Forbidden Tracking Area Optimization For Private/Home Networks

Abstract

Access verification is adaptively done using an identifier of a first or a second length, by comparing a field of a node address that has the determined first or second length against a locally stored access list. At least the compared field of the node address is either added to a locally stored list of cell selection candidate nodes where the access list is allowed identifiers, or excluded from it where the access list is restricted identifiers. The node identifier is in three sections. The first section is service type, which the UE can use to determine whether or not it is restricted/allowed. The first length is the length of the second section, which is a service area ID of a group of network nodes. The second length is the length of the second section plus the third section, which identifies one node of the group of network nodes.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 determining which of an identifier of a first length and an identifier of a second length is to be used for access verification by user equipments, and sending an indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or an indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the second length depending on whether a determination was made to use the identifier of the first length or a determination was made to use the identifier of the second length; and   sending a node address for access verification.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein sending the indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or is to be done using the identifier of the second length is implicit in the length of the sent node address. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or is to be done using the identifier of the second length comprises explicit signaling separate from the node address and sent on a broadcast channel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the explicit signaling comprises a range indication that informs how many bits to compare for the access verification. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the node address comprises a second section that is of the first length, and a third section that combined with the second section is of the second length. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the second section comprises a service area identifier that identifies a geographic grouping of nodes and the third section comprises a node identifier that uniquely identifies one node of the grouping of nodes. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to determine which of an identifier of a first length or an identifier of a second length is to be used for access verification by user equipments; and   a transmitter configured to send either an indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or an indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the second length, and configured to send a node address for the access verification.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or is to be done using an identifier of the second length is implicit in the length of the node address that the transmitter sends. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the indication that access verification is to be done using the identifier of the first length or is to be done using the identifier of the second length comprises explicit signaling separate from the node address and sent on a broadcast channel. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the explicit signaling comprises a range indication that informs how many bits to compare for the access verification. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the node address comprises a second section that is the first length, and a third section that combined with the second section is the second length. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the second section comprises a service area identifier that identifies a geographic grouping of nodes and the third section comprises a node identifier that uniquely identifies one node of the grouping of nodes. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the node address further comprises a first section that indicates a type of service offered by the apparatus, where the apparatus comprises an access node.