IP Library Granted Patent US 8,265,034
Granted Patent B2
US 8,265,034 · App. 12/195,018 · Granted Sep 11, 2012

Method and system for a signaling connection release indication

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,265,034
App. No.
12/195,018
Granted
Sep 11, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system for processing a signaling connection release indication between user equipment and a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.

Claims (58)

1. A method comprising:

responsive to an indication from an upper layer of a user equipment (UE) that no more data is expected, setting a cause in a signaling connection release indication message to UE Requested Packet Switched (PS) Data session end;

transmitting, from the user equipment to a wireless network on a Dedicated Control CHannel (DCCH) using Acknowledged Mode (AM) Radio Link Control (RLC), the signaling connection release message including the cause for a network-controlled transition; and

receiving a state transition message from the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that no application at the UE is expected to send or receive data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cause is an information element of the signaling connection release indication message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at the UE a request to release or abort a signaling connection from an upper layer for a specific core network domain.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network is a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling connection release indication message is transmitted after a user equipment timer expires.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network-controlled transition is a transition from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state, a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is based on a composite status of indications from UE applications.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the signaling connection release indication message is performed after a delay.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the delay is based on one or more application timeouts.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to receiving the state transition message, the UE transitioning from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state, a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state transition message is a message to transition from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (Cell_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state, a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

20. A user equipment (UE) having a radio subsystem, a processor adapted to interact with a memory, the radio subsystem, and a user interface, the UE configured to:

responsive to an indication from an upper layer of the UE, set a cause in a signaling connection release indication message to UE Requested Packet Switched (PS) Data session end;

transmit, to a wireless network on a Dedicated Control CHannel (DCCH) using Acknowledged Mode (AM) Radio Link Control (RLC), the signaling connection release indication message including the cause for a network-controlled transition; and

receive a state transition message from the wireless network.

21. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the UE is configured to determine that no application at the UE is expected to send or receive data.

22. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the cause is an information element of the signaling connection release indication message.

23. The UE of claim 20 , further configured to:

receive a request to release or abort a signaling connection from an upper layer for a specific core network domain.

24. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the wireless network is a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

25. The UE of claim 24 , wherein the delay is based on one or more application timeouts.

26. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the wireless network is a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.

27. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the signaling connection release indication message is transmitted after a user equipment timer expires.

28. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the network-controlled transition is a transition from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode.

29. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

30. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH)_state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state, a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

31. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the indication is based on a composite status of indications from UE applications.

32. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the transmission of the signaling connection release indication message is performed after a delay.

33. The UE of claim 20 , further configured to transition from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode in response to receiving the state transition message.

34. The UE of claim 33 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

35. The UE of claim 33 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state, a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

36. The UE of claim 20 , wherein the state transition message is a message to transition from a first radio resource control (RRC) state to a battery efficient RRC state or mode.

37. The UE of claim 36 , wherein the first RRC state is one of a Cell Dedicated CHannel (CELL_DCH) state, a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH) state and a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state.

38. The UE of claim 36 , wherein the battery efficient RRC state or mode is one of a Cell Forward Access CHannel (CELL_FACH) state, a Cell Paging CHannel (CELL_PCH state), a UTRAN Registration Area Paging CHannel (URA_PCH) state and an idle mode.

39. A method for processing a signaling connection release indication message at a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE) on a Dedicated Control CHannel (DCCH) using Acknowledged Mode (AM) Radio Link Control (RLC), the signaling connection release indication message for a network-controlled transition of the UE, the signaling connection release indication message having a cause set to UE Requested Packet Switched (PS) Data session end reflecting an indication from an upper layer of the UE that no more data is expected at the UE; and

initiating a state transition based on the cause.

40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the cause is an information element of the signaling connection release indication message.

41. The method of claim 39 , wherein initiating a state transition comprises sending a state transition message to the UE.

42. A wireless network apparatus for processing a signaling connection release indication message, said network apparatus configured to:

receive, from a user equipment (UE) on a Dedicated Control CHannel (DCCH) using Acknowledged Mode (AM) Radio Link Control (RLC), the signaling connection release indication message for a network-controlled transition of the UE, the signaling connection release indication message having a cause set to UE Requested Packet Switched (PS) Data session end reflecting an indication from an upper layer of the UE that no more data is expected at the UE; and

initiate a state transition based on the cause.

43. The network apparatus of claim 42 , wherein the cause is an information element of the signaling connection release indication message.

44. The network apparatus of claim 42 , further configured to send a state transition message to the UE.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 14, 2014
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 033987/0576 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2008
From: ISLAM, MUHAMMAD KHALEDUL; WIRTANEN, JEFFREY WILLIAM; YOUNG, GORDON
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 021753/0830 →