IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,525,961
Granted Patent B2
US 9,525,961 · App. 14/699,725 · Granted Dec 20, 2016

Communication service for machine-to-machine devices

Inventors: Zhi Cui (Sugar Hill, GA); Vinod Pandey (Shakopee, MN); Liza Fung (Edison, NJ); Paul Edward Smith, Jr. (Rockwall, TX); Cheng Liu (Atlanta, GA)
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
H04W4/005H04L47/12H04W76/02H04W76/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,525,961
App. No.
14/699,725
Granted
Dec 20, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

When machine-to-machine (M2M) devices attach to a mobile communication network, the associated communication session can be treated differently than the attachment of other devices. For example, upon determining that a subscriber device that attaches to a communication network is an M2M device has completed a given network transaction, the M2M device can be immediately detached without waiting on expiration of an inactivity timer. As another example, upon determining that a subscriber device that attaches to a communication network is an M2M device, the M2M device can be excluded from various signaling procedures such as load-balancing procedures.

Claims (42)

1. An access point device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving, from a subscriber device, a request to attach to the access point device of a communication network;

determining that the subscriber device is a machine-to-machine device that transmits the request and communication data without manual instruction;

in response to the receiving the request, attaching the machine-to-machine device by providing service of the communication network for the machine-to-machine device;

receiving the communication data from the machine-to-machine device;

in response to the receiving the communication data, detaching the machine-to-machine device by terminating the service for the machine-to-machine device independently of an inactivity timer that triggers detaching after expiration of an inactivity period; and

purging state information associated with the attaching of the machine-to-machine device independently of the inactivity timer.

2. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a detachment message indicative of the detaching to a device of a core network device of the communication network and indicative of purging of device state information associated with the attaching of the machine-to-machine device independently of the inactivity timer.

3. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a detachment message indicative of the detaching to the machine-to-machine device.

4. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the determining the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device, excluding the machine-to-machine device from participation in a signaling procedure.

5. The access point device of claim 4 , wherein the signaling procedure relates to measurement and reporting associated with a load-balancing procedure.

6. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the machine-to-machine device is at least one of: a metering device that meters consumption of a resource, an appliance device, or a sensor device.

7. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the access point is one from a group comprising an eNodeB device, a microcell device, and a femtocell device.

8. The access point device of claim 1 , wherein the determining the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device is based on at least one of: provisioned service level data representative of a level of service provisioned for the subscriber device by a network device of the communication network, an Internet protocol address associated with the subscriber device, a media access control address associated with the subscriber device, user equipment category data representative of a device category as defined by a third generation partnership project specification, or machine-to-machine identification data received from the subscriber device that indicates the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device.

9. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

transmitting, to an access point device of a communication network, a request to attach to the access point device;

transmitting, to the access point device, an indication that the request to attach is for a machine-to-machine device that initiates the request and provides communication data without manual instruction;

in response to receiving an acknowledgement that the machine-to-machine device is attached to the communication network via the access point device, transmitting communication data to the access point device;

in response to the transmitting the communication data, detaching from the communication network by terminating a communication network service provided by the access point device independently of an inactivity timer that triggers detaching after expiration of an inactivity period; and

transmitting, to the access point device, a core purge message instructing a core network device of the communication network to purge state information associated with the attaching of the machine-to-machine device independently of the inactivity timer.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting to the access point device a purge message instructing the access point device to purge state information associated with the attaching of the machine-to-machine device independently of the inactivity timer.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting to the access point device a non-participation message instructing the access point device that the machine-to-machine is to be excluded from participation in a signaling procedure.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the signaling procedure relates to measurement and reporting associated with a load-balancing procedure.

13. The device of claim 9 is a metering device that meters consumption of a resource, an appliance device, or a sensor device.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the core network device is upstream from the access point device, and wherein the access point device is an eNodeB device, a microcell device, or a femtocell device.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a request from a subscriber device to attach to an access point device of a communication network;

determining, by the system, the subscriber device is a machine-to-machine device that transmits the request and associated communication data without manual instruction;

attaching, by the system, the machine-to-machine device by providing a communication service for the machine-to-machine device;

receiving, by the system, the communication data from the machine-to-machine device;

in response to the receiving the communication data, detaching, by the system, the machine-to-machine device by terminating the communication service for the machine-to-machine device independently of an inactivity timer that triggers detaching after expiration of an inactivity period; and

excluding, by the system, the machine-to-machine device from participation in a signaling procedure in response to the determining the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting, by the system, a detachment message indicative of the detaching to a device among core network devices of the communication network and indicative of purging of device state information associated with the attaching of the machine-to-machine device independently of the inactivity timer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the system is integrated with the access point device.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signaling procedure is a load balancing signaling procedure.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device is based on provisioned service level data indicative of a level of service provisioned for the subscriber device by a network device of the communication network.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining the subscriber device is the machine-to-machine device is based on user equipment category data indicative of a device category as defined by a third generation partnership project specification.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2015
From: CUI, ZHI; PANDEY, VINOD; FUNG, LIZA; SMITH, PAUL EDWARD, JR; LIU, CHENG
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 035529/0388 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160323694A1 · Nov 3, 2016