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US 12,015,954 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for handover
AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy
InventorKlaus Hoffman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for causing control information to be sent from a source base station to a target base station via a user plane is provided. In a network that uses control plane and user plane separation, the systems and methods provided herein reduce time delays between handovers in the control plane and handovers in the user plane. The time delays are reduced by minimizing a duration of the handover preparation phase by sending control information with payload packets between network functions via in-band signaling in the user plane.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a control plane comprising:
- a source mobility management function (S-AMF);
- a target mobility management function (T-AMF);
- and
- a session management function (SMF);
- a user plane comprising a target user plane function (T-UPF);
- a source radio access network (S-RAN);
- a target radio access network (T-RAN);
- an apparatus;
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the following operations;
- providing, by the S-RAN, a handover required message to the S-AMF;
- providing, by the S-RAN, a second message indicating, to the S-AMF, that the S-RAN supports a procedure of a minimized preparation phase for handover and supports sending control information from a source base station to a target base station via the user plane;
- upon receipt of the handover required message by the S-AMF:
- selecting, by the S-AMF, the T-AMF to use for a handover;
- and
- signaling, by the S-AMF, support of the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of a direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- determining, by the T-AMF, that the T-UPF supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase;
- based on the determining, providing, by the T-AMF, a combined create session request and create indirect forwarding indication message to the T-UPF via the SMF;
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message, providing, by the T-UPF to the T-AMF via the SMF, the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message with an uplink address of the T-UPF and an indirect T-UPE internet protocol (IP) address and tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID);
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message at the T-AMF, transmitting, by the T-AMF, a handover request message with a RAN transparent container, the uplink address, the indirect T-UPF IP Address and TEID to the T-RAN;
- transmitting, by the T-AMF, an indication to the T-RAN, that the T-AMF supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of the direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- upon receipt of the direct forwarding indication with the handover request message, providing, by the T-RAN, a handover request acknowledgment message directly to the S-RAN via the user plane;
- and
- providing, by the S-RAN, a handover command message to the apparatus, the S-RAN configured to communicate as if the handover command message was received via the control plane rather than from the T-RAN directly via the user plane.
23 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing, by a source radio access network (S-RAN), a handover required message to a source mobility management function (S-AMF);
- providing, by the S-RAN, a second message indicating, to the S-AMF, that the S-RAN supports a procedure of a minimized preparation phase for handover and supports sending control information via a user plane;
- upon receipt of the handover required message by the S-AMF:
- selecting, by the S-AMF, a target mobility management function (T-AMF) to use for a handover;
- and
- signaling, by the S-AMF, support of the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of a direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- determining, by the T-AMF, that a target user plane function (T-UPF) supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase;
- based on the determining, providing, by the T-AMF, a combined create session request and create indirect forwarding indication message to the T-UPF via a session management function (SMF);
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message, providing, by the T-UPF to the T-AMF via the SMF, the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message with an uplink address of the T-UPF and an indirect T-UPE internet protocol (IP) address and tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID);
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message at the T-AMF, transmitting, by the T-AMF, a handover request message with a RAN transparent container, the uplink address, the indirect T-UPF IP Address and TEID to a target radio access network (T-RAN);
- transmitting, by the T-AMF, an indication to the T-RAN, that the T-AMF supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of the direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- upon receipt of the direct forwarding indication with the handover request message, providing, by the T-RAN, a handover request acknowledgment message directly to the S-RAN via the user plane;
- and
- providing, by the S-RAN, a handover command message to an apparatus, the S-RAN configured to communicate as if the handover command message was received via the control plane rather than from the T-RAN directly via the user plane.
11 more elements
A system comprising:
- a control plane comprising:
- a source mobility management function (S-AMF);
- a target mobility management function (T-AMF);
- and
- a session management function (SMF);
- a user plane comprising a target user plane function (T-UPF);
- a source radio access network (S-RAN);
- a target radio access network (T-RAN);
- an apparatus;
- a plurality of processors;
- and
- at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the plurality of processors, cause the following operations:
- send, by the S-RAN, a handover required message to the S-AMF;
- send, by the S-RAN, a second message indicating, to the S-AMF, that the S-RAN supports a procedure of a minimized preparation phase for handover and supports sending control information via the user plane;
- upon receipt of the handover required message by the S-AMF:
- select, by the S-AMF, the T-AMF to use for a handover;
- and
- signal, by the S-AMF, support of the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of a direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- determine, by the T-AMF, that the T-UPF supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase;
- based on the determining, send, by the T-AMF, a combined create session request and create indirect forwarding indication message to the T-UPF via the SMF;
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message, send, by the T-UPF to the T-AMF via the SMF, the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message with an uplink address of the T-UPF and an indirect T-UPE internet protocol (IP) address and tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID);
- upon receipt of the combined create session request message and the create indirect forward message at the T-AMF, send, by the T-AMF, a handover request message with a RAN transparent container, the uplink address, the indirect T-UPF IP Address and TEID to the T-RAN;
- send, by the T-AMF, an indication to the T-RAN, that the T-AMF supports the procedure of the minimized preparation phase and of the direct data forwarding to the T-AMF;
- upon receipt of the direct forwarding indication with the handover request message, send, by the T-RAN, a handover request acknowledgment message directly to the S-RAN via the user plane;
- and
- send, by the S-RAN, a handover command message to the apparatus, the S-RAN configured to communicate as if the handover command message was received via the control plane rather than from the T-RAN directly via the user plane.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.