Method and Telecommunications Network for Controlling Activation Of At Least One Terminal In a Machine-Type Communication Application

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling activation of at least one terminal in a machine-type communication application using a wireless access network. The wireless access network comprises a number of location areas, each of the location areas comprising a plurality of cells. The terminal has been assigned an identifier. First, a location identifier is received from a location provider, the location identifier indicating a subset of cells of at least one of the location areas. Activation of the at least one terminal is then controlled by transmitting at least one broadcast message on at least one cell broadcast channel in the cells of the subset indicated by the location identifier. The broadcast message contains the identifier or identifier part assigned to the terminal, such that the at least one terminal is signalled that the broadcast message is intended for him An activation control system and a mobile terminal for use with such a system are also disclosed.

1 . A method for controlling activation of at least one terminal in a machine-type communication application using a wireless access network, the wireless access network including a number of location areas, each of the location areas including a plurality of cells, the terminal having been assigned an identifier, the method comprising:
 receiving a location identifier from a location provider, the location identifier indicating a subset of cells of at least one of the location areas; and   controlling activation of the at least one terminal by transmitting at least one broadcast message on at least one cell broadcast channel in the indicated cells of the subset, wherein the broadcast message contains the identifier or identifier part assigned to the at least one terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the broadcast message contains at least one activation parameter. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the identifier is, unrelated to the wireless access network. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising controlling activation of a plurality of terminals by transmitting the broadcast message, the broadcast message containing a group identifier or group identifier part as the identifier shared by the plurality of terminals. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the group identifier is a group network-related identifier, and further comprising receiving terminal-initiated request messages at the wireless access network for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from at least two of the plurality of terminals in a cell of the subset at different points in time, wherein the points in time are different in that a connection of a first terminal is terminated before the terminal-initiated request message of a second terminal is received. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the group identifier is a group network-related identifier, and further comprising receiving terminal-initiated request messages at the wireless access network for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from at least two of the plurality of terminals in different cells of the subset. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising transmitting subsequent broadcast message in different subsets of at least one location area. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a terminal-initiated request message for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from the at least one terminal following the transmitting of the broadcast message; and   exchanging data over the established connection with the at least one terminal from which the terminal-initiated request message is received.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of receiving terminal location information from the terminal at the location provider. 
     
     
         10 . An activation control system configured for controlling activation of at least one terminal in a machine-type communication application using a wireless access network, the wireless access network including a number of location areas, each of the location areas including a plurality of cells, the terminal having been assigned an identifier, the system comprising:
 a receiver configured for receiving a location identifier from a location provider, the location identifier indicating a subset of cells of at least one of the location areas;   an activation controller configured for controlling activation of the at least one terminal by transmitting at least one broadcast message on at least one cell broadcast channel in the indicated cells of the subset, wherein the broadcast message contains the identifier or an identifier part assigned to the at least one terminal.   
     
     
         11 . The activation control system according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the broadcast message contains at least one activation parameter.   
     
     
         12 . The activation control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the system is configured for controlling activation of a plurality of terminals by transmitting the broadcast message, wherein the activation controller is configured for containing in the broadcast message a group identifier or group identifier part as the identifier shared by the plurality of terminals. 
     
     
         13 . The activation control system according to  claim 12 , wherein the system is further configured for receiving terminal-initiated request messages for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from at least two of the plurality of terminals in different cells of the subset. 
     
     
         14 . The activation control system according to  claim 13 , wherein the system further contains at least one of the following:
 a transmission system configured for transmitting a subsequent broadcast message in different subsets of at least one location area;   a receiver configured for receiving a terminal-initiated request message for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from the at least one terminal following the transmitting of the broadcast message in combination with a data exchanger configured for exchanging data over the established connection with the at least one terminal from which the terminal-initiated request message is received; and   a receiver configured for receiving terminal location information from the terminal at the location provider.   
     
     
         15 . A machine-type communication terminal configured for operating in the method according to  claim 9 , the terminal comprising:
 a receiver for receiving the broadcast message on the cell broadcast channel;   a processor for verifying whether an identifier contained in the broadcast message matches a terminal identifier; and   a controller for controlling activation of the terminal, particularly establishing a connection with the wireless access network, when the identifier contained in the broadcast message matches the terminal identifier.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-type communication terminal according to  claim 15 , wherein the identifier is a network-unrelated identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The activation control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the identifier is a network-unrelated identifier. 
     
     
         18 . The activation control system according to  claim 12 , further comprising a receiver configured for receiving terminal-initiated request messages for establishing a connection with the wireless access network from at least two of the plurality of terminals in a cell of the subset at different points in time.