Solution for managing user equipment version information in a mobile communications network

A method, comprising:

• defining at least one user equipment version presenting a user equipment radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment;
• integrating spontaneously in a user equipment an identifier that indicates a user equipment version of the user equipment within a defined non-access stratum signaling message from a user equipment to at least one core network element transparently transmitted over the radio access network;
• extracting in the at least one core network element from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version;
• and
• mapping of the received identifier to the at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and sending the at least one user equipment specific behavior information from the core network element to a radio access network element.

An apparatus, comprising

• at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,
• wherein the apparatus is an element of the core network and configured to receive an identifier that indicates a user equipment version within a defined transparently over the radio access network transmitted non-access stratum signaling message, the identifier being spontaneously integrated to the non-access stratum signaling message by at least one user equipment, the user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment, and
• the core network element is configured to extract from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message;
• and
• the apparatus is configured to map the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.

A mobile communications network, comprising:

• user equipment means;
• a radio access network;
• a core network comprising plurality of core network means;
• and
• user equipment group means, a user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set of the user equipment in the group,
• wherein
• at least one user equipment means is provided for spontaneously integrating an identifier that indicates its user equipment version within a defined non-access stratum signaling message transparently transmitted over the radio access network from the at least one user equipment to the at least one core network means, and
• at least one core network means is provided for receiving the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message and for extracting the identifier that indicates a user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message;
• and
• the at least one core network means is provided for mapping the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and for sending the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.

A method, comprising:

• defining at least one user equipment version corresponding to a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment,
• wherein the apparatus is an element of the core network and configured to receive an identifier that indicates a user equipment version within a defined transparently over the radio access network transmitted non-access stratum signaling message, the identifier being spontaneously integrated to the non-access stratum signaling message by at least one user equipment, the user equipment version presenting a radio access network functionality set for a group of user equipment, and
• the core network element is configured to extract from the transparently transmitted non-access stratum signaling message the identifier that indicates the user equipment version from said non-access stratum signaling message;
• and
• the apparatus is configured to map the received identifier to at least one user equipment specific behavior information element, and to send the at least one user equipment specific behavior information to a radio access network element.