Access spreading with selective paging

摘要

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for selectively notifying user equipments (UEs) of updated access barring statuses and for spreading access attempts by the UEs. The methods and apparatus disclosed in the present application reduce potential overloads in a radio access network caused by UEs simultaneously accessing the radio network, after being notified that access restrictions have been removed.

主权项

1. A method to control access attempts by a plurality of User Equipment (UE) in a radio access network, comprising:
dividing paging occasions within a paging cycle into a first set of paging occasions and a second set of paging occasions; assigning the first set of paging occasions to a first set of the plurality of UEs and the second set of paging occasions to a second set of the plurality of UEs; broadcasting an access control message to the plurality of UEs for controlling access attempts to the radio access network by the plurality of UEs; sending a first paging notification in the first set of paging occasions of a first paging cycle to notify the first set of the plurality of UEs of the access control message; and sending a second paging notification in the second set of paging occasions of a second paging cycle to notify the second set of the plurality of UEs of the access control message, wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of UEs are each associated with but assigned to different paging cycles with the first paging cycle adjacent in time to the second paging cycle.