System and method for reporting that a maximum number of data contexts is reached

摘要

If a wireless device does not know how many data contexts can be supported, then the wireless device might attempt to establish more data contexts than are supported. Such attempt would normally be rejected. However, the signalling involved in the attempt to establish another data context and the rejection of that attempt is considered wasteful. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow such waste to be reduced or avoided by signalling to the wireless device when the maximum number of data contexts is reached or when it is about to be reached. Such signalling can occur before any attempt to establish more data contexts than are supported. Thus, wasteful signaling involved with attempting to establish more data contexts can be avoided.

主权项

1. A method by a wireless device, the method comprising:
sending from the wireless device a first request for establishing a requested data context; receiving at the wireless device a session management information element coded to indicate acceptance of the request and that the maximum number of data contexts that can be supported for the wireless device is reached if establishing the requested data context would reach the maximum number of data contexts; and in response to receiving the session management information element, avoiding sending from the wireless device a second request for a further data context while a number of established data contexts is the maximum number of data contexts; wherein the session management information element is coded to indicate that the maximum number of data contexts that can be supported for the wireless device is reached by including in the session management information element an (E)SM cause information element represented by an octet.