# US 10,772,160 B2 · RAN server, wireless communications system, and terminal attach method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,772,160 B2
- Document ID: US10772160B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/188,874
- Filed: 2018-11-13
- Published: 2019-03-14
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-13
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Xiaoli Shi; Hongzhuo Zhang; Wenjie Peng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10772160B2

## CPC

- H04W 60/04: using triggered events
- H04L 9/40: Network security protocols
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- H04W 28/16: Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- H04W 88/18: Service support devices; Network management devices
- H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals
- H04W 88/182: {Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy}
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A RAN server, a wireless communications system, and a terminal attach method are provided. The RAN server configured to centrally manage base stations of a plurality of wireless communications standards is introduced, and the RAN server is used as a central node to implement a unified interface to a core network. A base station that is of any wireless communications standard and that is managed by the RAN server may independently provide a data transmission service to a terminal, so that the wireless communications system provided in this application basically does not cause an additional latency. In addition, a TAI unrelated to a wireless communications standard of a base station is carried in an attach request message, an attach accept message, and an attach complete message that are exchanged in a terminal attach process.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A radio access network (RAN) server, wherein the RAN server is connected to a fifth generation mobile communications technology (5G) core network by using an interface, the RAN server is configured to manage base stations of a plurality of wireless communications standards, and the RAN server comprises a receiver and a transmitter:
the receiver is configured to receive an attach request message that is from a terminal apparatus and forwarded by a first base station, wherein the first base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
the transmitter is configured to send the attach request message to the 5G core network by using the interface;
the receiver is further configured to receive, by using the interface, an attach accept message returned by the 5G core network in response to the attach request message; and
the transmitter is further configured to send the attach accept message to the terminal apparatus by using a second base station, wherein the second base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The RAN server according to claim 1, wherein
the receiver is further configured to receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reconfiguration complete message that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a third base station, wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message is sent by the terminal apparatus after the terminal apparatus receives an RRC connection reconfiguration message carrying the attach accept message, and the third base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
the transmitter is further configured to: after the receiver receives the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message, send an initial context setup response message to the 5G core network by using the interface;
the receiver is further configured to receive an attach complete message that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a fourth base station, wherein the fourth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards; and
the transmitter is further configured to send the attach complete message to the 5G core network by using the interface, wherein the terminal apparatus is attached to the 5G core network in response to the attach complete message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The RAN server according to claim 2, wherein the attach request message, the attach accept message, and the attach complete message comprise a tracking area identity (TAI) of the terminal apparatus; and
the TAI is one of an identifier of the RAN server or a preset value that is unrelated to a wireless communications standard of a base station.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The RAN server according to claim 2, wherein the RAN server further comprises a processor;
the receiver is further configured to receive a service request that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a fifth base station, wherein the fifth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards; and
the processor is configured to allocate, to the terminal apparatus, a sixth base station responsible for processing the service request, wherein the sixth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The RAN server according to claim 1, wherein the RAN server is connected to an evolved packet core (EPC) network by using an S1 interface, and the attach request message carries a capability of the terminal apparatus;
and wherein the transmitter is configured to:
if the capability of the terminal apparatus indicates that the terminal apparatus supports a new radio access (NR) wireless communications standard, send the attach request message to the 5G core network by using the interface; or
if the capability of the terminal apparatus indicates that the terminal apparatus supports only a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications standard, send the attach request message to the EPC network by using the S1 interface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The RAN server according to claim 1, wherein the RAN server is configured to implement functions of an access adaptation layer, an RRC layer, an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the access adaptation layer has a function of allocating, to the terminal apparatus, a base station responsible for processing a service request, a function of managing a tracking area list, and a function of paging when the terminal apparatus initiates the service request.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The RAN server according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a newly-defined interface, or the interface is an S1 interface.

### Claim 8

A wireless communications system, comprising at least one radio access network (RAN) server, a fifth generation mobile communications technology (5G) core network, and base stations of a plurality of wireless communications standards, wherein
the RAN server is connected to the 5G core network by using an interface, the RAN server is configured to manage the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards, and the RAN server comprises a receiver and a transmitter:
the receiver is configured to receive an attach request message that is from a terminal apparatus and forwarded by a first base station, wherein the first base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
the transmitter is configured to send the attach request message to the 5G core network by using the interface;
the receiver is further configured to receive, by using the interface, an attach accept message returned by the 5G core network in response to the attach request message; and
the transmitter is further configured to send the attach accept message to the terminal apparatus by using a second base station, wherein the second base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards are configured to forward an attach request message from a terminal apparatus to the RAN server; and
the 5G core network is configured to return, when receiving the attach request message sent by the RAN server, an attach accept message to the RAN server.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The wireless communications system according to claim 8, wherein the RAN server is further configured to: manage a tracking area list, deliver the tracking area list, and generate security contexts of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards.

### Claim 10

A terminal apparatus attach method, comprising:
receiving, by a radio access network (RAN) server, an attach request message that is from a terminal apparatus and forwarded by a first base station, wherein the RAN server is connected to a fifth generation mobile communications technology (5G) core network by using an interface, the RAN server is configured to manage base stations of a plurality of wireless communications standards, and the first base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
sending, by the RAN server, the attach request message to the 5G core network by using the interface;
receiving, by the RAN server by using the interface, an attach accept message returned by the 5G core network in response to the attach request message; and
sending, by the RAN server, the attach accept message to the terminal apparatus by using a second base station, wherein the second base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the RAN server, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reconfiguration complete message that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a third base station, wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message is sent by the terminal apparatus after the terminal apparatus receives an RRC connection reconfiguration message carrying the attach accept message, and the third base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards;
after receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message, sending, by the RAN server, an initial context setup response message to the 5G core network by using the interface;
receiving, by the RAN server, an attach complete message that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a fourth base station, wherein the fourth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards; and
sending, by the RAN server, the attach complete message to the 5G core network by using the interface, wherein the terminal apparatus is attached to the 5G core network in response to the attach complete message.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the attach request message, the attach accept message, and the attach complete message comprise a tracking area identity (TAI) of the terminal apparatus; and
the TAI is one of an identifier of the RAN server or a preset value unrelated to a wireless communications standard of a base station.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein after the terminal apparatus is attached to the 5G core network, and the method further comprises:
receiving, by the RAN server, a service request that is from the terminal apparatus and forwarded by a fifth base station, wherein the fifth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards; and
allocating, by the RAN server to the terminal apparatus, a sixth base station responsible for processing the service request, wherein the sixth base station is one of the base stations of the plurality of wireless communications standards.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the RAN server is connected to an evolved packet core (EPC) network by using an S1 interface, and the attach request message carries a capability of the terminal apparatus; and the method comprises:
determining, by the RAN server based on the capability of the terminal apparatus carried in the attach request message, whether the terminal apparatus supports a new radio access (NR) wireless communications standard or the terminal apparatus supports only a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications standard; and
performing one of the following operations:
if the RAN server determines, based on the capability of the terminal apparatus carried in the attach request message, that the terminal apparatus supports the NR wireless communications standard, sending, by the RAN server, the attach request message to the 5G core network by using the interface; or
if the RAN server determines, based on the capability of the terminal apparatus carried in the attach request message, that the terminal apparatus supports only the LTE wireless communications standard, sending the attach request message to the EPC network by using the S1 interface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the interface is a newly-defined interface, or the interface is an S1 interface.