CONGESTION CONTROL FOR SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE IN 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP) SYSTEMS

1 . A network entity for use in a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) network, the network entity comprising circuitry configured to:

receive from a short message service-service center (SMS-SC) entity a mobile terminated (MT) forward short message request;

determine whether the network entity is overloaded such that the network entity is unable to deliver a short message (SM) to a user equipment (UE); and

send to the SMS-SC an MT forward short message answer having information indicating that the network entity is overloaded, in which the MT forward short message answer causes the SMS-SC to temporarily suppress sending further SMs, and in which the network entity comprises at least one of a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN).

2 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the information includes a suppression parameter that configures the SMS-SC to delay sending further SMs for a predetermined time.

3 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the information includes a suppression parameter that configures the SMS-SC to continue to send high priority SMs to the UE during an overload situation or network congestion.

4 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the circuitry is further configured to send a second message having updated suppression parameters for ceasing trigger suppression in response to the network entity recovering from being overloaded.

5 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the network entity is overloaded due to hardware resource limitations or network congestion.

6 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the circuitry is further configured to send a second message indicating updated suppression parameters for decreasing an amount of trigger suppression in response to the network entity recovering from being overloaded.

7 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which the MT forward short message request and the MT forward short message answer are defined by a diameter-based message format that includes an attribute value pair indicating an occurrence of a congestion situation.

8 . The network entity of claim 1 , in which in response to a non-access stratum (NAS) level congestion control in place for the UE, the network entity is configured to reject a trigger request so as to avoid mobile originated (MO) mobility management (MM) or session management signaling from the UE to the network.

9 . A short message service-service center (SMS-SC) device comprising circuitry configured to:

transmit to a network node a short message (SM) by using an interface between the SMS-SC device and the network node, in which the interface is an SGd interface when the network node comprises a mobility management entity (MME), and in which the interface is a Gdd interface when the network node comprises a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN);

receive through the interface a message response indicating that network node is unable to deliver the SM to a target mobile station, the message response including a parameter for suppressing transmission of a subsequent SM to the network node while the network node is unable to deliver the subsequent SM; and

determine whether to transmit the subsequent SM to the network node based on the message response.

10 . The SMS-SC device of claim 9 , in which the parameter includes a back-off timer indicating a suppression period for suppressing transmission of the subsequent SM to the network node during the suppression period.

11 . The SMS-SC of claim 10 , in which the subsequent SM includes a validity period, and the circuitry is further configured to:

compare the validity period to the suppression period; and

transmit the subsequent SM after expiration of the suppression period and prior to expiration of the validity period.

12 . The SMS-SC device of claim 9 , in which the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the subsequent SM is a high priority SM;

transmit the subsequent SM when it is a high priority SM; and

suppress transmission of the subsequent SM when it is not a high priority SM.

13 . The SMS-SC device of claim 9 , in which the SM is a triggering message having a validity period, and the circuitry is further configured to:

delete the triggering message after expiration of the validity period; and

report a failure of trigger delivery.

14 . The SMS-SC device of claim 9 , in which the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the SM is a device trigger or a mobile terminated short message service (MT-SMS) message by reading a transfer protocol-protocol identifier (TP-PID) field of the SM; and

allow delivery of the SM based on whether it is determined to be a device trigger or an MT-SMS message.

15 . The SMS-SC of claim 9 , in which the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the network node is congested based on an operator policy or configuration; and

allow delivery of the SM based on whether it is determined to be a device trigger or a mobile terminated short message service message.

16 . A method for controlling an amount of mobile terminated (MT) short message service (SMS) (MT-SMS) messages to be delivered to a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN) in a 3rd generation partnership project network, the method comprising:

detecting at the MME/SGSN a congestion event; and

transmitting over an SGd/Gdd interface, in response to detecting the congestion event, a diameter-based message including an information element having an attribute value pair indicating that the MME/SGSN is temporarily unable to deliver an MT-SMS message.

17 . The method of claim 16 , in which the MT-SMS messages comprise device triggering messages over a T4 interface.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining a suppression duration in which the MME/SGSN is temporarily unable to deliver an MT-SMS message; and

including information in the diameter-based message that indicates the suppression duration.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining that the congestion event has subsided; and

transmitting over an SGd/Gdd interface, a message indicating the congestion event has subsided.

20 . The method of claim 16 , in which the congestion event comprises a non-access stratum (NAS) level congestion control event.

21 . A network node comprising circuitry configured to:

transmit to a short message service-service center (SMS-SC) device a mobile originated (MO) short message (SM) by using an interface between the network node and the SMS-SC device, in which the interface is an SGd interface when the network node comprises a mobility management entity (MME), and in which the interface is a Gdd interface when the network node comprises a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN);

receive through the interface a message response indicating that the SMS-SC device is unable to deliver the MO SM to a target destination, the message response including a parameter for suppressing transmission of a subsequent MO SM from the network node while the SMS-SC device is unable to deliver the subsequent MO SM; and

determine whether to transmit the subsequent MO SM to the SMS-SC device based on the message response.

22 . The network node of claim 21 , in which the parameter includes a back-off timer indicating a suppression period for suppressing transmission of the subsequent MO SM to the SMS-SC device during the suppression period.

23 . The network node of claim 22 , in which the subsequent MO SM includes a validity period, and the circuitry is further configured to:

compare the validity period to the suppression period; and

transmit the subsequent MO SM after expiration of the suppression period and prior to expiration of the validity period.

24 . The network node of claim 21 , in which the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the subsequent MO SM is a high priority MO SM;

transmit the subsequent MO SM when it is a high priority MO SM; and

suppress transmission of the subsequent MO SM when it is not a high priority MT SM.