Method of using UE discovery for paging optimization

A mobility management entity apparatus (MME) comprising:

• means for receiving from a first femto cell base station information identifying a first user equipment (UE) device which transmitted a first discovery signal detected by said first femto cell base station, said first discovery signal being a signal which supports direct device to device discovery, wherein the first UE device is a cellular inactive UE device that is in an inactive state with regard to macro cellular communications and femto cellular communications and receives no communications from the first femto cell base station;
• means for updating paging area information corresponding to the first UE device, that is used for controlling paging of the first UE device, to set a paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be a first area, said first area being smaller than an area which is used to page said first UE device prior to a femto cell base station reporting detection of a discovery signal corresponding to said first UE device which supports direct device to device discovery to said MME;
• and
• wherein updating paging area information corresponding to the first UE device to set the paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be the first area includes reducing the paging area from a tracking area to a smaller area based on a location of the femto cell base station reporting detection of the discovery signal.

A computer program product for use in a mobility management entity apparatus (MME), the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing codes, when executed by a processor perform the steps:
• receiving from a first femto cell base station information identifying a first user equipment (UE) device which transmitted a first discovery signal detected by said first femto cell base station, said first discovery signal being a signal which supports direct device to device discovery, wherein the first UE device is a cellular inactive UE device that is in an inactive state with regard to macro cellular communications and femto cellular communications and receives no communications from the first femto cell base station;
• and
• updating paging area information corresponding to the first UE device, that is used for controlling paging of the first UE device, to set a paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be a first area, said first area being smaller than an area which is used to page said first UE device prior to a femto cell base station reporting detection of a discovery signal corresponding to said first UE device which supports direct device to device discovery to said MME;
• and
• wherein updating paging area information corresponding to the first UE device to set the paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be the first area includes reducing the paging area from a tracking area to a smaller area based on a location of the femto cell base station reporting detection of the discovery signal.

A mobility management entity apparatus (MME) comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• receive from a first femto cell base station information identifying a first user equipment (UE) device which transmitted a first discovery signal detected by said first femto cell base station, said first discovery signal being a signal which supports direct device to device discovery, wherein the first UE device is a cellular inactive UE device that is in an inactive state with regard to macro cellular communications and femto cellular communications and receives no communications from the first femto cell base station;
• and
• update paging area information corresponding to the first UE device, that is used for controlling paging of the first UE device, to set a paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be a first area, said first area being smaller than an area which is used to page said first UE device prior to a femto cell base station reporting detection of a discovery signal corresponding to said first UE device which supports direct device to device discovery to said MME;
• and
• memory coupled to said at least one processor;
• and
• wherein said processor is configured to reduce the paging area from a tracking area to a smaller area based on a location of the femto cell base station reporting detection of the discovery signal, as part of being configured to update paging area information corresponding to the first UE device to set the paging area to be used to page the first UE device to be the first area.