Method and system for a signaling connection release indication

Abstract

A method and system for processing a signaling connection release indication between user equipment and a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.

1 . A method for processing signaling connection release indication between user equipment and a wireless network, comprising the steps of:
 a. monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;   b. appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication;   c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to which the cause is appended to the wireless network, thereby to indicate the release of a signaling connection and to identify the cause of the signaling connection release indication;   d. receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and   e. examining said cause at the wireless network to determine whether the signaling connection release indication is a result of a normal or an abnormal condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cause is indicative of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cause is indicative of the expiry of a timer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of an attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cause is a request by the user equipment to end a PS data session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the examining step raises an alarm when said cause is indicative of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cause is indicative of a normal condition. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising raising an alarm at the wireless network if the signaling connection release indication is a result of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of appending is only performed if an abnormal condition exists. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of appending is performed only if a normal condition exists. 
     
     
         11 . A system adapted for processing signaling release indication cause, the system comprising:
 a. user equipment, the user equipment having a radio subsystem including a radio adapted to communicate with a network; a radio processor having a digital signal processor and adapted to interact with said radio subsystem; memory; a user interface; a processor adapted to run user applications and interact with the memory, the radio and the user interface and adapted to run applications, the user equipment characterized by having means for:
 i. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; 
 ii. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and 
 iii. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to which the cause is appended to the wireless network, thereby to indicate the release of a signaling connection and to identify the cause of the signaling connection release indication; and 
   b. a wireless network adapted to communicate with the user equipment and further characterized by means for:
 i. receiving the signaling connection release indication; and 
 ii. examining said cause to determine whether the signaling connection release indication is a result of a normal or an abnormal condition. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the cause is indicative of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the cause is indicative of the expiry of a timer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of an attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the cause comprises a request by the user equipment to end a PS data session. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the means for examining is adapted to raise an alarm when said cause is indicative of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising an alarm generator for raising an alarm if the signaling connection release indication is a result of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the means for appending is adapted to append the cause only if an abnormal condition exists. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the means for appending is adapted to append the cause only if a normal condition exists. 
     
     
         20 . A method for processing signaling connection release at a user equipment, comprising the steps of:
 a. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;   b. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and   c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication to which the cause is appended, thereby to indicate the release of a signaling connection and to identify the cause of the signaling connection release indication.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the cause is indicative of an abnormal condition. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the cause is indicative of the expiry of a timer. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the timer is selected from the group consisting of an attachment failure timer, a routing area update timer and a GMM service request timer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the cause is indicative of a request by the user equipment to end a PS-data session. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the cause is indicative of a normal condition. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the step of appending is only performed if an abnormal condition exists. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the step of appending is only performed if a normal condition exists. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network comprises receiving from an upper layer a request to release a signaling connection for a Core Network (CN) domain. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication is only performed if the CN domain is a Packet Switched (PS) domain. 
     
     
         30 . A user equipment adapted for providing signaling release indication cause in a network, the user equipment having a radio subsystem including a radio adapted to communicate with the network; a radio processor having a digital signal processor and adapted to interact with said radio subsystem; memory; a user interface; a processor adapted to run user applications and interact with the memory, the radio and the user interface and adapted to run applications, the user equipment characterized by having means for:
 a. monitoring whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network;   b. appending a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; and   c. sending the appended signaling connection release indication that includes the cause, thereby to indicate the release of a signaling connection and to identify the cause of the signaling connection release indication.   
     
     
         31 . Apparatus for user equipment to facilitate release of signaling connection, said apparatus comprising:
 a. a checker configured to check whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent; and   b. a signaling connection release indication sender configured to send a signaling connection release indication responsive to said check by said checker that the signaling connection release indication should be sent, the signaling connection release indication including a signaling connection release indication cause field that indicates an abnormal condition.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31  wherein said checker is further configured to check whether, subsequent to sending of the signaling connection release indication and prior to confirmation of delivery of the signaling connection release indication, signaling connection of the user equipment is needed. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32  wherein said signaling connection release indication sender is further configured to retransmit the signaling connection release indication. 
     
     
         34 . Network apparatus for operating upon a signaling connection release indication, said network apparatus comprising:
 a. an examiner configured to examine a signaling connection release indication cause field of the signaling connection release indication to check whether the signaling connection release indication is a result of a normal or an abnormal condition; and   b. an initiator configured to initiate a connection release.   
     
     
         35 . The network apparatus of  claim 34  wherein the network apparatus includes logical layers, wherein said examiner is embodied at a first of the logical layers, said examiner further configured to request, to a second of the logical layers, the signaling connection release. 
     
     
         36 . A method for processing a signaling connection release in a wireless network, comprising the steps of:
 a. receiving from a user equipment a signaling connection release indication being indicative of a signaling connection to release and of a cause for the signaling connection release indication;   b. causing the release of the signaling connection based on the signaling connection release indication received; and   c. based on the signaling connection release indication cause received, causing a determination of whether the signaling connection release indication is a result of a normal or an abnormal condition.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the receiving and causing steps are implemented in a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein causing the release of the signaling connection release indication received comprises requesting at the UTRAN the release of the signaling connection from an upper layer in the wireless network. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein causing a determination of whether the signaling connection release indication is a result of a normal or an abnormal condition comprises forwarding at the UTRAN the signaling connection release indication cause received to an upper layer in the wireless network.