Node and method for the connectivity management of a wireless terminal

1. A method, in a wireless terminal, for facilitating connectivity management, the wireless terminal being comprised in a communications network, the method comprising:

collecting cell change statistics; and

sending, to a network node, data related to said cell change statistics for connectivity management of the wireless terminal; and

receiving, from the network node, instructions for connectivity management, said instructions informing the wireless terminal to enter into a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, connection mode, a non-DRX connection mode or a data over Non-Access Stratum, NAS, connection mode, or said instructions informing the wireless terminal to adjust a DRX cycle length.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell change statistics comprises radio link failure, handover or idle mode cell change statistics.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting is performed according to a predetermined time schedule or with respect to a counter, wherein the collecting is performed if said counter exceeds a threshold with respect to a number of mobility procedures or measurements taken by the wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending is performed based on a request received from the network node, according to a predetermined time schedule or with respect to a counter, wherein the sending is performed if said counter exceeds a threshold with respect to a number of mobility procedures or measurements taken by the wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting is performed, at least in part, during an idle mode of the wireless terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is a base station and the data related to said cell change statistics is comprised in a Radio Resource Control, RRC, or Medium Access Control, MAC, based message.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is a Mobility Management Entity, MME, a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node, SGSN, or a S4-SGSN, and the data related to said cell change statistics is comprised in a Non-Access Stratum, NAS, based message.

8. A wireless terminal, for facilitating connectivity management, the wireless terminal being comprised in a communications network, the wireless terminal comprising:

processing circuitry configured to collect cell change statistics; and

radio circuitry configured to:

send, to a network node, data related to said cell change statistics for connectivity management of the wireless terminal; and

receive, from the network node, instructions for connectivity management, said instructions informing the wireless terminal to enter into a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, connection mode, a non-DRX connection mode or a data over Non-Access Stratum, NAS, connection mode, or said instructions informing the wireless terminal to adjust a DRX cycle length.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , wherein the cell change statistics comprises radio link failure, handover or idle mode cell change statistics.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to collect cell change statistics over a predetermined time frame or with respect to a counter, said counter evaluating a number of mobility procedures or measurements taken by the wireless terminal with respect to a threshold.

11. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to collect cell change statistics, at least in part, during an idle mode of the wireless terminal.

12. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , wherein the wireless terminal is a user equipment or a Machine Type Communication, MTC, device.

13. A method, in a network node, for connectivity management of a wireless terminal based on, at least in part, data related to cell change statistics, the method comprising:

receiving data related to cell change statistics collected by a wireless terminal over a predetermined period of time or as a result of a predetermined condition; and

managing a connection state of the wireless terminal based, at least in part, on the data related to cell change statistics;

wherein the managing further comprises providing connection instructions to the wireless terminal for entering a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, connection mode, a non-DRX connection mode or a data over Non-Access Stratum, NAS, connection mode, or said connection instructions informing the wireless terminal to adjust a DRX cycle length, said connection instructions being based on, at least in part, the data related to cell change statistics or accumulated cell change statistics.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sending, to the wireless terminal, a request for said data related to cell change statistics.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the managing further comprises accumulating cell change statistics based on received data from any number of wireless terminals served by the network node.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising accumulating said cell change statistics based on, at least in part, a wireless terminal International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI, based on a cell or area the wireless terminal is situated in, or based on a size of a cell the wireless terminal is situated in.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the managing further comprises providing adjustment instructions to the wireless terminal for adjusting a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, cycle, wherein the adjustment instructions are based on, at least in part, the data related to cell change statistics, accumulated cell change statistics, or a current cell size of the wireless terminal.

18. A network node for connectivity management of a wireless terminal based on, at least in part, data related to cell change statistics, the network node comprising:

radio or interface circuitry configured to receive data related to cell change statistics collected by a wireless terminal over a predetermined period of time or as a result of a predetermined condition; and

processing circuitry configured to:

manage a connection state of the wireless terminal based on, at least in part, the data related to cell change statistics; and

provide connection instructions to the wireless terminal for entering a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, connection mode, a non-DRX connection mode or a data over Non-Access Stratum, NAS, connection mode, or said connection instructions informing the wireless terminal to adjust a DRX cycle length said connection instructions being based on, at least in part, the data related to cell change statistics or accumulated cell change statistics.

19. The network node of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to accumulate cell change statistics based on received data from any number of wireless terminals served by the network node.

20. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to accumulate said cell change statistics based on, at least in part, a wireless terminal International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI, based on a cell or area the wireless terminal is situated in, or based on a size of a cell the wireless terminal is situated in.

21. The network node of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to provide adjustment instructions to the wireless terminal for adjusting a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, cycle, wherein the adjustment instructions are based on, at least in part, the data related to cell change statistics, accumulated cell change statistics, or a current cell size of the wireless terminal.