Technology for triggering groups of wireless devices

Abstract

Technology for triggering machine type communication (MTC) devices is disclosed. One method comprises sending a triggering indication from an MTC server to a plurality of MTC devices using a cell broadcasting service. Another method comprises sending a triggering indication from an MTC server to a plurality of MTC devices using Paging. The triggering indication is configured to initiate a communication between the MTC server and selected MTC devices in the plurality of MTC devices that receive the triggering indication. The triggering indication includes an MTC group identification (ID) value. Only those MTC devices that belong to the MTC group ID value in the triggering indication act on the triggering indication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for triggering machine type communication (MTC) devices, comprising:
 sending a triggering indication from an MTC server to a plurality of MTC devices using a cell broadcasting service (CBS),   wherein the triggering indication is configured to initiate a communication between the MTC server and selected MTC devices in the plurality of MTC devices that receive the triggering indication,   wherein the triggering indication includes an MTC group identification (ID) value and only MTC devices belonging to the MTC group ID value in the triggering indication are configured to act on the triggering indication.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication with the MTC group ID value carried as a transparent data container. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication with a transparent data container containing application specific data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering indication with the MTC group ID value is communicated to a cell broadcasting center that communicates with a radio network controller (RNC) configured to interpret the triggering indication. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication with the MTC group ID value in a short message service (SMS) broadcast command message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising sending the SMS broadcast message using a base transceiver station that is configured to segment the SMS broadcast message into a sequence of 4 blocks that are each 22 octets long for transmission to the MTC device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication with the MTC group ID value using a cell broadcasting service having a cell broadcasting center in communication with the MTC server and a radio access network (RAN). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sending an acknowledgement of the trigger indication from a cell broadcast center to the MTC server. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the trigger indication with the MTC group ID value in a short message service (SMS) broadcast request message. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication with the MTC group ID value as a paging message sent by a Node B to notify the selected MTC devices that an MTC system information block (SIB) is being broadcast by the Node B. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving the MTC SIB only at the selected MTC devices having the MTC group ID value. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving the MTC SIB at all MTC devices that receive the triggering indication when a null MTC group ID value is used. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the triggering indication from the MTC server to the plurality of MTC devices, wherein the MTC devices are selected from the group consisting of a sensor coupled to a transceiver, a user equipment, a mobile station, a mobile computing device, a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer. 
     
     
         14 . A Cell Broadcast Service operable to trigger a plurality of machine type communication (MTC) devices, comprising:
 a cell broadcast center configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN and an MTC server through an MTC Inter Working Function (IWF) gateway; and   a group broadcast reference point defined between the cell broadcast center and the MTC IWF gateway, wherein the group broadcast reference point is configured to send a triggering indication from the MTC server to the plurality of MTC devices using the RAN,   wherein the triggering indication is configured to initiate a communication between the MTC server and selected MTC devices in the plurality of MTC devices that receive the triggering indication,   wherein the triggering indication includes an MTC group identification (ID) value and only those selected MTC devices having the MTC group ID of the triggering indication are configured to act on the trigger indication to communicate with the MTC server.   
     
     
         15 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 14 , wherein the RAN is configured to operate as one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) having Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN) and a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). 
     
     
         16 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 14 , wherein the RAN comprises a CBC  108  is configured to send messages to a base station controller (BSC) configured to receive a message from the cell broadcast center, interpret the message and send the message to a base transceiver station (BTS) for broadcast to the plurality of MTC devices. 
     
     
         17 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 14 , wherein the triggering indication and the MTC group ID are communicated via one of a short message service (SMS) command and an SMS request. 
     
     
         18 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 17 , wherein the SMS broadcast command is communicated using a base transceiver station that is configured to segment the SMS broadcast message into a sequence of 4 blocks that are each 22 octets long for transmission to the MTC device. 
     
     
         19 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 14 , wherein the triggering indication and the MTC group ID are carried by a transparent data container. 
     
     
         20 . The Cell Broadcast Service of  claim 14 , wherein the CBC is configured to communicate an acknowledgement of the trigger indication to the MTC server. 
     
     
         21 . A Node B operable to trigger a plurality of machine type communication (MTC) devices to communicate with an MTC server, comprising:
 a paging module configured to communicate a first system information block (SIB1) to the plurality of MTC devices via a radio access network (RAN) to provide scheduling information for the reception of an MTC SIB broadcast by the Node B,   wherein the MTC SIB includes a triggering indication that includes an MTC group identification (ID) value and only those selected MTC devices having the MTC group ID of the MTC SIB act on the triggering indication to communicate with the MTC server.   
     
     
         22 . The Node B of  claim 21 , wherein the Node B is an enhanced Node B as defined by at least one of the third generation partnership project long term evolution (3GPP LTE) Release 8, 9 or 10. 
     
     
         23 . The Node B of  claim 21 , wherein the MTC SIB is configured to include a plurality of MTC group ID values. 
     
     
         24 . The Node B of claim, wherein the RAN is one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) having Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN), a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and an Enhanced UTRAN (E-UTRAN).