Method; apparatus and computer program product for moving a UE context application service handover between access nodes

摘要

A telecommunications network is accessible to a user equipment via at least a first access node or a second access node. For supporting one or more application services which are accessible to the user equipment via the first access node or via the second access node, a first application service platform is provided at the first access node, and a second application service platform is provided at the second access node. Via the first application service platform at the first access node an application service is provided to the user equipment which is connected to the first access node. At handover of the user equipment from the first access node to the second access node, a context of the user equipment is moved from the application service platform at the first access node to the second application service platform at the second access node.

主权项

1. A method for providing an application service to a user equipment operating in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
serving a user equipment from a first access node in the telecommunications network, including providing an application service to the user equipment via a first application service platform integrated or co-located with the first access node and configured to provide the application service to user equipments served by the first access node; generating application service platform context data for the user equipment at the first application service platform in conjunction with providing the application service, the application service platform context data comprising information regarding use of the application service by the user equipment; handing the user equipment over from the first access node to a second access node in the telecommunications network, wherein a second application service platform is integrated or co-located with the second access node and is configured to provide the application service to user equipments served by the second access node; and in conjunction with handing the user equipment over to the second access node, transferring the application service platform context data for the user equipment from the first application service platform to the second application service platform for use in providing the application service to the user equipment after handover, based on the first access node obtaining the application service platform context data for the user equipment from the first application service platform and sending, via handover signaling, the application service platform context for the user equipment to the second access node, for transfer to the second application service platform; wherein transferring the application service platform context data for the user equipment comprises the first access node providing an indication of the handover to the first application service platform, the first application service platform providing the application service platform context data for the user equipment to the first access node in response to the indication of handover, and the first access node sending the application service platform context data for the user equipment to the second access node via said handover signaling.