Granted Patent B2

US 8,682,320 · App. 13/516,504 · Granted Mar 25, 2014

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A method in a Mobility Management Entity for handling a setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection between a first radio base station and the Mobility Management Entity in a Long Term Evolution radio communications network, said method comprising:

receiving an S1 Setup Request message from the first radio base station; and

sending an S1 Setup Response message to the first radio base station, said S1 Setup Response message comprising an indication of at least one supported tracking area code of a tracking area that is served by the Mobility Management Entity, and said S1 Setup Response message enabling the first radio base station to handle the setup of the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Mobility Management Entity is comprised in a pool of Mobility Management Entities.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Mobility Management Entity is defined as a second Mobility Management Entity and serves a second radio base station in a second area of the Long Term Evolution radio communications network, and wherein the first radio base station is served by a another, first Mobility Management Entity in a first area of the Long Term Evolution radio communications network.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a tracking area code update message from an operational support system node, which message comprises an allocation of a new tracking area code to the Mobility Management Entity, which new tracking area code is different from the at least one tracking area code; and

sending a Mobility Management Entity Configuration Update message to the first radio base station, which Mobility Management Entity Configuration Update message comprises an indication of the new tracking area code served by the Mobility Management Entity.

5. A method in a first radio base station for handling a setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection between the first radio base station and a Mobility Management Entity in a Long Term Evolution radio communications network, said method comprising:

receiving a configuration setup indicating a first tracking area code of a cell in the radio communications network;

sending an S1 Setup Request message to the Mobility Management Entity comprising the first tracking area code;

receiving an S1 Setup Response message from the Mobility Management Entity, which S1 Setup Response message comprises an indication of at least one supported tracking area code of a tracking area served by the Mobility Management Entity, said S1 Setup Request message enabling the first radio base station to handle the setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection towards the Mobility Management Entity;

comparing the first tracking area code with the at least one supported tracking area code; and

if the first tracking area code matches the at least one supported tracking area code, setting up the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection towards the Mobility Management Entity.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing information that the Mobility Management Entity supports the at least one supported tracking area code for future communication.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first radio base station serves a first cell of a second tracking area code and wherein the first tracking area code is allocated to a second cell controlled by a second radio base station.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first cell serves a number of user equipments and is associated with the second tracking area code, and said method further comprises:

detecting an amount of mobility of the user equipments towards the second cell served by the second radio base station, by handling handover procedures of the user equipments between the first and second cells, wherein the second cell is associated with the first tracking area code; and

allocating the first tracking area code of the second cell to the first cell in response to the amount exceeding a set threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising setting up an X2 Application Protocol signaling connection to the second radio base station by sending an X2 Setup Request to the second radio base station the X2 Setup Request comprises a Global Unique Group Identity List associated to the cell identity of the first cell.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining towards which Mobility Management Entity to setup the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection from configuration by an Operational Support System node, or by requesting a Domain Name Server node with the first tracking area code.

11. An arrangement for handling a setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection between a first radio base station and a Mobility Management Entity in a Long Term Evolution radio communications network, said arrangement being in the Mobility Management Entity and comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive an S1 Setup Request message from the first radio base station; and

a sending circuit configured to send an S1 Setup Response message to the first radio base station, said S1 Setup Response message indicating at least one supported tracking area code of a tracking area served by the Mobility Management Entity, said S1 Setup Response message enabling the first radio base station to handle the setup of the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection towards the Mobility Management Entity.

12. An arrangement for handling a setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection between a first radio base station and a Mobility Management Entity in a Long Term Evolution radio communications network, said arrangement being in the first base station and comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive a configuration setup indicating a first tracking area code of a cell in the Long Term Evolution radio communications network;

a sending network circuit configured to send an S1 Setup Request message to the Mobility Management Entity indicating the first tracking area code;

a receiving network circuit configured to receive an S1 Setup Response message from the Mobility Management Entity that indicates at least one supported tracking area code of a tracking area served by the Mobility Management Entity, wherein the S1 Setup Request message enables the first radio base station to handle the setup of the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection towards the Mobility Management Entity;

a comparing circuit configured to compare the first tracking area code with the at least one supported tracking area code; and

an S1 Application Protocol circuit configured to set up the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection towards the Mobility Management Entity in response to the first tracking area code matching the at least one supported tracking area code.

Assignments (8)