configured to initiate paging to the UE according to the location information of the UE after receiving the paging request sent by the VLR.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is a schematic diagram of a general hardware structure of the MME and the VLR in this embodiment. The hardware structure may include a processor 210 and a memory 220. The communication interface 230 may also include a communication interface (Communications Interface) 230. And bus 240.

The processor 210, the memory 220, and the communication interface 230 can complete communication with each other through the bus 240. Communication interface 230 can be used for information transfer. The processor 210 can invoke logic instructions in the memory 220 to perform any of the paging methods of the above embodiments.

In addition, the logic instructions in the memory 220 described above may be implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a stand-alone product, and may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present disclosure may be embodied in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network) The device or the like) performs all or part of the steps of the method described in this embodiment. The foregoing storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, including: a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. A medium that can store program code, or a transitory storage medium.

Finally, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the process of implementing the above embodiment method can be completed by executing related hardware by a computer program, and the program can be stored in a non-transitory computer. In reading a storage medium, the program, when executed, may include a flow of an embodiment of the method described above, wherein the computer readable storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read only memory (ROM), or a random access memory. (RAM), etc.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure provides a paging method and a communication system, which can solve the problem that the paging range is too large and the useless signaling is excessive due to excessive use of signaling by other MMEs in the MME pool.

Claims

A paging method comprising:

After the registration of the user terminal is successfully registered, the registered mobility management entity updates the location information of the user terminal to the visitor location register, and sends the location information to the alternate mobility management entity set for the user terminal;

The visit location register initiates a paging request to the alternate mobility management entity when the user terminal has a mobile termination circuit switched MT CS service and determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service;

After receiving the paging request, the standby mobility management entity initiates paging to the user terminal according to the location information.
The method of claim 1 further comprising:

When the registered mobility management entity updates the location information of the user terminal to the visited location register, the information of the standby mobility management entity is sent to the visited location register;

The invoking location register initiating a paging request to the alternate mobility management entity includes:

The visit location register initiates a paging request to the alternate mobility management entity based on the information of the alternate mobility management entity.
The method of claim 1, wherein the visitor location register determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service comprises:

Determining, by the visitor location register, whether all of the underlying flow control transport protocol links with the registered mobility management entity are broken, and determining that all underlying flow control transport protocol links are disconnected from the registered mobility management entity At the time, it is determined that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service.
The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the location information comprises a list of location areas representing a range of locations of the user terminal.
The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate mobility management entity initiates paging to the user terminal based on the location information comprises:

The standby mobility management entity performs paging within a location range indicated by the location area list in the location information.
The method of claim 4, wherein the location information further comprises at least one of the following: The base station where the user terminal is currently located and the location area where the user terminal is currently located.
A communication system includes a registered mobility management entity, an alternate mobility management entity, and a visitor location register;

The registered mobility management entity is configured to update location information of the user terminal to the visit location register after the user terminal is successfully registered in association, and send the location information to the standby mobility management entity set for the user terminal. ;

The visit location register is configured to initiate a paging request to the alternate mobility management entity when the user terminal has a mobile terminated MT CS service and determines that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service;

The standby mobility management entity is configured to initiate paging to the user terminal according to the location information after receiving the paging request.
The system of claim 7 wherein said visitor location register determines that said registered mobility management entity has failed or exited the service comprises:

Determining, by the visitor location register, whether all of the underlying flow control transport protocol links with the registered mobility management entity are broken, and determining that all underlying flow control transport protocol links are disconnected from the registered mobility management entity At the time, it is determined that the registered mobility management entity fails or exits the service.
The system of claim 7 or 8, wherein said location information comprises a list of location areas representing a range of locations of said user terminals.
The system of claim 9 wherein said alternate mobility management entity initiates paging to said user terminal based on said location information comprises:

The standby mobility management entity performs paging within a location range indicated by the location area list in the location information.
A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing the paging method of any of claims 1-6.