Passive mode transition for user equipment based on control plane monitoring

1. User Equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a mobile network over a radio interface, the UE comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code executable by the processor;

the processor configured to cause the UE to:

identify data buffered for one or more applications running on the UE while the UE is in non-connected mode;

determine, while in non-connected mode, a number of other UEs receiving signaling messages on a control plane to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode;

estimate a load on the control plane based on the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode; and

defer a transition of the UE from non-connected mode to connected mode to delay a transfer of the data from the UE to the mobile network over the radio interface when the load on the control plane exceeds a threshold.

2. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

transition the UE from non-connected mode to connected mode when the load on the control plane does not exceed the threshold; and

initiate the transfer of the data from the UE to the mobile network over the radio interface.

3. The UE of claim 1 wherein:

the data buffered for the applications comprises background data.

4. The UE of claim 1 wherein:

the data buffered for at least one of the applications comprises Machine-Type Communications (MTC) data.

5. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

monitor paging messages to determine the number of other UEs identified in the paging messages.

6. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

monitor random access messages to determine the number of other UEs receiving random access response messages.

7. The UE of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages over a first time interval; and

the threshold is a percentage of an average load on the control plane over a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval.

8. A method of operating User Equipment (UE) to communicate with a mobile network over a radio interface, the method comprising:

identifying data buffered for one or more applications running on the UE while the UE is in non-connected mode;

determining, while in the UE is in non-connected mode, a number of other UEs receiving signaling messages on a control plane to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode;

estimating a load on the control plane based on the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode; and

deferring a transition of the UE from non-connected mode to connected mode to delay a transfer of the data from the UE to the mobile network over the radio interface when the load on the control plane exceeds a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transitioning the UE from non-connected mode to connected mode when the load on the control plane does not exceed the threshold; and

initiating the transfer of the data from the UE to the mobile network over the radio interface.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the data buffered for the applications comprises background data.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the data buffered for at least one of the applications comprises Machine-Type Communications (MTC) data.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages on the control plane to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode comprises:

monitoring paging messages to determine the number of other UEs identified in the paging messages.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages on the control plane to transition from non-connected mode to connected mode comprises:

monitoring random access messages to determine the number of other UEs receiving random access response messages.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein:

determining the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages on the control plane comprises determining the number of other UEs receiving signaling messages over a first time interval; and

the threshold is a percentage of an average load on the control plane over a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval.