Method for triggering communication between group of MTC devices and MTC server, and MTC device

1. A method for triggering communication between a group of Machine Type Communications (MTC) devices and an MTC server, comprising:

receiving an MTC request message sent by a machine type communications MTC server, wherein the MTC request message carries a group ID of the group of MTC devices and a communication notification message for the group of MTC devices;

obtaining area information of the group of MTC devices; and

sending the area information, the group ID of the group of MTC devices, and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices to a cell broadcast center (CBC), so that the CBC sends a broadcast message to a device of the MTC devices in an area specified by the area information, wherein the broadcast message comprises the group ID of the group of MTC devices and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the obtaining area information of the group of MTC devices comprises:

obtaining a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) list and/or a mobility management entity (MME) list from a home location register/home subscriber server (HLR/HSS) by using the group ID, wherein the group of MTC devices are located in the SGSN list and/or the mobility management entity MME list; obtaining at least one of the following: a service area identity (SAI) list, a routing area identity (RAI) list, and a cell identity list of an area where the group of MTC devices are located from an SGSN in the SGSN list; and obtaining a tracking area identity (TAI) list and/or a cell identity list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located from an MME in the MME list; or

obtaining at least one of the following: an SAI list, an RAI list, a TAI list, and a cell identity list of an area where the group of MTC devices are located from an HLR/HSS by using the group ID.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the obtaining the service area identity SAI list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located comprises:

obtaining a location area code (LAC) list and an SAC list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located, and forming the SAI list by using the LAC, the SAC and a public land mobile network (PLMN)-ID of the group of MTC devices.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the broadcast message further carries MTC indication information, wherein the MTC indication information is used to indicate that an MTC device in the area accepts the broadcast message.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication notification message further carries random access indication for initiating communication, wherein the random access indication for initiating communication is used to indicate that an MTC device in the group communicates with the MTC server according to the random access indication for initiating communication.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the MTC device in the group communicates with the MTC server according to the random access indication for initiating communication, which comprises:

obtaining, by the MTC device, random access time according to the random access indication for initiating communication, and communicating with the MTC server within the random access time.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the MTC request message sent by the MTC server is received by an MTC gateway or an entity that has a proxy function, and the MTC gateway or the entity that has a proxy function obtains the area information.

8. A method for triggering communication between a group of Machine Type Communications (MTC) devices and an MTC server, comprising:

receiving an MTC request message sent by a machine type communications MTC server, wherein the MTC request message carries a group ID of the group of MTC devices and a communication notification message for the group of MTC devices;

obtaining area information of the group of MTC devices; and

sending a broadcast message to a device of the MTC devices in an area specified by the area information, wherein the broadcast message comprises the group ID of the group of MTC devices and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the obtaining area information of the group of MTC devices comprises:

obtaining a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) list and/or a mobility management entity (MME) list from a home location register/home subscriber server (HLR/HSS) by using the group ID, wherein the group of MTC devices are located in the SGSN list and/or the MME list; obtaining at least one of the following: a service area identity (SAI) list, a routing area identity (RAI) list, and a cell identity list of an area where the group of MTC devices are located from an SGSN in the SGSN list; and obtaining a tracking area identify (TAI) list and/or a cell identity list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located from an MME in the MME list; or

obtaining at least one of the following: an SAI list and/or an RAI list, a TAI list, and a cell identity list of an area where the group of MTC devices are located from an HLR/HSS by using the group ID.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the obtaining the service area identity SAI list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located comprises:

obtaining a location area code (LAC) list and an SAC list of the area where the group of MTC devices are located, and forming the SAI by using the LAC, the SAC, and a public land mobile network (PLMN)-ID of the group of MTC devices.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the broadcast message further carries MTC indication information, wherein the MTC indication information is used to indicate that an MTC device in the area accepts the broadcast message.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the communication notification message further carries random access indication for initiating communication, wherein the random access indication for initiating communication is used to indicate that an MTC device in the group communicates with the MTC server according to the random access indication for initiating communication.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the MTC device in the group communicates with the MTC server according to the random access indication for initiating communication, which comprises:

obtaining, by the MTC device, random access time according to the random indication for initiating communication, and communicating with the MTC server within the random access time.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the MTC request message sent by the MTC server is received by a cell broadcast center (CBC), and the CBC obtains the area information.

15. A Machine Type Communications (MTC) device, comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a broadcast message broadcast by a cell broadcast center (CBC), wherein the broadcast message comprises a group ID of a group of MTC devices including the MTC device, and a communication notification message for the group of MTC devices; and

a communicating unit, configured to communicate with an MTC server according to content in the broadcast message;

wherein the CBC obtains area information of the broadcast message and broadcasts the area information of the broadcast message in the following manner:

receiving an MTC request message that is sent by the MTC server and carries the group ID of the group of MTC devices and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices; obtaining area information of the area where the group of MTC devices are located; and initiating a cell broadcast request by using the area information; or

receiving area information of an area where the group of MTC devices are located, the group ID of the group of MTC devices, and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices, wherein the area information of the area where the group of MTC devices are located, the group ID of the group of MTC devices, and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices are sent by an MTC gateway or an entity that has a proxy function, and initiating a cell broadcast request by using the area information, wherein the MTC gateway or the entity that has a proxy function obtains the area information in the following manner: receiving an MTC request message that is sent by the MTC server and carries the group ID of the group of MTC devices and the communication notification message for the group of MTC devices, and obtaining area information of the group of MTC devices.

16. The MTC device according to claim 15 , wherein the communicating unit comprises at least one of following units:

a judging subunit, configured to, when the broadcast message further carries MTC indication information, accept the broadcast request according to the MTC indication information, and communicate with the MTC server; and

an access time obtaining subunit, configured to, when the broadcast message further carries random access indication for initiating communication, obtain random access time according to the random access indication for initiating communication, and communicate with the MTC server within the random access time.