Method and apparatus for sending user equipment location information

1. A method of transmitting location information of a User Equipment, UE, comprising:

a Relay Node, RN, receiving configuration information, indicating a user location information reporting condition, sent from a control plane management apparatus; and

the RN sending cell-related information, indicating user location information, to the control plane management apparatus when the location information reporting condition is satisfied,

wherein the cell-related information indicating the user location information is:

information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located; or

information about a serving cell with a Tracking Cell Identifier (TAI) value and/or an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) value related to information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located,

wherein the configuration information indicating the user cation information reporting condition comprises at least one of the following conditions that:

reporting is made immediately;

the user location information is reported after the RN is handed over to a new donor cell or donor Node B; and

the user location information is reported after the UE is handed over between different cells.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information about the donor cell comprises at least one of: an EUTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Tracking Cell Identifier, TAI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Global eNB ID of a donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, a Node B name of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, geographical location information of the RN and geographical location information of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell; or

the cell-related information indicating the user location information being the information about the serving cell with a TAI and/or ECGI value related to the information about the donor cell where the RN itself is located refers to that: a value of the TAI of the serving cell is consistent with that of the donor cell, a value of first 20 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is consistent with that of an ECGI of the donor cell, and a value of last 8 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is different from that of the ECGI of the donor cell.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: the RN sending information about a serving cell where the UE is located to the control plane management apparatus when the location information reporting condition is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RN receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus comprises:

the RN receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus in a Location Reporting Control message; or

the RN receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus in an S1 Application Protocol, SLAP, message dedicated to transmission of the configuration information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus comprises:

the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus in a Location Report message; or

the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus in an S1AP message dedicated to reporting of the user location information; or

the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus in an Uplink Non-Access Stratum, NAS, Transport message; or

the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus in a Path Switch Request message; or

the RN sending the cell-related information, indicating the user location information, to the control plane management apparatus in a Handover Notify message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the RN receives the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus, the method further comprises: the RN reporting itself as an RN to the control plane management apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the RN reporting itself as an RN to the control plane management apparatus comprises:

the RN reporting itself as an RN to the control plane management apparatus in an S1 Setup Request message; or

the RN reporting itself as an RN to the control plane management apparatus in an S1AP message when the UE accesses the RN.

8. A method of transmitting location information of a User Equipment, UE, comprising:

a control plane management apparatus sending configuration information, indicating a user location information reporting condition, to an RN; and

the control plane management apparatus receiving cell-related information, indicating user location information, reported from the RN,

wherein the cell-related information indicating the user location information is:

information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located; or

information about a serving cell with a TAI and/or ECGI value related to information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located,

wherein the configuration information indicating the user location information reporting condition comprises at least one of the following conditions that:

reporting is made immediately;

the user location information is reported after the RN is handed over to a new donor cell or donor Node B; and

the user location information is reported after the UE is handed over between different cells.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information about the donor cell comprises at least one of: an EUTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Tracking Cell Identifier, TAI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Global eNB ID of a donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, a Node B name of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, geographical location information of the RN and geographical location information of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell; or

the cell-related information indicating the user location information being the information about the serving cell with a TAI and/or ECGI value related to the information about the donor cell where the RN itself is located refers to that: a value of the TAI of the serving cell is consistent with that of the donor cell, a value of first 20 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is consistent with that of an ECGI of the donor cell, and a value of last 8 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is different from that of the ECGI of the donor cell.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: the control plane management apparatus receiving information, about a serving cell where the UE is located, reported from the RN.

11. A relay node, comprising:

an interface module configured to receive configuration information, indicating a user location information reporting condition, sent from a control plane management apparatus; and

a control module configured to instruct the interface module to send cell-related information, indicating user location information, to the control plane management apparatus upon determining that the location information reporting condition is satisfied,

wherein the cell-related information indicating the user location information is:

information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located; or

information about a serving cell with a TAI and/or ECGI value related to information about a donor cell where the RN itself is located;

wherein the interface module comprises a transceiver and an antenna;

wherein the control module comprises a processor, and

wherein the configuration information indicating the user location information reporting condition comprises at least one of the following conditions that:

reporting is made immediately;

the user location information is reported after the RN is handed over to a new donor cell or donor Node B; and

the user location information is reported after the UE is handed over between different cells.

12. The relay node of claim 11 , wherein the information about the donor cell comprises at least one of: an EUTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Tracking Cell Identifier, TAI, corresponding to the donor cell, a Global eNB ID of a donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, a Node B name of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell, geographical location information of the RN and geographical location information of the donor Node B corresponding to the donor cell; or

the cell-related information indicating the user location information being the information about the serving cell with a TAI and/or ECGI value related to the information about the donor cell where the RN itself is located refers to that: a value of the TAI of the serving cell is consistent with that of the donor cell, a value of first 20 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is consistent with that of an ECGI of the donor cell, and a value of last 8 bits of the ECGI of the serving cell is different from that of the ECGI of the donor cell.

13. The relay node of claim 11 , wherein the interface module is configured to send information about a serving cell where a UE is located to the control plane management apparatus when the location information reporting condition is satisfied.

14. The relay node of claim 11 , wherein the interface module receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus comprises:

the interface module receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus in a Location Reporting Control message; or

the interface module receiving the configuration information, indicating the user location information reporting condition, sent from the control plane management apparatus in an S1 Application Protocol, S1AP, message dedicated to transmission of the configuration information.