Enabling circuit-switched services during mobility management congestion control
View Patent ↗A method is provided that includes causing transmission of a first mobility management (MM) message from a UE to a core network including packet-switched (PS) and circuit-switched (CS) domains. The method may include causing transmission of the first MM message to a PS-domain component, and receiving a rejection message from the PS-domain component in response thereto. The rejection message indicates congestion as a cause for rejection of the first MM message. In response to receipt of the rejection message, the method may include running a back-off timer. While the back-off timer is running in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, the method may include causing transmission of a second MM message from the UE to a CS-domain component. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.
1. Apparatus for enabling circuit-switched services, the apparatus comprising:
a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus at least:
to cause transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, such that a said first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of said packet-switched domain, the user equipment being arranged to receive a rejection message from said packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and
to cause the back-off timer to run in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;
wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the apparatus to cause transmission of a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain, while the back-off timer is running.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, the apparatus being caused to run the back-off timer starting with the value.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the processor system being arranged to cause the apparatus to:
cause transmission of the second mobility management message from the user equipment to a said component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, and while the back-off timer is running.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , the apparatus being arranged such that transmission of the first mobility management message includes transmission of at least one of: a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises at least one processor and at least one memory device of a mobile phone, the at least one processor being directly or indirectly connected to one or more other components of the mobile phone.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more other components of the mobile phone include:
user interface circuitry; and
user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display.
7. Apparatus for enabling circuit-switched services, the apparatus comprising:
a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus at least:
to be capable of receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being receivable at a component of the packet-switched domain;
to detect congestion in the core network, and in response thereto:
to cause transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to said user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message;
wherein receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,
wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer, and
wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , the apparatus being arranged such that said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causing the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is arranged such that the first mobility management message received at said core network can include at least one of: a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.
10. A method for enabling circuit-switched services, the method comprising:
causing transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, wherein the first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of the packet-switched domain;
receiving a rejection message at the user equipment from the packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and
running the back-off timer in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;
wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, and
wherein running the back-off timer includes running the back-off timer starting with the value.
12. The method according to claim 10 , comprising:
transmitting a said second mobility management message from the user equipment to the component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted and while the back-off timer is running.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first mobility management message includes at least one of: a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.
14. A method for enabling circuit-switched services, the method comprising:
receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being received at a component of the packet-switched domain;
detecting congestion in the core network, and in response thereto, causing transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to the user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message,
wherein receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,
wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer,
wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, and wherein receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causes the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first mobility management message includes at least one of a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to cause an apparatus:
to cause transmission of a first mobility management message from user equipment to a core network that includes a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, such that said first mobility management message is transmitted to a component of said packet-switched domain, the user equipment being arranged to receive a rejection message from said packet-switched domain component in response to the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message, and indicating whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of a back-off timer; and
to cause the back-off timer to run in response to receipt of the rejection message, the back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component;
wherein the indication in the rejection message that circuit-switched services are permitted enables the apparatus to cause transmission of a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain, while the back-off timer is running.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, the instructions being such that the apparatus is caused to run the back-off timer starting with the value.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , the instructions being such that the processor system causes the apparatus to:
cause transmission of the second mobility management message from said user equipment to said component of the circuit-switched domain in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, and while the back-off timer is running.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19 , the instructions being such that transmission of the first mobility management message includes transmission of at least one of: a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the processing system comprises at least one processor and at least one memory device of a mobile phone, the at least one processor being directly or indirectly connected to one or more other components of the mobile phone.
22. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 21 , wherein the one or more other components of the mobile phone include:
user interface circuitry; and
user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display.
23. The non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to cause an apparatus:
to be capable of receiving a first mobility management message at a core network from user equipment, the core network including a packet-switched domain and a circuit-switched domain, the first mobility management message being receivable at a component of the packet-switched domain;
to detect congestion in the core network, and in response thereto:
to cause transmission of a rejection message from the packet-switched domain component to said user equipment in response to receipt of the first mobility management message, the rejection message indicating congestion as a cause for rejection of the first mobility management message;
wherein receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment causes the user equipment to run a back-off timer indicating a time during which the user equipment defers transmission of any further mobility management messages to the packet-switched domain component,
wherein the rejection message further indicates whether circuit-switched services are permitted during running of the back-off timer, and
wherein in an instance in which the rejection message indicates that circuit-switched services are permitted, receipt of the rejection message at said user equipment enables the user equipment to transmit a second mobility management message from the user equipment to a component of the circuit-switched domain while the back-off timer is running.
24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 , the instructions being such that said rejection message includes a value of the back-off timer, receipt of the rejection message at the user equipment causing the user equipment to run the back-off timer starting with the value.
25. The apparatus according to claim 23 , the instructions being such that the apparatus is arranged such that the first mobility management message received at said core network can include at least one of: a request to attach to the packet-switched domain, perform a routing area update and receive a packet-switched service.