Mobile Relay Support in Relay-Enhanced Access Networks

1 . A method comprising

setting up a first packet data connection for traffic in a relay-enhanced access network, which relates to first-type user terminals using the same access technology as a base station from a mobile relay towards a packet data network via a first packet gateway functionality collocated with the base station currently serving the mobile relay, and

setting up a second packet data connection for traffic in the relay-enhanced access network, which relates to at least one of second-type user terminals using another access technology as the base station and the mobile relay, from the mobile relay towards the packet data network via a second packet gateway functionality external to the base station currently serving the mobile relay.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

during a handover of the mobile relay, the first packet gateway functionality is relocated from a source base station to a target base station of the mobile relay, and the second packet gateway functionality is maintained, and/or

the base station terminates an interface for interacting with the external packet gateway functionality.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising

receiving additional context information for one or more contexts of user terminals connecting to the mobile relay from a source base station.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein

the additional context information for a context of a user terminal comprises at least one of an identifier of a mobility management entity of the user terminal, an application identifier assigned by the mobility management entity of the user terminal, an uplink tunneling protocol endpoint of the user terminal, and another information enabling transmission and/or tunneling the traffic for the user terminal between the mobile relay and a mobility management entity and/or a serving gateway entity of the user terminal.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein

the additional context information for one or more contexts of first-type user terminals is received prior to the handover of the mobile relay, and/or

the additional context information for a context of a user terminal is received in a handover request message upon initiation of a S1 handover of the user terminal towards the mobile relay, a path switch request acknowledgement message upon initiation of a X2 handover of the user terminal towards the mobile relay, or an initial context setup request message upon attachment of the user terminal to the mobile relay.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising

initiating a group context update procedure for the one or more contexts of user terminals connecting to the mobile relay towards a target base station of the mobile relay after a handover thereof on the basis of the received additional context information, and

using updated context information for transmission and/or tunneling of the traffic for the first-type user terminals.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein

the group context update procedure for the one or more contexts of user terminals comprises triggering a group context update procedure for updating the one or more contexts of user terminals in at least one of the mobile relay, the target base station, a mobility management entity of the user terminals, any mobility management entity in case the mobility management entity of the user terminal is unavailable, and a serving gateway entity of the user terminals.

8 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the method is operable at or by the mobile relay, and/or

the mobile relay is operable with multiple access technologies on an access link between the mobile relay and user terminals connecting to the mobile relay, and/or

the base station currently serving the mobile relay comprises a source base station prior to a handover of the mobile relay or a target base station during and after a handover of the mobile relay, and/or

the mobile relay and the source and/or target base station are operable in accordance with an LTE or LTE-Advanced radio access system.

11 . A method comprising

servicing a first packet data connection for traffic in a relay-enhanced access network, which relates to the first-type user terminals using the same access technology as a base station, from a mobile relay towards a packet data network via a first packet gateway functionality collocated with the base station currently serving the mobile relay, and

servicing a second packet data connection for traffic in the relay-enhanced access network, which relates to at least one of second-type user terminals using another access technology as the base station and the mobile relay, from the mobile relay towards the packet data network via a second packet gateway functionality external to the base station currently serving the mobile relay.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein

during a handover of the mobile relay, the first packet gateway functionality is relocated from a source base station to a target base station of the mobile relay, and the second packet gateway functionality is maintained, and/or

the base station terminates an interface for interacting with the external packet gateway functionality.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising

transmitting additional context information for one or more contexts of user terminals connecting to the mobile relay to the mobile relay.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein

the additional context information for a context of a user terminal comprises at least one of an identifier of a mobility management entity of the user terminal, an application identifier assigned by the mobility management entity of the user terminal, an uplink tunneling protocol endpoint of the user terminal, and another information enabling transmission and/or tunneling the traffic for the user terminal between the mobile relay and a mobility management entity and/or a serving gateway entity of the user terminal.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein

the additional context information for one or more contexts of a first-type user terminals is transmitted prior to a handover of the mobile relay, and/or

the additional context information for a context of a user terminal is transmitted in a handover request message upon initiation of a S1 handover of the user terminal towards the mobile relay, a path switch request acknowledgement message upon initiation of a X2 handover of the user terminal towards the mobile relay, or an initial context setup request message upon attachment of the user terminal to the mobile relay.

16 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising

receiving an initiation of a group context update procedure for the one or more contexts of user terminals connecting to the mobile relay from the mobile relay,

initiating a group context update procedure for the one or more contexts of user terminals connecting to the mobile relay towards a mobility management entity of the user terminal, and

using updated context information for transmission and/or tunneling of the traffic for the first-type user terminals.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the mobility management entity comprises the mobility management entity of a user terminal or, in case the mobility management entity of a user terminal is unavailable, a selected mobility management entity, and/or

the context update procedure for the context of one or more user terminals comprises selecting a mobility management entity of the user terminal in case the mobility management entity of the user terminal is unavailable, triggering a group context update procedure for updating the context of one or more user terminals in at least one of the a target base station of the mobile relay after a handover thereof, a mobility management entity of the user terminals, and a serving gateway entity of the user terminals, and/or initiating a group context retrieval from the mobility management entity of the user terminal in case a relocation of the mobility management entity is performed.

18 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein

the method is operable at or by the base station currently serving the mobile relay, which comprises a source base station prior to a handover of the mobile relay or a target base station during and after a handover of the mobile relay, and/or

the mobile relay is operable with multiple access technologies on an access link between the mobile relay and user terminals connecting to the mobile relay, and/or

the mobile relay and the source and/or target base station are operable in accordance with an LTE or LTE-Advanced radio access system.

21 . An apparatus comprising

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

setting up a first packet data connection for traffic in a relay-enhanced access network, which relates to the first-type user terminals using the same access technology as a base station, from a mobile relay towards a packet data network via a first packet gateway functionality collocated with a base station currently serving the mobile relay, and

setting up a second packet data connection for traffic in the relay-enhanced access network, which relates to at least one of second-type user terminals using another access technology as the base station and the mobile relay, from the mobile relay towards the packet data network via a second packet gateway functionality external to the base station currently serving the mobile relay.

22 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . An apparatus comprising

at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus to perform; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

servicing a first packet data connection for traffic in a relay-enhanced access network, which relates to the first-type user terminals using the same access technology as a base station, from a mobile relay towards a packet data network via a first packet gateway functionality collocated with a base station currently serving the mobile relay, and

servicing a second packet data connection for traffic in the relay-enhanced access network, which relates to at least one of second-type user terminals using another access technology as the base station and the mobile relay, from the mobile relay towards the packet data network via a second packet gateway functionality external to the base station currently serving the mobile relay.

32 - 40 . (canceled)

41 . A computer program product comprising computer-executable computer program code which, when the program is run on a computer, is configured to cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

42 . The computer program product according to claim 41 , wherein the computer program product comprises a computer-readable medium on which the computer-executable computer program code is stored, and/or wherein the program is directly loadable into an internal memory of the processor.