Circuit-switched services over SAE/LTE networks

摘要

A method and apparatus for providing both Mobile Terminated, MT, and Mobile Originated, MO, circuit switched (CS) services such as Short Message Service, SMS, services in networks utilizing CS Fallback and CSoLTE-I architectures. An extended SGs interface referred to as SGs+ is implemented between a Mobility Management Entity, MME, in an SAE core network and a Mobile Switching Center Server, MSC-S. The SGs+ interface supports transmission of upper layer CS packet data units while utilizing either connectionless or connection-oriented Signaling Connection Control Part, SCCP, operation. The non access stratum, NAS, signaling support between the User Equipment, UE, and the MME is extended to provide support for both MT SMS and MO SMS service.

主权项

1. A method of providing a circuit-switched (CS) service to a User Equipment (UE) over an SAE core network and an LTE radio access network, said method comprising the steps of:
extending an SGs interface to provide an SGs+ interface between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in the SAE core network and a Mobile Switching Center Server (MSC-S) wherein the SGs+ interface supports transmission of upper layer packet data units; transferring CS service messages in SGs+ messages sent between the MSC-S and the MME utilizing the SGs+ interface, wherein the step of transferring CS service messages includes sending from the MSC-S to the MME, an SGs+ downlink data transfer message including upper layer packet data units destined for a terminating UE, or sending from the MME to the MSC-S, an SGs+ uplink data transfer message including upper layer packet data units originated by an originating UE; and transferring CS service message contents between the MME and the UE via the LTE radio access network in non access stratum (NAS) messages; wherein the CS service message is a Short Message Service (SMS) and the step of transferring CS service messages includes sending from the MSC-S to the MME, an SGS+ downlink data transfer message, said SGs+ downlink data transfer message including SMS control plane packet data units and SMS message content destined for the terminating UE.