Method, apparatus, system, computer program and computer program products for providing a plmn identifier to a node of a ran

Abstract

A method in a communication system includes a first core network node (CN), a second CN, a base station apparatus serving a user equipment (UE), and a packet data network gateway (PGW) associated with the UE, the method being performed by the first CN. The method includes the first CN receiving a tunneling endpoint identifier (TEID) information element from a second CN, the TEID information element comprises a plurality of fields. The one of the plurality of fields includes a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

1 . A method in a communication system comprising a first core network node (CN), a second CN, a base station apparatus serving a user equipment (UE), and a packet data network gateway (PGW) located in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and associated with the UE, the method comprising:
 the first CN receiving a tunneling endpoint identifier (TEID) information element from the second CN, wherein the TEID information element comprises a plurality of fields, wherein one of said plurality of fields of the TEID information element includes a PLMN identifier identifying the PLMN in which the PGW is located; and   the first CN forwarding to the base station apparatus the received PLMN identifier that identifies the PLMN in which the PGW is located.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the TEID information element is a fully qualified TEID (F-TEID) information element. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said on of said plurality of fields of the F-TEID information element includes a TEID/GRE Key field and said PLMN identifier is encoded in said TEID/GRE Key field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first CN is a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN),   the second CN is a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN),   the received TEID information element is a Fully Qualified TEID (F-TEID) information element (IE) comprising nine octets, and   four of said nine octets contain the PLMN ID.   
     
     
         5 . The method of embodiment  1 , wherein:
 the base station apparatus comprises a radio network controller (RNC) and a base station, and   forwarding the received PLMN identifier to the base station apparatus comprises forwarding the PLMN identifier to the RNC.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first CN is a serving general packet radio service support node (SGSN) and the second CN is a gateway general packet radio service support node (GGSN). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first CN is a Mobility Management Entity (MME),   the second CN is a Serving Gateway (SGW),   the received TEID information element is a Fully Qualified TEID (F-TEID) information element (IE) comprising nine octets, and   four of said nine octets contain the PLMN ID.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to the first CN receiving the TEID information element (IE) from the second CN, the first CN transmits a Create Session Request message to the second CN and, as a result, receives from the second CN a Create Session Response message, wherein   the TEID IE containing the PLMN identifier is included in the Create Session Response message, and   the step of forwarding the received PLMN identifier to the base station comprises transmitting to the base station a context setup request message comprising the PLMN identifier.   
     
     
         9 . A method in a communication system comprising an mobility management node (MMN), a base station serving a user equipment (UE), a Radio Network Controller (RNC) controlling the base station, and a packet data network gateway (PGW) located in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and associated with the UE, the method comprising:
 the MMN obtaining a PLMN identifier (ID) identifying the PLMN in which the PGW is located; and   the MMN transmitting to the RNC the obtained PLMN ID that identifies the PLMN in which the PGW is located.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of obtaining the PLMN ID comprises the MMN receiving from a core network node a message comprising a Fully Qualified Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (F-TEID) information element (IE) comprising at least nine sequential octets and not more than four of said at least nine octets of the F-TEID IE are used to encode the PLMN ID. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein
 the MMN is one of a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME), and   the core network node is one of a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN) and a Serving Gateway (SGW).   
     
     
         12 . A method in a communication system comprising a first core network node (CN), a base station apparatus serving a user equipment (UE), and a packet data network gateway (PGW) located in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and associated with the UE, the method comprising:
 the first CN obtaining a PLMN identifier identifying the PLMN in which the PGW is located; and   the first CN transmitting a message to the base station apparatus, wherein the message comprises: i) an information element containing the PLMN ID that identifies the PLMN in which the PGW is located and ii) a radio access bearer (RAB) identifier information element comprising data identifying a RAB.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the message further comprises a message type information element indicating that the message is a RAB Assignment Request message. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the message further comprises a message type information element indicating that the message is an Initial Context Setup Request message. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the message further comprises a message type information element indicating that the message is a EUTRAN RAB (E-RAB) Setup Request message. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the message further comprises a message type information element indicating that the message is a Handover Request message. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first CN is an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) Mobility Management Entity (MME). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein
 obtaining the PLMN identifier comprises the first CN receiving a fully qualified tunneling endpoint identifier (F-TEID) information element from a second CN, the F-TEID information element comprising one octet containing information identifying one or more Internet Protocol (IP) versions and further comprising four octets immediately following said one octet containing the PLMN ID,   the first CN is one of a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME),   the second CN is one of a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN) and a Serving Gateway (SGW).   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 the base station apparatus transmitting to a source MME a handover message comprising the PLMN ID of the PGW;   the source MME transmitting to a target MME a relocation request message comprising the PLMN ID received by the source MME in the handover message; and   the target MME transmitting to a target base station apparatus a message comprising the PLMN ID the target MME received from the source MME via the relocation message.   
     
     
         20 . A method in a communication system comprising a first core network node (CN), a second CN, and a packet data network gateway (PGW) located in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and associated with user equipment (UE), the comprising:
 the first CN encoding in a TEID/GRE Key field of a fully qualified tunneling endpoint identifier (F-TEID) information element (IE) a PLMN identifier (ID) that identifies the PLMN in which the PGW is located; and   the first CN transmitting the F-TEID information element containing the PLMN ID to the second CN.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first CN is a Service Gateway (SGW) in an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and the second CN is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in the EPC. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the second CN transmitting the received PLMN ID to a base station apparatus serving the UE. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein
 the step of transmitting the F-TEID information element to the second CN comprises transmitting a create session response, including the F-TEID information element, to the second CN; and   the method further comprises: prior to the first CN encoding the PLMN ID in the TEID/GRE key field, the first CN receiving a create session request message from the second CN, wherein the create session request identifies the PGW.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein
 the first CN is one of a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN) and a Serving Gateway (SGW),   the second CN is one of a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN) and a Mobility Management Entity (MME), and   the F-TEID IE comprises at least nine sequential octets and the sixth through ninth octets of said at least nine sequential octets are used to encode the PLMN ID.